The shoppers have spoken: Publix to end GreenWise Market stores

Publix has decided to move away from its organic brand GreenWise Market format and transition back to its more traditional Publix supermarkets. Why? The Lakeland-based supermarket chain attributes the shift to shopper habits which have revealed that they prefer Publix, but do enjoy some of the traits of GreenWise, spokesperson Hannah Herring confirmed in an email to the Tampa Bay Times. 

“Our customers’ shopping habits have reinforced that they enjoy the attributes of a Publix GreenWise Market location, but within their traditional Publix shopping setting,” Herring said.

As such, once transitioned, the GreenWise stores will resemble the newly renovated Publix in South Tampa on Gandy Boulevard, which includes a Pours station — a bar where shoppers can order craft beer on tap and wine.

Since each store will be assessed on an individual basis, there is no end date as to when the transition will be completed. Publix has eight GreenWise Market stores, which are located in the following Florida locations: Tampa, Tallahassee, Odessa, Lakeland, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, and Nocatee. There also is a location in Mountain Brook, Ala., according to the Publix website.

Publix had been experimenting with the GreenWise brand format since it launched in the late 2000s. The stores looked like most Publix stores but featured pricier organic products at a time when boutique grocery shopping became popular. Tampa’s Hyde Park had a GreenWise Market for nearly a decade before turning back into the regular Publix format, reports Tampa Bay Times.

Related:Publix caps year of new territory with sound Q4 results

GreenWise focused less on carrying many brands of staple items like toilet paper and more on fresh and prepared foods — where consumers could make their own peanut butter or buy coffee beans by the pound, for example.

“The GreenWise I’ve been in have so much made-to-order food that they began to operate more of a restaurant rather than a grocery store,” said Colliers Executive Vice President of Retail Services Tyler Peterson. “That’s a whole different world in itself.”

The launch was part of a growing trend of shoppers going to smaller grocery formats for convenience and accessibility, according to a report published earlier this year by commercial real estate firm JLL.

That said, the grocery chain is doing something right: Publix’s net earnings in Q1 jumped 100.8% at $1.2 billion compared to the first quarter of 2022 when net earnings were $618 million.

Publix CEO Todd Jones shared his analysis of strong Q1 results, saying, “I’m proud of our associates, the owners of Publix, for continuing to make us a leader in our industry and providing a great shopping experience.” 

Related:Publix CEO ‘proud’ of over 100% jump in net earnings