Do you know Publix closing stores? It may be heartbreaking news for you that one of your favorite supermarkets, Publix, will close more than 400 locations across Florida and many more across the country because of some reasons that will be mentioned in this blog post. Still, one of the significant reasons is hurricanes.
You may scroll up this blog post to know what exactly is happening. Before initiating this blog that reveals the information on Publix Stores’ closing list, what is the reason behind its closures, and many more? Let’s have a look at the history of Publix Supermarkets.
history
Publix Super Markets, Inc. is publicly known as “Publix.” It is an American supermarket in Lakeland, Florida, founded by George W. Jenkins in 1930.
Publix is an employee-owned private corporation because employees of the Jenkins family wholly own it.
Hundreds of Publix stores are operating in the Southeastern United States, of which 88 are in Alabama, 848 in Georgia, 55 in Tennessee, 53 in North Carolina, 19 in Virginia, 68 in South Carolina, and 5 in Kentucky.
It collectively counts 1,335 Publix stores operating across the Southeast United States.
According to the above data, it is indicating that most of the stores are located in Florida, i.e., 63.6 percent of the total locations as of December 2022. Publix Supermarket Inc. has vast employees (240,000 people) in its retail stores.
Publix retail store locations include corporate offices, nine grocery distribution centers, eleven manufacturing facilities, and cooking schools. Publix Supermarket offers food and nonfood stuff such as dairy, deli, bakery, and other fresh edible and nonedible items such as housewares.
Publix Market Inc. is well known for being the largest employee-owned company in the United States.
We hope you are familiar with Publix Supermarkets now; it is high time to start this blog without wasting much time!
Let’s explore this further!
Highlights:
- Industry: Retail
- Trade & Type: Publix & Private, employee-owned
- Established: September 6, 1930
- Headquartered in: Lakeland, Florida, US
- Number of Locations: 1,335
- Services: Online Shopping and home delivery, Event planning, Money services, real estate
- Number of Employees: 240,000 (2023)
- Net Worth: 17.39 billion US dollars (2016) & 18.18 billion US dollars (2017)
- Total Equity: 13.50 billion US dollars (2016) & 14.11 billion US dollars (2017)
- Website: www.publix.com
- Brands: Prestol, PIX, GreenWise (products), GreenWise Market (stores), Aprons, and Publix Sabor
- Revenue: 36.1 billion US dollars (2018) & 41.1 billion US dollars (2021)
- Operating Income: 2.940 billion US dollars (2016) & 3.028 billion US dollars (2017)
Why is Publix Closing Stores?
We know it is pernicious news, but you have heard it right that Publix grocery stores are closing now, not permanently but temporarily, i.e., more than 400 of its stores shut down under modified hours.
In 2022, Publix’s Media Relations Manager said, “Stores in the following countries, including Florida, Alabama, and many more, will close at noon. Wednesday, September 28, are expected to remain closed through Thursday, September 29.”
They believed that they stated, “Some retail stores have already closed in central Florida by Friday morning, and the rest of the others will close as soon as possible or maybe on Wednesday.
Because of Hurricane Nicole, Publix declared that hundred of its grocery stores will close at noon on Wednesday, November 9, as the Hurricane continues to intensify towards Florida.”
“Except for Florida, there are many other countries that are also impacted, and the stores such as Indian River, Brevard, St. Lucie County, and Okeechobee, all these stores will close at noon and will reopen on Thursday, November 10, 2022,” stated the company.
Later, it also announced that the early closures for most of the stores in Florida were because of Hurricane, and it is predicted that Hurricane Nicole will make landfall on the state’s east coast.
Let’s look at the list of locations that were significantly impacted.
List of Publix Closing Stores That Were Highly Impacted
# 815 (717 N. 14th Street in Leesburg)
- Sumter
- Orange
- Lake
#447 (1120 Bichara Blvd. in The Villages)
- Seminole
- Osceola
- Citrus
- Marion
- Volusia
All the stores opening and closing timings vary from county to county based on the storm’s track.
Why Did Publix Close Its Stores?
The Northeast Florida stores kept their operating hours normal. Still, some of the stores modified their regular operating hours because of the Hurricane, and later, they modified them based on the storm’s track.
