In August of 2023, Jacksonville-based Southeastern Grocers sold around 400 Winn Dixie stores (including many in Florida) to Aldi.
Around that time, Aldi’s CEO Jason Hart, said that a “significant amount” of Winn Dixie stores would be converted to the Aldi format. However, the company has recently clarified that some conversions would happen over “several years.”
Despite that lengthy time frame, one thing that IS changing for some Winn Dixie customers in the coming months is Winn Dixie’s pharmacy services. Aldi stores do not contain pharmacies, so Aldi will not be acquiring that part of Winn Dixie’s business.
Instead, some Winn Dixie pharmacy customers are having their medications transferred to CVS and Walgreens stores.
Winn Dixie has indicated a wish to make the process as convenient as possible for its customers. Meredith Hurley, senior director of Communications and Community for Southeastern Grocers, told The Jacksonville Times-Union:
“We anticipate that the transfer of these pharmacy files will be completed by the end of 2023, (and are) committed to protecting the health and wellness of our customers and communities until the transactions are finalized, and our pharmacy customers will be provided sufficient advance notice prior to the transfer.”
Why is this a potential inconvenience? Both Walgreens and CVS have closed stores in Florida, as some brick-and-mortar pharmacies are reducing stores nationwide.
This means that some Floridians who found their local Winn Dixie pharmacy to be convenient may now be faced with having a pharmacy that is either further away or not readily available.
Jacksonville resident Micki Green told News4Jax that she has shopped for Winn Dixie for years and is not happy about the change, explaining:
“I’m upset. I like Winn-Dixie the way it is, and I don’t drive so I just walk across the street to get here.”
Jacob Stotzky echoed this sentiment, telling News4Jax:
“If the next pharmaceutical company is really far away and there’s an older demographic of people who can’t drive, then that could be an issue. How are they going to get their prescriptions?”
The debate continued on social media. One poster in a thread about Florida wrote, in part:
“I’m actually really upset about this… Winn Dixie has been amazing. They are the cheapest of everyone around and they use great manufacturers for their meds. The ladies at mine are the best I’ve ever dealt with. They told me my scripts would all be going to Walgreens…I got a list of everything I have there last week and will be transferring to my little neighborhood Walmart store…”
This posting highlights an important point. Customers can always transfer their prescriptions to their most convenient pharmacy – even if that isn’t the Walgreens or CVS of the initial transfer. Sure, it is one more step you have to take, but at least you get to choose the most convenient pharmacy for yourself.