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Neighborhood report

Winn-Dixie closings sadden shoppers

Three stores in the area are part of the company's Chapter 11 reorganization plan.

By MEAGHAN FORBES
Published July 1, 2005

Longtime Winn-Dixie shoppers were shocked at the announcement last week that the bankrupt grocery chain is shutting three Brandon area stores.

Stores on W Lumsden Road in Brandon, State Road 60 in Valrico and Lithia Pinecrest in Valrico, along with nine others in the Tampa Bay area, are slated to be sold or closed in coming months.

"I've dealt with them for 20 years," said Brandon resident Betty Hayden. "I was sick when I heard they were closing because they had just finished renovating (the Lumsden store)."

Hayden also frequents the store in Riverview, which is not on the list of closings, said neighborhood marketing manager Terry Derreberry.

The closings are part of the company's Chapter 11 reorganization plan. Winn-Dixie filed for bankruptcy on Feb. 21, listing assets of $2.2-billion and liabilities of $1.9-billion. When all is said and done, the Jacksonville-based supermarket will have closed 326 of its 913 stores and cut 22,000 jobs.

Derreberry said an analysis showed that the three Brandon area groceries do not meet financial performance requirements. She wouldn't comment on the financial performance of individual stores.

"I hate it," said Valrico resident Edna "Joyce" Rutledge who has shopped at various Winn-Dixies for 44 years. "I knew when they built that (Wal-Mart), they would close grocery stores."

The company doesn't know when the stores will close or change hands. It could be as early as mid to late August, Derreberry said.

"We will know by the end of July which stores will have been bought by other chains," she said.

- Information from Times files was used in this report. Meaghan Forbes can be reached at 661-2439 or mforbes@sptimes.com

[Last modified June 30, 2005, 09:09:07]