Jackson #2 & #5 - Jackson, MS | Winn-Dixie #1310
Sing Food Store | Deli
4201 Terry Road
Jackson, MS 39212
Scroll Down for today's MTC post on former Winn-Dixie #1310
Springtime is upon us. I can happily say that as I write this post, I'm sitting in the warm sun overlooking the beautiful Gulf of Mexico America while a calm breeze rustles the palm fronds. What a relaxing way to begin the month of March!
You've become accustomed to having the Sing Oil Sidekick join me from time to time, but today, I had a different partner in crime: none other than Retail Retell.
That's right, after several years of me berating him to visit the Jackson Sing stores until he was kind enough to cover the old Jackson #4 Sing a few months ago, I decided it was high time for me to see Mississippi's capital city for myself and do a little dirty work of my own.
Of course, I couldn't travel all the way to Jackson without giving Retail Retell a heads up; we'd been talkin' about Jackson ever since the start of the year.
Look out Jackson town: we're down in Mississippi and up to no good.
Likewise, I figured it would be a crime if I didn't invite Retail Retell back for a few words since he already let me crash his weekend and let me drag him to several old convenience stores.
Retail Retell . . .
"So I'm writing this having seen the introduction above, but not any of the rest of this post that follows. I mentioned in my earlier post that I enjoy driving around the area and familiarizing myself with the roads, but I can definitely tell you that many of the roads Sing took me on were not ones I had traveled before! I was probably more petrified on these roads than the forest!
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| The Mississippi Petrified Forest - A recommendation from my late grandmother. |
All jokes aside, this was a fun weekend, and armed with Petty Country on CD we tackled the three destinations you'll be seeing today along with some other stops for good measure (which I think we're both keeping in our back pockets for a future date, the backloggier of us probably much more in the future than the other...). A courteous guest, Sing didn't come empty handed on his visit to Jackson either, so me and my new piece of retail memorabilia "cordial"ly invite you to read on about our escapades!"
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| Remember Publix #1331? |
I want to again thank Retail Retell for letting me spend the weekend with him, especially since I had never visited Central Mississippi and was able to check it off my bucket list. Now, you'll just have to wait and see what other adventures we've found ourselves in over the years . . .
I guess now is the time to join Lady Antebellum and stop draggin' your heart around. What do you say, shall we sing along?
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| The Clarion-Ledger (Newspapers.com) - April 26, 1984 |
Our first Sing Store of the day was introduced to the residents of Southwest Jackson back in 1979 while offering Chevron-branded gasoline and a taste of South Georgia hospitality.
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| The Clarion-Ledger (Newspapers.com) - April 26, 1984 |
Sing's second attempt at the Jackson area was first mentioned in local newspapers on August 22, 1979, and follows Jackson #1 which was on Mill Street just west of the State Capitol.
The earliest photo I have shows how the station looked in 1984 while it was managed by Mr. Charles Sykes (you should recognize the cypress look from the Sandy Plains store).
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| Vintage Aerial - 1988 - Jackson Sing Store #2 |
That's all well and good, but my real excitement came when I found, not one, but two old property appraiser photos on Vintage Aerial. In the one above, we can see the store's circa 1986 signage by the road in addition to a refreshed pump canopy bearing the stylized Sing bird.
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| Vintage Aerial - 1988 - Jackson Sing Store #2 |
What's even better is how these photos show the old parking lot lights and vacuum stations in their original forms. I just wish that it didn't cost $200 to buy a copy of one of these pictures!
Sing would stick around at the corner of Terry & Lakeshore Roads until March 22, 1993, when Amoco decided to sell the parcel to an independent operator.
As for how we got here on this sunny June day – well, I went to Jackson. Okay, okay, you know that. We began the day by visiting a nice petrified forest (not early, though, as Retail Retell is not a morning person!) and then chased that with some lunch and a trip to . . . Kroger. The Kroger (s)tour will have to wait for another day; however, we also stopped by a different supermarket on the way which just so happens to be today's MTC feature. It has quite the story as well.
