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Publix Super Markets, Inc.
Company typePrivate/Employee Owned
IndustryRetail (Grocery)
FoundedWinter Haven, Florida (1930)
FounderGeorge W. Jenkins
Headquarters
Lakeland, Florida, U.S.
Number of locations
1,014 Stores (December, 2009), 3 GreenWise Stores (October 2009), 4 Sabor Stores (October 2009), 11 Pix Convenience Stations (October 2009), 9 Event Planning Locations (October 2009), and 5 Cooking Schools (October 2009)
Area served
Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, Alabama
Key people
Ed Crenshaw (CEO)
Todd Jones (President)
Charlie Jenkins Jr. (Chairman)[1]
ProductsBakery, dairy, deli, frozen foods, general grocery, meat, pharmacy, produce, seafood, snacks, liquor, lottery tickets, fuel, sushi, greenwise, pix, western union, money orders, dry ice, prepared foods
RevenueIncrease US$12.4 billion (First Half of 2009)[2]
4,759,000,000 United States dollar (2022) Edit this on Wikidata
Increase US$622.3 million (First Half of 2009)[2]
Number of employees
140,500 (2009)
Websitewww.publix.com

Publix Super Markets, Inc. (commonly known as Publix) is an American supermarket chain based in Lakeland, Florida.

Founded in 1930 by George W. Jenkins, it is an employee-owned, privately held corporation and was ranked No. 10 on Forbes' 2008 list of America's Largest Private Companies and is the largest in Florida.[3] The company's first half of 2009 sales totaled US$12.4 billion, with profits of over $622.3 million,[2] ranking #101 on Fortune magazine's Fortune 500 list of U.S. companies for 2009. Supermarket News ranked Publix No. 7 in the 2009 "Top 75 North American Food Retailers" based on 2008 fiscal year sales.[4] Based on 2006 revenue, Publix is the fifteenth-largest retailer in the United States.[5]

Publix has operations in five states: Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Tennessee, and Alabama. It employs over 140,500 people at its 1,029 retail locations, cooking schools, corporate offices, eight grocery distribution centers, and nine Publix brand manufacturing facilities which produce its dairy, deli, bakery, and other food products.[6] In addition, Publix owns Crispers, a chain of restaurants in Florida specializing in salads; some Crispers locations are adjacent or built into the already existing deli department in select Publix Super Markets.

Publix stands as one of the largest regional grocery chains in the United States. Its main competitors are national grocery chains Albertsons, IGA, Kroger, Save-a-Lot and Whole Foods; consolidated retail and warehouse chains, including Wal-Mart, Target, Kmart, Costco and BJ's Wholesale Club; and several regional grocery chains, including BI-LO, Fresh Market, Piggly Wiggly, Sweetbay and Winn-Dixie.

Publix's slogan is "Where Shopping is a Pleasure".

History

One of the first Publix Super Markets in Winter Haven, Florida, circa 1940.

George Jenkins opened the first Publix market in Winter Haven, Florida, in 1930[7]. In 1934, his single store made $120,000 in sales. In 1935, he opened a second market, the Economy Food Store, in Winter Haven. Despite the Great Depression, his stores were financially successful.

In 1940, Jenkins, affectionately called Mr. George by his employees, mortgaged an orange grove to build Florida's first supermarket. His "food palace" had piped-in music, air conditioning, cold cases for frozen and refrigerated items, in-store donut and flower shops, and electric-eye automatic doors. The supermarket became very popular among shoppers, but World War II materials shortages prevented him from building more for a few years. In 1945, Jenkins purchased the 19-store All American chain of food stores and converted them into Publix Super Markets.[8]

In 1951, Publix moved its headquarters to Lakeland, Florida, and built its first distribution warehouse there. At the same time, it began to close the old All American stores and replace them with new stores. In 1956, for the first time, Publix crossed $50 million in sales and $1 million in profit. In 1957, the donut shop in each store was expanded into a full-service bakery.

By 1959, Publix was the dominant supermarket chain in central Florida, and began expansion to southeast Florida. In 1963, the company built a distribution center in Miami, and began providing deli services. In 1970, sales crossed $500 million; they reached $1 billion in 1974, the same year in which stores began to open in Jacksonville, Florida.

