Today we'll take a look at one of my favorite things: A former Winn-Dixie
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| Save-A-Lot (former Winn-Dixie) 4700 Babcock St NE - Sabal Palms Plaza - Palm Bay, FL |
This store started its life as a Winn-Dixie store in 1986, and would last until the late 1990s. I don't have a concrete closure date, but the last specific mention of the store was in 1996, the same year that Winn-Dixie filed an $8,000 permit for modifications to the structure- possibly to cover the removal of the sign, fixtures, etc? After this, the plaza is referred to as "Winn-Dixie Plaza" until 1998 in advertisements for other retailers in the center.
As far as I can tell, the space remained vacant until around 2003, when the store was noted as "recently opened" in an article detailing Save-A-Lot's recent expansion in Brevard County. Being a discount, smaller format grocer, Save-A-Lot only actually took ~1/3 of the Winn-Dixie space, the rest being given to a mixture of Family Dollar and a few smaller inline spaces.
To start off, we'll take a tour of the Save-A-Lot when it was open. The photo at the top of the store's exterior, with the older Save-A-Lot logo set on top of plaza's heavily greebled facade. This style, which continues throughout the plaza, was added in a 2010-2011 remodel.
As far as I can tell, the space remained vacant until around 2003, when the store was noted as "recently opened" in an article detailing Save-A-Lot's recent expansion in Brevard County. Being a discount, smaller format grocer, Save-A-Lot only actually took ~1/3 of the Winn-Dixie space, the rest being given to a mixture of Family Dollar and a few smaller inline spaces.
To start off, we'll take a tour of the Save-A-Lot when it was open. The photo at the top of the store's exterior, with the older Save-A-Lot logo set on top of plaza's heavily greebled facade. This style, which continues throughout the plaza, was added in a 2010-2011 remodel.
This peeling Entrance sign is one of the most prominent Winn-Dixie remnants. It's a shame the sun's done the damage it has.
Angling our camera down we face the vestibule, which is also largely unchanged from Winn-Dixie, except for being shortened by the subdivision. Even the battered silver railings are a hanger-on from the Marketplace days.
Walking into the store is where things start to change. The vestibule has been expanded into for sales space, and there's a wall at the end where it's been cut off by Family Dollar carving a flat entrance into the other side.
Taking a look at the checkouts, we see the fairly boxy ones that I've seen at other discount or semi-independent grocers, along with displays on folding tables. While the checkout cubes are similar to Winn-Dixies, they're not the same.
The strip of wall above the vestibule I believe would have once carried Winn-Dixie's "America's Supermarket" slogan, but it's long gone, replaced by Save-A-Lot's more basic line.
The strip of wall above the vestibule I believe would have once carried Winn-Dixie's "America's Supermarket" slogan, but it's long gone, replaced by Save-A-Lot's more basic line.
I only took this photo because these caramel apples, named "Happy Apples", activated a deeply buried memory of a creepypasta named "Happy Appy" I'd read as a certainly-too-young child, which focused on a paranormal kids show led by a talking apple. I haven't read it in a decade, and I'm sure it's terrible, so I wouldn't recommend searching.
Turning to the sales floor, it's a pretty standard discount grocer layout, though at least well stocked and organized. Rack shelving, products still in their flats and boxes, the works. As well as a cart of discounted items.
Much like Aldi, this Save-A-Lot had it's "coffin coolers" on the right side of the store, though in this case the far right of the store contains some overflow coolers, paper products, and a limited wine selection instead of bread.
For our final photo of this store's operating interior, we swing over the the back left corner of the store, to see the fresh meat coolers, which are beginning to look dated.
In the end, Save-A-Lot seems to have decided the whole store was a little dated, and they didn't want any more part in it. Why this store closed I'm not too sure, though Save-A-Lot has been going through a lot of shakeups recently, leading to the remodeling or closing of several stores. It also competes directly with a Publix across the street, though I imagine this store would have been the preferred option for people on lower income in the area, as it tends to have more older apartments/condominiums and retirees from what I've seen. Either way, Save-A-Lot shut the doors for the final time on August 27th, 2021.
I didn't notice the closure all the way until December 2nd that year, blindsided by the closure as I'd somehow missed it despite driving past it every day on the way to work. Save-A-Lot had quickly stripped out the store, taking with it the plaza's strongest "anchor".
This single shot encompasses basically the entire store's interior, showing how small the space really was, especially compared to a "full-size" grocer.
As for what will come here next? I'm not sure. The building seems in good condition, absent a few burned out bulbs, but the plaza isn't very strong. The other "big" tenants are Family Dollar, Cash America Pawn, Young's Buffet, and Citi Trends. The Publix center across the street is gearing up for a full demolition and rebuild, so maybe that will spur some activity. But only time will tell.
Until next time, this was Cape Kennedy Retail
As for what will come here next? I'm not sure. The building seems in good condition, absent a few burned out bulbs, but the plaza isn't very strong. The other "big" tenants are Family Dollar, Cash America Pawn, Young's Buffet, and Citi Trends. The Publix center across the street is gearing up for a full demolition and rebuild, so maybe that will spur some activity. But only time will tell.
Until next time, this was Cape Kennedy Retail
From what I've seen, details of these closures are most often not disclosed to the public, so basically you have to visit the store and ask around. Also I believe it was a corporate location given the shift to a wholesaler, closing all corporate locations over the past few years.
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