Home | Business News | Browse by Publication | M | Meat & Deli Retailer

Publix goes green: Publix Super Markets Inc. is pushing further into the natural arena with its GreenWise Market chain.

Article Excerpt
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Publix Super Markets Inc. has become one of the U.S.' most prominent protein merchandisers by leveraging higher-end products that emphasize quality.

The Lakeland, Fla.-based operator's focus on healthy eating, however, is not limited to its conventional supermarkets. Publix now is pushing further into the wellness sector through its new Publix GreenWise Market stores.

The Florida outlets, situated in Palm Beach Gardens, Boca Raton and Tampa, offer extensive arrays of "earth friendly" items, including many natural and organic products.

Meat departments, for instance, have expansive 32-footlong full-service counters containing only natural proteins.

The majority of items in the self-service meat case are natural or organic, and natural proteins also are being added to delis.

Stores also have environmentally friendly elements. The Palm Beach Gardens outlet features skylights and a sensoring system that monitors daylight entering the locations and adjusts fluorescent lighting accordingly.

In addition, locations have secondary coolant systems and refrigerants to reduce ozone-depleting substances and use energy-efficient LED lighting in refrigerated cases, coolers and systems.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Renewable resources, such as bamboo in sales fixtures, also are used whenever possible, the company notes.

A Publix spokesperson says the main GreenWise customers are interested in healthier lifestyles, meal solutions and indulgences.

She notes that the stores are positioned as pilot operations. Products and procedures that prove successful are likely to also be added to traditional Publix outlets. There are 952 Publix stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee.

It is unclear, however, if additional GreenWise locations will open, she states.

W. Frank Dell, president of Dellmart & Co., a Stamford, Conn.-based retail consultancy, says Publix is being prudent in testing a limited number of GreenWise stores.

"You don't want to gamble the whole company on one idea," he states. "We're in a time of changing consumer buying habits so there needs to be a laboratory to study behavior in greater depth and maybe see some...

View this article FREE - Now for a Limited Time, try Goliath Business News
Free for 3 Days!