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For kicks I checked the Yellow Pages online for Lakeland and it mentions Food Town, Super Choice, GFS Marketplace, Aldi, Save-A-Lot, Stop & Shop, Harvest Food Mart and others in addition to Publix.
Yes, I forgot to mention Lakeland also has a privately owned natural foods store called Chamberlin's -
Nonsense. Go to customer service, explain your situation, and give them specific products that you need. At both Publix stores I worked at, they would do special ordering.
But they can only order what is already in the warehouse somewhere in the company. If enough people request something in an area that would enable them to make a profit on it then it can be added eventually. It is not cost effective to have a product shipped in or flown in because 2 people want it. Groceries are in the business to make money just like all businesses.
The OP mentioned grilled chicken. In some Publix that have the larger delis and booths to eat at, do cook meat and make hot sandwiches so it might be available in those. Can't remember if it is. I know grilled chicken can be bought in the freezer department of most if not all, so might have to make their own or buy frozen.
We eat healthy at my house, but we try to make everything from scratch so we rarely buy from delis in any of the stores. We never go to "the health food stores either". We pretty much can shop Publix-because I hate going from store to store and shopping in general- and we can get everything we need.
I'm not a big fan of Publix supermarkets in FL. For one, I think they have too much of a monopoly, which is never good. I come from the UK originally, where instead of having just one main supermarket chain (Wal-Mart & Winn-Dixie don't count), I got to choose from 4-5, at least 2 of which were open 24 hours and were twice the size of even a large Publix, offering far more variety and more affordable prices, particularly on fresh/baked produce.
Publix are good for certain items, but I have found that the quality of their produce has gone downhill fast, the bakery sucks and most of the aisles are just aisles and aisles of the same artificial cr*p, i.e. 100 different varieties of salad dressing, but not enough varities of cheeses, meats & fresh vegetables.
I also find their policy of not only bagging your groceries, but helping you carry your groceries to your car rather baffling. Yes, I know that sounds weird, but I don't understand why someone perfectly able-bodied needs help wheeling their groceries to their car & unloading them. Personally, I call that a luxury and a gross inefficiency. Those staff would be better employed manning the checkouts, or ensuring that the shelves are kept stacked up.
I think that Publix would benefit from healthy competition. Why will no major supermarket chain take the chance and come down here to try to compete with them? Competition is always good, after all.
Then again, my experience of Publix supermarkets comes from living in South Florida....perhaps Publix supermarkets are better in other parts of the state?
What are your thoughts?
My thoughts are you are spot on, including that the baggers should stay at the register. I've been in many different Publix stores all over the Bradenton/Sarasota area and now in the Miami area.
They are pretty much all the same, carry the exact same boring stuff in the bakeries, same iffy produce, same products on the shelf (though there is some variation of ethnic foods, depending on the local population). The only thing I've always liked about Publix is the pharmacies. They almost always have decent pharmacists and prices, oh, and their sushi is not bad for store-bought. There are always Fresh Market or Whole Foods, but then you invariably have to also go to Publix for a few things they don't carry.
But they can only order what is already in the warehouse somewhere in the company.
And whatever dietary needs you may have, Publix more than likely caters to it.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Rabflmom
It is not cost effective to have a product shipped in or flown in because 2 people want it. Groceries are in the business to make money just like all businesses.
And with that said, Publix will have a product shipped in because one person asked for it. Don't believe me? Try it.
My thoughts are you are spot on, including that the baggers should stay at the register. I've been in many different Publix stores all over the Bradenton/Sarasota area and now in the Miami area.
They are pretty much all the same, carry the exact same boring stuff in the bakeries, same iffy produce, same products on the shelf (though there is some variation of ethnic foods, depending on the local population). The only thing I've always liked about Publix is the pharmacies. They almost always have decent pharmacists and prices, oh, and their sushi is not bad for store-bought. There are always Fresh Market or Whole Foods, but then you invariably have to also go to Publix for a few things they don't carry.
Florida overall isn't exactly a "foodie capital" as evidenced by Publix's popularity given it's kind of blah in terms of specialty items, baked goods (largely atrocious, especially the "artisan breads") and variety of produce, especially organics in this day and age. I agree...thank goodness for Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Fresh Market as it would be pretty grim otherwise for those of us who actually cook from scratch and look for better quality/variety. I have personally seen where grocers with a monopoly on the market have had to deal with new competitors and in the end it benefits all of us in terms of upgrading quality/selection versus throwing your allegiance blindly behind the monopolizer.
Florida overall isn't exactly a "foodie capital" as evidenced by Publix's popularity given it's kind of blah in terms of specialty items, baked goods (largely atrocious, especially the "artisan breads") and variety of produce, especially organics in this day and age. I agree...thank goodness for Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and Fresh Market as it would be pretty grim otherwise for those of us who actually cook from scratch and look for better quality/variety. I have personally seen where grocers with a monopoly on the market have had to deal with new competitors and in the end it benefits all of us in terms of upgrading quality/selection versus throwing your allegiance blindly behind the monopolizer.
