Winn Dixie closing Charlotte stores, dstrbtn cntr.

[monsoon]

Birkdale Commons is at the junction of the new Hwy 73 (exit 25) and the old Hwy 73 (exit 28). This is where exit 25 going west changes back to 2 lanes.

Its next to where Ray's Pig Palace is parked on the weekend.

[mediamongrel]

Looks like it is a done deal at least here in Huntersville.  Winn Dixie at Northcross  is closed and now has Harris Teeter signs taped to the windows while the construction workers rennovate the inside.  The amazing thing about this is from that parking lot, you can see the Harris Teeter at Birkdale Commons being built.  Harris Teeter is a plague.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Most plagues destroy themselves...after a while.

[bork]

Most plagues destroy themselves...after a while.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

And leave big empty boxes all over the place?

[StevenRocks]

And leave big empty boxes all over the place?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Sadly, yes. Eventually the Teeter will totter and we'll be able to point out the old shells.

[DigitalSky]

the Teeter will totter

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

that was classic!

[StevenRocks]

that was classic!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Thanks. I couldn't resist.

[kingofqueensinsc]

that was classic!

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

As a soon to-be former WD store manager who will be getting out of retail as soon as his store is closed, I can say with certainty, in ten years if you're in the supermarket business in this area and you dont work for Wal-Mart, you're pretty much out of luck !

[DigitalSky]

As a soon to-be former WD store manager who will be getting out of retail as soon as his store is closed, I can say with certainty, in ten years if you're in the supermarket business in this area and you dont work for Wal-Mart, you're pretty much out of luck !

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm sorry your store's closing!

[mediamongrel]

I have to disagree with the ten year thing...Harris Teeter has a huge amount of community support (corporate and private). The Panthers, Bobcats, and Checkers are all involved highly with HT. The television and radio are involved personally with the VP of the company. Also, HT's school tie in program coupled with their largely upper class clientel says that Wal Mart may be able to topple all the other grocery chains, but when it comes to HT, it will take a lot more than 10 Wal Mart Supercenters to put all 44 (and counting) HTs in Mecklenburg County out of business. I say around 15-20 years from now, Harris Teeter may start showing signs of trouble, but until then, expect them to keep expanding throughout the community.

P.S. - This is not to say I am an avid HT fan, I just know they are a monster here in Mecklenburg!

[DigitalSky]

I posted this in the other WD thread, but anyway, Lowes Foods will take over the Brier Creek (Raleigh) WD store on Aug 17

[StevenRocks]

I posted this in the other WD thread, but anyway, Lowes Foods will take over the Brier Creek (Raleigh) WD store on Aug 17

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

That's a great spot, and the store's brand-new. Good going Lowe's!

[DigitalSky]

That's a great spot, and the store's brand-new.  Good going Lowe's! 

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

yeah seems to be stiff competition in that area with the Wal Mart Supercenter and Greatland Target and possibily another grocer coming to the area too

[DigitalSky]

let's do an update on where Mecklenburg County Winn-Dixie stores stand now:

Help me out... this is what i know or think offhand but I'm not sure about a lot of these places

Alleghany St (near Freedom mall) - Still Vacant (?)

Little Rock Rd & Freedom Drive - Bi-Lo

Sunset Rd & Statesville Avenue - Still Vacant (?)

Eastway & Central (wal-mart shopping cntr) - Atlantic Farmers Market

Milton Road (East WT Harris & North Sharon Amity) - Compare Foods?

University City Blvd & Pavillion Drive - Still Vacant (?)

York Rd (hwy 49) at Moss Rd - Still Vacant (?)

E Arrowood Rd & South Blvd - International Food Market?

Pineville-Matthews Rd (McMullen Creek Shopping Cntr) - Still Vacant (?)

Sam Furr Rd - Harris Teeter by Winter

[monsoon]

I went by the Sunset Rd store about a month ago, and they were still having a going out of business sale. It might be closed by now. I used to routinely shop in this store when they first built it in the late 80s. It started as an upscale Winn Dixie (Marketplace I think) but around '91 or '92 they downgraded it quite a bit. No doubt it is empty now. There is a pretty big Foodlion store on the other side of I-77 so the area does still have a grocery store. And there is new competition from the new Lowes on Harris at Davis Lake. Now that 115 is 4 laned to Harris, it is a pretty easy drive.

The store at Sam Furr road also started as a very upscale Winn Dixie when it opened in 1997, but in a similar fashion, they downgraded it by eliminating the deli section, in store restaurant, and went to more of a warehouse atmosphere. Its been converted to a Harris Teeter, but it is not open yet. It will be interesting to see how HT handles the opening of this store since their new from ground up store is also getting ready to open just down the street. There is a opening soon sign on the Sam Furr store.

[DigitalSky]

You said that the Lowes Foods store in Davis Lake was originally supposed to be Winn Dixie's replacement for the Sunset Rd store right?

[monsoon]

I am not sure about replacement, but for years there was a sign on that property saying that a Winn Dixie Market place was going to be built there. The sign was there for so long the paint faded on it. It disappeared a couple of years ago, and instead a Lowes Food Stores was built there which opened this past summer. It also has a good bit of other retail around it.

Winn Dixie has had a bad history of building new stores in Charlotte then closing them a few years later. This is probably one of the reasons they have faired so poorly and have to shrink so much. In the late 80s, they bought an abandoned Woolco store on Sugar Creek, gutted it and built a brand new Market Place there. They spent a fortune on it. I think it closed in less than 6 years. I don't exactly remember now.

They also had a store in Plaza Midwood that is now a Food Lion.

[DigitalSky]

let's do an update on where Mecklenburg County Winn-Dixie stores stand now:

Help me out... this is what i know or think offhand but I'm not sure about a lot of these places

Alleghany St (near Freedom mall) - Still Vacant (?)

Little Rock Rd & Freedom Drive - Bi-Lo

Sunset Rd & Statesville Avenue - Still Vacant (?)

Eastway & Central (wal-mart shopping cntr) - Atlantic Farmers Market

Milton Road (East WT Harris & North Sharon Amity) - Compare Foods?

University City Blvd & Pavillion Drive - Still Vacant (?)

York Rd (hwy 49) at Moss Rd - Still Vacant (?)

E Arrowood Rd & South Blvd - International Food Market?

Pineville-Matthews Rd (McMullen Creek Shopping Cntr) - Still Vacant (?)

Sam Furr Rd - Harris Teeter by Winter

The former WD at South Squqre Market (E Arrowood/South Blvd) is a Compare Foods now.

Anyone got new info on any other former Winn Dixies?