Anyone else feel like shopping at Publix is a luxury?

[Farrar]

To me, it's all about Costco. But I probably spend as much money at Giant since it's just a couple blocks away. And the Giant is fine. Two of the ladies there asked me how the kids were doing. They have pretty much everything. It's fine, the prices are low. Plus sometimes you don't need a metric ton of apples or a gross of sugar or whatever or absurd amounts of whatever they're selling.

[cjzimmer1]

Piggly Wiggly stores are rare now. They tend to be a lot smaller and often don't survive when a bigger store moves into the area.

 

In the big cities around here, Piggly Wiggly's have been shoved out but in all the small towns around me they are alive and well.  I can think of at least 3 that have gone through major renovations and expansions in the last five years including one in the same city as a Walmart Supercenter.  But there are easily a dozen or more of them that I am aware of within an hour from me.  But I would believe that the brand is not a popular as it once was.

 

[ScoutTN]

When I lived in Nashville, I loved Harris Teeter. :)  The store near us used to make the best pimento cheese.  It was kind of spicy and so addictive.

 

Amelia Island (NE Florida near Georgia) has a Harris Teeter.  I always go when I'm there. :)

 

The HT in Brentwood went under, but I think the one near Vandy is still doing well. I loved HT when my kids were little and I could email in my order and drive by to pick it up! Absolutely worth the $5. 

 

Fresh Market is very nice too, but $$$. I try not to go in there. 

[FloridaLisa]

I do my bulk shopping at Costco and then fill in with trips to Publix. And yes, friendly, helpful, rainchecks, clean is worth it but I shop mostly BOGOs or produce. I don't do meat there and we don't buy very much processed.  I used to really coupon but found I was buying more and more processed food. I stopped couponing and try to stick to fairly whole foods. 

 

Lisa

[SeaConquest]

Well, we have 4 in our metro.  The newest ones are glorious and gorgeous.  Really, they're the top end of luxury grocery stores.  Deli/eat in section is amazing.  Produce is gorgeous. We have an older one and that one is smaller and the selection is smaller.  It's more large co-op sized.   The aisles are narrow and it's hard to get around in there.  The building is kind of shabby. But the produce quality is still super awesome and I still pickup basics there.  Coincidentally, that one is being rebuilt/moved to a much larger location less than a mile away (both are less than 5 miles from our house) this year.

 

Anyway, I've definitely never had any experience like that at any of our local 4 Whole Foods.  And I don't think WF is the be all/end all.  I have some issues with it.  I do like it for some things though.

 

We have 4 in our metro area, and I have never had a bad experience. The food and customer service are fantastic. One time, my 6 year old DS came down with a stomach flu while I was shopping. He had diarrhea in his pants, and I don't carry an extra change of clothes with me. My son was mortified that he had pooped his pants. The people at WF not only helped me clean up the mess, but they gave me a pack of adult diapers and a pair of pants from the kids section for him to wear home -- free of charge. I will be a lifetime customer. 

[DragonFaerie]

I LOVE Publix.  I don't do my regular shopping there (it's expensive without sales and a bit of a drive for me), but I shop their BOGO deals often.  I have to drive a ways to get there, but the experience is SO worth it.  The store is bright and clean.  The employees are nice and go out of their way to be helpful.  My mom needs to use one of their riding carts, and they ALWAYS follow her out to the car, help her put the groceries in the car, and take the cart back in for her.  Not only that, but they almost always offer to unload her groceries at the register for her, too.  Did I mention I LOVE Publix? 

[ondreeuh]

Waah! We have Fred Meyer (Kroger), Carr's (Safeway), Walmart, and 3 Bears (Costco). That is it, and none of them have good prices. Some things are so ridiculous that I think they are all in cahoots to keep prices high. That's Alaska for you.

 

i would love a Trader Joes!

[Mom-ninja.]

Publix doesn't seem more expensive than elsewhere to me. I hate Kroger. The stores near us are dirty and gross.

 

This. I don't get why people say Publix is so much more expensive. Every time I walk into a Winn Dixie I am shocked at the high prices. Gobsmacked. The gf stuff is so much more expensive. I've been in Target and it is comparable to Publix. I can find better deals at Publix even. 

 

I've price compared and Publix is on par withe other stores. 