In 1982, the Presto! ATM network was launched, and the company soon installed ATMs in every Publix Super Market. Sales crossed $5 billion in 1989.[9] The first store outside of Florida opened in Savannah, Georgia, in 1991; and distribution and manufacturing facilities in Lawrenceville, Georgia, soon followed. Stores were soon opened in South Carolina (1993), Alabama (1996), and Tennessee (2002).

Logo for the now defunct PublixDirect
Standalone Publix in Pompano Beach, Florida, with typical architecture of early-21st-century stores.

With the launch of PublixDirect on September 24, 2001, Publix attempted to enter the online grocery business, in hopes of serving the southeastern United States. The slogan used was "Online Shopping, Home Delivery." This occurred during the dot-com crash, alongside competitor Webvan's well publicized fall from grace. Publix found that demand for online grocery shopping in the Miami testing area was not as great as the company had expected, and shut down PublixDirect on August 23, 2003.

Publix celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2005. During that time, it used the slogan "It's Been Our Pleasure."

In early 2005, Publix renamed its checkout section from "Common Area" to "Customer Service". This change coincided with the beginnings of a new color and design scheme of the store's interior signage, which replaced the aging coral, navy blue and sea green design with emerald green, tan and gray. As of September 2009, there are some Publix stores which remain with the old uniforms. Each district has a selected store which will continue to use the old uniforms until none remain in the warehouses.

Publix completed the implementation of its new point of sale terminals (PRICE — Publix Retail Improved Checkout Experience) in 2006, replacing the previous generation of IBM 4690 terminals. The new system combines a Hewlett-Packard RP5000 terminal with a touchscreen system and an Epson thermal printer. A separate LCD screen for customers lists the last several items scanned, the running total of the bill, customer savings, recipe ideas, and Publix advertising.[10][11]

On February 5 2009, Publix opened its 1,000th store, located in St. Augustine, Florida. Publix is now one of only 5 grocery retailers to operate 1,000 stores in the United States. This is one of Publix's first stores designed around a new way to be energy efficient. The store includes motion sensor lights all through out the store, including on the freezer doors, and a overhead light system that can be controlled by each department.

Market

  • The interior of a typical Publix store built during the early 2000s, reminiscent of a town square look within a warehouse building environment.
    The interior of a typical Publix store built during the early 2000s, reminiscent of a town square look within a warehouse building environment.
  • The interior of a typical Publix store built during the late 1980s and early 1990s and some former Albertsons locations.
    The interior of a typical Publix store built during the late 1980s and early 1990s and some former Albertsons locations.

Each store provides specific products and services in its grocery, deli, bakery, produce, floral, meat and seafood departments. Some stores have cafés, sushi bars, pharmacy departments, and/or adjoining liquor stores.

In addition, Publix provides a comprehensive "special order" service. Irregularly stocked or rare items from almost all departments, even some products carried only by Publix's competitors, can be ordered through this service. This service includes some products that are normally only found at health food stores, including organic meats, fruits, and vegetables; in addition to vegetarian and vegan products; hypoallergenic foods; and other specialty food items. This service can be used at any Publix customer service counter.

The customer service counter also provides check cashing (this service includes personal checks,Government issued checks , payroll checks (must call and verify employment), but not third-party checks or checks over $500.00), money orders, Western Union services, Rug Doctor rentals, and lottery tickets. Some stores also provide Ticketmaster and DVD rental services. Recently, Publix has discontinued their photo processing service and went to an exclusively online or mail-out service via the Snapfish program.

Apron's

Apron's Simple Meals

A recent addition to the stores is its Apron's cooking demonstrations. Customers are encouraged to sample easy-to-make, nutritious dishes prepared at in-store kiosks and take a recipe card home with them. All recipes are developed in house using easy to prepare or prepackaged ingredients, often available at the Apron's kiosk.

Apron's Make-Ahead Meals

Publix has more recently introduced its Apron's Make-Ahead Meals concept, where customers can purchase six, eight, or twelve meals, assembled by themselves in-store, or, for an extra charge, an Apron's associate. These are standalone stores located in Jacksonville and Lithia, Florida. On June 30, 2009, Publix closed both Make-Ahead Meals locations. [12]

Apron's Cooking School

Publix currently operates 5 cooking schools as part of its Apron's family. These schools are located in Boca Raton FL, Alpharetta GA, Tampa FL, Sarasota FL and Jacksonville FL. These classes are designed to aid the brand-new to the experienced cook wanting to expand their repertoire. Featuring Renowned chefs, authors and cooking celebrities as well as experienced cooking instructors, these classes are designed to teach everything from basic techniques to wine pairing. Publix also offers classes for children ages 8 to 12 and Teens ages 13 to 18 along with their parents.

