Grocery prices in the Daytona Beach area have been on the rise, but there may be some relief in sight as new competitors enter the market. Aldi, a popular discount grocery chain, is rapidly expanding in the area, but the recent news of Winn-Dixie stores being closed and converted to Aldi locations may not provide much competition in terms of prices. The addition of Trader Joe’s and Sprouts Farmers Market may also not have a significant impact. Furthermore, the closure of Kroger’s delivery service has also eliminated a source of competition.
However, Amazon is now entering the local grocery market and will offer same-day delivery, as confirmed by a company spokesperson. Although Amazon currently offers grocery delivery, it can take up to four to five days. The company will be leasing space from Karis in a large building on Williamson Boulevard, which is still in the planning stage. Part of the building will be dedicated to an Amazon Same-Day Delivery facility.
Amazon has been expanding its distribution centers in Volusia County, with a last-mile service on Mason Avenue in Daytona for bulk deliveries using electric vans. The same-day delivery service will utilize smaller vehicles to quickly transport groceries to customers. Customers can also combine bulk items with their grocery orders.
In other news, Karis is planning to construct a third building on Williamson Boulevard, with a tenant yet to be announced. The building will have 240,000 square feet of space and will join other tenants such as Pepsi and International Tile & Stone in the existing buildings.
Despite the recent announcement of Amazon’s entry into the local grocery market, the latest employment report from the state is from September. The report showed a jobless rate of 4. 9% in Volusia County, compared to 5% in August and 4% in September 2024. The number of unemployed workers has also increased from 10,803 to 13,219 over the past year. Non-agricultural jobs in the Volusia-Flagler area totaled 227,700 in September, down from 229,000 in August but up from 227,400 in September 2024. However, these numbers may not reflect the recent job growth in the area, with the addition of new Amazon and Boeing centers. The next employment report will be released in January.
There have also been notable commercial real estate deals in the area, which is unusual for December. One of the top deals was the sale of the Edison Apartments in Daytona Beach for $49 million. Other notable transactions include the sale of a medical office building in Orange City and a retail plaza in Edgewater. New construction projects include a self-storage facility in Ormond Beach and a residential subdivision in DeLand.
In transportation news, JetBlue’s return to Daytona Beach International Airport has been overshadowed by Delta Air Lines and American Airlines cutting back on flights.