Publix Pharmacy Adds Curbside Pickup in Select Stores

Looking to expand curbside pickup beyond just groceries, Lakeland, Florida-based Publix Pharmacy rolled out curbside pickup on Wednesday at stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Virginia, with select pharmacies excluded. North and South Carolina pharmacy locations plan to offer curbside pickup at a later date, Publix said in a statement.

“Our customers enjoy the convenience of curbside pickup for their grocery orders, so we are excited to add prescriptions to that offering,” said Publix VP of Pharmacy Dain Rusk in a statement. “Whether customers choose to shop in our stores or from the comfort of their cars, we are committed to providing the same great service from our pharmacies.”

Customers looking to choose this option may select curbside pickup after prepaying for their prescriptions through the Publix Pharmacy app or online, the grocery retailer said. The process is as follows: upon arrival, customers should park in the designated spaces for curbside pickup, call the number on the sign and inform customer service of their arrival.

Curbside pickup for prescriptions is available during Publix Pharmacy hours of operation at no additional cost to the customer, Publix said. Prescription costs and copays will be collected during the prepay process on the Publix Pharmacy app or website. Some exclusions do apply when it comes to curbside pickup of prescriptions. Controlled substances, purchases through Medicare Part B and age-restricted medications are not eligible for curbside pickup, Publix said in a statement.

Earlier this month, employee-owned Publix on reported same-store sales climbed 7.8% during the second quarter. Publix’s sales for the three months ended June 25, were $12.9 billion, a 9.3% increase from $11.8 billion in 2021, the grocery retailer reported.

On the downside, the grocery retailer’s stock price faced headwinds. Effective Aug. 1, Publix’s stock price decreased from $14.91 per share to $13.84 per share. Publix stock is not publicly traded and is made available for sale only to current Publix associates and members of its board of directors, Publix said in a statement.

“Unfortunately, our results were not enough to offset challenges in the stock market,” Publix CEO Todd Jones said in a statement. “I continue to be proud of our associates for making shopping a pleasure at Publix.”

As one of the largest employee-owned grocers in the U.S., Publix employs more than 225,000 associates at its nearly 1,300 locations and is continuing its expansion in the Carolinas and Kentucky as well.