After picking up a few items (including some ticking time-bombs in the form of milk and refrigerated produce), we set our sights on the former Sings in South Jackson before returning to home base.
The Drive-By
Sing Food Store | Deli
2610 Raymond Road
Jackson, MS 39212
I have to admit that I was a little uneasy about visiting these stores – Jackson carries a reputation throughout the South, and judging by the map, the convenience stores don't appear to be in the best locales. Nonetheless, we pressed on and made Jackson #5 our first drive-by.
And it was just that: a drive-by. I believe Retail Retell said something like, "Do you want me to pull in the parking lot for you to
get more pictures," and I quickly responded, "I'm good with the ones I
can snap from the road." You've seen me visit all sorts of places for this blog, but I tend to draw the line at bars on the windows. At that point, my curiosity is smothered either by my will to live or my despisal of being questioned.
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| The Clarion-Ledger (Newspapers.com) - April 26, 1984 |
According to the news clipping in the history section, the Jackson Sing Store #5 held its grand opening sometime around April 27, 1984, which seemingly aligned with the opening of store #4 in Brandon. Mr. Curtis Hatcher managed this location.
While under construction, this store faced its fair share of criticisms from area residents, who cited increased traffic congestion for the nearby Forest Hill High School, worsened drainage problems, and the increased availability for high schoolers to purchase beer. The council ended up dismissing those concerns, and construction proceeded.
To this day, the area around both Jackson #2 and Jackson #5 remains an oddly sparse residential district with various neighborhoods scattered about. I felt as if we were on the fringes of town for much longer than I would have expected, despite being only 13 minutes from the State Capitol downtown. It seems like the suburbs north and east of Jackson, like Ridgeland, Madison, and Brandon grew much denser than those to the south.
You may have seen me mention this before, but the old Sings in Hinds County, Mississippi, were by far the hardest for me to locate during my 2019 property research kick. Let me explain why.
First, I had to go to this website for the Hinds County property database. From there, I searched for Sing Oil under "General Index". This query returned a date of sale in which Sing Oil Company was either a grantor or a grantee (the former, in this case). Next, I went to the "Sectional Subdivision Index" page and had to brute force my way to a parcel match using the retrieved sale date along with guessed Section, Township, and Range values. I exhausted every S, T, & R value until Sing Oil was returned as a match. Finally, I used these rough coordinates to search for satellite imagery of a Sing station in that region. It was a terribly grueling process!
Fast forward six years, and I now have a fancy Newspapers.com subscription which could have listed out every store's address with a simple search. Yeah . . .
Regardless, that manual search method entertained me for a time and helped to distract me from other work that I was supposed to be doing. I suppose it all worked out in the end.
One thing that I'll also point out in this shot of Jackson #5 is how it still sported the original fluorescent signage lights mounted above the store's mansard awning – a feature that has been removed from almost every other former Sing.
Thankfully for this old sign, it was unburdened by what has been, considering how it no longer advertises, well, anything.
We can also see the old vacuum stations where they have stood for the last 40+ years just waiting for the next customer to drop a quarter.
Not far from Jackson #5 was Sing's oldest remaining station in the area: Jackson #2. We set our sights on the next destination while the question lingered of whether or not we'd step inside.
We drove by once, not intending to stop in; however, we decided to turn around since the area didn't seem to be terribly off-putting. The number of bars on the windows was also much less foreboding.
The signature Sing design came into view as we approached Terry Road from Lakeshore Road with this station having a unique twist: I've never seen the company go through the extra expense to install cypress boards on the back of a building. I wonder if that decision was due to the store's higher visibility from behind? Regardless, the herringbone pattern was there despite being covered over on the front two walls of the store.
I'll note that I was still recovering from my hand injury on this trip (which ironically happened in a different Jackson), meaning that my covert photography skills were slightly hindered. You want to hear the worst part about that injury? It happened while I was jumping over a judge's bench. I'll leave it at that.
