Publix, Where Shopping is a Pleasure?

    If you reside in Florida, Publix is not only a prevalent supermarket you recognize, but furthermore one amongst  your first choices or thoughts when it involves your weekly groceries, and rightly so. In 2019, consumer reports ranked Publix as No. 11 in the national and regional supermarket and warehouse club across the U.S. You probably wonder, why is it a pleasure shopping at Publix? 

    It starts with history. The first Publix was a food store founded in 1930 by a man named George Jenkins in Florida. It wasn't until 1940 that Publix became a supermarket, and had what was considered then fine luxuries. While fans, delis, and bright lights are now common in any supermarket, within the early 1900s they were considered wonders. Jenkins not only wanted the best experience for his customers, but he is remembered for treating his Publix employees and clients like family, a tradition that is still followed and reflected by Publix ranking in "100 Best Companies to Work For" and their customer satisfaction ratings, mainly for their cleanliness and constant modern remodeling.  

    Publix is constantly adding new and fun traditions that perdure. As an example, the green scales at the front of the store were one of the "premium" objects Publix had in 1940. In those times, most people did not have a personal scale back at home, so other stores were able to earn a little more revenue by monetizing them.  However, Jenkins wanted the Publix scales to be free of charge, which customers enjoyed. Some stores still feature the original 1940 scales. A current use some customers give to the scale is luggage weighting before traveling.  

    Another fun tradition created in 1957 that still occurs is free cookies for kids. Children only need to walk up to the bakery counter and ask for one. Furthermore, if you ask an associate where an item is, they will personally escort you to it. One of the relatively new features that elevate the Publix experience is its famous pub-subs. You can either create your sandwich or choose one from the menu. My recommendation, get the chicken tender sub. 

Publix Fridge 

Frozen aisle 

    Some elements from Publix that I love are its bakery, frozen aisles, and international food sections. 

Publix Bakery

    As you can see from the picture, Publix bakery is gorgeous and offers a variety of options for every taste or craving. I've had the 7 layer chocolate cake fudge icing, the chocolate ganache supreme cake, and the carrot cake for some of my friends birthdays, and while the chocolate cakes have a very similar taste, they are very chocolatey and mildly sweet cake balanced with the sweet icing, making it just the right amount of flavors. On the other hand, I am not a fan of carrot cake, but the Publix one might have changed my mind. It was fresh, moist, and the right mix of cream cheese with sugar for the icing. They also offer cookies, a variety of loaves of bread, and any other patisserie you can think of. 

Cookies, donuts, and pastries

    In my humble opinion,  the frozen aisle is also amazing. With vegan and vegetarian options (even though I'm neither), and full of cooked meals, frozen veggies, and fruits, as well as an extended ice cream repertoire it is one of the parts I look towards the most in my supermarket field trips. 

    Lastly, some Publix offers what is called "international food sections".  These aisles offer niche merchandise to different ethnic groups like Asian, Hispanic, Kosher, and German food. As a Latina, this is one of the few places where I can buy an exquisite coffee (in case you were wondering I buy Colcafe),  sauces, tortillas, or even candy found back at my birth country, like Festival Wafers and Galletas María. Even if you do not identify with any of these groups, it is always interesting experimenting with international products. 

    What I do not love in Publix are its prices, check-out wait lines, and that they have not joined the Coalition of Immokalee Workers, also known as CIW, for better farmworker conditions. 

    Since I am a college student seeking an Economics degree, I could be biased, but Publix prices are medium-towards-high. You could go for a quick buy and unconsciously spend around $100 or more. 

    Funnily enough, even though they sell overpriced items they still have not joined the CIW movement. This activist group wants to better Floridian's farmworkers' conditions and rights by raising their wage one penny higher per pound of tomatoes. Another-well known company that has not joined the movement is Wendy's. 

    Finally, after spending an hour or an hour and a half in a supermarket, the least I want to do is spend another 15-20 minutes waiting in line to be checked out. While some Publix stores offer self check out, those also come with a variant of problems in my opinion. 

    The final question is, is shopping at Publix a pleasure?

For the most part, yes! I would give this supermarket a 4 out of 5 stars.