[ssavings]

The only grocery store within 10 minutes of me is Publix Greenwise. I shop there, so I am a bit spoiled. It costs more, but I justify that because I'm not driving further.

[Jenny in Florida]

Huh.

 

I shop at Publix semi-regularly and haven't noticed that it's any more expensive than other regular grocery stores in our area. Aldi is cheaper, of course, on the items I can buy there. But it's a pretty small range of stuff. Ditto with SuperTarget.

 

All of this may have something to do with the specific stuff I buy, though. We're a veg*n household. So, I don't buy meat or milk or most dairy products, except some cheese and sour cream for my husband. Until fairly recently, we have bought very few processed items. I also buy mostly generics. The price of a bag of store brand dried black beans just doesn't vary a whole lot.

[Kari C in SC]

The key to shopping at publix to to only buy what is on sale. Even without coupons their BOGOs are cheaper than Walmart brand. Of course, this takes a bit of planning. When something is on sale, I buy enough to last till the next sale. I never, ever pay full price for anything at Publix. I do also use my Sam's club membership for meat and other things that I do better with price there. I have not shopped Aldis, so I can't compare pricing to there.

[AmandaVT]

Well without giving too much info a way, lets just say I live awfully close to their headquarters so I suspect they pay a lot of attention to their stores around here.

 

We had them also where I lived in CT, but they weren't as nice, but their prices weren't as high either.  The expensive place where I used to live was Stop & Shop.

 

Price Choppers here is the bottom of the barrel grocery store. Dirty, bad produce section, etc. 

 

I miss Stop and Shop!! We had a ton of them in RI, but none up here. 

 

Shaws was the nice grocery store when we first moved here, but it's gone downhill a bunch since they were bought out by Albertsons a couple of years back. 

 

Hannafords is really nice and the people that work there are always nice and super helpful. I've been told they're actually treated like humans by their employers, so that's good. 

 

Trader Joe's is over a half hour away, but it's worth it for the price and quality. I usually get some stuff at Hannafords and the rest at TJ's. 

[Tsuga]

Is it more than Kroger's? Our Kroger's are a great deal and quite nice. They aren't the cheapest, but their labor gets paid fair wages.

 

I hate Whole Foods (I mean are you flipping kidding me at those prices, I'm not an idiot, I KNOW HOW MUCH ORGANIC BRUSSELS SPROUTS COST). I hate Walmart (thanks for the savings, I just love keeping a nickel in my pocket while your workers will take it out of my taxes in food stamps, not).

 

Krogers' brands are clean, well stocked, carry all the brands, and still have sales. Trader Joe's is not bad, either.

[waa510]

We had a Publix in FL and I agree that it's a luxury. I found Publix fans to be diehards like those with Trader Joe's. You're definitely paying for the more pleasant experience. However, as a homeschool mom, I'm always bringing my crazy brigade with me so I'm not sure even Publix could make shopping altogether pleasant. ;)

 

I'm a cheapo and shopped at Walmart. It just didn't seem worth it to pay more for the same food. 

 

[Elfknitter.#]

Clearly, I live somewhere you all do not. Only one person mentioned Stater Bros and Von's (who to me is overpriced).

 

Our Krogers is called Ralph's. Growing up, there were Safeways, but I think they are Von's now. No Publix or equivalent. No Aldi's. Fresh and Easy was owned by Tesco til they sold it last year. Whole Foods is Whole Paycheck. I prefer Sprouts if I want something like that. Love Trader Joe's. We also have Albertson's, although some are called Hagen now. Bristol Farms is a drive and at prices not in my budget (like Gelson's).

[Amira]

The only grocery store I can rave about in any part of the US I've lived in is Winco. I wish it weren't just in the western US. I do like BJs a lot though, much more than Costco. I wish they were in the western US. :)

 

Mostly I like it when I don't have to shop in a big grocery store at all.