Ooh, what could be in that basement?
Continuing around the store, we see how the right side entrance and windows were sealed off long ago, much like what we saw at Columbus #7 or at a whole host of these late-1970's stores.
I was actually surprised to see this location branded as a Mobil considering how Google Street View has portrayed it as a poorly-masqueraded BP station for close to the last decade. That's honestly one of the big reasons we felt less apprehensive about stepping inside.
Something about the partially-dilapidated state of the building looks imposing from the street. Nevertheless, we still ventured in.
In the end, I'm glad we did. If not for anything else, I at least don't have to wonder what relics may be lingering inside now (just like what I said about the Six Flags Sing).
Speaking of things lingering from Sing, the square terra cotta tile should stand out to anybody who has read this blog regularly.
About the time I took this shot, Retail Retell pointed out something that I already had my eyes locked on: The "FOUNTAIN" sign off in the distance.
My guard was very much on high alert considering how I was in unfamiliar territory, but I still managed to get a different, albeit out of focus, perspective of the lettering. The fact that the font appears to match what we saw back at LaGrange #4, the sign location matches LaGrange #4's layout, and that there hasn't been a fountain drink machine here in Jackson for years, makes me inclined to say that it is original.
Turning back toward the "front" of the station, we see how the cashier counter now takes up the entire "right" wall of the building where the other entrance once was.
That's also where we find something I don't see everyday in a former Sing: a functional deli counter. Despite the concept dying off in most places, you can still pick up some bologna in the old Jackson #2.
The grand opening ad for Jackson #4 & #5 mentions how this store once had fried chicken and hot dog deli specials, but the exclusivity of the sliced meat and cheese special to the newer stores makes me think Sing was only able to retrofit a small kitchen in this location. Who knows when it gained the full-sliced experience.
Back outside, we catch a glimpse of the herringbone paneling on the front of the store where some of the plastic faux bricks had fallen off. I personally think the wood is a much better look!
If that wasn't enough, notice how we can see the paint beginning to peel and reveal Amoco's old stripes along the blue part of the façade.
At least we can easily see the wood in all of its glory on the south face of the building.
I'm glad this store ended up not being as bad as Retail Retell & I had feared, especially since we got the bonus surprise of seeing that old "fountain" sign.
Just picture me hanging out the window trying to snap these photos with my gimp hand while Retail Retell was chauffeuring me around!
Our parting shot will be of the old vacuum station; there may no longer be an air and water sign here, but at least the light poles have survived!
Now that we have wrapped up our Sing tours, let's take a quick look at some old street views and aerial shots before continuing on to our Winn-Dixie feature of the week.
Street Views
Jackson #2 - Google Street View - December 2007
Jackson #2 - Google Street View - July 2011
Jackson #2 - Google Street View - December 2015
Jackson #2 - Google Street View - January 2025
Jackson #5 - Google Street View - July 2011
Jackson #5 - Google Street View - April 2019
Aerial Views
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| Google Earth - February 1996 Former Jackson #2 Sing as an Amoco station |
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| Google Earth - April 2024 Former Jackson Sing #2 as a Mobil station |
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| Google Earth - February 1996 Former Jackson Sing as a Philips 66 station |
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| Google Earth - April 2023 Former Jackson Sing #5 as an independent station |
Jackson #2 Parcel ID: 873-465
Jackson #5 Parcel ID: 842-371-1
The Governor of Arkansas
Former Winn-Dixie #1310
Former Jitney Jungle #10 | Former Corner Market | Former Grocery Depot | Shoppers Value Foods #402
Northside Square
Clinton, MS 39056
Marketplace Madness 2025: The Governor of Arkansas
Last time on The Sing Oil Blog, I discussed how Winn-Dixie's mistakes during the 1980's indirectly contributed to the company's eventual bankruptcy two decades later. Today, we'll turn back the clock a bit further to tour a store which not only helped create the Marketplace frenzy, but also directly contributed to Winn-Dixie being strapped for cash in the early-2000's. Let's see how.
