That wonderful feeling you get at Publix also happens when you visit the Publix Pharmacy. Because just like our store associates, our pharmacists go above and beyond to help you out. They'll save you time by automatically refilling your prescriptions. Save you money with select free antibiotics and diabetes medications. And, of course, take the time to answer your questions and alleviate your concerns.
With more than 900 pharmacies throughout five states, there's sure to be a Publix Pharmacy near you. Just stop in, say hello, and give us the go-ahead to transfer your prescriptions for you. That way, you can start enjoying everything you love about Publix right where it matters most: your health.
Publix Super Markets
Publix Super Markets, Inc. | |
Where Shopping Is A Pleasure |
|
Type | Private/Employee Owned |
Industry | Retail |
Founded |
Sept. 6, 1930[1] Winter Haven, Florida |
Founder(s) | George W. Jenkins |
Headquarters | Lakeland, Florida, United States |
Number of locations | 1,068 Stores [2] |
Area served | Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina,Tennessee, Alabama |
Key people |
Todd Jones (President) Howard M. Jenkins(Chairman) William E. Crenshaw.(CEO).[3] |
Products | Bakery, 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 |
Services | Convenience/Forecourt Store, Other Specialty, Supermarket |
Revenue | US$27.178 Billion (2011)[4] |
Operating income | US$ 2.261 billion (2011) |
Net income | US$1.492 Billion (2011) |
Total assets | US$ 11.268 billion (2011) |
Total equity | US$ 8.341 billion (2011) |
Employees | 152,000 (2011)[5] |
Website | publix.com |
One of the first Publix Super Markets in Winter Haven, Florida, circa 1940.
George Jenkins opened the first Publix market in Winter Haven, Florida, on Sept. 6,[13] 1930.[14] In 1934, that store made $120,000 in sales. In 1935, he opened a second market, the Economy Food Store, also 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. During World War II, material shortages prevented him from building additional stores. In 1945, Jenkins purchased the 19-store All American chain of food stores and converted them into Publix Super Markets.[15]
In 1951, Publix moved its headquarters from Winter Haven to Lakeland, Florida, and built its first distribution warehouse there. At the same time, they began to close the All American stores, replacing them with Publix markets. In 1956, Publix achieved $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 surpassed $500 million; they reached $1 billion in 1974, when the chain expanded to include Jacksonville, Florida.
In 1982, the company launched the Presto! ATM network; it soon installed ATMs in every Publix. Sales exceeded $5 billion in 1989.[15] The first Publix outside Florida opened inSavannah, Georgia, in 1991; distribution and manufacturing facilities in Lawrenceville, Georgia, soon followed. Publix further expanded into South Carolina (1993), Alabama (1996), and Tennessee (2002).
Logo for the now defunct PublixDirect
With the launch of PublixDirect on September 24, 2001, Publix attempted to enter the online grocery business, in hopes of serving the southeastern US. The slogan used was "Online Shopping, Home Delivery." This occurred during the dot-com crash, alongside competitorWebvan's well-publicized failure. Publix found that demand for online grocery shopping in the Miami testing area was not as great as the company 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."
Standalone Publix in Pompano Beach, Florida, with typical architecture of early 21st-century stores.
In early 2005, Publix renamed its checkout section from "Common Area" to "Customer Service". This change coincided with 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. The former employee uniforms also began to be phased-out; each district has a selected store where employees wear 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 newer 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.[16][17] By September 2010, checkouts in all stores were expected to have card readers replaced with units featuring signature capture.
A converted 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.[18]
On February 5, 2009, Publix opened its 1,000th store in St. Augustine, Florida, allowing the company to become one of only five US grocery retailers to operate as many stores. The St. Augustine store is among Publix's first stores designed to be energy efficient. The store includes motion sensor lights throughout the store, including on the freezer doors, and an overhead light system that can be controlled by each department.[19]
In 2011, Publix completed a rollout of Oasis, a new timekeeping and labor forecasting system, company-wide. Oasis replaced the outdated People Planner labor management system that Publix used for almost two decades. Oasis provides a more accurate labor forecast for stores to generate schedules that fit their business needs. Selected stores throughout the company piloted Oasis beginning in 2009. With Oasis, associates will be able to view their schedules from their home computers and enter requests for time-off into a self-service workstation.
