Publix is struggling against competition (Tampa: buy, bankruptcy, pharmacy)

[KPB]

Originally Posted by mrviking

Just for the people who are not aware. Trader Joe's and Aldi's are sister stores owned by the same company. I noticed that aldi has picked up the selection in their meat dept as well.

If you haven't tried Aldis laundry detergent yet you should. Its cheap and better than Tide.

[chiluvr1228]

I buy most of my groceries at Publix including meat & produce although I have seen their quality go down in the last year I still prefer them over Winn-Dixie plus the closest Winn-Dixie is way out of my way.


Hate the selection of meat & produce at the Super Target and I will rarely step foot in a Wal-Mart because of the crazy people and their horrible meat & produce. I shop at Fresh Market for one item: their fresh almond butter which is not rivaled by any on the shelves at Publix. Occasionally if chicken breasts or fish is on sale at Fresh Market I will buy some but they are not close to me and it's down a very heavily traveled road. They are opening a Whole Foods not far from me pretty soon and I do believe that store may cut into Publix's bottom line.


I'm in Fort Myers and the closest Publix I have is 6 miles away but they are almost finished building a new one which will be 1/2 mile away from me. I do wish they would have a seating area for people who just want to grab one of their delicious subs at lunchtime and eat there. Even the Piggly Wiggly in a small NC town had a sit down and eat area with some delicious selections of food.

[wsamon]

Originally Posted by mrviking

Just for the people who are not aware. Trader Joe's and Aldi's are sister stores owned by the same company. I noticed that aldi has picked up the selection in their meat dept as well.

huh. I didn't know that. I'll have to check out Aldi's again since I keep hearing such good things. I went to one a couple years ago and wasn't impressed at all. It was small, dirty, understaffed, had very limited selection with no recognizable brands (I do understand I"ll have to learn their brands just like TJ but it's still disconcerting at first), produce was poor, the limited meat didn't look great, even the shopping carts sucked. It felt as if Dollar Tree had become a grocery store. Oh, and they didn't take credit cards. Seriously? The only place I haven't been able to use credit in the last 10 years or so is when paying contractors or rent/mortgage.

[BucFan]

The young folks who run our new Aldi store are very attentive to their customers. It's a new store so who knows how long it'll be nicely run and kept in good shape. I think the credit card issue was a way to keep prices down but it's been more than a year since they've started accepting credit cards.

I've become accustomed to their off brand items. Rarely use the carts (used recycled boxes), but the 25 cent deposit is a good way to keep cars from being hit by wayward carts. Not a lot to ask of the customer to return carts to where they found them. European stores have used this method for ages.

[sware2cod]

I hardly shop at Publix these days. Got rotten meat and fish from several different Publix stores over the years (even with good dates on the package) and stopped buying meat there after the 6th time getting stinking meat from Publix. These days I purchase much of my meat at Sav-A-Lot. It's always very fresh and the prices are much better than Publix even if Publix is having a sale.

Produce I get from the local farmers markets.

I also go to Aldi, Trader Joes and Wal-Mart.

All these stores have replaced my need to go to Publix.

Lucky's will be opening soon in my area and I am looking forward to shopping there also.

[sware2cod]

Originally Posted by clearlevel

.. Trader Joe's is expensive, and they do have good food, but they're more expensive than Publix. They only reason why you might think they're cheaper, is because Trader Joe's has a habit of putting the tiniest portions into the tiniest boxes and then charging you a relatively low price?

I disagree with this assessment. Trader Joe's is much much much cheaper than Publix (even if you campare ounce per ounce and ignore portion size) and Trader Joe's has more gourmet type options that aren't available at Publix.

Aldi doesn't only cater to homeless/bargain/section 8 shoppers. If you think that' the case then you haven't been to an Aldi in Florida for the past 2 years. Aldi is full of the exact type of shopper that you would see at Publix. Actually, Aldi has more young/trendy shoppers compared to the older/gray haired customer based the frequents Publix. This is another alarming trend that Publix needs to watch for. If their main demographic is mostly older folks, what will they do in 10 years when their 83 year old shoppers are in nursing homes and no longer shopping at Publix?

From reading your post, it appears you are a manager type at Publix, likely in their HQ location. It's good that you believe in your company, but you need to take notice what people are saying here without discounting it as being incorrect. If Publix ignores this, they will be forced to deal with it over the new few years when it will be more obvious. Now it's the start of the trend for shoppers to go elsewhere. As more Aldi, Lucky, Trader Joe's, etc open in Florida, this means more and more people shop at the other stores even if for some items. This gradually reduces sales at Publix.