After surviving one round of Marketplace Madness, let's see who our match-up is for round two: none other than Bill Clinton!
Okay, okay, today's post may nothing to do with Bill, Hillary, Sarah, or Monica, but it does happen to bring us to the small Jackson suburb of Clinton, Mississippi, which, by the way, had a Winn-Dixie while Bill was the Governor of Arkansas.
The supermarket we'll tour today also happens to be a rare example of The Beef People double dipping on the same store over the course of its life: a Double-Dixie.
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| The Clarion-Ledger (Newspapers.com) - May 29, 1973 |
The first Winn-Dixie to operate in Northside Square opened its doors on Tuesday, May 29, 1973. Opening day offered all the FREE glitz and glamour of a typical grand opening for the time, but the thing that caught my eye was the guest appearance of Ole Miss football legend Archie Manning.
Archie went on a tour of the Clinton, Pearl, and McDowell Road Winn-Dixie stores the following Thursday to, "talk football and sign autographs." I'm not the biggest sports fan, but there is no doubt I would have lined up to meet Archie considering his stellar career at Ole Miss and his then-current stint as quarterback for the New Orleans Saints. In hindsight, it also would have been cool to meet the father of one of the greatest football dynasties of all time (does the name Eli or Peyton Manning sound familiar?).
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| The Clarion-Ledger (Newspapers.com) - October 1, 1972. |
Thanks to a lead from friend of the blog Henry H., I know that Northside Square was one four Winn-Dixie / TG&Y anchored shopping centers developed by Mobile-based Mitchell Company in the Jackson Metro (the others being Rankin Square in Pearl, Hico Square at Forest Ave. & Watkins Dr., and McDowell Square at McDowell Rd. & Suncrest Dr.). These "ultra modern" strip centers were said to have been, "located in areas of recent urban growth and feature[d] excellent neighborhood access."
Things have seemingly changed since 1972 because McDowell square is now half vacant after Save-A-Lot closed in the old Jitney Jungle, Rankin Square appears to be entirely vacant, and Hico Square was demolished several years ago. At least Northside Square is still doing alright!
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| The Clarion-Ledger (Newspapers.com) - February 6, 1986 |
On February 15, 1986, all four Jackson-area Winn-Dixie stores reopened as Jitney Jungles, including the Pearl store which is shown above. Winn-Dixie cited the reason for exiting Central Mississippi as the stores being too expensive to service from the New Orleans distribution center. That may have been true, but I still find it hard to believe that WD's Hammond, LA, distribution center is reportedly servicing stores as far east as Columbus, GA, now that Montgomery's operations have ceased. Talk about a long drive (close to six hours)!
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| The Clarksdale Press-Register (Newspapers.com) - October 31, 2001 |
Fast-forward twenty years, and we find Jackson's hometown grocer, Jitney Jungle, in bankruptcy court partially due to its recent merger with Mobile-based Delchamps. The saviors for the flailing chains' locations turned out to be none other than Winn-Dixie and Bruno's.
The deal to purchase these stores must have seemed too good to pass up at the time, but the cash that both Bruno's and WD had to spend while both companies were already on an unsteady footing undoubtedly led to their downfalls. I really wonder if Winn-Dixie, despite its remodel spree in the 1990's, could have avoided bankruptcy had it not bought 68 well-worn stores in 2001.
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| The Sun Herald (Newspapers.com) - April 13, 2001 |
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| The Magee Courier (Newspapers.com) - February 19, 2004 |
Even well after the sale, Winn-Dixie continued to operate Jitney Jungle's old Pump and Save gas stations, one of which was adjacent to the Clinton store. It seems crazy to think that Winn-Dixie once operated gas stations, but then again, it seems like everyone else was doing it at the time.
