GTB Area Retail Blog

Walmart #3418 28500 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel, FL Opened on August 13, 2014 as Walmart #3418. Construction was supposed to start in 2008, but it was delayed by 6 years due to the Great Recession. This entrance is unmarked, but it would be the Home & Pharmacy side of the Walmart Supercenter. I have never seen a 2010's built Walmart in person, so let's enter through these doors! What you see after entering through the left side doors. There are 24 checkouts, and 8 or 12 self lanes. Also, a Christmas tree! Did you know that this fire alarm speaker doubles as a regular announcement and music speaker? If someone pages an announcement, then this would sound a short tone for 1 second. If someone activates the fire alarm pull station, or if one of the smoke detectors detect fire, or the drill button on the control panel is pushed, then this would sound three beeps in a pattern (3 beeps, pause, repeats) with the fire light flashing, along wi...

Kash n' Karry #1916/Sweetbay #1916/Winn-Dixie #2503 27301 State Road 54, Wesley Chapel, FL - Towne Centre at Wesley Chapel Opened in 2000 as Kash n' Karry #1916, and converted to Sweetbay Supermarket in 2005. Reopened on April 8, 2014 as Winn-Dixie #2503. This is one of Kash n' Karry's round front prototype stores. The inside featured 35-foot tall ceilings and a circular layout not seen in any other Kash n' Karry store. If you look closely at the red paint, you can see a Kash n' Karry labelscar, which includes a part of the logo and the words FOOD - DELI - PHARMACY. Let's enter the store and see what a round Kash n' Karry/Sweetbay/Winn-Dixie really is! Welcome to your Wesley Chapel Winn-Dixie! This is one of two welcome signs in the store, the other one is similar except with imagery. Like I said earlier, the deli, bakery, and cheese departments are all formed in the shape of a circle, making for a rather odd la...

For the 1st anniversary of the GTB Area Retail Blog, we will celebrate with a former Albertsons in Tampa, which is now a Publix! (Photo courtesy of YonWooRetail83 on Flickr , recreation of former store 4321) Albertsons #4318/Publix #1324 8701 W. Hillsborough Ave, Tampa, FL Originally opened as Albertsons #4318 on May 18, 1977. The store featured small appliances, kitchen gadgets, pool supplies, and other items not found at your average supermarket. Also featured 14 checkouts! Store 4318 faced competition with nearby Publix store 356, which opened in 1989. This was one of the 49 Albertsons stores that was sold to Publix Super Markets in 2008, and later became Publix #1324 in 2010 after the closure of store 356. Albertsons is (technically) back in Tampa after 40+ years, thanks to these recreations! A grand opening ad for Albertsons store 4318 from the Tampa Tribune in 1977. Enough with Albertsons, let's jump to 2018 for the currently opera...