The exterior of the Publix GreenWise Market in Tampa
Publix GreenWise Markets is a concept the company introduced, in response to the increase in the number and profitability of health food stores. GreenWise Markets were created to increase awareness of nutrition; it focuses on organic and natural items. These stores are similar to the Whole Foods Market chain. Greenwise Markets is an expansion of a concept that began in the 2000s; most regular Publix stores have a GreenWise section.[23] In addition to organic and traditional products, GreenWise Markets include salad and hot bars. The first six stores were set to be in Palm Beach Gardens, Boca Raton, Vero Beach, Tampa, Naples, and Coral Springs, Florida.[24] The first GreenWise Market opened on September 27, 2007 in Palm Beach Gardens.[23] The second Publix GreenWise Market opened in Boca Raton on May 29, 2008, located in Boca Village Square.[25] The third Publix GreenWise Market opened November 6, 2008, in Tampa's Hyde Park neighborhood.[26]
The interior of a Publix GreenWise Market
Another Publix GreenWise store was planned for Tallahassee in 2009. In the 2008 purchase of Albertson's Stores, Publix decided to convert a store located in the Dr. Phillips area of Orlando to a Publix GreenWise Market, but due to nearby competitors and other Publix stores, the company decided to open Publix Liquors instead. Costs associated with a necessary demolition and rebuild of the former Albertson's played a part in this decision as well, according to a Publix Liquors manager. Publix stores provide free Wi-Fi service to its customers.[27]
Publix Sabor
Publix Sabor Store in Lake Worth, FL
Publix operates six stores, branded "Publix Sabor" ("sabor" is Spanish for "flavor"), which cater to Hispanic Americans living in Florida and offer products for Hispanics. Four Publix Sabor locations are in Miami-Dade County in Greater Miami. They are the Hialeah Mercado location in Hialeah, the Miller Square Shopping Center in Kendale Lakes, and the Publix Sabor Coral Way Shopping Center location inWestchester.[28] One Publix Sabor, Ventura Downs, is in Buenaventura Lakes, Osceola County, in Greater Orlando.[28][29] A sixth location opened in Lake Worth in Palm Beach County in the summer of 2012.[30]
Publix Sabor locations have bilingual English-Spanish employees, open seating cafés, and a wide selection of hot foods. Publix offers cafés and hot foods because many Hispanic Americans grew up in foreign cities which had open public squares where people socialize and eat.
Pharmacy
The official Publix Pharmacy brandmark, displayed in all stores
Publix's first in-store pharmacy was opened in 1986 in Altamonte Springs, Florida. By 1995, one-third of Publix stores had a pharmacy and today, approximately 81% of Publix stores include a pharmacy. Publix Pharmacies consistently ranked number one for customer satisfaction in supermarket pharmacies in several surveys conducted by independent research companies.[31][32]
Free medications
Publix announced in August 2007, that it would offer several types of free antibiotics to its customers. Customers must have a prescription; they are given a maximum of a two-week supply.[33] Several medical professionals expressed concerns that this could contribute to anoveruse of antibiotics which leads to antibiotic resistance, a serious public health concern.[34] These medications include:
These antibiotics are being offered to customers regardless of their prescription insurance provider.[33] Erythromycin was removed from the list because a generic is no longer available.[35]
In March 2010, Publix announced the launch of another free prescription, Metformin for Type II Diabetes, the generic of Glucophage. Publix provides the medication in 500 mg, 850 mg and 1,000 mg strengths. The only restriction is a 30-day supply or up to 90 tablets, but refills are not limited.