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| The Clarion-Ledger (Newspapers.com) - December 16, 2003 |
Only two short years after reentering the Jackson market, Winn-Dixie posed as if it was going all in; at a time when the company was scaling back in other areas, the Beef People announced they were breaking ground on two brand new supermarkets in Clinton and Brandon.
The circa 2005 Winn-Dixie #1402 was built on the site of the town's old Wal-Mart as part of a renovated 100,000 square foot shopping center which also included a Blockbuster, Subway, and UPS Store. Surprisingly, Winn-Dixie also opted to build a brand new fuel center at this site.
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| The Clarion-Ledger (Newspapers.com) - December 16, 2003 |
Oh yeah, and this article says that Winn-Dixie was set to break ground on its new 70,000 square foot store in Brandon later that day. Are my eyes mistaken, or is that a misprint, because I never knew Winn-Dixie to build a store that big! I think it must be referring to the size of the entire shopping center.
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| The Commercial Appeal (Newspapers.com) - March 6, 2005 |
They say that the more things change, the more they remain the same. On March 10, 2005, Vision Equipment held an auction for newly-replaced Winn-Dixie #1370 which was housed in the old Clinton Plaza Jitney Premier #70 (the full auction listing can be found here).
On March 17, 2025, Vision Equipment is set to hold an auction for the former Winn-Dixie #2367 in Micco, Florida. Who would have imagined!
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| The Clarion-Ledger (Newspapers.com) - August 11, 2005 |
Unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. The Winn-Dixie at Clinton Crossing opened on February 9, 2005, and would barely survive to September of that year. Clocking in at just under seven months in operation, Winn-Dixie #1402 is now the shortest-lived supermarket I've covered on the blog, beating out Franklin, Tennessee's Albertsons #4736 by a whole month!
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| The Clarion-Ledger (Newspapers) - September 29, 2005 |
The new Winn-Dixie #1402, ironically, opened and closed before the old #1310 was even reoccupied. Thanks to Hurricane Katrina, Corner Market was forced to replace the already new flooring and repair the roof of the old 23,000 square foot supermarket, which in turn delayed the opening by a month.
The article above also mentions how the old Winn-Dixie, along with a former Jitney Premier across town, closed in February 2005 to make way for #1402's grand opening.
It seems that the moral of this story is that Winn-Dixie should have never bought those 68 stores from Jitney Jungle in 2001 and thus reentered the Jackson market. The company was already enduring financial challenges, so why did they go about spending money that they obviously didn't have? I suppose only Al Rowland may only know.
As a recap, let me give a brief timeline of this store:
- Winn-Dixie #14xx: May 29, 1973 - February 15, 1986
- Jitney Jungle #10: February 15, 1986 - January 10, 2001 (approximate)
- Jitney Jungle #1310 / Winn-Dixie #1310: January 10, 2001 - February 7, 2005
- Corner Market / Grocery Depot: November 2, 2005 - January 21, 2018 (approximate)
- Shoppers Value Foods: October 11, 2017 (approximate) - Present
I may not know which store number Clinton had originally, but I figured it was in the #1400 range to coincide with the rest of Mississippi that was handled by New Orleans. It only was assigned #1310 after the 2001 buyback. For your reference, all of the stores in the #1300 range were from the Jitney purchase, and the last two digits of the number seem to directly correspond to Jitney Jungle's numbering system.
Let's see what this supermarket has in store for us today.
Since I was visiting Retail Retell's homeland (and considering how Kroger ate Winn-Dixie's lunch here in Jackson), it's only fitting that I grabbed a Kroger cart for my shopping adventure.
Upon first glance, the inside of this store looked and felt nothing like a Winn-Dixie thanks to Corner Market's 2005 remodel (which probably means it will be one of the more boring ones in this series). It's just that in order to see the full picture, one has to examine every shard in the mirror of the past.
Furthermore, if you look hard enough, you can find traces of Winn-Dixie's two stints inside this space. The most obvious example is how the produce department is still situated in the front right corner of the store – just as it was in 1973.