[ktgrok]

I adore Publix. Adore it. I do sometimes spend a bit more, and i'm okay with it. I don't get manicures or drink wine or whatever, shopping at Publix is a luxury I will pay for, and we are lucky enough to have the budget for it. I am in there often 4-5 days a week. The cashiers know the kids. The bakery lady is like a second grandmother to my kids, and is so sweet to me. The kids get free cookies when you go (one each) and the older women at the bakery LOVE giving them out. I always make my kids say thank you and they just dote on them. The aisles are clean, nothing is is sticky, nothing is out of date. When I couldn't find red sprinkles around valentines day (they were sold out, not something that usually happens there) the check out girl had the bakery bring me a plastic container of them from their stash, for free. The bathrooms are clean. When I had small kids to wrangle in the check out line they would empty my cart onto the conveyer belt so I could keep my hand on my squirmy kid in the basket seat. 

 

They always have what I need, they always are available to ask a question, and there is NEVER a hassle. Or a long wait to check out. And they give cookies and baloons. Love them. Worth my sanity. Oh, and their generics are always wonderful, no problems, so I do save money there. I pretty much always buy Publix brand rather than name brand. 

[Serenade]

I will miss Publix and their BOGO when I move. Check out Iheartpublix for the sale and coupon matchup each week. You can save $$$ if you shop the sales. I routinely save 60% each week. If you shop just the BOGO, you'll save 50%.

 

I don't have a Publix, but this is how I shop at Harris Teeter -- loss leaders & BOGO, along with other sale items.  My shopping ends up being cheaper at Harris Teeter than at Food Lion and Walmart, the low end stores where I live.  

 

Wegman' looks impressive.  It reminds me of the HEB I once had the privilege of visiting.  Swoon.  Why can't we get anything like that in NC?    Oh heck, I live in small town NC.  I'd just be happy for a Harris Teeter that didn't require a half hour drive.  

[MooCow]

Clearly, I live somewhere you all do not. Only one person mentioned Stater Bros and Von's (who to me is overpriced).

 

Our Krogers is called Ralph's. Growing up, there were Safeways, but I think they are Von's now. No Publix or equivalent. No Aldi's. Fresh and Easy was owned by Tesco til they sold it last year. Whole Foods is Whole Paycheck. I prefer Sprouts if I want something like that. Love Trader Joe's. We also have Albertson's, although some are called Hagen now. Bristol Farms is a drive and at prices not in my budget (like Gelson's).

Do you remember Lucky's or Food for Less? The first time I shopped at FFL, I was like, ummmmm, why isn't anyone bagging my groceries?! Lol

[Laura Corin]

Publix sounds a lot like Waitrose that we have here in the UK. I don't think of shopping there as a luxury as the prices of the main brands are mostly the same but they just don't carry really cheap versions of items and go far into high end options. You can spend a lot of money but you don't have to. Their own brand is also really good quality but not too pricey whereas many other supermarket own brands are not that great. They're great for cooks as they carry all the more unusual ingredients. 

 

Envy wafting south to you.  Our nearest Waitrose is over an hour away in Edinburgh - wouldn't you know that it is at the gates of Fettes College?

 

We are getting an M&S Food, which I will step into with great circumspection; at least I can get my bras with free delivery.

[Seasider]

My favorite pottery dishes are from Publix. It honestly does feel like a treat to be able to pick up items like that at a grocery store. But, somehow, dishes from Publix seem more fun than dishes from WalMart.

[lailasmum]

Envy wafting south to you.  Our nearest Waitrose is over an hour away in Edinburgh - wouldn't you know that it is at the gates of Fettes College?

 

We are getting an M&S Food, which I will step into with great circumspection; at least I can get my bras with free delivery.

We're getting a new huge Waitrose next year and they do seem to be opening more and more stores, hopefully they'll head more your way. They took while to arrive here in the first place, I think it was very south east based for a while. Almost seems like they dip their toe into a new area then expand around that area. Where my husband lives during the week (Near Bath) they just got a store just last year-it used to be a very run down co-op. 

[Susan in TN]

Yes, Publix is great. I have been there once in the past year when their price on frozen turkeys was the best in the area, plus they actually had 25lb turkeys.

 

I have come to prefer Aldi for my weekly shopping. Price is the biggest factor overall, but the smaller size and limited selection also help me get the shopping done more quickly with less brain fatigue. :)

 

Kroger is my second choice, as the prices are generally lowest on the things I can't get at Aldi. They often have chicken thigh quarters for .99/lb and we sometimes find meats and bakery goods on "manager's special" clearance.

