SaveRite

{{Short description|American grocery store chain}}{{Infobox company

| founded = October 2000

| defunct = {{end date|2011}}

}}

SaveRite was a U.S. chain of discount warehouse-style grocery stores owned by Winn-Dixie. The store offered a smaller selection and less customer support than most grocery stores.

SaveRite was designed to offer lower prices on a smaller selection of food by offering items in bulk, eliminating baggers and carry-out services, and removing many in-store services. The stores also had offerings that catered to their local markets, with some providing more services than others.{{Cite web |last=Boss |first=Donna |date=May 26, 2003 |title=SAVE RITE IS WINNING WITH ITS WAREHOUSE FORMAT |url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/independents-regional-grocers/save-rite-is-winning-with-its-warehouse-format |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=www.supermarketnews.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Turcsik |first=Richard |title=PG PROFILE: Winn-Dixie |url=https://progressivegrocer.com/pg-profile-winn-dixie |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=Progressive Grocer |language=en}}

The chain's marketing was based on its mascot Captain SaveRite, who is shown as a cartoon super-hero resembling Captain America.

History

Winn-Dixie created the SaveRite brand as an experiment, with the first location opening in Orlando, Florida in October 2000.{{Cite web |date=2003-12-05 |title=Winn-Dixie Names Manager for SaveRite Division |url=https://progressivegrocer.com/winn-dixie-names-manager-saverite-division |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=Progressive Grocer |language=en}}{{Cite web |date=2004-06-30 |title=Winn-Dixie Brings SaveRite Format to Melbourne, Fla. |url=https://progressivegrocer.com/winn-dixie-brings-saverite-format-melbourne-fla |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=Progressive Grocer |language=en}} In March 2001, the nine Gooding's stores based in Orlando, Florida that the company had acquired the year prior were converted to the SaveRite banner.{{Cite web |date=June 2, 2000 |title=Winn-Dixie expands in Orlando, Fla., area |url=https://money.cnn.com/2000/06/02/companies/winndixie/ |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=money.cnn.com}}{{Cite web |date=March 5, 2001 |title=NEWSWATCH |url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/independents-regional-grocers/newswatch-2001-03-05 |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=www.supermarketnews.com |language=en}} In November, Winn-Dixie announced plans to convert nearly all of its Winn-Dixie and Winn-Dixie Marketplace brand stores in the metro Atlanta area into SaveRite locations in an effort to keep a hold on its market share,{{Cite web |date=November 20, 2001 |title=Winn-Dixie considers Save Rite brand for Atlanta |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/atlanta/stories/2001/11/19/daily18.html |access-date=2019-01-03 |website=www.bizjournals.com}}{{Cite web |date=December 3, 2001 |title=WINN-DIXIE EYES ATLANTA CHANGE |url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/grocery-operations/winn-dixie-eyes-atlanta-change |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=www.supermarketnews.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Ghitelman |first=David |date=February 4, 2002 |title=WINN-DIXIE: PROFITS UP, UNPROFITABLE SALES DOWN |url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/grocery-operations/winn-dixie-profits-up-unprofitable-sales-down |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=www.supermarketnews.com |language=en}} which was rapidly declining due to stiff competition from Wal-Mart, Publix, Kroger, Food Lion, and Target.{{Cite web |last=Boss |first=Donna |date=July 4, 2005 |title=SAVERITE EXIT CREATES OPPORTUNITIES |url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/independents-regional-grocers/saverite-exit-creates-opportunities |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=www.supermarketnews.com |language=en}} The conversions began in earnest in 2002, with the company looking to fill the void left when Cub Foods left the area.{{Cite web |date=2002-02-01 |title=Winn-Dixie Converts Some Atlanta Stores into Warehouse Format |url=https://progressivegrocer.com/winn-dixie-converts-some-atlanta-stores-warehouse-format |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=Progressive Grocer |language=en}}