Publix Sabor

On April 21, 2005, Publix opened its first Hispanic-themed supermarket, Publix Sabor, in the Puerto Rican majority neighborhood of Buenaventura Lakes just outside of Kissimmee, Florida. The 40,000-square-foot (3,700 m2) store, renovated from a pre-existing Publix Super Market, almost exclusively features Hispanic ethnic products, and has a cafe in the deli/bakery area that serves Hispanic food. A second store was opened shortly after in Hialeah, Florida, an area which is predominantly Cuban. Publix recently announced that they would be opening two more Sabor stores in the Miami area, one would be a remodeled store in the Flagler Park area and the location of the other is still under consideration. Two other Publix Sabor stores have opened. One is in Miller Square and the other opened on July 2nd in Westchester Mall in Miami.

Publix GreenWise Markets

Publix GreenWise Markets is a concept the company is trying in response to the increase in the number and profitability of health food stores and increasing awareness of nutrition, and will focus on natural and organic items, similar to a Whole Foods Market. This is an expansion of a concept that already has been running for several years, as most stores already have a GreenWise section.[13] In addition to the traditional and organic products offered, the stores include an extensive array of salad and hot bars. The first six stores will be in Palm Beach Gardens, Boca Raton, Vero Beach, Tampa, Naples, and Coral Springs.[14] The first GreenWise Market opened on September 27, 2007 in Palm Beach Gardens. The second Publix GreenWise Market opened in Boca Raton on May 29, 2008, located in Boca Village Square.[15] The third Publix GreenWise Market opened November 6, 2008, in Tampa's Hyde Park area.[16]

Another Publix GreenWise store is planned to open in Tallahassee, Florida, sometime in 2009. In the 2008 purchase of Albertson's Stores, Publix decided to convert a store located in the Dr. Phillips Area of Orlando, Florida to a Publix GreenWise Market. The store is expected to open in the spring of 2010. These stores are the only ones in the supermarket chain to provide free wi-fi service to its customers.

  • The exterior of the Publix GreenWise Market in Tampa
    The exterior of the Publix GreenWise Market in Tampa
  • The interior of a Publix GreenWise Market
    The interior of a Publix GreenWise Market

Pharmacy

The official Publix Pharmacy logo, displayed in all stores.

Publix's first in-store pharmacy was opened in 1986 in Altamonte Springs, Florida. In 1995, one-third of the stores had a pharmacy, a percentage now standing at 77%. Publix Pharmacies have ranked number one for customer satisfaction in supermarket pharmacies, for four years in a row by an independent research company.[17]

Publix announced in August 2007 that it began offering several types of antibiotics for free to its customers. Customers must have a prescription and are given up to a 14 day supply for free.[18] However, there are concerns in the medical community that this may help contribute to an overuse of antibiotics which leads to antibiotic resistance, a serious public health concern.[19]

The Little Clinic

In early 2006 Publix and The Little Clinic signed an exclusive agreement to open medical clinics within Publix stores. The first clinics were opened in the Atlanta, Miami, Orlando and Tampa markets in the first half of 2006. The Little Clinic health-care centers are staffed by nurse practitioners who can write prescriptions, provide diagnosis and treatment of common ailments and minor injuries, and offer wellness care like physicals, screenings, and vaccinations.[20]

Current projects

In July 2007 Publix opened a Carrabba's Italian Market at the University Walk Publix in Sarasota, Florida, in conjunction with Carrabba's Italian Grill. This miniaturized version of the restaurant prepares several Carrabba's recipes for carry-out.[21][22]

In select markets, Publix is also conducting trials of other various specialties, including a cologne and perfume fragrance department, in conjunction with Camrose Trading.[23]

Publix is also experimenting with a gourmet deli at its Lake Mary Collection store in Lake Mary, Florida.[24]

