Publix is encouraging customers to check their baby food.

Publix has put out a massive recall.

Walmart may claim the top spot as America’s preferred grocer, but not without issue.

The organic carrots are responsible for one death.

Publix is seeing success on many levels in the grocery retail sector. How does Publix’s blend of technology and employee ownership enable it to dominate the Florida grocery market, and what can other retailers learn from this approach?

Publix and Fresh Express bagged Spinach has been recalled after the Florida Department of Agriculture registered a positive result for Listeria during a routine test.

Publix recently began posting large signs in its stores across the Southeast reminding customers that all non-service animals, including emotional support dogs, are not allowed in stores. Are there any other steps stores could be taking to reduce incidents of those transgressing in-store pet policy guidelines?

GreenWise has a future at Publix, just not as a standalone store concept. 

2022 is shaping up as a breakout year for Publix’s Greenwise Market format. The Greenwise organic food and essentials specialty concept in Florida experienced higher year-over-year foot traffic growth in September than Publix’s mainstream stores, according to a Placer.ai study. What factors are key to making small format grocery stores work?

Episode three of the RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge includes one of the most highly anticipated spots of the holiday season, and one that fits the spirit of the season, even if it is not all about December 25. What is your critique of the holiday spots from John Lewis and Publix?

A grocer in Utah is opening a store that aspires to focus on meal prep instead of just selling groceries, guiding customers to cook creatively with a limited number of locally produced ingredients. Will a grocer with a stripped-down inventory, dedicated to helping customers with meal prep, succeed in the long run?

Meijer and Publix do not compete with one another in the same markets but the two retailers are going head to head in the second installment of the RetailWire Christmas Commercial Challenge. What is your critique of the Christmas spots from Meijer and Publix?

Though the pandemic caused an uptick in center store and frozen, customers are still interested in fresh options — assuming they can buy them safely. Do you see opportunities for grocers to use concepts like Schnucks Fresh standalone project to create unique points of differentiation that can lead to growth?

Communities that have long had trouble attracting grocers that sell fresh and nutritious foods may find they have pulled the short straw when it comes to COVID-19 vaccinations, as well.  What do you see as the biggest internal and external challenges facing retail pharmacies when it comes to immunizing large numbers of people against COVID-19?

Popular regional grocer Publix has been expanding its footprint northward for a number of years. With its new pilot store, management is indicating plans to expand its individual stores vertically, as well. Will experiential grocery store concepts make a strong comeback in the years ahead?

Grocers shuttered self-serve stations due to germ-spread concerns after the pandemic’s arrival. And grab-and-go meals have not been as in as much demand this year. What are the best options for grocers looking to repurpose their salad and hot bars?

A new survey shows a few stores in particular, already known for their customer experience, that have managed to maintain high customer satisfaction levels even in the midst of the novel coronavirus pandemic. Why do you think Trader Joe’s, Wegmans, Costco and Publix have been able to stand out for customer service even during the pandemic?

Publix’s customers love shopping there for a variety of reasons. While they may not know it, perhaps the biggest reason for them to feel this way is the grocer’s continuing commitment to improvement. Enter Club Publix. What do you think are the reasons for the success Publix has enjoyed for so long?

Outside of chains like Trader Joe’s, most retailers remain fairly risk-averse with their private label food offerings. Most are more comfortable following — albeit faster than in the past — than leading. Where do you see the biggest opportunities for grocers to elevate their food private-label offerings?

As it moves into an increasingly digital future, can Publix translate its stellar in-store experience into a positive online experience? Are there ways for Publix to effectively extend the elite customer service found at its stores to the online experience?

Publix and Whole Foods Market are looking to connect online with customers by offering content that results in more enjoyable meals. Which do you see resonating most with consumers: Publix’s online cooking classes or Whole Foods’ digital product catalog?

Healthcare in the U.S. is changing, and retailers are offering a lot of services that once required a visit to a doctor’s office. Publix has been exploring a new model that is showing signs of success. Do you foresee more upside or downside to customers receiving medical advice via teleconference in grocery stores and other retail stores?

Publix is posting new in-store signage indicating that only service dogs or other animals helping with disabilities are permitted in the store. Do you see more benefits than risks to Publix becoming stricter with its service dog policies?

Florida-based Publix on Friday suspended corporate-funded political contributions after being called out by gun control advocates for donations to Adam Putnam, a candidate for governor who supports the National Rifle Association. Did Publix make the right move in suspending political donations?

As Publix expands its organic/natural concept, GreenWise Market, it will no longer count on customers recognizing the Publix name to get them in the door. Is it a good move for Publix to separate GreenWise Market from its main concept?

Americans love Publix and Wegmans best. The two chains came out tied for the top spot in a consumer survey of more than 12,700 shoppers by Market Force Information. If you were running a grocery business, how would you prioritize the factors used in Market Force’s rankings

Publix saw its same-store sales decline 0.4 percent in the first quarter of 2017, the first time the grocer has experienced a drop in that metric going back to 2009. Do you think the first decline in same-store sales since 2009 and increased competition in Florida has Publix management concerned?

Last week, Publix announced plans to “reignite” its GreenWise store concept with the opening of a new store in Florida and plans to scout locations throughout its operating areas. Is the time right for Publix to engage in a significant rollout of its GreenWise format?

