Publix is phasing out its 8-store GreenWise Market concept

Publix Super Markets is phasing out its eight-store GreenWise Market concept, transitioning the locations to traditional Publix stores, Maria Brous, the grocer's director of communications, told WGB Friday.

Brous explained the reason for this transition is that “our customers’ shopping habits have reinforced that they enjoy the attributes of a Publix Greenwise Market location, but within their traditional Publix shopping setting.”

Brous added that "each location will transition separately based on various factors related to the project," declining to provide an end date for the banner.

GreenWise takes its name from the natural-and-organic private-label product line available at Publix stores. Publix first debuted GreenWise at three Florida sites in 2007.

GreenWise Market stores are located in these Florida locations: Tampa, Tallahassee, Odessa, Lakeland, Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Nocatee. There is also a location in Mountain Brook, Alabama, according to the grocer’s website.

The banner is a small-format specialty grocery store with a variety of organic and essential groceries. At the time of GreenWise's debut, adding small-format stores to a grocer's portfolio was a growing trend amongst retailers looking to pack high sales volume into fewer square feet.

Schnuck Markets, for example, opened its second EatWell Market in March. The small-footprint concept specializes in natural and organic foods. 

In fact, according to 2022 data from foot-traffic analytics firm Placer.ai., September visits to GreenWise Market in Florida were up 6.4% year over year, while visits to Florida Publix stores posted a 3.9% decline. GreenWise Market experienced double-digit growth for the months of June, July and August, while monthly visits in Florida to Publix dropped, Placer.ai also reported.

Earlier this month, Publix reported strong sales, as well as a significant increase in net earnings, during its first quarter. The employee-owned supermarket chain's net earnings were $1.2 billion for the first quarter.

On Thursday, the employee-owned grocery chain opened its newest store in Melbourne, Florida. The 48,387-square-foot grocery store is located at the Lake Washington Crossing Shopping Center at 3200 Lake Washington Road.

Shopping mall operator Regency Centers Corp. confirmed with WGB this week that Publix is headed to Atlanta’s Buckhead neighborhood’s famed “Disco Kroger” location, which closed last year.

Publix will take over supermarket space that was part of Piedmont Peachtree Crossing and is now part of Buckhead Landing on Piedmont Road.