Will Brevard's 10 Winn-Dixie stores become Aldis? Here's what we know

Suzy Fleming Leonard and Britt Kennerly, Florida Today
Updated ·3 min read
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Aldi announced Wednesday that it will acquire Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets from Jacksonville-based Southeastern Grocers, though what will happen to Brevard County's 10 Winn-Dixie stores remains up in the air.

The transaction is expected to close in the first half of 2024, subject to regulatory approval and other customary closing conditions, the companies said. Until that time, Southeastern will continue to operate the stores as Winn-Dixie and Harveys.

Some Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets stores will be converted into the Aldi format, Jason Hart, Aldi’s CEO, said Wednesday. But "for those stores we do not convert, our intention is that these continue to operate as Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores," he said.

Shoppers stormed social media with thoughts on the effect of the sale on their stores of choice, expressing hopes ranging from Aldi improving Winn-Dixie’s selections to complete changeovers to the Aldi brand.

More on the deal: Aldi buying Jacksonville-based Winn-Dixie, Harveys Supermarkets

Melbourne resident Traci Wilson has health and budget in mind as she shops for her family of four at Aldi stores in South Brevard.

Knowing that Aldi has removed products with synthetic dyes and trans fats from their offerings, there’s the possibility that “maybe they will do that with Winn Dixie as well,” Wilson said.

“I love Aldi because they have a good selection of organic foods at a lower price than other grocery stores,” she said.

“They also have a decent amount of gluten-free items, and that’s good since one family member has an intolerance to gluten. Great prices and honestly less overwhelming than walking down an aisle full of chips — they have a few choices, so to me it’s less stressful to make decisions.”

Brevard County currently has eight Aldi stores.
Brevard County currently has eight Aldi stores.

The German supermarket chain said the deal is part of a plan to expand the Batavia, Illinois-based company’s presence in the Southeast.

Aldi currently has eight stores in Brevard County, three of which have opened in the past four years. In May, one of two Merritt Island stores closed, but an Aldi spokesperson said two more stores are planned for the county in the next two years. The spokesperson did not say where the new stores would be located.

The Aldi deal includes nearly 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, Aldi said.

Last year, Winn-Dixie upgraded stores in Titusville and Port St. John and opened boutique-style stores on Viera Boulevard in 2021 in West Melbourne in late 2020.

Where are Aldi stores in Brevard?

  • 628 Barnes Blvd., Rockledge

  • 2609 Clearlake Road, Cocoa

  • 780 E. Merritt Island Causeway, Merritt Island

  • 6460 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne

  • 1400 N. Wickham Road, Melbourne

  • 1539 W. New Haven Ave., West Melbourne

  • 4650 South St., Titusville

  • 820 Palm Bay Road NE, Palm Bay

Where are Winn-Dixie stores in Brevard?

Winn-Dixie has 10 stores on the Space Coast.
Winn-Dixie has 10 stores on the Space Coast.

  • 5410 Murrell Road, Suite 135, Viera

  • 100 Canaveral Plaza Blvd., Cocoa Beach

  • 6257 U.S. 1, Port St. John

  • 3170 W. New Haven Ave., West Melbourne

  • 961 E. Eau Gallie Blvd., Melbourne

  • 5270 Babcock St. NE, Palm Bay

  • 190 Malabar Road, Palm Bay

  • 1535 N. Singleton Ave., Titusville

  • 1564 Harrison St., Titusville

  • 7960 U.S. 1, Micco

Beth Reese Cravey and Gary T. Mills of the Jacksonville Florida Times-Union contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Aldi buys Winn-Dixie: What we know about Space Coast grocery stores