GreenWise Market Leaving South Carolina

Carolina on my mind is no longer for Publix as the Lakeland, Fla.-based retailer is closing its two GreenWise Market locations in South Carolina. The two stores—Mount Pleasant, the concept’s second ever location, and recently opened Lexington—will close Aug. 29.

“Both locations were acquisitions that fit our needs at the time of opening; however, as our concept has evolved, the locations have space constraints (about 21,000 square feet) that will not fit our current vision for GreenWise Markets,” Publix spokeswoman Maria Brous said in an emailed statement. ”We have shared this information with our GreenWise associates, and we are offering to relocate associates to neighboring Publix locations.”

Publix first introduced the GreenWise concept in 2007, but overhauled it for changing customer demographics and reintroduced it in late 2018. The store closures in South Carolina will not affect other locations in Tallahassee, Lakeland, Boca Raton, Ponte Vedra and Odessa, Fla., as well as  Mountain Brook, Ala., and  Marietta, Ga. A new location that is planned to open in the fourth quarter of 2020 in South Florida is processed as scheduled, Brous added.

GreenWise Market, which is focused on natural, eco-friendly, local and organic products, is growing in other areas, such as the grocer's hometown of Lakeland, where Publix has recently launched a pilot with a hydroponic farmer.