— Interview with Adam Kirk —
Winn-Dixie marks its centennial with new ownership, a new (old) name and a right-sized store fleet.
Winn-Dixie, the iconic southern grocer, is marking a banner year in 2025: 100 years in business as of September 2025 and returning to steer its own ship, under its own name. In 2024, Winn-Dixie’s parent company, Jacksonville, Florida-based Southeastern Grocers (SEG), was acquired by the German supermarket company ALDI, which planned to convert 220 Winn-Dixie and Harveys stores to ALDI banners between 2024 and 2027. These conversions remain underway, but, in February 2025, a consortium led by SEG’s CEO, Anthony Hucker, and C&S Wholesale Grocers purchased the company back from ALDI, which then sold back about 170 stores to the consortium. Following some additional store sales, closings and rebrands, the newly minted The Winn-Dixie Company will step into its next 100 years operating a more efficient fleet of approximately 130 grocery stores and 140 liquor stores. Late in 2025, Editor Katie Lee interviewed Adam Kirk, SEG’s chief of store operations, to learn more about the monumental year it’s been.
Adam Kirk: “2025 has marked a pivotal chapter in our company’s evolution. We proudly celebrated a century of being more than a grocery chain — serving for generations through historic moments and everyday life. In September, we commemorated this milestone with our associates, customers and communities through throwback pricing, in-store celebrations and a $200,000 commitment to fight hunger, including $100,000 in monetary support to Feeding America and $100,000 in product donations during Hunger Action Month.
“In February, we announced new ownership of our iconic Winn-Dixie banner under the leadership of our chairman and CEO, Anthony Hucker. This reaffirmed our commitment to thoughtful, purpose-driven growth and further energized our transformation, allowing us to reinvest meaningfully in our store fleet, in our people and in the customer experience.
“As part of this journey, we are sharpening our focus on Florida and select Georgia markets. In October, we shared plans to transition ownership of most locations outside Florida, including 32 Winn-Dixie stores and eight Harveys Supermarkets in Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana and Mississippi. Many of these stores are being sold to retailers with similar operational models, helping support comparable staffing needs in these communities. Store closings are expected by year-end, with banner transitions complete in early 2026.
“We will continue operating stores designated for ALDI conversion until each location closes. As previously announced, ALDI plans to convert approximately 220 Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarket locations to its format through a multiyear process expected to conclude in 2027.
“Following these transactions, The Winn-Dixie Company will operate approximately 130 conventional grocery stores and 140 freestanding and grocery-adjacent liquor stores. This streamlined portfolio strengthens our ability to reinvest in the communities where our roots run deepest. As part of this evolution, we will begin converting select Harveys Supermarkets into Winn-Dixie stores — advancing as one iconic banner and continuing our century-long legacy of care, community and connection.”
R&R: With a renewed focus on its home state of Florida, SEG recently finalized an agreement to acquire Hitchcock’s Markets in Alachua, Keystone Heights and Williston, Florida, which were to be converted to Winn-Dixie stores and opened in phases beginning late 2025. Do you have more info on that timing?
Kirk: “Our new Williston Winn-Dixie, located at 434 E. Noble Ave., opened in early December 2025, ahead of the scheduled conversion of the nearby Winn-Dixie at 727 W. Noble Ave. Associates at that location were offered the opportunity to continue serving customers in the new store, and we welcomed Hitchcock’s associates into the Winn-Dixie family, ensuring customers would continue to see friendly, familiar faces they know and trust. The Alachua and Keystone Heights Winn-Dixie stores are slated to open by summer 2026.
“These locations represent exactly the type of opportunity we’re pursuing: strong local roots, loyal customers and a deep sense of community.”
R&R: In October 2025, 1 month after marking Winn-Dixie’s 100th anniversary, it was announced that Southeastern Grocers would become The Winn-Dixie Company in early 2026.
Kirk: “We are proud to be stepping into a new era as The Winn-Dixie Company in early 2026, uniting under one iconic brand with a renewed focus on our home state of Florida. The transition will take place gradually, with most name and brand updates expected to be completed in early 2026.
“The change honors our century-long legacy while positioning us for growth through investments designed to modernize stores, enrich the customer experience and reimagine neighborhood grocery for the next 100 years.”
R&R: Tell me about the remodels and new store projects currently underway, as well as planned expansions to the company’s liquor store portfolio.
Kirk: “Our vision for growth in Florida is bold and intentional. Over the next 5 years, we’ll reinvest heavily in our stores with dozens of remodel and new store openings each year, and select acquisitions that allow us to serve more Floridians in the communities that have shaped our story.
“We like to say we’re a ‘brand-new 100-year company’ — and you’re going to see that come to life in exciting ways. We’re expanding our liquor store portfolio with new concepts, growing our award-winning Own Brand lineup and even reimagining a fan favorite, our iconic Lip Lickin’ Chicken, early next year.
“At the heart of it all, we’re reimagining what the grocery experience can be: modern, connected and full of the same neighborly spirit that has always defined Winn-Dixie.”
R&R: The company is piloting new customer conveniences and partnerships such as third-party online grocery delivery and return kiosks. Who are you working with on these initiatives and what has been the feedback so far? How many stores are part of this pilot?