[gypsychic]

I live in Sarasota, and there is now and abolutely RIDICULOUS amount of shopping options. This is a small metro area, but there are countless Publix, Winn-Dixie, 2 Whole Foods, Fresh Market, Lucky's, Sprout's, Walmart, Super Target, Trader Joe's, ALDI (bradenton) Bravo, independents like Detwiler's Amish, and Morton's (upscale gourmet) and I am sure I am leaving some out. There is literally not enough year round population here to sustain them all; so it will surely be survival of the fittest.

Frankly, I still shop at Publix the most. I don't love it the best necessarily; but it is the closest to my house, and the ONLY one of all those listed that I can literally buy everything I need in one stop if that is all I wish to do that day. I have never had bad meat or bad anything from there (unlike TJ's where I have bought more spoiled and rotten food than a lifetime of shopping everywhere else combined). I agree they could be a bit more innovative in their prepared foods, and perhaps expand some of their ethnic options. I do wonder if they have something up their sleeve; I read they purchased the shopping center where their small older store (where I shop) is located, along with the shopping center just to the north. I am hoping they have a nice new store planned. I would find it hard to believe that they aren't studying their competition and figuring out what to do to stay ahead. I do believe Whole Foods is in trouble; they are too expensive and can't compete with the newer, smaller organic stores opening up now. JMO.

Lastly, I am a huge fan of ALDI, and interestingly, both ALDI in the area are across the street from very nice Publix stores. People usually shop at both; they definitely complement each other. I am a big fan of ALDI for some basics and seasonal items. Quality is great. And like another poster mentioned, there are all kinds of shoppers here, upscale, young professionals, students, along with seniors. I rarely if ever see the "homeless" types here. That is Walmart's crowd.

[sware2cod]

Originally Posted by KPB

If you haven't tried Aldis laundry detergent yet you should. Its cheap and better than Tide.

I heard that from several other people and I need to remember to buy it next time.

Aldi has mostly their brand of foods. They have many different in house brand names depending on the product. IMO, Aldi in-house branded foods are very good tasting and very healthy. They have a policy where you get a refund if you don't like the item even if you opened it.

Over the past year they added lots of healthy items - low calorie, nitrate free, gluten free, etc.

I don't like their canned veggies that much (their canned beans are good though). Their in-house coffee and tea is top quality and the price cannot be beat. Their green tea (bags) is one of my favorites of any brand. Their salad dressing is my favorite of any brand (even the high dollar brands). Their croutons are excellent. Their frozen foods are excellent quality. They have in house almond milk for under $2 for a half gallon and it tastes excellent. They even carry unsweetened almond milk. This is the best price of anywhere for almond milk. They have good choices for breads for great prices. Their eggs are very reasonable but you can only get one size. Their chips and salsa and hummus are excellent tasting. Produce is great quality at great prices mostly.

Their stores are bright and clean and well stocked and the cashiers are super fast.

Aldi rocks.

Their negative is that they have a very limited selection and they don't bag for you. I don't buy their fresh meats because they usually have the additives/solutions.

[mrviking]

Originally Posted by wsamon

huh. I didn't know that. I'll have to check out Aldi's again since I keep hearing such good things. I went to one a couple years ago and wasn't impressed at all. It was small, dirty, understaffed, had very limited selection with no recognizable brands (I do understand I"ll have to learn their brands just like TJ but it's still disconcerting at first), produce was poor, the limited meat didn't look great, even the shopping carts sucked. It felt as if Dollar Tree had become a grocery store. Oh, and they didn't take credit cards. Seriously? The only place I haven't been able to use credit in the last 10 years or so is when paying contractors or rent/mortgage.

I use my debit their all the time. They don't carry every item you would expect in a large grocery store but cover most of the staples you would need and some specialty items that you would find in trader joes. There shelves change constantly with new items and their produce is very good. Im sure each location my vary but I love the easy in and out with our neighbor hood aldi. I picked up a NY strip the other day along with some fresh broccoli. Best dinner I had in a while, i couldn't finish the whole thing. The next day I had the best steak and eggs hands down. They just got some St Louis Ribs in that I will have to check out. My neighbor just dropped off some apple wood, so I guess the blue smoke will be coming from my back yard on friday. Options are what its all about when shopping. Blanket statements on who is the best is ridiculous. Pro's and Con's for each if you ask me.

[sinatras]

I have lost track of the number of times I have gotten a refund from Publix after being sold old meat. Same goes for rotten produce.

But still I go there because it's nearby. When Sprouts opens in a couple weeks that's over.