By Donovan Ortega
A handwritten sign is posted on the entrance of the Winn Dixie in Boca Raton. The note reads, “It is with heavy hearts that we inform you our location will close its doors after serving you for 45 years…” In a slew of closings, Winn Dixie announced that along with the Boca Raton location, nine other stores would be closed in Palm Beach County, among thirty stores that will close nationally. CEO Peter Lynch cited the floundering economy as the reason for the systematic shut down, explaining that the stores that were chosen were not profitable.
Inside Winn Dixie on a Saturday afternoon, Justin, the store director, was following orders from corporate headquarters in Jacksonville and couldn’t comment on the situation. He leaned against a wall next to the customer service desk as loyal patron, Frank Gentile of Boca Raton, checked out.
“This is horrible,” said Gentile, “Is there anything we can do?”
“Not now. It’s too late,” Justin replied. He shrugged his shoulders in resignation.
Outside, Gentile unloaded his groceries into his silver truck, visibly frustrated by the announcement.
“I have been going to Winn Dixie for thirty years,” said Gentile, “The worst part about all this is the jobs that will be lost. What I liked best were the prices and the people here. Everyone was so nice. I think it’s wrong. I have no other choice but to go to Publix now.”
Inside the store people trickle in. It’s slow; it’s quiet. Consumers dot the aisles. A young man peruses one of the bargain bins in the front of the store that holds bagels at half price. Dwayne Hopkins ambles around the super market with his family, stopping in the meat aisle to look at a deal.
“It’s a sad day. I’m not happy about this. I think Publix is over priced and I really don’t see the difference in anything but the produce department, and I buy that from the farmer’s market,” said Hopkins.
Nicole Gray stalks the cereal aisle. She shops at Winn Dixie for her family, namely her fourteen-year-old son who she says is a big eater. She only buys non-perishable items here, purchasing things like produce, meat and milk elsewhere.
“What’s horrible is that people are going to lose their jobs. The customer service was great,” said Gray while looking through the cereal aisle, “Although their refrigeration would go out sometimes and they’d have to move things around when it did.”
In the produce section, Ellen, a food demonstration specialist for a private company, places small plates of salad on a table next to bottles of Winn Dixie brand salad dressing.
“I feel badly for the employees because of their jobs and the older people that come into the store and are used to getting very personalized service,” said Ellen. “It’s a tough situation.”
B.J has been an employee at Winn Dixie for four years and stands behind the seafood counter. Understandingly, she’s upset by the news.
“I don’t feel good about this at all. I found out that the store was going to close watching the news. They told us the next morning, but they should have told their employees first, not the media,” said B.J. “They’re not going to transfer anyone to a new store. We have to apply for our jobs. It’s like starting over. But I’ll still show up.”
Customer service representative and bagger, Lewis Sadowsky, collects shopping carts in the largely empty parking lot and like all the employees, is discouraged.
“I just got transferred to this store a month ago. I don’t know what I’m going to do,” said Sadowsky.
As a result of the closings, Winn Dixie will save between 12 and 17 million dollars a year.