Publix stores were changing operating hours to close earlier than usual, it was believed that Southwest Florida stores from Naples to Spring Hill changed their regular operating hours, but some of the stores in Central Florida near Orlando also changed their working hours but differently.
Most of the stores indicated that the closing times were 6 p.m. on Tuesday and Wednesday, while it was different for Friday along with its reopening hours.
Some stores in Florida, Central Florida, decided to close at 12 p.m. on Wednesday and were also expected to remain closed through Thursday because of Hurricane Ian.
The company said, “Due to Hurricane Irma, we will be closing stores in certain Florida areas. As weather conditions change, we will continue to update the status of our stores.”
What Exactly Happened At Publix In Florida?
Publix is an American supermarket and one of the famous markets in the United States. Still, the company announced some of the stores would close for some time and reopen later, whereas the rest of the stores across the country would reopen during this time, but they would change the opening and closing timings.
At Royal Palm Beach’s Publix supermarket, three people died in a shooting reported at the spot, including the suspected shooter and a child, explained by the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Office, Deputies. They also confirmed the shooting happened at the spot inside the Royal Palm Beach Boulevard grocery store.
How Is Publix Making Money?
Publix’s net sales by 2022 were 48 billion US dollars in 2021, and Publix sales increased by 13.6 percent, i.e., 54.5 billion US dollars in 2022.
When Will Publix Open Its Stores?
After opening the stores, Publix has already announced that “the prices will be increased on such items including food and nonfood stuff, such as bread, water, canned products, and batteries.”
They added, “Our teams are working diligently to keep our stores stocked for our customers. We will continue to make product deliveries as long as it is safe. Depending on delivery schedules, product availability will vary by store, time of day, etc.”
Who Owned Publix?
Publix is owned by board members, employees, and the founders of the Jenkins family. It was believed that the shares of Publix do not trade publicly.
It is an American supermarket located in Lakeland, Florida, an employee-owned market founded in 1930.
Publix’s name was given by the CEO of the company, i.e., Mr. George, and this name came from a chain of theatres; he liked the name and planned to open its small store by this name under the corporation “Publix Food Stores Inc.” In 1930, on September 6. Later, the store became a huge success and expanded its company to various states nationwide.
When Did Publix Leave Florida?
There is no clear-cut answer to this question because it seems that Publix will only ever be able to leave Florida, as the retail stores opened in the entire state of Florida. Initially, the stores were established in central and southwest Florida, the southeast coast, and then in the northern state in the 1960s and 1970, respectively.
Again the company put light on its expansion in 1991 and expanded the stores into Georgia, and it has continuously expanded.
Publix’s New Opening Timings In 2023
Opening Date and Day State Details
On April 5, 2023, Wednesday Georgia’s 48,387 sq. ft. Pharmacy
On March 23, 2023, Thursday Florida’s 51,907 sq. ft. of Pharmacy, liquor
On March 15, 2023, Wednesday Alabama’s 46,791 sq. ft. Pharmacy
What Did People Post On Social Media About Publix Closure?
One of the users stated on social media to say, “It’s to the point where my store is doing open interviews and likely hiring “good” candidates on the spot. And we are speed training CSS because we lost 7 office staff in a month. I know things aren’t great, but in my 5 1/2 years, I’ve never seen anything like this.”
Another posted, “I’m one who left for a way better opportunity. I loved my coworkers at my store; they were great. However, this pandemic has shown how Publix corporate values its associates. You’re understaffed, overworked, underpaid, and under-appreciated. Your scheduled hours are feast one week and famine the next unless you’re full-time. Your life, soul, and body belong to a big green if you’re full-time. But you better ensure the customer who treats you like crap is treated like royalty. Also, for all your hard work and sacrifices, here’s 0.15 cents for a raise and a $100 gift card you must use in Publix (while making record profits). Meanwhile, the competition is paying more to its employees. I’d love to be openly honest and give genuine feedback to Publix corporate, but it’ll fall on deaf ears while they make billions despite their ineptitude.”
It indicated that people love to shop at Publix Supermarket.
The Bottom Line
We’ve concluded that Publix did not close its stores permanently; it has just shut down temporarily to prevent hurricanes.
Now, the stores have been scheduled and opened accordingly.