Aldi Is Set To Replace 5 Florida Locations Of This Southern Supermarket Chain

Aldi's continued growth in the grocery store sector has been nothing short of remarkable and the chain doesn't seem to be slowing down anytime soon. Following what has been referred to as its biggest expansion effort ever this past year, Aldi is making massive changes in 2026, including continuing to take over pre-existing grocery stores in key Southern markets. The chain is set to open five new stores in Florida in place of existing Winn-Dixie locations, a move that comes a year after Aldi sold the popular Southern chain mere months after purchasing it.

Each of the new Aldi locations popping up in former Winn-Dixies are located on the Treasure Coast which is located on the eastern side of the state. The cities which will receive the new Aldi stores are Sebastian, Vero Beach, Hobe Sound, and Fort Pierce (which will get two locations). With this, the chain will have expanded its reach in this highly-populated area from 9 stores to 14 by the end of 2026. Two of the new locations (Sebastian and Vero Beach) are set to reopen in the coming months, the location in Hobe Sound is currently undergoing renovations, and the two in Fort Pierce will remain open as Winn-Dixie locations until February and March, after which they will begin the conversion process.

These store conversions are far from the first to occur between the two chains. A big factor in Aldi's previous purchase of Winn-Dixie stipulated that several Winn-Dixie locations would reopen as Aldi stores. When Aldi sold Winn-Dixie shortly after, it kept several locations with the intent to transition them over. Still, the fact Winn-Dixie is getting tossed around like this doesn't bode well for the company. Winn-Dixie has made a concerted effort recently to focus on its Florida locations by closing all of its stores outside "The Sunshine State" except for a few in southern Georgia. This active downsizing is likely a way to prevent Winn-Dixie from becoming one of the many classic grocery chains that have shut down for good. Time will tell if it will succeed.

In terms of the Treasure Coast locations which are set to become Aldis in the coming months, one can imagine that Winn-Dixie's now-limited reach in the area would become detrimental to the chain. With only two Winn-Dixie locations poised to remain open on the Treasure Coast following these conversions, the once iconic grocery store chain (which is stocked with many grocery items you'll only ever find in the Southern states) will be looking to remain at the forefront of shoppers' minds despite the limitation of having far fewer locations in this key area.