Kirk: “Our new online grocery shopping offering with Amazon allows customers to shop Winn-Dixie directly on Amazon.com/WinnDixie or through the Amazon app. This collaboration allows us to offer more than 16,000 items across multiple categories, with convenient home delivery available to customers in the Jacksonville and Orlando areas — and plans to evaluate opportunities for expansion into additional markets.
“We’ve also seen exceptional customer response to the Amazon return kiosks in our North Florida stores. That enthusiasm encouraged us to bring this service to even more communities across our home state. Building on the success of our pilot program, which launched Amazon return kiosks at 20 Winn-Dixie stores across the greater Jacksonville area, we recently expanded to 68 additional locations across 23 Florida counties. This provides even more customers with a convenient, hassle-free way to return Amazon packages while shopping for groceries.
“Our ongoing collaboration with Amazon is a strong example of how Winn-Dixie is innovating to meet our customers where they are — creating more convenience, more value and more reasons to choose Winn-Dixie.”
R&R: How much of your sales are online orders?
Kirk: “While we cannot disclose sales figures for competitive reasons, online orders have significantly contributed to the success of our business.”
R&R: Please describe your typical store prototype.
Kirk: “As our business evolves, so do our stores — and our store prototype continues to adapt as the needs of our customers and communities change. While we traditionally operate full-service grocery stores, most ranging between 40,000 and 50,000 square feet, we’re tailoring our formats to fit the neighborhoods we serve. This means you’ll see a mix of store sizes, from more compact, convenience-focused layouts to larger, full-assortment stores.
“Each store is designed to provide the right balance of variety, accessibility and value for each community. By staying flexible with our prototypes, we’re able to respond more effectively to local demand and ensure every store is one our customers can rely on.”
R&R: How do you handle R&M?
Kirk: “As part of our ongoing transformation, we’ve adopted a hybrid maintenance approach that improves efficiency and strengthens internal capabilities to support our stores. Certain key maintenance functions, including generators, fuel, managed contracts and compliance, are handled in-house to support a more focused footprint and optimize our structural costs.
“This applies to both planned and reactive maintenance, enabling us to enhance internal capabilities, increase accountability and deliver more consistent, high-quality support to our stores. We also partner with trusted third-party service providers for specialized support through our FM platform. This model allows us to optimize costs while maintaining high-quality, reliable maintenance for our network of stores.”
R&R: Do you rely primarily on national vendors? Or a mix?
Kirk: “We rely on a balanced mix of national, regional and local supplier partners. National partners help us deliver the quality, value and consistency our customers expect, while regional and local suppliers allow us to offer products that reflect the unique tastes and needs of the communities we serve.
“A diverse supplier base is central to our strategy. By building strong relationships across all partner types, we’re able to support local economies, strengthen the neighborhoods around our stores and offer our customers a product selection that feels both familiar and distinctly local.”
R&R: By what criteria do you choose your vendors?
Kirk: “Our partners are selected based on their ability to help us meet the diverse needs of our customers and communities. This includes evaluating product quality, food safety standards, reliability and value.
“We also look for partners who share our commitment to supporting the neighborhoods around our stores. Whether they are national brands or regional and local producers, we prioritize and cultivate partnerships that consistently meet our operational standards and contribute to a broad, inclusive and community-focused assortment for our customers.”
R&R: In 2023, the company teamed up with Relocalize to produce and distribute ice cubes while reducing water waste and trucking CO2 emissions by 90%. How did that work?
Kirk: “Through our partnership with Relocalize, we are piloting the world’s first autonomous micro-factory within a grocery supply chain to produce fresh, premium ice locally for customers in select markets. This AI- and robotics-powered micro-factory manages 100% of production on-site, eliminating middle-mile logistics and significantly reducing greenhouse gas emissions, water waste and plastic pollution.
“The result is a more sustainable ice option that stores better, costs less and offers greater convenience compared with traditional bagged ice. It’s innovation and purpose coming together to create meaningful change for our customers and our planet. We look forward to sharing more details about expanding this partnership at our Plant City, Florida, distribution center in 2026.”
R&R: What do you enjoy most about your job on a daily basis?
Kirk: “What I enjoy and value most about my role is the opportunity to support our store teams. I appreciate the balance of strategic planning and staying closely connected to our stores — it keeps the work both energizing and meaningful. Most importantly, watching our associates grow, succeed and make a lasting impact in their communities is truly the most rewarding part.”
R&R: What are some of the future goals you’ve set?
Kirk: “In the short term, our priority is to strengthen execution across our stores by enhancing consistency, elevating operational standards and equipping our teams with the tools and training they need to deliver an outstanding customer experience.
“Looking ahead, we’re focused on building even more community-centered stores, deepening our local partnerships and investing in technologies and processes that make shopping easier, faster and more convenient. Ultimately, our goal is to cultivate stores our teams are proud to run while offering the quality, service and value our customers expect from their most preferred grocer in the neighborhood.”
— This article originally appeared as the cover story of the December 2025/January 2026 issue of Retail & Restaurant Facility Business magazine. If your retail or restaurant company is interested in being profiled on an upcoming cover, please email Editor Katie Lee at katie@francemediainc.com.