Winn-Dixie — Local services in New Port Richey

This store was originally a Sweet Bay when I moved to New Port Richey in 2014. Shortly thereafter Winn-Dixie took the Sleep baseboards over and it has been downhill since then. At the time they were taken over Sweet Bay had plastic wheeled baskets with handles for wheelchair-bound Shoppers. They never disappeared when Sweetbay owned the store but as soon as Winn-Dixie took over slowly but surely they disappeared. As did the red baskets... Did Winn-Dixie replace them? Hell no! This is the most handicapped unfriendly store I have ever had the displeasure of having to go to. How do they expect us to shop??

I was not surprised to hear several weeks ago at Winn-Dixie. For some months now they stopped carrying items that were good sellers that people liked and started phasing in a no-name brand and gradually started eliminating name brand items we all know and trust. Just yesterday I went into the store to get some hot wings from the deli department. I walked in to see the display lights off and nothing there when I question the girl at the deli she calmly said are we ran out of stock. They run out of a lot of things and it takes them weeks to get it back in!

When the news broke on the television and store closures I have gotten friendly with over the last 4 years. They knew absolutely nothing about it they were shocked! Can you imagine that what a lousy employer! Their employees get blindsided and hear this on the news yet 2 days later I hear the manager walking down and I'll head to head in there talking about Severance packages... Shame on you Winn-Dixie you deserve to go out of business completely.

I cannot tell you how many times they will have a sale I will run over there in my wheelchair only to find they have one item on the Shelf. Over the last year we have seen most of the name brand items disappear and being substituted with their southern Grocers brand! If I wanted to buy low quality food I can walk across the street to Save-A-Lot and get it a lot cheaper not have to pay Winn-Dixie prices

This is the community that is not wealthy the Massachusetts Avenue and Congress Street area. There are two brand new 55 and over communities that has many people many people who do not drive. They depend on this store as too many of the disabled people who live not only in those apartments but in the entire vicinity. We would have been much better served had they not been so greedy and allowed another food chain to take over the stores.

Addendum: last year alone I brought about $15,000 worth of business into that store just buy prescriptions alone. At one point last year I was considering removing my prescriptions and taking them to another Pharmacy because I was tired of telling them to fill my prescription for a 90 day supply then having to go to that store 3 or 4 times just to pick up the medication in dribs and drabs. The employee begged me not to take my prescriptions Because Winn-Dixie at the time was closing Pharmacy this was prior to the store closings. Feeling sympathetic I agreed. I can't insurance companies 2 months ago and all of the sudden now my medication is being doled out to be 30 stays at a time Wild Nothing is changed I am still eligible for a 90-day refill. I asked the same pharmacist who asked me not to move my prescriptions out of there and I'm told either the doctor called it in that way or the insurance company will process it that way. I'm a nurse I know what can be processes 30 days and what can go through is 90 days. Still I thought maybe with the insurance change they're only allowing 30 days at a time. Last weak I called in a refill went to pick it up and low and behold the substitute pharmacist advise me that there was only 60 days left on the prescription! If there's one thing I can't tolerate it's being lied to and at this point I am done with Winn Dixie pharmacy especially after prescription I had dropped off there...

I should have taken the time to write this when it happened. I will NEVER EVER use this pharmacy again! I used to always fill mine and my family’s medications here! We moved and the moon lake store is closer so we switched. A couple months ago I stopped in this WD bc my doctor appointment was a block away (normally it’s pass the expressway on 54) and dropped off my prescription ( mind you I used to always have it filled at this location) the tech looked at and brought it over to Jeff (the pharmacist) he looked at it and the tech walked back and said they didn’t have any in stock (which was a LIE) so I looked at her and calmly said,” oh that’s strNge bc I’m currently looking at an unopened box behind on the shelf.” The pharmacist heard me and asked to look at my prescription again and said ,” oh I thought it was for the tablets and not the strips.” ( Lie #2) I said that’s funny bc the whole reason they made the strips was because the tablets resembled candy... the pharmacist then proceeded to ask me if I planned on switching back to that pharmacy and I explained how it was more convenient due to the location of the doctor visit but if it was an inconvenience to fill it I would take it to the other WD he said ,” no need I was already there but if I thought I was gonna randomly pop in to fill a prescription like that I had another thing coming!!” I was shocked not only was a former customer of this locations pharmacy but I was also a former associate! ( I transferred ) ... I was disgusted absolutely disgusted!!! I understand the medication I was on was controlled but it’s used to treat opiate dependency and I could not help but think what if someone new to treatment was treated that way... that could have sent them back out... it could have ultimately killed them !!! Smh ... I’ll stick to the WD pharmacy at moon lake they’re understanding and show...

Update to the update* It's not good y'all. Even the meat is questionable now. I've had to return several meat products now because I've gotten home and opened them to find out they were rotten, discolored, foul odor. If you're going to shop here, stick to prepackaged, boxed foods. Nothing else in this store is safe for consumption.

Update I have to update this from my original review. The produce situation here just continues to deteriorate. I'm really thinking I'm going to start shopping else where. The produce here is just... Not good. My success rate of digging through vegetables and fruits to find something fresh and not moldy hit ZERO today. I'm not exaggerating when i say i dug through MULTIPLE selections of oranges, strawberries, Lettuce etc... and I could come up with NOTHING that wasn't rotted. I've had better luck at Walmart. Sorry, Winn-Dixie. You gotta do better. Especially considering the high price of food these days.

Decent store. Large enough to have a good variety. The check out people are generally very kind. Most of the rest of the employees are also very helpful. My main reason for only 3 stars is that their produce is very hit or miss- mostly miss. You really have to pick through it to find something worth purchasing. Much of it is old and withered or already...