Just past the produce, we find ourselves in the presence of the Taco Bell "Pallet Savings" and the smoked meats.
Oh, Ronco? Despite the once-household name having disappeared from most of the Southeast, Mississippians can still eat Ronco pasta to their hearts' content. Indulging in the moment, I even had to purchase a box of spaghetti to try myself. I'd almost say it tasted like any other boxed pasta noodle I've tried.
Looking down the rear of the store, we find the meat department window off to our left while dairy is off in the distance.
I've never understood the draw of fully cooked, shelf-stable bacon because not only does it taste like rubber, but it also has to be full of all kinds of preservatives. No thank you!
Let's take a quick look down the aisle with ramen noodles, soy sauce, soup, Jell-O, raisins, and canned fruits . . .
. . . before we find ourselves back up front overlooking the registers. I bet you can spy that giant air vent in the ceiling – a hallmark of these older Winn-Dixie stores.
At some point in this store's life, the old deli space was converted into the customer service counter / express lane.
It also seems crazy to see the same fairly new NCR self-checkout kiosks that Publix uses.
Returning to the rear, the dairy department comes into view as we head toward the back left corner. I do appreciate all of the shed roof accents Corner Market added because it helps the space not feel as empty as it otherwise would.
I'm not sure if you noticed, but the coolers in each department were color coded. I have to lean toward this being a "feature" added by either Jitney Jungle or Corner Market considering how I've never seen this in another Winn-Dixie (and we all know who is the king of using old equipment).
In any regard, the vintage color coded coolers coordinate with most every department in the store.
Corner Market's circa 2005 vinyl floor seems to have been in good shape in most spots but just wasn't doing too well over toward the freezer aisle.
Something else that coordinated was this store's coffin cooler bank running down the far left side.
If you don't recognize it, this layout of dairy products and frozen foods on the left wall of the store was very common to see in a Winn-Dixie during the 1970's and early-1980's. It wasn't until the Marketplace concept was rolled out in 1984 that shoppers began to see this memorable view.
There is a guy who seemed to upload a picture of frozen meatballs from seemingly every Winn-Dixie store in 2015, and I felt like him in this moment.
Contrary to what the sign says, aisle 11 obviously had more to offer than just beer.
This store still had a lot of cold Bud Light (and air filters; what a random combo). I guess sales of the notorious beer were continuing to suffer following that misstep of an advertising campaign . . .
Before we depart, we'll step just to the left to take a quick look at the customer service counter.
And with that, our tour of Clinton's Double-Dixie will come to a close. Despite the store having not been a Winn-Dixie for over twenty years, we can still see several traces of the building's past.
We'll part ways with this photo of the clock tower adjacent to Mississippi College in downtown Clinton. Be sure to check back in two weeks for part three of Marketplace Madness 2025: Simply Timeless.
Also, be on the lookout for a special collaboration post next weekend covering a different store with vintage taste . . .
Until next time,
- The Sing Oil Blogger
Great post (and fun weekend)! "Double-Dixie"... I like that. Good write-up of the timeline here as well, including the two new stores Winn-Dixie built (I'll have to remember to reference back to this!).
ReplyDeleteI've come across a number of former Pump and Saves -- those seem to have been quite prevalent. I've also passed that Rankin Square shopping center many times -- and in doing my Hudson's research, I even uncovered that that was one use of the building in its post-supermarket state.
That "Fountain" sign was a great find. Tons of great song links in this post as well!
Thank you. It was a fun weekend! Maybe we can get a tour of a nearby Kroger sometime soon . . . Well, I guess I know what one of them looks like!
DeleteBased on that newspaper ad, it looks like there were quite a few Pump and Save stations. I'm sure one or two of them still have an old logo up. I also thought I saw an old Hudson's logo on the Rankin Square building in one of the street views.
I agree, and thank you!
