Hear from
The Winn-Dixie Company

How RELO solved one of grocery retail's toughest supply chain problems, in their own words.
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About
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The Winn-Dixie Company

Serving Southeastern communities since 1925. Headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, Winn-Dixie operates across Florida and southern Georgia.

Impact highlights

~ 90%
GHG emissions reduction compared with conventional products

RELO produces packaged ice on demand at the distribution center instead of shipping it from a distant factory, cutting greenhouse gas emissions by approximately 90% compared with conventional production and transport. Verified by an independent, third-party carbon impact study.

100%
produced on-site, zero middle-mile

Producing on-site puts control back in the retailer's hands. No middle-mile freight, no cold chain handoffs, no exposure to fuel spikes or carrier delays that ripple through a traditional supply chain. Costs stay predictable, and production keeps pace with what the store actually needs, on Winn-Dixie's schedule, not a supplier's.

2x
plastic removed from the environment than the packaging produces

Party Cubes packaging is certified plastic-negative. For every pound of plastic used, Relocalize funds the recovery of two pounds of environmentally bound plastic, waste that would otherwise pollute the places we live. We're committed to continuously improving toward a fully circular model.

IPIA accredited
meets International Packaged Ice Association standards for food safety and quality.

RELO production meets the International Packaged Ice Association's Packaged Ice Quality Control Standards, the industry's gold standard, audited annually by an independent third party. Built on the principle that ice is food, and should be held to the same rigorous safety standards as anything else we eat or drink. Autonomous production doesn't mean cutting corners.

A problem every grocery chain recognizes

“Ice is really difficult to move around. Billions of pounds of ice are on the road every year in the United States.”

Adam Kirk
Former Chief of Store Operations at The Winn-Dixie Company
Packaged ice demand is highly seasonal, spiking sharply through summer.
Production capacity across the industry is typically sized for average demand, not peak demand.
Retailers often receive winter inventory, tying up cold storage for months.
Limited peak-season capacity means retailers plan and negotiate supply well in advance.
Relocalize and Winn-Dixie launched a collaboration on hyperlocal production

A familiar problem, a first-of-its-kind fix

Like most grocery chains, Winn-Dixie works within an industry-wide seasonal pattern: packaged ice demand spikes every summer, and production capacity across the industry is typically sized for average demand rather than that peak. Rather than living with that constraint, Winn-Dixie decided to build around it.
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2023
Pilot launches in 5 Jacksonville-area stores, proving the model
2026
First commercial RELO deployment on Earth Day at Plant City Distribution Center
2024
Collaboration featured in the annual sustainability report and at the Partner Summit & Gala
What's next
Exploring opportunities to continue expanding across additional locations.

Local production, on demand

Winn-Dixie collaborated with Relocalize to deploy RELO at the distribution center. Rather than depending on a distant, centralized factory, Winn-Dixie now controls its own dedicated production for Party Cubes, its hyper-local, plastic-negative packaged ice brand.
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"We started talking with Relocalize about how we could solve some of these problems and do it within our control."
Brooke Rice
Chief Merchandising Officer
at The Winn-Dixie Company
RELO microfactories by Relocalize
Winn Dixie Party Cubes produced by Relocalize

Customers are loving it

Party Cubes isn't ordinary bagged ice. Each cube is precisely cut to 1 inch by 1 inch, cocktail-bar quality, vacuum-sealed in leakproof packaging that keeps it cleaner and fresher than traditional bags. Shoppers notice the difference immediately, and it shows: since launching, Party Cubes has expanded across a growing number of Winn-Dixie stores in Florida.
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“It's cubed ice like you'd get in a cocktail bar. I think our customers are going to love it. The product is really cool.”
Adam Kirk
Former Chief of Store Operations at The Winn-Dixie Company

Awards & media coverage earned by Party Cubes

Progressive Grocer
Impact Award

Progressive Grocer
Editors' Picks — Best New Products

Real Leaders
Impact Award for Best Collaboration

What's a RELO?

Ice production system inside RELO microfactory

Autonomous micro-factory, on-demand at the point of distribution.

The ice extraction unit inside RELO microfactory

AI-powered software platform, 100% robotics for production.

The packaging unit inside the RELO microfactory

Palletized output compatible with existing dock workflows.

Palletizing robot inside RELO microfactory

Outdoor-ready installation, only water and electricity needed.

Forklift picking up packaged ice from the microfactory

IPIA-accredited production.

Learn more about RELO
The RELO microfactory produce packaged ice and cold packs

Ready to solve your seasonal ice supply hyper-locally?

Tell us about your distribution footprint and a Relocalize specialist will be in touch.
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