Winn-Dixie facts for kids
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| Subsidiary | |
| Industry | Supermarket/Retail |
| Founded | 1925 |
| Founders |
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| Headquarters | Jacksonville, Florida, U.S. |
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Key people
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Anthony Hucker, Chairman, President & CEO |
| Products | Bakery, dairy, deli, frozen foods, general grocery, meat, produce, seafood, liquor |
| Parent | Southeastern Grocers |
Winn-Dixie Stores, Inc. is a well-known American supermarket chain. Its main office is in Jacksonville, Florida. The company started in 1925. Today, Winn-Dixie grocery stores and liquor stores serve many communities. You can find them in five states in the southeastern U.S.: Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, and Mississippi. Winn-Dixie is part of a larger company called Southeastern Grocers.
The company has been known as Winn-Dixie since 1955. Its history goes all the way back to its founding in 1925.
Contents
What Is Winn-Dixie Known For?
Winn-Dixie is famous for its own brand of soft drinks called Chek. These drinks come in over 20 different flavors. They also have diet and caffeine-free options. This is one of the biggest selections of store-brand sodas.
The company has often been called "The Beef People." The checkmark in the Winn-Dixie logo comes from an older store the company owned, called Kwik Chek.
Winn-Dixie Slogans Over Time
Winn-Dixie has used many catchy phrases in its ads. In 1982, they used "We're Right For You." From 1985 to 2001, their slogan was "America's Supermarket." Then, from 2001 to 2004, they used "The Real Deal." Since 2018, their slogan has been "It's a Winn Win!"
They also have special promises for different areas. For example, in Jacksonville, Florida, they say "Fresh Checked Every Day." In Miami, they use "El Sabor De Tu País," which means "The Flavor Of Your Country."
Winn-Dixie on the Stock Market
Winn-Dixie was once listed on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE). This meant people could buy and sell shares of the company. It was traded under the symbol "WIN" starting in 1952. However, the company faced financial challenges later on.
How Winn-Dixie Started and Grew
Early Days of the Company
Winn-Dixie was built by William Milton Davis and his four sons. William Davis first started a general store in Idaho in 1914. He called it Davis Mercantile. Back then, most stores sold things on credit. But in the 1920s, new cash-only grocery stores offered lower prices. This made it hard for Davis's business.
In 1925, William Davis borrowed $10,000 and moved to Miami, Florida. There, he bought a store called Rockmoor Grocery. By 1927, the company was renamed Table Supply. They opened four more stores. In 1931, the Davis family bought another chain called Lively Stores. This created a chain of 33 Table Supply stores across Florida. William Milton Davis passed away in 1934. His four sons then took over the company.
Joining Forces with Winn & Lovette
Winn & Lovette was a store chain started in 1920 by Bill Lovette and E.L. Winn. By 1939, they had 78 stores. The Davis brothers bought more than half of this chain. In 1944, the brothers bought the rest of Winn & Lovette. They combined all their stores under the Winn & Lovett name. The company's main office moved to Jacksonville.
Winn & Lovett kept growing by buying other store chains. They bought Steiden Stores in Kentucky in 1945. They also bought Margaret Ann Stores in Florida in 1949. In 1952, Winn & Lovett became the first company from Florida to be listed on the New York Stock Exchange.
Becoming Winn-Dixie
In October 1955, Winn & Lovett bought the Dixie-Home Stores chain. This chain had 116 stores in North Carolina, South Carolina, and Georgia. After this big purchase, the company changed its name to Winn-Dixie. By this time, the company had almost 400 stores.
Winn-Dixie continued to expand. In 1967, they bought the City Markets chain in the Bahamas. This helped them reach customers in the Caribbean. They ran 12 stores there until 2006. In 1976, Winn-Dixie bought Buddies Supermarket. This brought Winn-Dixie stores to Texas, Oklahoma, and New Mexico.
In 1981, Sam Walton, who founded Walmart, joined Winn-Dixie's board of directors. He served until 1986. The company opened its first Winn-Dixie Marketplace in 1984. This was a larger store, about 45,000 square feet.
Financial Challenges and Changes
In the late 1990s and early 2000s, Winn-Dixie faced tough times. They had strong competition from stores like Walmart. In April 2000, Winn-Dixie announced big changes. They cut 11,000 jobs and closed 114 stores. They also closed warehouses and offices.
In October 2000, Winn-Dixie bought Jitney Jungle, another grocery chain. In May 2002, Winn-Dixie decided to close all its stores in Texas and Oklahoma. They laid off 5,300 employees. This was because of increased competition from Walmart.
By April 2004, Winn-Dixie announced more store closures. They closed 156 stores and cut 10,000 jobs. Some stores were sold to other companies. Others were changed to a different brand called Save Rite Grocery Warehouse.
