The Winn-Dixie on McFarland Blvd in Northport is temporarily closing and will reopen as an Aldi.
The supermarket at 10 McFarland Blvd. will close in mid-July in connection with the transition to the Aldi format.
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Meredith Hurley, senior director of communications and community at Southeastern Grocers, released a statement about the store closing and how the change will impact employees.
“…the Winn-Dixie at 10 McFarland Blvd. will be converted into a new Aldi store to best serve the Tuscaloosa community. All associates working at the store have been officially notified that their store is expected to close in mid-July to be converted into an Aldi location,” Hurley said.
During the transition, Hurley said, associates will have the first opportunity to apply for positions at newly converted Aldi stores or transfer to neighboring Winn-Dixie stores. Winn-Dixie has two other stores in Tuscaloosa County: 4205 University Blvd. E and 9750 Alabama Highway 69 S.
Currently, Aldi has stores at 5801 McFarland Blvd. in Northport and 1349 McFarland Blvd. in Tuscaloosa. The Northport Aldi opened in 2019, while the Tuscaloosa Aldi opened in 2015.
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The location at 10 McFarland Blvd. will be Tuscaloosa County’s third Aldi.
“To ensure a smooth transition for our associates, SEG (Southeastern Grocers) worked closely with Aldi to provide support and opportunities for each associate as the stores transitioned. This allowed associates to be the first to apply for positions at the newly converted Aldi stores or remain with Winn-Dixie and be redeployed to a nearby store,” Hurley said.
Hurley said more details about the new Aldi will be released later.
“As we work through this transition period, conversion plans are still being finalized and we will share more information as it becomes available. We appreciate the support and understanding of our valued employees, customers and communities during this process,” Hurley said.
Last year, Aldi announced in a press release that the chain had entered into an agreement to acquire Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket. All three stores are owned by Southeastern Grocers.
Aldi is buying approximately 400 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi, the press release said.
“Like Aldi, Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket have a long history and many loyal customers in the Southeast and we look forward to serving them for years to come,” Aldi CEO Jason Hart said in a press release.
“It was the right time to build on our growth momentum and help Southeast residents save money on their grocery bills. The transaction supports our long-term growth strategy in the United States, including plans to add 120 new stores nationwide this year, reaching more than 2,400 stores by the end of the year,” Hart said.
Hart said some stores will transition to the Aldi format, while others will continue to operate under the Winn-Dixie name.
“Aldi will operate the Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores with the same care and focus on quality and service, while also evaluating which locations we will transition to the Aldi format to better support the neighborhoods we are now privileged to serve,” Hart said.
“For the stores that we are not converting, our intention is for them to continue to operate as Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket stores,” he said.
Contact Jasmine Hollie at JHollie@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on The Tuscaloosa News: Northport Winn-Dixie Supermarket to Convert to Aldi Format