The fountain sign was a neat find, especially after seeing how the right side of that old Sing was seemingly reconfigured at some point. Hopefully that find made venturing into that former Sing store all the more worthwhile!
ReplyDelete7 months is probably up there as the record for shortest-lived Winn-Dixie ever, although the new Brandon store may possibly tie that record or even break it depending on the timing of its 2005 opening. That almost makes Grand Cypress's run seem pretty good! It's weird how Winn-Dixie has a tendency to return to sites they vacated years prior, as while still a rare situation, I can think of more examples of that with WD than I can for most other grocery chains.
I doubt not buying those Jitney Jungle stores would have stopped the inevitable bankruptcy from happening, but it possibly could have pushed that off for another few years at least, as there was certainly bleeding happening even before that purchase. With Winn-Dixie already fighting a battle of updating their own tired old stores, adding 68 more stores that fell under the same description certainly wasn't the answer! It was right around the time of the Jitney purchase in 2001 that Winn-Dixie also bought 9 Gooding's stores around Orlando as well. While the Gooding's stores were arguably in nicer shape than those old Jitney stores (being that Gooding's was an upscale chain), it seems like the company was using these acquisitions as some kind of way to build store count to increase sales, even though these purchases had the opposite effect in the end (and much like the 68 Jitney stores having only few survivors today, only 1 of those 9 Gooding's stores remains as a WD too). It's also interesting how Jackson was selected to get two new stores in the mid-2000's as well, especially as new store construction was really beginning to slow by that point as the buildup to the bankruptcy began.
Not sure if you've ever seen this, but alongside Jitney's Pump and Save, Winn-Dixie also had their own try at gas stations in the early 2000's called "Kwik Chek", reviving that old name for the fuel concept: https://maps.app.goo.gl/876MCKJLsxhRdu7P6
"Kwik Check" surprisingly lasted into the early 2010's. That linked location in Jacksonville was the only one I recall, but I wonder if there were a few more out there at one time in addition to the Pump and Saves.
While those cost + 10% stores are popular in many areas in the south, they really aren't a thing here in the FL peninsula. I've always wondered if those stores really do offer a decent savings, or if the savings are more psychological, thinking that shoppers will focus more on the "cost" shelf price (which looks like a good deal) and not think so much about the extra 10% added on at the end (when really 10% should be added to the shelf tags to get the "actual" price). I've never been in one of those stores to really figure that out.
I see I started something with that Ronco reference way back when too! I'd never heard of Ronco either until I found that old Publix word game, but at least Mississippians can still buy that brand!
Yes, I was very glad to see that old fountain sign! You never know what things like that may have been left behind.
Delete7 months is a very short time for a store to be open. I'd have to imagine that these were some of the last Winn-Dixie stores to open before the bankruptcy. They do make Grand Cypress' run look pretty good!
I also doubt that foregoing the Jitney purchase would have prevented the bankruptcy, but it seems like the extra expenditure likely expedited it. It's crazy that Winn-Dixie spent the money to buy Gooding's as well!
No, I did not know about Winn-Dixie's "Kwik Chek" revival. It's crazy how they have revived long gone names in the past, including Table Supply during the 1980's. Based on a Kwik search of Newspapers.com, the only other Kwik Chek gas station I found was at the Bushnell store (which many papers labeled as Orlando).
I heard somebody else mention the cost plus stores and how they only seem to be in the Southeast. I've shopped in a few of them, but have never noticed a huge savings (I have to admit that I wasn't paying full attention). It seems if the store has to add 10% to the shelf price at the register, they are trying to hide the fact that their prices aren't great. Food Depot is one of the big cost plus stores in Georgia, and I always hate how bright their orange shelf tags are. I know a number of independent IGA and Piggly Wiggly stores around here use the tactic.
You did start something with the Ronco reference!
As a New York Giants fan, yes, I have heard of Eli Manning! I've heard of Peyton Manning as well, but he didn't go to Ole Miss. Given that Retail Retell is involved with this post, we'll just skip right over Peyton, lol.