DVD kiosks

In September 2009, Publix reported it started gradually adding Blockbuster DVD rental kiosks to its stores, providing the most current movies at just $1 a piece. The supermarket chain also reporting that most Florida stores will have a kiosk by the beginning of November 2009. By the end of October 2009, a majority of its Polk County, FL stores will have one. All the new stores will also be forecasted to have one depending on size and format of the store. [25]

Publix Pix and Publix Liquors

Publix also currently operates eleven Publix Pix gasoline-convenience stores. Locations are limited during the trial basis of the concept. Also in the works is Publix Liquors, a stand-alone liquor store. The liquor sales will be in a separate entrance on the exterior of the building, as required by local laws. The company is modeling this after many other grocery chains. Currently, all Publix Pix and Publix Liquors locations are adjacent to a Publix Super Market.

Crispers

In 2002, Publix invested in the Lakeland-based restaurant chain Crispers, which concentrates on health-conscious fare. Publix intends to grow the chain. So far there are only 40 locations and only in Florida. [26]

Albertsons Purchase

A former Albertsons location in South Tampa, FL

Publix Super Markets bought 49 Florida stores from Albertsons. The deal was announced on June 9, 2008, and was completed on September 9, 2008. It included 15 locations in North Florida, 30 in Central Florida and four in South Florida. The sale allowed Publix to operate four stores in a new market area for the company, Escambia County, Florida.

Awards

Publix has won various local, regional, and national industry and philanthropic awards, among them:

  • In March 2007, Publix was ranked No. 19 in the BusinessWeek Top 25 list of "Customer Service Champs".[27]
  • Private Label Buyer magazine named Publix as "Retailer of the Year" in their April 2007 publication.[28]
  • Publix has been listed by Fortune magazine as one of the 100 Best Places to Work in America every year since the list was created in 1998. Out of those companies, it is also listed as one of the top 25 best paying companies. It is one of only three companies on the list with more than 100,000 employees.[29] It is also listed by Fortune as one of America's Most Admired Companies.
  • Publix was given the highest customer satisfaction rating among supermarkets by the American Customer Satisfaction Index.[30]
  • The National Center for Employee Ownership lists Publix as the largest company in the United States with at least 50% employee-ownership.[31]
  • Publix is among the top ten National Corporate Leaders for the United Way[32], giving $35.8 million through both employee and corporate donations in 2007.[33]
  • Their IT department for the fifth consecutive year has been honored as one of IDG's Computerworld top workplaces for information technology (IT) professionals and was ranked 80. [34].
  • Ranked by Business week a Customer Service Champ for the 15th consecutive year, moving up to number 6. [35].

Charitable Activities

Publix regularly conducts charity drives raising money and food for such charities as Special Olympics, March of Dimes, Children's Miracle Network, United Way and various local food banks and soup kitchens such as Our Father's House Soup Kitchen[citation needed].

Controversy

In 1997, a settlement was reached in a class action lawsuit concerning gender discrimination. Publix paid $81.5 million in damages to its female employees and made policy changes in its workplaces as a result.[36]

In 2003, Publix supported a successful bill that prevents people from suing if their land is polluted by dry cleaning chemicals. Publix had in the past lost a lawsuit filed by a nearby property owner whose property had been contaminated in this manner.[37]

On October 4, 2005, Publix sued Visa and MasterCard for unfair business practices over their unannounced and non-negotiable raises in merchant account fees.[38] Wal-Mart won a similar lawsuit against Visa in 2004.

Locations

Supermarkets GreenWise Markets Publix Sabor Publix Pix Cooking Schools Event Planning Total stores
Florida 727 3 4 8 8 4 732
Georgia 178 0 0 2 1 1 179
South Carolina 42 0 0 0 0 0 42
Alabama 39 0 0 0 0 0 39
Tennessee 27 0 0 1 0 0 28
Total 1,013 3 4 11 9 5 1,045

Distribution centers are located in:[6]

Manufacturing facilities are located in:[6]

  • Florida
    • Deerfield Beach - dairy plant, fresh foods
    • Jacksonville - fresh foods
    • Lakeland - bakery plant, dairy plant, deli kitchen, fresh foods, printing services, corporate offices, IT, Massive datacenter.
  • Georgia
    • Atlanta - bakery plant
    • Lawrenceville - dairy plant
    • Alpharetta, GA, Massive datacenter

Publix is broken into 4 divisions: Miami, Lakeland, Jacksonville, and Atlanta.