On February 22, 2005, Winn-Dixie filed for bankruptcy. This is a legal process that helps a company reorganize its finances. As part of this, they sold or closed 326 stores. They also cut 22,000 store jobs. Winn-Dixie left many states like the Carolinas, Tennessee, Texas, and Virginia. After this, Winn-Dixie had fewer stores than it did in the 1950s.
On February 28, 2006, more stores were sold or closed. On March 31, 2006, the chain sold its 12 stores in the Bahamas.
Joining BI-LO and Southeastern Grocers
On June 29, 2006, Winn-Dixie announced a plan to reorganize. The company successfully came out of bankruptcy on November 21, 2006. It was in a much stronger financial position. In July 2010, Winn-Dixie closed 30 stores that were not doing well.
On December 19, 2011, Winn-Dixie agreed to be sold to another company called BI-LO. Winn-Dixie became a part of BI-LO, but its stores kept the Winn-Dixie name. The merger was completed in March 2012. The combined company had 750 stores in seven states. The main office moved to Jacksonville, Florida.
In October 2013, all remaining Sweetbay Supermarket locations were changed to Winn-Dixie stores. In May 2015, BI-LO Holdings changed its name to Southeastern Grocers.
In May 2017, Southeastern Grocers closed eight Winn-Dixie stores. They also changed some Winn-Dixie stores into other brands like Harveys and Fresco y Más.
More Changes in 2018
In February 2018, Southeastern Grocers sold some Winn-Dixie stores in Louisiana and Mississippi. On March 15, 2018, Southeastern Grocers announced it would file for bankruptcy again. This plan aimed to reduce the company's debt by over $500 million. Under this plan, 35 Winn-Dixie stores closed.
By the end of May 2018, Southeastern Grocers finished its financial restructuring. It came out of bankruptcy with 575 stores in seven states. This was fewer than the 704 stores it had before. The company also planned to update 100 stores in 2018.
In February 2019, Southeastern Grocers announced plans to close 22 more locations. This included seven Winn-Dixie stores.
Sale to Aldi
On August 16, 2023, Southeastern Grocers made a deal to sell 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets stores to the German supermarket chain Aldi Süd. Some of these stores will continue to operate as Winn-Dixie or Harveys. Others will be changed into Aldi stores. The Fresco y Más stores and four pharmacies were not part of this deal.
In March 2024, Aldi completed the purchase of Winn-Dixie's parent company. On February 7, 2025, Aldi sold 170 Winn-Dixie stores and 170 liquor stores to a group of investors. Winn-Dixie continues to run the remaining 220 stores from the Aldi sale. These locations are being converted to the Aldi format, with all conversions expected to be finished by 2027.
Other Ways the Davis Family Helped Communities
The Davis brothers, who built Winn-Dixie, also supported different causes. They helped Stetson University build Davis Hall for its business school in 1967. The plaque inside the building encourages students to learn how to manage businesses.
In 1982, James E. Davis helped raise $6 million and donated land to the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville. This helped build a new medical facility that opened in 1986. The Davis family continues to support this clinic.
The Davis family also gave money to Jacksonville University. In 1984, they donated $3 million. In 1998, they gave another $10 million to build the Davis College of Business & Technology.
In the 1990s, Winn-Dixie made a large donation to the Boy Scouts of America. This led to a camp being renamed the Winn-Dixie Scout Reservation for a time.
The Davis family has also worked on developing new communities in Florida, like Nocatee and eTown. Winn-Dixie has also been involved in Jacksonville by sponsoring the Jacksonville Jaguars football team.
Where Are Winn-Dixie Stores Located?
As of March 2025, Winn-Dixie grocery stores are located in Florida, Alabama, Louisiana, Georgia, and Mississippi.
Winn-Dixie Store Brands
In 1956, Winn-Dixie introduced its first store brand called Deep South. Over the years, they have had more than 60 different brands. Some of these include Crackin' Good, Astor and Fisher, Superbrand, Thrifty Maid, Chek, and W-D Brand.
In 2003, the company simplified its brands into three main levels:
- "Prestige" for higher-quality store products.
- "Winn-Dixie" for everyday items.
- "Thrifty Maid" for value-priced items.
Later, "Thrifty Maid" was replaced by "Valu Time" in 2010, and then by "Clear Value" in 2012.
Starting in 2016, Southeastern Grocers began to use a single brand for most of its store products, called "SE Grocers." This brand has different levels: "SE Grocers Essentials" for budget items, "SE Grocers" for mid-range items, and "SE Grocers Prestige" for higher-end products. In July 2023, they announced a new brand called Know & Love, which focuses on clean labels. Other brands they use include TopCare, Fisherman's Wharf, Whiskers & Tails, Chek, Tippy Toes, Hickory Sweet, and WD Brand.
