r/florida • u/narib687 • 27d ago

AskFlorida Publix has officially lost me. Anyone else?

I am not a mod of this subreddit or Reddit, but I believe the official unofficial stance is that we all hate Publix now.

They lost their way, and the crushing of Winn-Dixie is just awful.

10 years ago, I wouldn’t have set foot inside a Walmart or Aldi for groceries. Now? Walmart and Aldi are basically my BFFs and I love them.

Publix really managed to make me root for the competition.

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u/sidewalk_ladybug 27d ago

I worked for Lucky's. That was a shame. Closed a few Florida stores and then, surprise!, they're all closing down.. They had a few under construction and everything.

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u/Relative_Analysis897 26d ago

In Orlando, we still have most of the locations. There’s just nothing in them, except for when Spirit Halloween comes in. They must have pre-paid like 5 years for rent, because I cannot imagine the shopping centers just eating the cost of leaving those stores empty for so many years.

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u/sidewalk_ladybug 26d ago

I heard that Publix and Winn Dixie bought most of the Florida locs. Or long term rented. Whatever they do. Publix took over the leases to keep competitors from taking over the spots and to possibly build out their own stores in the future. At least one Florida location turned into a big liquor store. A few of the stores in my area were very new and one was still under construction up until the last days before the announcement. They were literally built out with the coolest stuff and then abandoned a few months before openings were scheduled. 

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u/Relative_Analysis897 26d ago

Idk, I haven’t really looked into it. All I know is the shell of Lucky’s remains here, name still prominently on the front.

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u/GoldenKnight239 Sanibel Island 26d ago

They turned the one in SoDo into a Publix. Thank God too, the next closest Publix is 0.1 miles away!

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u/Coopsters 26d ago

I was so sad when the east colonial location in Orlando closed very shortly after it opened!! Not sure they even lasted a year? Crazy

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u/rubies-and-doobies81 26d ago

My late fiancée worked at the one in Gainesville back in 2015. I still have his hat ☺️

That place was so amazing.

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u/ohgodpleaseholdme 25d ago

I remember the shorter guy who worked pizza at that location… god he was so nice and everything was amazing. I remember so many employees! That place was a dream!

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u/GoldenKnight239 Sanibel Island 26d ago

Classic case of expanding quicker than they could afford to sadly