Kyle, I know I appreciate Publix more than you do, but I do agree with you about their bakery, meats, etc. As I said I have other options where I live for those things. But that said, Publix is always part of my weekly shopping for good prices/selections on wines, BOGOs and sales (got King Crab for $13 per lb!!!), good customer service, rotisseries chickens, etc. All of the Publix where I live, even the smallest and oldest have a large selection of organic, ethnic and gluten free, etc. products.
Anyway, as I said before, I live in an area with a huge variety of places to shop and I am grateful. Publix is a part of my regular shopping, and I have to say they have ALWAYS tried to accommodate me if I wanted a special order.
Maybe its not that Publix is so great, but that other stores are sooooo bad. I'm new to the area, but I can tell you that Publix is far superior to the Stop & Shops, Shaws and Shop-Rites in the NE. A grocery store visit to included any and usually all of the following:
- Not enough parking so a space "in a galaxy far, far away" PLUS the spaces are painted narrow and made smaller to fit more cars, so door dings are par for the course
- Carts left outside everywhere but NONE inside, so make sure you gat a cart before you walk in
- A damaged, dented, wobbly, squeaky, or otherwise damaged cart, usually with some garbage inside
- A line of cars illegally parked by the entrance that you have to navigate through to get inside (with your crappy cart)
- None of the sale items in stock, heck lots of items out of stock
- Old, out-dated "sale" tags left on items that were no longer on sale, its up to you to pay attention
- Lots of expired foods like cheeses, yogurts, breads, etc on the shelves - so closely check EVERY date
- Old, mushy, rotting produce with lots of fruit flies and bugs
- Garbage littering the aisles- apparantly if you change your mind, its okay to just leave those steaks in the bread aisle and no one cares
- No one handing out samples, heck no employees around at all
- One or two registers out of 20 open, with no bagger and a line 10 deep
- An angry & overworked cashier who couldn't care less about her job, yelling back and forth to the only other cashier a few rows over about her social life and family drama
- Bag it yourself and do it QUICKLY because that cashier will just keep ringing, whether its still your items or not
- Groups of employees and others hanging out near the doors, chain smoking
A few months ago, my husband saw a rodent (large mouse? small rat?) running around in the bread aisle at Shaw's. He told the manager and the manager replied, "Oh he's over there now? He was in the produce area earlier"
Maybe its not that Publix is so great, but that other stores are sooooo bad. I'm new to the area, but I can tell you that Publix is far superior to the Stop & Shops, Shaws and Shop-Rites in the NE. A grocery store visit to included any and usually all of the following:
- Not enough parking so a space "in a galaxy far, far away" PLUS the spaces are painted narrow and made smaller to fit more cars, so door dings are par for the course
- Carts left outside everywhere but NONE inside, so make sure you gat a cart before you walk in
- A damaged, dented, wobbly, squeaky, or otherwise damaged cart, usually with some garbage inside
- A line of cars illegally parked by the entrance that you have to navigate through to get inside (with your crappy cart)
- None of the sale items in stock, heck lots of items out of stock
- Old, out-dated "sale" tags left on items that were no longer on sale, its up to you to pay attention
- Lots of expired foods like cheeses, yogurts, breads, etc on the shelves - so closely check EVERY date
- Old, mushy, rotting produce with lots of fruit flies and bugs
- Garbage littering the aisles- apparantly if you change your mind, its okay to just leave those steaks in the bread aisle and no one cares
- No one handing out samples, heck no employees around at all
- One or two registers out of 20 open, with no bagger and a line 10 deep
- An angry & overworked cashier who couldn't care less about her job, yelling back and forth to the only other cashier a few rows over about her social life and family drama
- Bag it yourself and do it QUICKLY because that cashier will just keep ringing, whether its still your items or not
- Groups of employees and others hanging out near the doors, chain smoking
A few months ago, my husband saw a rodent (large mouse? small rat?) running around in the bread aisle at Shaw's. He told the manager and the manager replied, "Oh he's over there now? He was in the produce area earlier"
Maybe its not that Publix is so great, but that other stores are sooooo bad. I'm new to the area, but I can tell you that Publix is far superior to the Stop & Shops, Shaws and Shop-Rites in the NE. A grocery store visit to included any and usually all of the following:
You left out Wegman's which would really be a problem for Publix...
I think that Publix would benefit from healthy competition.
No they won't, The public will benefit, Publix won't.
When I first came to south Florida on vacation I was impressed by how clean it was and the fact that they had baggers, in the northeast I never saw that.
They are overpriced because they don't have any real competition besides Winn Dixies, which seems like a small player and Walmart but most people want to shop at a supermarket.
I don't shop at Publix. It's too expensive and many prices are doubled on things so they can have the occasional buy one get one free and still make a profit on each item.
I used to live in the Northeast and I do miss Shoprites low prices and great weekly specials, I wish they would come into this market.
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