While some articles have questioned whether strong competitors such as Wegmans will slow the Publix advance northward, it has been widely assumed that the chain had little to worry about back home, but perhaps that isn’t the case. Is there a potential for Publix to have its expansion sidetracked by increasing competition in Florida?

High-end retailers have long enjoyed dedicated brand affinity with consumers, but now merchants across every tier of retail, from mass to class, identify as brands — not just as places that sell others’ brands. What do you see as the primary obstacles to delivering consistent brand messages for retailers?

Publix, which has long seen the utility of using social media to burnish its brand, is now launching its first blog site, The Publix Checkout, to help the chain make deeper connections with its many fans. What do you think a blog will accomplish for Publix that its other social media outreach has not?

As Publix continues expanding up the East Coast, Wegmans maintains its inexorable push south. Do you imagine Wegmans and Publix will soon be competing in Florida and New York State?

Publix is not generally known for acquiring properties from other grocers and moving into a new market. In the case of the Richmond, VA, the employee-owned business is going a little off script. How can management make sure that Publix stays Publix as it moves farther away from its corporate home?

When it was reported in January that the last three Albertsons in Florida were being converted to Safeway stores, the question many asked was, “Why bother?” Will Safeway be more successful in Florida than Albertsons was? Do you agree that Publix has an “unreasonably high market share” in the state?

Trader Joe’s is no longer America’s favorite grocery retailer, according to a survey of more than 10,000 consumers by Market Force Information. What factors do you think are most important in determining favorite grocer status among consumers?

Retailers faced with the reality of having to staff stores with low wage workers have loosened dress and personal appearance codes in recent years. Now comes news that more than 14,100 have signed a petition on Coworker.org asking Publix to allow employees to wear beards. How should management at retail handle this and other generational appearance issues in the workplace?

Reports out of Richmond and the area around the nation’s capital tell the same story: Publix is looking to move into Virginia in a big way, and the employee-owned grocery chain is not looking to hide the fact. How will Publix’s entry into Virginia affect the various grocery markets within the state?

Consumers have spoken. Publix is number one among retailers when it comes to producing positive customer experiences. Which companies making the Temkin Group’s list surprised you most? Are consumers evaluating their shopping experiences in different ways than in the past?

Publix Super Markets is big on social media. The employee-owned grocery juggernaut announced it has expanded its social media presence with accounts on Instagram and Pinterest . What is your assessment of how Publix is using social media to engage its customers?

Publix has been inexorably moving northward up the East Coast, while Wegmans has been on a steady march south. With the news that Wegmans has found a location to open its first store in North Carolina, how long will it be before two of the nation’s top supermarkets go head-to-head? What do you expect to happen when Publix and Wegmans begin competing in the same markets?

Yesterday, the Tampa Bay Times reported that the Albertsons banner was being removed from the last three stores that carried it in the state. The strange thing is that, instead of just closing and selling off the locations, Albertsons Companies is reopening the stores as Safeway units. Does Safeway have a better chance of succeeding and expanding in Florida than Albertsons?

Regarding the constant barrage of e-mails, commercials and other communications that consumers receive about the latest sales event, how many really stand out in the mind of consumers and result in more than a short-term gain? The answer based on a small group discussion at Shop.org was: not very many. What criteria results in a great sales event in your mind?

Following Target’s announced plans to sell its pharmacy operations to CVS, Publix is reportedly looking to expand its pharmacy operations in Central Florida, clearly seeing pharmacy as integral to its growth plans in the Sunshine State and beyond. Are pharmacy operations more important to supermarkets than to mass merchandisers?

There have been numerous studies showing that Publix is among the places Americans most like to shop for groceries. And the reason for Publix’s success can be traced to one key factor — its employee owners. How important is employee ownership to Publix being Publix?

Walmart has announced it will no longer match Publix’s buy-one-get-one (BOGO) free offers in its Florida stores and instead will direct customers to use its Savings Catcher program. Will the change in Walmart’s price matching policy weaken its price leader image in Florida?

Wegmans, Publix, Hy-Vee and Costco were named by consumers as the top grocery brands in the Northeast, South, Midwest and West respectively in the 2014 Harris Poll EquiTrend study. Do you find any commonality between the list of top regional grocers in Harris’ research? What grocer do you think is the best in your region of the country and why?

Becoming the latest of several grocers testing smaller formats, Publix is reportedly working on a 20,000-square-foot prototype to serve seaside communities and college towns. Do traditional grocers have any advantages in opening mini-supermarkets over limited-assortment grocers and/or big box discounters?

While much of the press coverage of Consumer Reports’ supermarket ratings has focused on the usual suspects getting the highest scores, a troubling point is that one-third of subscribers to the magazine said they had stopped shopping at their main grocery store over the past year. Do you think consumers are quicker to switch grocery stores today than in the past?

Back in March, RetailWire discussed whether Publix was likely to be successful in a campaign combating Walmart’s price comparison ads. Among the points made by Publix was that its buy one, get one free offers were a means to greater savings. Now Walmart is offering to match BOGOs from food and drug competitors. How should Publix respond to Walmart’s offer to match its BOGO offers?

With tailgating in parking lots and at home not showing any signs of slowing down, several supermarkets are actively playing up their roles as sponsors of various NFL as well as various college teams. What’s the value of grocer’s sponsorships of NFL and college teams?