Markets West at Franklin, Johnson City, Tennessee (Kingsport, Bristol: job market, buy)

[Serious Conversation]

I was in Greeneville today, and there was fairly substantial business at Publix around 5. The fair was going on right up the street, so maybe that caused a bit of extra business.

I was extremely impressed with the service. My girlfriend is in a wheelchair, and they actually had the motorized wheelchairs. When we checked out, a clerk helped me get the groceries out of the cart. There was a significantly better selection of ethnic options than at any of the other local grocers. It's just a much nicer store. I got a lot of items I couldn't get at Walmart or Food City.

I also think the Greeneville selection is weird, especially since it's not close to the interstate for easy distribution. It's so off the beaten path. While I agree that, by the numbers, Greeneville is low income, it is by far not a dump. I've been impressed each time I've driven through there. I haven't seen the widespread poverty and general unkept property, etc., that you see in Hawkins County, for instance. For a city of its size that's fairly isolated, it's doing OK.

I hope there wasn't anything behind the scenes going on to keep Publix out.

[Serious Conversation]

I stopped in Weaverville last night on the way back from Asheville. They have a Publix. I didn't know that until yesterday.

Weaverville is only about 3,000 people. Greeneville is several times that. If Weaverville can support Publix, I don't know why Greeneville couldn't, and why Publix seems unable or unwilling to expand in the Tri-Cities market.

[sprintuser2014]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

I stopped in Weaverville last night on the way back from Asheville. They have a Publix. I didn't know that until yesterday.

Weaverville is only about 3,000 people. Greeneville is several times that. If Weaverville can support Publix, I don't know why Greeneville couldn't, and why Publix seems unable or unwilling to expand in the Tri-Cities market.

Weaverville is right outside of Asheville and is part of their market, it's also a younger and more open crowd. Greneville is mostly an older and conservative town. They don't want to try new things or shop at new places. They prefer to keep everything the way it is, which means sticking to Walmart and Food City. I think it was a terrible idea to built their first location in this area there.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by sprintuser2014

Weaverville is right outside of Asheville and is part of their market, it's also a younger and more open crowd. Greneville is mostly an older and conservative town. They don't want to try new things or shop at new places. They prefer to keep everything the way it is, which means sticking to Walmart and Food City. I think it was a terrible idea to built their first location in this area there.

It's a tiny town. Asheville has better options. Weaverville is not high income. I just don't see how Publix can reasonably make a go of it in Weaverville, but Kingsport doesn't make the cut demographically. You're right - I think it's all about the local unwillingness to try anything different/extreme cultural conservatism.

[sprintuser2014]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

It's a tiny town. Asheville has better options. Weaverville is not high income. I just don't see how Publix can reasonably make a go of it in Weaverville, but Kingsport doesn't make the cut demographically. You're right - I think it's all about the local unwillingness to try anything different/extreme cultural conservatism.

I honestly don't think Publix is going to work around here period, I was so excited but then the Bristol store got canceled. Greeneville isn't doing well and JC has been delayed. Now their are rumors they've put expansion on hold entirely for this area and Kingsport and Bristol won't be getting one period. The Tri-Cities just isn't receptive to Publix and seems like the locals would rather stick to Food City and Walmart.

[sprintuser2014]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

It's a tiny town. Asheville has better options. Weaverville is not high income. I just don't see how Publix can reasonably make a go of it in Weaverville, but Kingsport doesn't make the cut demographically. You're right - I think it's all about the local unwillingness to try anything different/extreme cultural conservatism.

It's tiny but growing like a weed, in less than 10 years their population has grown almost by 30%. Asheville is becoming insanely expensive so many are moving out to nearby Weaverville, which is close to the city but much cheaper to live. Weaverville is going to be the next big expansion in that area you can bet on that.

[rccrain]

JC is ripe for a Publix but it should be in North JC / Boones Creek. The Walmart is old; FC and Ingles are starting to age.

I think the HH Greg building would work, if large enough, or a new building on Boones Creek Rd would be very successful.

[jjbradleynyc]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

I stopped in Weaverville last night on the way back from Asheville. They have a Publix. I didn't know that until yesterday.

