Posted on 03/24/2016 3:02:19 AM PDT by markomalley
Publix, a Florida-based grocer with a cult-like following in the south, has hired a local broker and appears to ready to enter the D.C. market.
The company had a booth at the International Council of Shopping Centers’ Mid-Atlantic Dealmaking and Conference event last week at National Harbor. It was the first time Publix has had a presence at the event, which connects landlords with potential retailers.
Publix spokeswoman Kim Reynolds confirmed the chain is looking to open stores throughout Virginia, including in Northern Virginia, although she said could not speak to the District or other parts of the Washington region specifically.
The company's presence at the expo created quite a buzz, with attendees saying its booth was mobbed for much of the day. Publix held several meetings with brokers and other conference goers.
The company has hired Sam Hodges of KLNB Retail to represent it locally.
Publix has been creeping closer and closer to Washington: It has been growing in North Carolina for the past three years and announced two Richmond store sites in February.
There are also opportunities for Publix to grow in the Richmond area through acquisition. As our sister publication in Tampa Bay speculated, Publix could be in line to buy 19 Martin’s grocery stores around Richmond reportedly going to be up for sale as part of a merger between Martin’s parent company Ahold and Food Lion parent company Delhaize.
Publix has not typically grown through acquisition, but brokers at ICSC got the impression that the company was considering making a play for the available Martin’s. When asked about the possibility of the Martin's acquisition, the Publix spokeswoman declined to comment. Virginia is the first new state Publix has entered in four years. The chain currently has more than 1,100 stores in six states.
Publix is tremendously popular in Florida and other Southern states, inspiring everything from homegrown raps about its signature subs to this Buzzfeed ode to those very same "Pub subs."
The news comes as competition for grocery dollars intensifies in Greater Washington, long dominated by Giant and Safeway. Both Harris Teeter and Wegman's have expanded aggressively here in recent years, and organic choices have increased as well, with Whole Foods and Trader Joe's growing. International discount chains like Aldi and Lidl also upping their presence here.
One other point: when Wegman's and Harris Teeter moved into this area, it forced the old standbys, Giant and Safeway, to up their game. Publix moving in the area should take it to an entirely new level.
Praise the Lord!! Eight years ago my husband and I moved from Georgia to No Va suburbs. (Obama economy related move - job losses) One of the hardest adjustments was dealing with grocery store staff. Falls Plaza Giant is the worst! I’m just so happy about Publix coming to our area.
As a bit of trivia, Publix was a technology pioneer back when it was a young company. It was the first to have electronic doors, and refrigerated display cases.
Not bad for a company far removed from the big cities in Winter Haven, FL.
We down here in Florida, of course, have a Publix on every other block it seems. I have been in many supermarkets across the country over the course of my life. Publix is not the cheapest by any means, but it’s by far the best.
Publix has a following here because there is a lack of supermarket competition in the southeast. It is a little worse than Logli in northern Illinois and Stop and Shop in the northeast. Overpriced, too.
And Aldi is spreading to California
Hey, you got Winn-Dixie & Walmart. Publix is a great grocery chain!
And Aldi’s German competitor, Lidl, has set up a US office in Northern Virginia, and reportedly will be opening stores in 2018. . .
“Cult-like following” in the south”
I like Publix. They are usually a bit more expensive than WalMart and other grocers but they have good deals on sale and it is good bit classier than other grocery stores. Not sure what they mean by “cult-like” but I did buy a chicken last week and sacrificed it on the rotisserie that night.
Wish they would come to Oklahoma. Several years ago WalMart built its superstores and pretty much killed all the local grocery stores.
“Cult like”? Public doesn’t offer the best prices, but they have the best customer service of any grocery store. Attendents will empty your cart, bag, take your groceries to your car and load them. They have a no questions asked return policy. You can’t go down an isle with an employee saying hello or ask if they can help you find something. They honor all competitor coupons and if something is priced wrong you get it for free.
I wish every company was this “cultish”.
Please, Publix, enter the Midwest! Pretty please?!! With sugar on top?
Unless it’s something that’s on sale I avoid Publix like the plague. They’re WAY overpriced.
Meats? Forget it.
Dairy? Forget it.
Staples? So-so with limited house brands (unlike Kroger).
Produce? OMG!! Don’t even think about it.
Aldi can’t be beat for their prices.. Not even close.
Prices at our local Publix are 20-30% higher than other area grocery stores. Their hot foods deli is pathetic - nasty fried chicken & potato logs. The store is full of mostly “Gucci” things I don’t want.
When you get to the register there are 6+ bag-persons standing around to mis-load your bags with hot & frozen items put in the same bag, & cleaning chemicals in the same bag with fresh vegetables.
Ending a bad shopping experience is the lack of cart corrals in the parking lot, maybe 2 in a lot the size of a football field.
After a career with Publix, even your basic blue collar slub can walk away with a fortune.
This was the business model that made home depot so successful back in the day.
I gladly pay a little more to shop at one of their extremely clean and friendly stores.
Going from Publix to Winn Dixie or Walmart is like going from a free prosperous country where everything is new and modern to a commie hell hole where ragged people hide in the shadows not wanting to be seen.
>> when Wegman’s and Harris Teeter moved into this area, it forced the old standbys, Giant and Safeway, to up their game. Publix moving in the area should take it to an entirely new level <<
In northern Virginia, the huge Korean and Chinese supermarkets usually have better fresh produce, more choices for fresh seafood, and lower prices than Giant, Safeway, Shoppers FWH and H-T.
When these stores still were very new, most of the shoppers were Korean, Chinese, Vietnamese and other orientals. Then the word spread to the Indians, Paks and Hispanics. But nowadays, you’ll see almost as many Caucasians — especially at the big seafood tanks.
Great fresh seafood at low prices, plus a non-union workforce: It’s a hard combination to beat!
I think this is the first market where Publix will run into Wegman's. I'd put my money on the latter.
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