Tuition Reimbursements

Publix's tuition reimbursement program (TRP)was created to encourage the higher education of its employees. As of June 1, 2006, the program increased its reimbursement limits to a maximum limit of $9000. It began as a program for only traditional degree seeking students, but has become available to those taking individual courses, online programs, technical training, undergraduate and graduate degrees. This program is available to all Publix employees, not just full time.



References

  1. ^ Publix CEO Announces Retirement Plans, Publix, September 5, 2007.
  2. ^ a b c Publix Reports Second Quarter Results and Stock Price 2009, Publix, August 3, 2009 Publix Reports Second Quarter Results and Stock Price ], Publix, March 2, 2009.
  3. ^ The Largest Private Companies, Forbes.com, November 9, 2006.
  4. ^ [1], Supermarket News, Accessed July 01, 2009.
  5. ^ Top 100 Retailers: The Nation's Retail Power Players (PDF), Stores, July 2007.
  6. ^ a b c Publix Facts and Figures, Publix, Retrieved October 10th, 2008
  7. ^ Publix History
  8. ^ The Jenkins Story, University of South Florida Office of Donor Relations & Foundation Scholarship Programs
  9. ^ Publix In The 1980's
  10. ^ Publix Super Markets Selects Epson Printers for Store-Wide System Rollout, Epson Press Corner, September 17, 2004.
  11. ^ Publix Super Markets Selects HP for Point-of-sale, In-store Processing and Pharmacy Systems, HP Press Release, September 3, 2004.
  12. ^ http://www.publixmakemeals.com/
  13. ^ Supermarket Chains Join the "Organic Revolution", Palm Beach Post, June 26, 2005.
  14. ^ Publix Expands Pilot Programs, Publix News Release, May 17, 2007.
  15. ^ Publix opening GreenWise today in Legacy Place, Palm Beach Post, September 27, 2007.
  16. ^ Tampa - - Publix GreenWise Market, Tampa Bay Online, November 2, 2008.
  17. ^ Publix pharmacy ranked No. 1 for customer satisfaction, Orlando Business Journal, September 18, 2006.
  18. ^ Publix Pharmacies Launch Free Prescription Drug Program in All Operating Areas. Publix News Release, August 6, 2007.
  19. ^ Grocer Publix to Offer 7 Antibiotics for Free: Doctors Warn About Resistance to Bacteria When Treating Disease. ABC News, August 7, 2007.
  20. ^ Publix and The Little Clinic to Open Walk-in Medical Clinics, Publix, February 6, 2006.
  21. ^ Publix Tests Curbside Service, The Ledger, July 10, 2007.
  22. ^ Carrabba's Italian Market to Open in Sarasota Publix, Publix News Release, January 9, 2006.
  23. ^ Publix picks up scent of competition, South Florida Business Journal, February 24, 2006.
  24. ^ Publix to debut worldly culinary cuisine, Publix News Release, April 2, 2007.
  25. ^ DVD Kiosks Are Popping Up All Over Polk County, The Ledger Lakeland FL, September 25, 2009.
  26. ^ Publix Super Markets Invests in Crispers, Publix News Release, August 8, 2002.
  27. ^ "Customer Service Champs", BusinessWeek, March 5, 2007.
  28. ^ White Noise Private Label Buyer, retrieved June 5, 2007.
  29. ^ 100 Best Companies to Work for in America 2007, Great Place to Work Institute
  30. ^ Publix named top supermarket for customer satisfaction, Orlando Business Journal, February 23, 2006.
  31. ^ The Employee Ownership 100, The National Center for Employee Ownership
  32. ^ National Corporate Leadership, United Way of America
  33. ^ Publix Community Involvement, Publix, Retrieved May 8, 2008.
  34. ^ [2]Computerworld
  35. ^ [3]Businessweek
  36. ^ EOC, Publix settle gender discrimination suit, Jacksonville Business Journal, January 27, 1997.
  37. ^ Environmentalists grumble over bills, St. Petersburg Times, May 4, 2003.
  38. ^ Publix Announces Suit Against Visa and MasterCard, Publix News Release, October 4, 2005.
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