Winn-Dixie chairman, president and chief executive officer Peter Lynch said his company is remodeling locations and making progress by targeting its offerings to a wide range of consumer types including the affluent, urban, Hispanic, Kosher and resort visitors.
Mr. Lynch, who spoke at the Food Marketing Institute's Midwinter Executive Conference, cited the company's urban stores as an example of changes being made for the better. "There were a lot of Winn-Dixies in urban markets, and they were neglected. Now, we have figured it out."
According to Supermarket News, Mr. Lynch pointed to the chain's SaveRite warehouse format as a success story in helping Winn-Dixie better serve consumers in its Jacksonville, Fla. hometown market and other locations.
Winn-Dixie recently opened a 48,000-square-foot SaveRite, which features everyday low pricing along with monthly specials and featured price-drop items, on Jacksonville's Westside.
"In designing this concept, we spent a great deal of time reviewing our customers' shopping preferences. We wanted to make sure that the new store would be a true fit for the neighborhoods it serves," said Dan Portnoy, Winn-Dixie's chief merchandising and marketing officer, in a press release. "We focused only on those items and services that were most important to our customers, and, as a result, we were able to aggressively cut costs and lower prices throughout the store."
Discussion Question: How would you rate Winn-Dixie's progress? Does it have what it takes to succeed in Florida and the other markets it serves?