THREE CINCINNATI-AREA THRIFTWAY PLANNED

JENNIFER L. BALJKO

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. -- Winn-Dixie Stores here plans to open three new Thriftway stores in the competitive Cincinnati market.

The 60,000-square-foot units are scheduled to open in the Cincinnati and northern Kentucky area by the end of this year, according to Nelson Rodenmayer, marketing and advertising director at Winn-Dixie's Midwest division in Louisville, Ky. The stores will operate under the banner Thriftway Marketplace, adopting Winn-Dixie's Marketplace name, a larger format that emphasizes fresh food.

Two other Thriftway stores are also expected to be remodeled to the Marketplace format in the next few months, he added.

The retailer decided to put the Thriftway name on the new stores rather than the Winn-Dixie banner because of the reputation Thriftway has established in the region, Rodenmayer said.

"Thriftway has a reputation for service and value. Though it's part of Winn-Dixie, we operate it as separate company with a different strategy," Rodenmayer explained. "There was no reason to go and change the name or the service."

Winn-Dixie acquired the Thriftway chain last year, making it the company's northernmost operation. Winn-Dixie currently has 27 Thriftways in the greater Cincinnati area, three of which operate under the Marketplace format.