 

There are some things I buy on occasion at Whole Foods - organic lollipops and vit. C drops, gjetost (Norwegian brown cheese), and liquid stevia. Dd8 calls it "The Magical Organic Store". :D

[Cinder]

It reminds me of the HEB I once had the privilege of visiting.  Swoon. 

 

Ooh, I forgot about HEB! We lived in TX many years ago. I loved their flavored coffee--the ones inspired by and named for TX cities. And it was my go-to for fast food Chinese because at that time it was the only decent fast-food Chinese in that town.

[MedicMom]

I live within a 20 minute drive of three Wegman's. One of which is five minutes away from the station I work out of.

 

Me and those $6 meals are best friends. And the bakery...

The bakery has killed my thighs.

 

(also they are consistently rated a great place to work, and my friends who have worked there agree)

[Journey]

I don't know anything about publix because they don't have them around where I live but if you think they are nice you should go into a Wegmans!  They are from my area and are the top of the line from what I understand about other grocery stores!  I'm used to them so they are no big deal but apparently they are a bid deal!

[mathmarm]

When ever we are in an area with a Publix my mom demands to shop at Publix. Its the senior citizens Theme Park to hear her talk about it--but yes, we love it too. But my mom--well, if Publix were a person my parents would probably have to open their marriage or divorce, lol.

[Guest]

We moved out of FL so we no longer have access to Publix. I miss their Pub Subs. 

[Rebel Yell]

Publix is certainly nicer than the other conventional grocery stores in the area, but it's no Wegmans. Sigh.

 

http://www.buzzfeed.com/emleschh/21-reasons-you-should-join-the-wegmans-cult-11s0y#.qmoQeKZy0

 

WEGMAN'S!  There isn;t one nar me, but when we went to Erie PA on vacation, I FELL IN LOVE!  When it was my night to pick dinner for the group, I went to Wegman's and bought a variety of take-out from their hot buffet and we ate it in the room. :drool5:

[Elfknitter.#]

Do you remember Lucky's or Food for Less? The first time I shopped at FFL, I was like, ummmmm, why isn't anyone bagging my groceries?! Lol

 

Yup. There's a FFL a few miles from me. Heck, I'm so old, I remember Alpha Beta...

 

Someone else mentioned Winco. There's one about 20 minutes from me. Love it!

[EmseB]

I don't have a Publix or a Wegman's nearby, but I have to say that if I start thinking about it for very long grocery stores in general (even the "crappy" ones) totally amaze me.  Just tons and tons of food right at our fingertips.  It makes me think we live in an amazing time, compared to most people in the world and most of human history.

[Seasider]

Am I the only one thinking that I just might have to go on expedition to this legendary Wegman's?

 

That will be our North Atlantic tour: all the great landmarks of colonial history aaaaaannnndd...... Wegman's.

[stephanier.1765]

I usually shop at the commissary but we when we want subs or fried chicken we head to Publix. Love that place and wish I could shop there on a regular basis. The other day I was in there for subs but I needed a couple other things as well and discovered a new salad dressing that I just love. And since I've never seen it anywhere else, I guess I'll be heading to Publix when I run out.

 

We just had an Aldi open nearby so my next shopping trip will be there.

[umsami]

When ever we are in an area with a Publix my mom demands to shop at Publix. Its the senior citizens Theme Park to hear her talk about it--but yes, we love it too. But my mom--well, if Publix were a person my parents would probably have to open their marriage or divorce, lol.

 

LOL  :D

 

The only grocery store I can rave about in any part of the US I've lived in is Winco. I wish it weren't just in the western US. I do like BJs a lot though, much more than Costco. I wish they were in the western US. :)

 

Mostly I like it when I don't have to shop in a big grocery store at all.

 

I loved BJs.  When we were in upstate NY there was no Costco, so we tried BJs.  They had more reasonable sizes, too.

 

This. I don't get why people say Publix is so much more expensive. Every time I walk into a Winn Dixie I am shocked at the high prices. Gobsmacked. The gf stuff is so much more expensive. I've been in Target and it is comparable to Publix. I can find better deals at Publix even. 

 

I've price compared and Publix is on par withe other stores. 

 

Winn-Dixie is 1000x worse, unless it's on sale.

 

The HT in Brentwood went under, but I think the one near Vandy is still doing well. I loved HT when my kids were little and I could email in my order and drive by to pick it up! Absolutely worth the $5. 

