BIRMINGHAM, Ala. — A rash of competitive openings from non-union operators — particularly Publix — has been sinking sales at Bruno’s Supermarkets, Bruno’s officials revealed in U.S. Bankruptcy Court here.
In papers filed by Scott North, Bruno’s vice president of operations, in support of the retailer’s call to decertify Bruno’s union contract to facilitate a sale, a new Publix store in Orange Beach, Ala., five miles away from an exisiting Bruno’s store, drove sales at Bruno’s down by 82.2% during the third quarter. A new Publix in Gulf Breeze, Fla., helped send sales at a Bruno’s store less than a mile away down by 59.6% during the same period. And in Pelham, Ala., a new Publix adversely affected sales at two Bruno’s-operated stores in the area, sending sales at one store down by 20.5% and another by 25.8%.
In all, the document cited 16 competitive openings with a negative effect on sales, 11 of them by Publix.
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