In August 2011, Publix began offering Lisinopril, an ACE inhibitor that is used to prevent, treat, or improve symptoms of high blood pressure, certain heart conditions, diabetes, and certain chronic kidney conditions, as another free prescription. Customers can get a 30-day supply of this vital prescription for free at any Publix Pharmacy, up to a maximum of 30 days supply (up to 60 tablets). Lisinopril-HCTZ combination products are excluded. (http://www.publix.com/pharmacy/Free-Medications.do)
Publix also offers free Flu Shots to "associates" (employees) and for twenty dollars for their family members.
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.[37] Effective May 9, 2011, Publix closed the Little Clinics in its stores in order to focus on its core pharmacy and grocery business.[38]
Current projects
In select markets, Publix is also conducting trials of other various specialties, including a cologne and perfume fragrance department, in conjunction with Camrose Trading.[39]
Publix is also experimenting with a gourmet deli at its Lake Mary Collection store in Lake Mary, Florida.[40]
DVD Kiosks
In September 2009, Publix reported it started adding Blockbuster DVD rental kiosks to its stores, with the movie rentals starting at $1 per day. In 2010, Publix completed its rollout of Blockbuster Express kiosks to its stores.[41]
In 2012, NCR sold its entertainment division, which includes the Blockbuster Express kiosks, to Coinstar, the owner of the Redbox DVD rental kiosks.[42][43] Blockbuster Express machines will be replaced with Redbox machines in most stores by the end of 2012.
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. In addition is Publix Liquors, a stand-aloneliquor store. The liquor sales will be in an area accessed via an entrance separated from the supermarket, as required by local laws. The company is modeling this after many other grocery chains. Currently, all Publix Pix locations are adjacent to a Publix Super Market. The company tested market response to liquor stores in the late 1980s, but closed the stores in 1989. It re-entered the market again in 2003 and has met with success since.[44] Publix opened its first stand-alone liquor store in November 2009, in a former Albertson's location in Orlando.
Crispers
In 2002, Publix invested in the Lakeland-based restaurant chain Crispers, which concentrates on health-conscious fare. It increased its stake in 2004 before purchasing the remainder of the company in 2007. In May 2011, Publix announced it had sold the Crispers chain to Healthy Food Concepts LLC. The stores had not performed well during the downturn and in recent years Publix closed several units, leaving the chain with 36 stores when the sale was announced.[45]
Corporate headquarters building
Publix is organized into departments grouped based on similar skills, expertise, work activities, and resource use, such as human resources, marketing, public affairs, manufacturing, and distribution. All the departments have specific resources that help it reach the organizational task, and each department only deals with their specific area and problems. Stores are made up of six departments (Customer Service, Grocery, Meat, Produce, Deli, Bakery and Pharmacy,) and are run by a Store Manager and Assistant Store Manager. When both of these managers are absent, operations are left to a Manager in Charge, typically a department manager or assistant department manager from Customer Service or Grocery.
The company, founded in 1930, has never had a layoff.[46] It has a tuition reimbursement program originally designed for degree-seeking students, but has also become available to those taking individual courses or technical training, including online courses. The program is available to all Publix associates who work an average of 10 hours per week for six months.[47]
In 1997, Publix reached a settlement in a class action lawsuit concerning gender discrimination filed by employees. Publix paid $81.5 million in damages to its female employees and made changes in its workplaces as a result.[
A Publix on Monument Road in Jacksonville, Florida
Supermarkets | GreenWise Markets | Publix Sabor | Publix Pix | Cooking schools | Event planning | Total stores | |
Florida | 752 | 3 | 4 | 8 | 8 | 4 | 779 |
Georgia | 180 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 184 |
Alabama | 51 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 51 |
South Carolina | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 45 |
Tennessee | 33 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 34 |
North Carolina | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 1,061 | 3 | 4 | 11 | 9 | 5 | 1,093 |
Manufacturing facilities are located in:
Support offices
Publix is organized into five divisions: Lakeland, Miami, Jacksonville, Atlanta, and Charlotte.