 

Fresh Market is very nice too, but $$$. I try not to go in there. 

 

I used to go to the one near Vandy.  They didn't have a Fresh Market at the time.  Fresh Market is insane.  They did used to have this really good cake.  We used to buy it for bdays at work. :)

[MaeFlowers]

We shop at Publix most of the time and I don't see the huge price differences. We have a Kroger the same distance away but in the other direction. I just don't like the layout and their milk makes us have stomach aches (no idea why). We rarely shop at Walmart. It's too far away, their produce is nasty and we end up spending more while getting less?

I have to admit, I don't get WF, either. Wegman'a, on the other hand, looks awesome!

 

Sent from my 0PJA2 using Tapatalk

[Heathermomster]

I prefer Stator Brothers or Von's, but they are only in the west.

 

When we vacationed in Fl,the Publix was uber expensive compared their Own stores in other states....I've always wanted to go to a Piggly Wiggly....I like the name ☺

Piggie Wiggies aren't that great.  They are just as expensive as Publix, loaded with redneck charm, but without the excellent selection of craft brew.  Ours was wiped out for the 2nd time during the April tornado outbreak three years go.   They opted not to rebuild.

[purpleowl]

Piggly Wiggly story: DH had heard me mention Piggly Wiggly, as we'd had one in my hometown when I was growing up, but he'd never seen one.  But there's a gas station here called Hogly Wogly (I think it just uses one G per word).  So DH had decided that Piggly Wiggly must be a gas station.  And then one day I mentioned how I had fond memories of going to Piggly Wiggly and getting a free cookie from the bakery section when I was a kid.  He was very confused.  :lol:

 

My sister in Maryland shops at a Wegman's.  I didn't realize it was A Super Special Store and that I should envy her.  Hmm.

[Night Elf]

We shop at Publix most of the time and I don't see the huge price differences. We have a Kroger the same distance away but in the other direction. I just don't like the layout and their milk makes us have stomach aches (no idea why). We rarely shop at Walmart. It's too far away, their produce is nasty and we end up spending more while getting less?

I have to admit, I don't get WF, either. Wegman'a, on the other hand, looks awesome!

 

Sent from my 0PJA2 using Tapatalk

 

My mom told me she read Publix milk was almost organic I guess. It's supposed to not have hormones in it.

[mommaduck]

I love Publix. We don't have one in town, so I have no way of getting to it. It's expensive, but it's also the only place you can buy certain things outside of going further into the city to a Costco, Earthfare, WholeFoods, or Trader Joe's. We only have an IGA, Walmart, and a sucky Bi-Lo here. People here are too darn poor to buy from Publix and many companies that have looked at the town, have decided not to put a business in here because the minimum wage workers aren't up to par.

[MooCow]

I love Publix. We don't have one in town, so I have no way of getting to it. It's expensive, but it's also the only place you can buy certain things outside of going further into the city to a Costco, Earthfare, WholeFoods, or Trader Joe's. We only have an IGA, Walmart, and a sucky Bi-Lo here. People here are too darn poor to buy from Publix and many companies that have looked at the town, have decided not to put a business in here because the minimum wage workers aren't up to par.

I have never seen a Publix in a lower income area, or a Ralph's.

[mommaduck]

I miss Giant. We had a gorgeous Giant in PA that was like Publix. Slightly less expensive, and more variety. It was where everyone could get to it. 

[Susan in TN]

WEGMAN'S! There isn;t one nar me, but when we went to Erie PA on vacation, I FELL IN LOVE! When it was my night to pick dinner for the group, I went to Wegman's and bought a variety of take-out from their hot buffet and we ate it in the room. :drool5:

I wonder if Wegman's is like Byerly's in Minneapolis? Are they still around? Very nice store (perhaps the only one in the area where people bagged your groceries for you). I worked in their bakery one summer and boy, did they have some nice pastries! Also their beer cheese soup in the cafe was to die for.

[KungFuPanda]

I don't think I've ever seen a Publix. Harris Teeter was our nicest store until we got a Wegman's. It IS all that. After Wegman's we got a Whole Foods. I don't get Whole Foods. They don't seem to carry ANYTHING I can't get elsewhere for less. Wegman's is nicer and has better deals. Honestly, though, I do 80% of my shopping at Food Lion. It's small and cheap and I can go from having no milk in the house to having new milk in 15 minutes.

