Agree, but that's a question for Winn Dixie. Has nothing to do with "The developer," it's outside TV

Aldi
Aldi
Aldi

“I heard”. Those are two words that requires much more detailed information…

In 2021, USA Today picked the following stores as the top 10 supermarkets.

I have not heard of many of them. Any people have experience with some of the obscure ones??

The Fresh Market
Hy-Vee
Lidl
Market Basket
ALDI
Stew Leonard's
Publix
Sprouts Farmers Market
Wegmans Food Markets
Trader Joe's

I've been in five of them. Some are only found in certain areas: Publix near Florida, Wegman's near NY.

Question about Winn Dixie
 

We mostly shop at Walmart Neighborhood Market for the good prices. Publix every now and again for meats. I was wondering where Winn Dixie lies with prices. Are they more or less than Walmart? Are they as expensive as Publix?

Fresh Market and Publix are our go to’s in the Villages (along with Lighthouse Seafood on 466). Up north it’s The Big Y, Trader Joe’s, and Costco. We like Market Basket, but it’s too long of a drive to be a go to for us. We have tried ALDI, but find it to be low quality. Looking forward to trying out Sprouts when it opens in the Villages, it will be golf cart accessible off Par Drive. All that being said, our favorite is local farmers markets. It totally sucks that there is no longer a weekly farmers market at Spanish Springs, we very much miss that (especially the fresh fish vendor).

It must be a tax write-off or something for them to even think they can make money over there on that corner. Not too many people shop at the Winn Dixie near Sumpter Landing so I question why they would build there?

It is.

When we visit family in Iowa, we use Hy-Vee. It's a wonderful store, but they are not in this part of the country.

As a general rule, WD is cheaper than Publix - more expensive than Walmart.

Market Basket is a Massachusetts/New England store, Sprouts is building or has built in The Villages. Publix and Wegmans have an agreement to stay out of each other’s territory. I am not a fan of Wegmans.

True - so far only one supermarket across 44. There will be more in the future. If you count Lake Deaton Plaza Publix just across the golf cart bridge that would be two, but technically there isn’t any between 44 and the Turnpike. Village Developer has bought most of the property south of 44. Trailwinds properties is not being developed by The Villages Developer.

WD has better meat so some people say. A lot of people shop several stores WD, Publix, Aldi and Walmart for their “specials”. It’s sort of a “game” which I don’t play but to each their own.

Hy-Vee
 

Hy-Vee is a great supermarket. Use to shop there when it was available to us at a former residence.

The people that makes decisions on where to open a store is the real estate group of the company coming in, not the developer. The developer has the real estate and contacts at places like Winn Dixie and Publix and Walmart, etc, those company’s real estate group looks at the potential market and decides where/when to open.

Winn Dixie decided it was better to open their next store on 466A.

A new Sprouts Farmers Market is to be finished in January. Construction is underway at the corner of CR 466 and Buena Vista Blvd.

Thank you. This will be convenient for us. Sometimes Walmart can be frustrating to shop at. They run out of many things and it's hard to get everything there. Not wanting to spend overprice at Publix.

Sorry, like it or not, these are business decisions, not for T.V. residents to make.

I think everyone agrees that it is a business decision. But it seems like a bad decision to open in an area that is saturated with grocery stores. If I were opening a Burger King, I would not want to open it near a McDonald’s. Instead I would open it in an area where there were no fast food stores!!

Imagine how successful they would be if they ran all their ideas through the experts in the Villages rather than continuing the way they have done things in the past.

Agreed.

I think Hy-Vee originated in Iowa but they grew swiftly. They're a success wherever they put in a store because they're not only dedicated to quality but to choice: if they don't have something they'll order it for you. Their newer stores seem to want to make shopping an "experience" rather than just a chore; there are Starbuck's shops, buffet dining and other amenities on-site.

They are very consumer-oriented and their customer service is second to none. I make a lot of sausage, or did when I was in Minnesota. Polish sausage demands a lot of pork fat in the recipe and it is practically impossible to buy pork with enough fat. I talked to the butcher at our local Hy-Vee. He said that they didn't sell it but what he would save up the trimmings for me. He asked me to come back in a couple of days. I did, and he handed me a little over ten pounds of pork fat. No charge.

The Hy-Vee we shopped at in Southern MN had a quirky thing where out of the blue, for no discernable reason, something would go on sale at a ridiculously low price. Cabbage for 13 cents a pound, for example. Hamburger for 99 cents a pound (limit 3 lbs per customer). Buy two steaks and get a 5 lb. bag of potatoes for free. Things like that. You never knew what would go on sale, or when, and the sales themselves seemed to last only a couple of hours, but it was fun when it happened.

I'd like to see them down here. They do it right.

Sounds like a great store

Sprouts is building on 466 and Buena Vista the planned opening is January 2023.Publix and Wegmans are located in North Carolina and Virginia. I am a huge fan of Wegmans. I would be delighted if they came here.

I have learned to love Publix and think it is almost as good as my fav Wegmans. There was a group of corporate guys interviewing Publix shoppers a number of years ago and I complained that they didn't have a brand of Yogurt I like. I told them Wegmans carries it, and the head of the group came over to me and asked me more questions. They now carry it! Wegmans is hard to beat.

I do miss Wegmans. Especially the cheese dept, fish counter and butcher.

We shopped at Hy-Vee all the time when we lived in the Kansas City area. Great store.

I've been to Fresh Market, Market Basket, Aldi, Publix and Trader Joe's, and all are fine. For me, Market Basket is the best, and yes, I know they'll never come to Florida. It's not fancy, and it can get crowded, but their selections are huge, excellent meats, deli, produce and really low prices. Their hot food and sub dept. is awesome. If you're ever in New England, stop in and grab a sirloin tip with onion and pepper sub.

Right, Fruitland Park does not have a large grocery store and there was a recent announcement of a very large apartment complex of over 500 units being built where the closed barbecue restaurant on 466A now stands. WD is looking toward the future.

Sprouts
 

Sprouts is being built on 466 and Buena Vista.

Sprouts is being built on 466 and Buena Vista. I corrected my post. The building is going up quickly.

So new Winn Dixie will not be on developer property?

No. It will be on the northeast corner of the intersection of Micro Racetrack Rd and Rt. 466A (Miller Blvd).

In my opinion, nothing in The Villages compares to a Wegmans.

Are any supermarkets on developer property? Low margin business has to be careful on rents

Totally agree.

But golf cart accessibility brings in significantly more traffic flow, so it’s a trade off between volume and expenses.

Every supermarket that is golf cart accessible is on Village's property.

Good point.

Maybe.
I was at BJ's this morning.
Row after row of empty spaces at the head of each parking lane.....all empty.....all with a sign "Golf Carts Only".

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