Madeira Beach’s longtime Winn-Dixie will reopen as an Aldi this week

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Madeira beach’s new aldi store at 15200 Municipal Drive opens this thursday | T. D. Farrell Construction Inc.

Madeira Beach’s longtime grocery store is reopening this week in a new format.

Aldi will debut this Thursday, September 24th, at 15200 Municipal Drive in Carter Plaza, across from Archibald Beach Park and R.O.C. Park.

The store replaces the former Winn-Dixie, which closed last year after more than 50 years in business. The Municipal Drive store was built in 1975 and had operated as a Winn-Dixie ever since.

Winn-Dixie Liquors will remain open.

To mark the grand opening, the first 200 customers in line Thursday will receive a bag of branded items and a “golden ticket,” an Aldi gift card worth up to $100. Employees will also distribute free Aldi shopping totes throughout the day.

The store will be open daily from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m.

The Interior layout of an aldi store | aldi

Aldi said the Madeira Beach location will offer fresh and organic produce delivered daily, along with cheese, wine, gluten-free products, and plant-based options.

Known for its streamlined store model, Aldi carries a curated mix of products that is heavily weighted toward its own exclusive brands. The company says those brands account for about 90% of its inventory and that families who switch to Aldi-exclusive products can save nearly $4,000 annually.

The shopping experience also differs from a traditional supermarket. Customers bag their own groceries, bring reusable bags or purchase bags in-store, and insert a quarter deposit to unlock a shopping cart. The quarter is returned when the cart is brought back.

Winn-Dixie closed its Madeira Beach location last year after over 50 years. Winn-Dixie liquors will remain open. | COSTAR

Aldi will occupy roughly 22,000 square feet, or about half of the former 44,000-square-foot Winn-Dixie. The remaining 22,000 square feet has been reserved for a future tenant. Colliers, the brokerage marketing the remaining space, said it is in discussions with several prospective tenants but has not yet signed a lease.

The 64,000-square-foot Carter Plaza shopping center is also home to Bronze Lady Home Furnishings, Colette’s Fashions, Smoke Bros, and a CVS Pharmacy outparcel building. Dollar Tree closed earlier this year.

The Madeira Beach opening is part of Aldi’s broader conversion of former Winn-Dixie locations following its March 2024 acquisition of Southeastern Grocers.

Aldi said it has converted and opened nearly 90 former Southeastern Grocers stores across Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi, with plans to convert more than 200 locations by the end of 2027.

With the Madeira Beach opening, Aldi now has 17 stores in Pinellas County, including five in St. Petersburg and two in Pinellas Park.

Side note: During our research for this article, we found a January 13, 1975, St. Petersburg Times ad announcing the grand opening of Madeira Beach’s Winn-Dixie. The store occupied the property for more than 50 years before closing last year.