FLEMING ISLAND – As the calendar slowly crept closer to Jan. 16 – the last day Winn-Dixie will operate its store on County Road 220 – fewer items are on the shelves and even fewer smiles on the last handful of employees.

Soon, the store’s iconic red checkmark will come down. So will the deli, meat department, customer service department and bakery, all to make way for the no-frills, discount grocery store Aldi.

Once the shelves, counters and signage are removed, workers will reduce the store size from 76,260 square feet to 51,733 square feet, with the remaining 24,527 square feet going back to Town Center at Eagle Harbor to be leased to another business.

The German-based grocery company told Clay County officials it plans to spend as much as $1.75 million to alter, remodel and build out the current Winn-Dixie store into another Aldi. While no timetable has been released, most conversions have taken about four months.

For the nearly 70 employees at Winn-Dixie, that’s of little solace. Some have found work at other Winn-Dixie stores in the area; most have not been absorbed into the rollover. All were reluctant to talk about their plight because they hoped to be called back, which bought Jacksonville-based Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie and Harveys Supermarkets last March. Aldi applied with the Clay County Planning and Zoning Department to convert the Fleming Island store last July 30.

Many Winn-Dixie employees weren’t aware of the changeover until they read it in the Aug. 15 edition of Clay Today.

Shortly after buying SEG, Aldi said it planned to spend $9 billion in five years to add 800 stores nationwide, but it’s been prudent not to reveal many of the locations in advance.

Winn-Dixie regulars may soon find Aldi confusing because it doesn’t have a deli, bakery, liquor store, customer service, lottery or a large selection of name-brand grocery items. Meat comes prepacked, but the store’s produce is considered some of the freshest.

Another quirk is that you must bring your own grocery bags and a quarter to shop. You need the quarter to unlock the cart at the front of the store. Not to worry, though, you get your quarter back after you’re finished “renting” it and lock it back to other carts.

By reducing the frills, Aldi can reduce its workforce. They don’t need a worker to chase down shopping carts in the parking lot. They also don’t need a baker, meat cutter, or someone to cash checks, sell lottery tickets, print money orders, send Western Union money or slice bologna and cheese.

Aldi accepts credit cards, debit cards, cash, EBT, Google and Apple Pay and SNAP, and doesn’t take checks or coupons. That saves money, which the company said passes on to its customers.

For example, a single yellow bell pepper sold for $2.50 at a national chain grocery store on Fleming Island the week between Christmas and New Year’s Day. A three-pack of fresh red, orange and yellow bell peppers cost $2.69 at the Aldi on Blanding Boulevard during the same time frame.

The grocery chain also has strict standards for its ingredients. It removed certified synthetic colors, added MSG and partially hydrogenated oils from its exclusive food brands like Simply Nature, Specially Selected Clancy’s, Millville, Mama Cozzi’s, Sea Queen and Little Salad Bar 10 years ago. Additionally, Aldi claims its brands taste as good as national brands but at 50% of the cost.

A handful of current Winn-Dixie employees found continued work at other stores. Most were either shown the automatic door or counting the last few hours of their final shifts.

Meanwhile, employees at the other six Winn-Dixie stores in the county will be looking over their shoulders - and keeping a quarter in their pocket so they can shop for Aldi deals in the future.