[Neal2tire]

My observation
Publix at Colony are many people who like to block the isles and eat free samples and chew with their mouth open.
Publix at 466 efficient, down to business, get in and get out.
Sweetbay six months ago GREAT
Walmart at the right time perfect unless you want to eat the meat, or fish.
And finally Fresh Market. Fun to watch folks putting their finger in the samples
and eating all they can for free between 4 and 6pm
and YES I have written and complained to management and they all say "what can we do"? I only buy packaged products and avoid the vats of dry goods.

[LndLocked]

Originally Posted by NottaVillager

I regularly shop at Sweetbay in Belleview. They are closing the 12th and will re-open on the 21st. They are currently clearing out ALL of the Sweetbay/Hannford private label brands by selling them a large discounts because WD is NOT licensed to sell the Sweetbay private brands, so anything not sold must be destroyed. While they are closed the stores will be redesigned per the WD floor master plan, so they need time to change the store layouts, bring in the WD private label items and change the store register and computer systems over to WD's system.

WD has the worst, most illogical, baffling, frustrating "set" (floor plan) of any grocery store in the known and charted world!!

[Annie01]

they are making it winn dixie..opens on the 18th...should be nice....a nice new store..with nice fresh produce...yippeeeeeeee

[JP]

I really liked the Sweetbay at Pinellas Plaza.
I didn't think they had the same range of selections that Publix has but it was clean and easy to get in and out of because it wasn't crowded.
I also thought their branded products were good.
The new Winn-Dixie of course will be clean and new, I'm just wondering what their brand will taste like.
Hope its' good.
If it is, thats where I will be shopping.

[2BNTV]

Originally Posted by NottaVillager

I regularly shop at Sweetbay in Belleview. They are closing the 12th and will re-open on the 21st. They are currently clearing out ALL of the Sweetbay/Hannford private label brands by selling them a large discounts because WD is NOT licensed to sell the Sweetbay private brands, so anything not sold must be destroyed. While they are closed the stores will be redesigned per the WD floor master plan, so they need time to change the store layouts, bring in the WD private label items and change the store register and computer systems over to WD's system.

Patience is needed, as this will be resolved, by next week.

This too shall pass.

[mpfrancese]

Saw the crane in front of Lake Sumter store this morning...looks like they are in the process of changing the sign there.

[KathieI]

Originally Posted by JP

I really liked the Sweetbay at Pinellas Plaza.
I didn't think they had the same range of selections that Publix has but it was clean and easy to get in and out of because it wasn't crowded.
I also thought their branded products were good.
The new Winn-Dixie of course will be clean and new, I'm just wondering what their brand will taste like.
Hope its' good.
If it is, thats where I will be shopping.

Me too, I liked that Sweetbay at Pinellas. I also liked SB's own brand, it was very good. Will let you know what I think of WD because I'll be shopping there because of convenience.

[NottaVillager]

Originally Posted by LndLocked

WD has the worst, most illogical, baffling, frustrating "set" (floor plan) of any grocery store in the known and charted world!!

I didn't say they were good, bad or awful. Just saying what the Sweetbay store manager in Belleview told me.

[NottaVillager]

Originally Posted by KathieI

Me too, I liked that Sweetbay at Pinellas. I also liked SB's own brand, it was very good. Will let you know what I think of WD because I'll be shopping there because of convenience.

There is one thing that I'm going to truly miss from Sweetbay, and it's the primary reason I would go there. Yes..this will sound strange..but so be it. The Sweetbay private label cottage cheese (Hannaford) is made under contract by Crowley's Dairy in Binghamton, NY. I came from that area and grew up on Crowley's dairy products. I really like their cottage cheese, and now, I won't be able to get it anymore.

[Shimpy]

Originally Posted by Happinow

I know that I will do almost anything not to have to go to Publix in Colony. It's just not worth my time to fight the crowds. I went there yesterday to pick up probably a dozen small items (after I had headed to Sweet Bay to discover they were empty) and it took me 45 minutes to get my items and check out.

I was there the other day and after finding a parking space then had to find a shopping cart which were all gone. Back out to the parking lot to find a cart. Navigating around the store I learned not to go around the area of the check-out lanes as they were all backed up into the isles making going by nearly impossible.
Don't blame Publix since they are doing all they can by bringing in more help and all registers are open. The parking lot is what it is and the store size is what it is. I just would like to buy some of their stock but they are a private company. Every area in Florida that I've lived in, Publix was by far the most popular grocery store. They need to build their stores with wider isles as in the new Sweet Bay or soon to be Winn Dixie.

[Carla B]

I wish Publix at Colony had those little shopping carts like Sweetbay. I wonder if Winn-Dixie will keep them.

As it is, the Publix shopping carts take up way too many precious cubic feet. More customers could fit in the store if they had the smaller carts.

[Shimpy]

Originally Posted by Carla B

I wish Publix at Colony had those little shopping carts like Sweetbay.

Good point. Those carts are an overkill since most never come even near to filling one. At least though they all work good.

[JP]

Originally Posted by Carla B

I wish Publix at Colony had those little shopping carts like Sweetbay. I wonder if Winn-Dixie will keep them.

As it is, the Publix shopping carts take up way too many precious cubic feet. More customers could fit in the store if they had the smaller carts.

I forgot all about those carts. They are awesome!!

I too hope Winn-Dixie keeps them.

[Steve & Deanna]

Phoned in a prescription to Sweetbay's, as I've used them in the past. Went to pick it up early Sunday afternoon as was advised, got there at 230pm and unable to enter the store and was instructed to come back Monday. Went back Monday and had to make my way through a bunch of workers by the door smoking.....phewww, got to the pharmacy and was advised I had to sign up for some Winn Dixie program. Advised them to keep the prescription and went to Publix.

[CFrance]

Originally Posted by JP

I forgot all about those carts. They are awesome!!

I too hope Winn-Dixie keeps them.

We shop at the Winn Dixie in Wildwood, and they have always had the small carts, so I imagine they will have them at Pinellas too.