By 2003, the company had converted 43 locations in Atlanta, nine sites in Florida, and eight locations in Mississippi to the SaveRite banner.{{Cite web |last=Boss |first=Donna |date=May 26, 2003 |title=SAVE RITE IS WINNING WITH ITS WAREHOUSE FORMAT |url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/independents-regional-grocers/save-rite-is-winning-with-its-warehouse-format |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=www.supermarketnews.com |language=en}} In June 2004, SaveRite opened a 55,000-square-foot store in Melbourne, Florida, offering a pharmacy, deli, full-service bakery, expanded produce and meat departments, a customer service booth, and extensive Hispanic and Caribbean foods selections.{{Cite web |date=2004-06-30 |title=Winn-Dixie Brings SaveRite Format to Melbourne, Fla. |url=https://progressivegrocer.com/winn-dixie-brings-saverite-format-melbourne-fla |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=Progressive Grocer |language=en}}

However, when Winn-Dixie filed for bankruptcy in February 2005, the company announced that more than 300 stores, including SaveRite locations, would close.{{Cite web |date=2005-02-22 |title=Winn-Dixie Stores files for bankruptcy |url=https://www.nbcnews.com/id/wbna7011121 |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=NBC News |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Springer |first=Jon |date=June 27, 2005 |title=WINN-DIXIE PLANS TO EXIT 326 LOCATIONS IN CUTBACK |url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/grocery-operations/winn-dixie-plans-to-exit-326-locations-in-cutback |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=www.supermarketnews.com |language=en}} As part of these cuts, it was announced that SaveRite would exit the Atlanta area.{{Cite web |date=2005-06-24 |title=Kroger Hunts Winn-Dixie's SaveRite Shoppers in Atlanta |url=https://progressivegrocer.com/kroger-hunts-winn-dixies-saverite-shoppers-atlanta |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=Progressive Grocer |language=en}} By July, SuperValu was seeking to acquire 27 of the 40 SaveRite supermarkets in the Atlanta market.{{Cite web |last=Boss |first=Donna |date=July 11, 2005 |title=WINN-DIXIE RECEIVES BIDS FOR 79 STORES |url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/independents-regional-grocers/winn-dixie-receives-bids-for-79-stores |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=www.supermarketnews.com |language=en}}

Winn-Dixie began redesigning its SaveRite stores by cutting prices and adding in-store services. The first store opened in January 2009. By this time, there were three Save-Rite locations in Jacksonville, five in Orlando, and three in Mississippi.{{Cite web |title=Winn-Dixie pilots new SaveRite concept |url=https://chainstoreage.com/news/winn-dixie-pilots-new-saverite-concept |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=Chain Store Age |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Hannan |first=Larry |title=Redesigned SaveRite opens today with new mission |url=https://www.jacksonville.com/story/lifestyle/food/2009/01/07/redesigned-saverite-opens-today-with-new-mission/15999996007/ |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=The Florida Times-Union |language=en-US}}{{Cite web |date=March 31, 2010 |title=Winn-Dixie Opens Second SaveRite Warehouse Store |url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/independents-regional-grocers/winn-dixie-opens-second-saverite-warehouse-store |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=www.supermarketnews.com |language=en}} A second redesigned store opened in March 2010.{{Cite web |date=March 31, 2010 |title=Winn-Dixie opens second remodeled SaveRite store |url=https://chainstoreage.com/real-estate/winn-dixie-opens-second-remodeled-saverite-store |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=Chain Store Age |language=en}}

On August 18, 2011, Winn Dixie announced it was discontinuing the SaveRite name and converting its six remaining stores to the Winn-Dixie banner, while a seventh store was closed.{{Cite web |date=August 18, 2011 |title=Winn-Dixie to Discontinue SaveRite |url=https://www.supermarketnews.com/finance/winn-dixie-to-discontinue-saverite |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=www.supermarketnews.com |language=en}}{{Cite web |last=Bull |first=Roger |title=Winn-Dixie absorbing 6 SaveRite stores, closing last 1 |url=https://www.jacksonville.com/story/business/2011/08/19/winn-dixie-absorbing-6-saverite-stores-closing-last-1/15892684007/ |access-date=2025-06-05 |website=The Florida Times-Union |language=en-US}}

References

Category:Supermarkets of the United States

Category:Companies that filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 2005

Category:Retail companies disestablished in 2011