Weaverville is only about 3,000 people. Greeneville is several times that. If Weaverville can support Publix, I don't know why Greeneville couldn't, and why Publix seems unable or unwilling to expand in the Tri-Cities market.

Yeah, I get what you are saying, but Weaverville is only 8-9 miles outside of Asheville, so a suburb. As some have mentioned, it's starting to boom/booming.

With the Greeneville store, it's an entirely different situation.

Greeneville is pretty isolated from Johnson City or Kingsport. Greeneville sits 30 miles from Johnson City, roughly, and about 40 miles roughly from Kingsport.

Add in the relatively smaller population of about 15,000 people in Greeneville, and the competition factor of Aldi, Food City, Save a Lot and Ingles, and I can see why Publix is having a tough go in that town.

Unless Greeneville is booming in an area I'm not aware of (maybe wealthy folks are moving in--retirees?), Publix picked an odd town in the tri-cities to locate in.

[cooldiver]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

It's a tiny town. Asheville has better options. Weaverville is not high income. I just don't see how Publix can reasonably make a go of it in Weaverville, but Kingsport doesn't make the cut demographically. You're right - I think it's all about the local unwillingness to try anything different/extreme cultural conservatism.

I know that this forum likes to dump on Kingsport about nearly everything, but it beggars belief to state that folks in Kingsport would not even try a new grocery store.

You might consider that Publix is headquartered in Florida so it's not a shock to find out that their demographics skew older. Any statement that Kingsport doesn't make the cut demographically is unsupported by the data.

https://infoscout.co/retailer/publix

As far as the stores in Weaverville and Greeneville - well, Publix has over 1000 stores and you may be assured that extensive surveys and studies are performed before they make multi million dollar investments in new stores. Plainly they thought that the business case was present for both stores.

[gershwingreen]

I thought I would try to contact someone different in the Publix organization, so I e-mailed Brenda Reid, the Media and Community Relations Manager for Tennessee. Unfortunately, it got transferred to Brittany Coleman, the assistant to John Harmon, Real Estate Manager. This was the same person who last answered my email from a few weeks ago about when construction would start, and she gave me the same answer: "At this time, a date has not yet been determined."

All this statement tells me is that the store has not been cancelled--which is good to know--but a lot of stuff can hide behind these very generic, say-nothing words. I understand businesses want to control their publicity and information, but after a while it gets to be ridiculous from the customer's point of view. We're talking about a grocery store here, not state secrets! Would it hurt somebody to just say what's going on? I might not like the answer, but I would respect that a lot more than these vague generalities that keep being sent out to Facebook posts and other contact methods that say nothing.

If there is a delay, why? I can see poor sales at the Greeneville store altering plans to locate stores, but not delay construction on an already planned store--you would cancel it, not delay it. Are things still in the design phase, as WJHL reported in May? Have there been contractor problems (This has been rumored)? Has the starting date missed the fiscal year limit on number of new-store construction or funding? Is Publix looking for another site (I doubt this, since they could've picked another site the first time--but you never know.)? Is Publix wanting better traffic access and waiting on Johnson City to deliver it? Are they putting resources where they think is a greater need for the time being, leaving Johnson City out of the picture for a while? Could it be a combination of problems Publix is trying to iron out? Why can't Publix just say so?!!! Like others here, every time I go to the Greeneville store I ask people (preferably managers) what they know, but all you get are ever-changing rumors and speculation, because they don't really know either. Publix holds its cards close to its vest.

I still think it will take the media to get more details out of these people, since they obviously just don't want to say anything that means anything. WJHL won't to do another story this soon, but I wish the JC Press would do an investigation. Newspaper stories usually present more detail than a 30-second TV spot. I am frustrated enough that I may try calling some of the contact people at Publix if I can actually get the person, not the secretary.

Sorry for the rant, but I am very frustrated here. If Publix had started on this store by the end of 2017 like they first announced, the store would either be open now or about ready to. As it is, after all this wasted time, we have nothing but missed dates and purposefully vague generalities. Please, those of you who participate in or just read this site, keep contacting Publix or posting questions on Facebook. Maybe, we can make a change in Publix's perceived indifference to a Johnson City store.