"Northeastern Chains" in Florida?

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Steve Landry
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Re: "Northeastern Chains" in Florida?

Post by Steve Landry »

"One more thing, what do you mean people no longer retire to Florida? What exactly do you mean by "their culture" other than Food Fair?"

The influx of folks from South America, Central America, Mexico and the Carribean have "slowed" that northeast - southeast pattern (the midwest - southeast one too); most dramatically in South Florida.

By "their culture" I mean their standards of education, consumerism, employment expectations, product selection expectations, art, music, entertaiment, politics, religion, architecture, etc.

They infused lots of their life - styles into South Florida. Much of that influence has been diminished. Things change :-)
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Ephrata1966
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Re: "Northeastern Chains" in Florida?

Post by Ephrata1966 »

Florida I thought has long been more "cosmopolitan" than much of the South. But I find nothing "Northeastern" about it. You could call it "Yankee" though. For that matter, all of the East Coast I have seen seems a little bit "Yankee" too.
rich
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Re: "Northeastern Chains" in Florida?

Post by rich »

Most of Florida, for want of a more polite term was pretty "redneck" until after WWII. Parts still are, like the panhandle towns and the areas around Jacksonville. The Latin influences started in a big way with the exodus of people from Cuba after Castro came into power and grew with the continuing Cuban diaspora, and later was joined by Haitians and people from all over Latin America from about the 70s early onward. There had long been Latin communities--like the old Cuban quarter in Tampa, but they were small. As for Northerners--they are more numerous in some places than others and their origins vary. People from Cleveland have tended to settle on the West Coast in Tampa and places further South and I've run into people from near where I grew-up there w/o much effort. People from the NE tended to to settle on the East Coast--first in Miami and then further up the Coast. Miami Beach used to have a lot of pensioners from New York City. St Petersburg was a mecca for retirees from all over. Fort Lauderdale has become very gay. And yet it is still a very conservative place, conservative in the Southern sense rather than the Midwestern or Far Western sense.
Ephrata1966
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Re: "Northeastern Chains" in Florida?

Post by Ephrata1966 »

What is this "Southern sense" you speak of? Are they Confederates?

I love Florida license plates. Maryland too. The old Pennsylvania ones were nice.
krogerclerk
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Re: "Northeastern Chains" in Florida?

Post by krogerclerk »

In Florida, the northern cities of Jacksonville, Tallahassee, Gainesville, Pensacola, Panama City and Fort Walton Beach are very much southern cities and the rural areas surrounding them are much like nearby areas of South Georgia and South Alabama. Retirement and tourism are still mainstays to the coastal cities of Panama City and St. Augustine. Tallahassee, the capital is very conservative plus a college town, FSU(Seminoles) and Florida A&M while Gainesville has UFL(Gators) . Even as far south as Daytona Beach, with is famous Daytona 500, NASCAR again lends a southern edge. The Northwest panhandle beaches are called the Redneck Riviera, as Panama City has long been a popular college Spring Break destination and post-senior graduation destination. Ft. Walton Beach is more noted for a family appeal and nearby Destin is the most upscale area, in all even Panama City is moving upscale with condos replacing the long time mom-and-pop seaside and seaview motels and restaurants. Jacksonville more or less is emulating Atlanta, Nashville, and Charlotte in its growth patterns as a car-centric sprawling suburban mass. The northwest panhandle was the last frontier for Publix in Florida, not having a store in Pensacola until acquiring the Albertson's in 2008. Winn-Dixie was long the dominant chain from Tallahassee westward with the last stand of A&P in Florida in Pensacola until the early 90's. Alabama based Bruno's, primarily as Food World and Food Max, and Mobile-based Delchamps were had major presence until the early 00's. Jitney Jungle even had a few stores near Pensacola into the 80's and most small towns had a Piggly Wiggly. Walmart probably has its strongest base in North Florida today, while Harvey's(now part of Food Lion/Delhaize) has had a long presence in Tallahassee.

Central Florida seems to blend southern and midwestern. The region outside of Orlando was the setting for the book and movie "The Yearling", and was noted for phosphate mining, dairy farming and citrus groves. Publix originated in Polk County, between Orlando and Tampa, and early on had a strong presence in Central Florida. However, into the 90's, Publix and Winn-Dixie were runnning neck and neck in Orlando with Albertson's gaining until the mid-00's. Local Goodings was a strong player, until selling most of their stores to WD in the early 00's. Tampa/St Pete also had a strong Winn-Dixie presence that Publix didn't pass until the late 80's. Local based Kash-n-Karry and U-Save were major competitors until U-Save declined and Kash-n-Karry hit the "Food Lion phase". Albertson's even became as high ranked as #3 during the 90's. My uncle's stepmother lived somewhat inland in Southwest Florida in a tiny town called Arcadia, that resembled anything as southern as any town in South Georgia.

Southeast Florida is the least Southern part of Florida, Miami Beach was once called the Jewish Riviera and Miami as the 6th borough(of NYC). As Rich stated the influx of Latin residents, along with other Carribean immigrants have changed the culture drastically. Sedano's is the largest Hispanic supermarket chain in the US. Here Publix has almost half the market with Winn-Dixie a distant second despite its founding in the Lemon City neighborhood of Miami, as Table Supply stores. Albertson's is all but gone with a few stores near Palm Beach while Walmart and Target have limited Supercenter exposure here.
Steve Landry
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Re: "Northeastern Chains" in Florida?

Post by Steve Landry »

Ah, Kroger and rich...................can always depend on you guys!

:-)
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winndixiepublix
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Re: "Northeastern Chains" in Florida?

Post by winndixiepublix »

There is 3 of Albertsons stores left in Florida
pseudo3d
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Re: "Northeastern Chains" in Florida?

Post by pseudo3d »

There is talk of Kroger re-entering Florida, as Florida Choice was sold off in a time when Florida was quite a competitive market. Now with Gooding's essentially gone (1 store), Albertsons essentially gone (3 stores), Kash-n-Karry gone (renamed Sweetbay, which was converted to Winn-Dixie), and a weakened Winn-Dixie, it isn't the competitive market it used to be. All that has changed in the last 15 years (closure of KnK, most Albertsons, and many Winn-Dixie stores), well after Florida Choice went out.
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