ReplyDeleteHey, Mobil! It is always interesting to see what Exxon and Mobil stations look like elsewhere in the country. In this case, it is in Sing Oil form. Like a lot of the stations here, the famed Mobil pegasus logo has been reduced to a little sticker at the top of the pumps, but at least the pegasus is visible somewhere. When I was in the Northeast last year, I saw that the pegasus is much more prominent up there, but then some of those stations I saw/went to have probably been Mobils for decades. Most of the ones here are new-builds or, like this Sing, the name was slapped on an older station that most certainly didn't start out as a Mobil.
When I think of Ronco, pasta is not what comes to mind! I think of Ron Popeil of cheap records, infomercials, and, of course, GLH-9 hair in a can. "The babes are back!" Link: https://youtu.be/2GeF7A05zQ8
Hair in a can is probably an appropriate analogy for old supermarkets which have gone through many different tenants, including Winn-Dixie twice. At first, I thought those floors might have been really polished and textured concrete, but upon further review, yeah, they most certainly are vinyl. They probably look more credible in real-life than it does in the photos. I'm sure you were glad you were wheeling that Kroger cart around on vinyl rather than a Krotesque concrete floor! Of course, it is only natural that if you were with Retail Retell, you'd end up at an actual Kroger. Hopefully it was one with real floor cover at least!
Like AFB said, while I know 'cost plus' type stores are popular elsewhere, including Dallas, they just aren't a thing around here in Houston and I've never been to one. This one in your post doesn't look too bad, but some I've seen in photos look worse than the result of someone confusing a can of GLH-9 for a can of deodorant. We have Fiesta, Food Town, Joe V's, and various other chains (mostly owned by Mr. Ortega) that run things in a traditional supermarket way in lower-income areas. I think most people prefer that to a cost-plus store.
Speaking of Food Town, did you see the news this past week at HHR? The Food Town near me in the old Food Lion which was using the old Food Lion decor finally threw in the towel and closed without prior announcement. My comments on Mike's post pretty much sums up the situation: https://houstonhistoricretail.com/2025/03/04/retail-news-food-town-closes-jones-west-location/
Speaking of Food Town and Clinton, I did my weekly shopping at the Food Town near me in an old 1980 Safeway this week. Believe it or not, they played the Macarena through the in-store music system! Of course, who can think of the Macarena without thinking of Hillary Clinton dancing to it in 1996? Link: https://youtu.be/p9-6MgMNuTY
Alas, no floor coverings in this Kroger... there is only one in the entire metro area that even has any!
DeleteLOL at that video XD
Haha, I think most people have heard of at least one of the Mannings. That being said, you especially have cause to have heard of Eli!
DeleteYep, you finally get to see a Mobil station on the blog! Mobile is not very common in Georgia, but I do occasionally see an Exxon station. This old Sing was an Exxon until a couple of years ago when it changed to a Chevron. I'm sure the Pegasus means a lot more in places closer to the old SOCONY territory. Heck there are probably some old Standard stations in New York that are now branded as Mobil!
Ha! I can see why Ronco would make you think of GLH. Don't you love all of those cheesy infomercial products of the 1980's! I wonder if you'd be better off with GLH or a toupee!
There was no doubt in my mind that these floors were covered with vinyl tile when I saw them. That's not to say that they looked great in places, but they looked better than textured concrete! And I knew that I couldn't leave Jackson without going to a Kroger (or two) with Retail Retell! Unfortunately, we only saw "Poduce" at the Krogers we went to – no vinyl floors.
Most of the cost plus stores around me aren't terrible, but they also aren't where I elect to do my regular grocery shopping. It seems like a price gimmick to inflate the price of whatever you buy by 10% at the register.
I had not seen that news about Food Town, but it doesn't sound like it was much of a surprise based on your comment. Oh well, now you can't get your fix for 1990's Food Lion nostalgia! That Macarena video of Hillary made me crack up!