Pretty much everything Publix does is news in the grocery industry. The reason for that is straightforward: Publix is willing to test concepts others are not; it measures what it tests and it makes decisions to rollout or move on to something else based on performance.
The latest concept Publix is putting to the test is curbside delivery of phone orders placed at a store in Fort Myers, Fla.
Shannon Patten, a spokesperson for Publix, told The Ledger, "For customers who are time-starved it's a way for them to consider us as an option for lunch or dinner."
The new curbside service Publix is testing is similar in concept to that offered by a growing number of restaurant chains. Outback Steakhouse, for example, offers curbside pickup at all its restaurants and that portion of the business now accounts for 12 percent of the chain's total sales.
According to NPD Group, more than half of all restaurant meals in 2006 were takeout orders. The average American placed 127 orders to go in 2006 while sitting down to only 81 meals inside restaurants.
"Publix has always been a supermarket laboratory," David Livingston, principal with DJL Consulting and a member of the RetailWire BrainTrust, told The Ledger. "Whether or not these will be successful, I don't know. But this shows they're being innovative and experimental. I have to admire them for that."
Discussion Question: What do you think of the potential for curbside pickup of foodservice orders in grocery stores? What is your reaction to Publix testing the concept?