[AndyJoy]

The only grocery store I can rave about in any part of the US I've lived in is Winco. I wish it weren't just in the western US. I do like BJs a lot though, much more than Costco. I wish they were in the western US. :)

 

Mostly I like it when I don't have to shop in a big grocery store at all.

I am so glad to have returned to the land of WINCO!!!!!! It's less than 2 miles away. Luxurious and grocery store don't fit together in a sentence to me ;) WINCO here is cheap and clean and open 24 hrs so I can avoid crowds. And I love the bulk foods selection and great prices on deli meat.

[jewellsmommy]

I puffy heart love Harris Teeter.  I don't see much of anything in the Wegman's pictures that looks much (if any) better than our local HT.  I almost panicked a couple of years ago when Kroger bought HT, but thankfully they don't seem to have changed a thing.  Prices are a little higher than other places, but they have very good sales and the customer service is outstanding.

 

I personally don't get the love of Whole Foods.  I just don't.

 

Yep. Our neighborhood is 2 blocks from a HT. I love the buy 2 get 3 free sales and that they double coupons. I shop there about 80% of the time.

[StaceyinLA]

We don't have Publix here. I do Whole Foods and Trader Joe's most of the time for whatever I can't buy at our farmer's market.

[JulieA97]

I grew up going to Harris Teeter. And then moved out of the area for a while. I remember complaining to coworkers that I couldn't find a grocery store that actually took groceries out of the cart for me and I was forced to put them on the conveyer belt myself. Oh the horror! ;). I still can't stand doing that. Totally, completely spoiled by Harris Teeter!

 

I moved back and had a few years of wonderful Harris Teeter shopping and then they closed the stores in my town. I think I cried. They have realized the error of their ways though and are building another one here next year. AND we are getting a Publix. Can. Not. Wait. All we have now is Walmart, Aldi, a yucky Bi Lo and a pretty good Food Lion. I refuse to shop at any one of our 3 ( count them 3!!) Walmarts.

 

I think if you have only known Harris Teeter or Publix prices, it doesn't bother you. With sales and coupons it's really not bad at all and I trust the things I get there. Plus there is something to be said for clean, nicely lit stores that have what you need and fantastic service. I will probably go to the new Harris Teeter when it finally opens mostly with occasional visits to Publix. After all, HT will unload the cart for me while I have to do it myself at Publix ;)

[Elfknitter.#]

I grew up going to Harris Teeter. And then moved out of the area for a while. I remember complaining to coworkers that I couldn't find a grocery store that actually took groceries out of the cart for me and I was forced to put them on the conveyer belt myself. Oh the horror! ;). I still can't stand doing that. Totally, completely spoiled by Harris Teeter!

 

I moved back and had a few years of wonderful Harris Teeter shopping and then they closed the stores in my town. I think I cried. They have realized the error of their ways though and are building another one here next year. AND we are getting a Publix. Can. Not. Wait. All we have now is Walmart, Aldi, a yucky Bi Lo and a pretty good Food Lion. I refuse to shop at any one of our 3 ( count them 3!!) Walmarts.

 

I think if you have only known Harris Teeter or Publix prices, it doesn't bother you. With sales and coupons it's really not bad at all and I trust the things I get there. Plus there is something to be said for clean, nicely lit stores that have what you need and fantastic service. I will probably go to the new Harris Teeter when it finally opens mostly with occasional visits to Publix. After all, HT will unload the cart for me while I have to do it myself at Publix ;)

:blink: A grocery store that unloads your items from the cart to the conveyer belt? Is that the kind of grocery store where one tips the bagger?

[Vida Winter]

Publix was a luxury back in the 70s so I imagine it still is. Back then they closed on Sundays. Haven't lived in the south for many years but I miss Publix!

[KungFuPanda]

Not all Wegman's are created equally. I remember going to the Syracuse Wegman's and being soooo disappointed. There were no hot food bars, no area set aside full of bistro tables, no coffee shop, no sushi guys with the hats, no lobster tanks, no expansive bakery section (again, with the hats). It was JUST a grocery store. I was disappointed.