Changing Crescent City Winn-Dixie to Aldi could spark food desert, cost dozens of jobs, mayor says
A small town in Putnam County is on the verge of losing its only full-service grocery store.
Winn-Dixie has served Crescent City for nearly three decades — since 1997 — but now, it's on a list of 170 locations being converted into Aldi outlets.
Mayor Michele Myers and the City Commission this week presented a resolution last Tuesday urging Southeast Grocers and Aldi to reconsider, saying that the closure would threaten more than 80 local jobs and risk turning Crescent City into a food desert.
'Without a full-service grocer, families here would be forced into 40-mile round trips just to buy produce and staples,' Myers said. 'We have smaller local stores, but they can't replace fresh food or the jobs this store provides.'
[DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks]
Steve Cummings, dean at Crescent City High School, added that Winn-Dixie is the town's second-largest employer.
'Students and parents work here,' he said. 'Walking through those doors feels like coming home.'
The resolution will be sent to both Southeast Grocers and Aldi.
[SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter]
The mayor said she hasn't reached out to state officials just yet.
There is still time before the companies move forward with the planned conversion.
Crescent City officials hope a show of community unity will persuade corporate leaders to keep their decades-old anchor store open.
Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
9 hours ago
- Yahoo
Coles confirms major price move as Woolworths, Aldi supermarket war heats up: ‘Immediate relief'
Coles is lowering the prices of hundreds of products in-store and online as the competition to win customers over rivals Woolworths and Aldi intensifies. The supermarket giants have been announcing a raft of discounts in the last few weeks. Coles has revealed plans to cut prices on 307 winter essentials and household staples across meat, bakery, pantry and dairy. It's part of its latest Down Down campaign, which will offer an average saving of 19 per cent for 12 weeks from Wednesday, June 4. It comes just weeks after Woolworths kicked off the price-slashing competition, lowering the price on 400 items until 2026. Aldi has also thrown its hat into the ring, with CEO Anna McGrath telling Yahoo Finance it 'will not be beaten on the cost of your weekly shop'. RELATED Coles and Woolworths checkout move that there's no coming back from: 'Will only accelerate' Coles, Woolworths shelves reveal devastating reality for coffee lovers: 'From $49 to $62' Aussie couple making $1,200 a day from job anyone can do: 'Went off like an explosion' Coles' winter price reductions will be on top of the products currently on Down Down pricing across stores. From Wednesday, customers will be able to shop an average of 588 discounted prices until the end of August. 'This winter we're investing in bringing prices down to deliver immediate relief at the checkout to our customers,' Coles chief commercial officer Anna Croft said. "Whether it's a leg of lamb roasting in the oven, a freezer full of batch-cooked meals, or a simple stir-fry to feed hungry mouths, Coles is helping households make meals they love at lowered prices.' Coles has also launched its first Flybuys Activate Bonus Value Points offer, which will give customers 10 times the points on more than 800 items in June. It also has a range of bonus points offered on selected Liquorland products. Croft said this will allow customers to 'supercharge their points balance' and help them accumulate the 2,000 points needed for $10 off their shop faster. Woolworths, Australia's biggest supermarket chain, announced it would be lowering prices on nearly 400 popular products until at least 2026 last month. The supermarket giant claimed families spending $150 on their weekly shop could now save an average of around $15 a week when buying the discounted products, which include chicken schnitzel, greek yoghurt and frozen berries, along with essentials like flour, bread, rice and nappies. Woolworths CEO Amanda Bardwell said the move marked the start of a 'real, tangible change' for customers and was more than short-term relief. 'This isn't just a short-term promotion; it's about lower shelf prices on the products we know customers regularly shop for, and providing genuine, lasting and dependable value they can count on,' she said. Aldi has pushed back on offering temporary discounts to customers and claimed it would come on top for customers in the supermarket price war. "We've been committed to this promise since day one as we understand that trust isn't built on flash sales, and loyalty isn't earned through discounts alone," McGrath told Yahoo Finance. "So, while some prefer to play a price-drop strategy, we remain focused on what we do best: delivering quality products at everyday low prices. We are committed to maintaining this promise." Aldi has consistently been found to be the cheapest option by CHOICE's government-funded supermarket price report. It found Woolworths was $15.83 more expensive than Aldi for a basket of 14 essential items, including milk, butter, bread, pasta, mince and fresh fruit and vegetables. Coles was $15.33 more expensive, while IGA was $23.54 more.
New York Times
12 hours ago
- New York Times
Snack Maker Sues Aldi Grocery Chain Over Look-Alike Product Packaging
Wheat Thins or Thin Wheat? Nutter Butters or Peanut Butter Crème Filled Cookies? Nilla Wafers or Vanilla Wafers? They may sound the same, look similar and, to some, even taste the same. And that's exactly the issue for Mondelez International, a corporate giant behind the name-brand versions of many snacks. Mondelez, which is based in Chicago, filed a lawsuit last month in a federal court in Illinois against the U.S. branch of the German supermarket chain Aldi, which has its U.S. headquarters in Batavia, Ill., over what it says is Aldi's look-alike product packaging. The suit says that Aldi 'blatantly copies' Mondelez signature snacks in a way that is 'likely to deceive and confuse customers.' The lawsuit also claims that some of Aldi's packaging threatens to 'dilute the distinctive quality of Mondelez's unique product packaging' and 'irreparably harm Mondelez and its valuable brands.' Mondelez is seeking monetary damages and a court order preventing Aldi from selling products that Mondelez claims infringe on its trademarks. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Yahoo
13 hours ago
- Yahoo
Person hurt after crashing into utility pole in Keystone Heights, FHP says
A person was hurt Sunday morning in a single-car crash in Keystone Heights, the Florida Highway Patrol said. FHP responded to 191 South Lawrence Boulevard, where troopers said a person crashed a vehicle into a utility pole. The crash was believed to possibly be the result of a medical issue, FHP said. The person had moderate, non-life-threatening injuries, and they were taken to UF Health Gainesville. [DOWNLOAD: Free Action News Jax app for alerts as news breaks] [SIGN UP: Action News Jax Daily Headlines Newsletter] Click here to download the free Action News Jax news and weather apps, click here to download the Action News Jax Now app for your smart TV and click here to stream Action News Jax live.
