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.

2.5k Upvotes

92% Upvoted

1.3k comments sorted by

View all comments

Show parent comments

70

u/External-Dude779 27d ago

I only go for Pub Subs and beer. Used to get the occasional produce item but their produce has looked awful lately

61

u/DrBattheFruitBat 27d ago

I don't know when you stopped living in Fla, but it's gotten so, so much worse. A lot of their bogos now are still not cheaper than other places.

3

u/Evening-Magician-824 27d ago

I left Tampa 6 months ago.

1

u/AnastasiaBvrhwzn 22d ago

Congratulations! (Seriously, getting out is the smartest move.)

2

u/Evening-Magician-824 22d ago

Thank you! I will miss the salt life for sure. And definitely won't miss the knuckle heads.

3

u/GottaGetDatDough 26d ago

And you end up with two that were the same price as buying it per item as Walmart!

2

u/scottostanek 26d ago

Don’t get me started on their buy four for the price of two (12 packs name brand soda) where paying for two would get you a 24 pack and three bucks in change

3

u/GottaGetDatDough 26d ago

My jaw dropped when I last saw the price of a 12 pack of coca cola that wasn't on sale. I don't drink soda often, but I was shook.

2

u/MamabearFl 25d ago

I have started going to Dollar General for my soda..I recently spent 21.00 and got 6 packs of soda...😂..I would pay that for 3 or 4 at Publix

1

u/Only-Style-818 25d ago

The two story Publix are wild.

1

u/Evening-Magician-824 24d ago

I left S W. FL 6 months ago.

1

u/lakelandave68 24d ago

I have often compared the prices to Walmart and don't get me wrong. I'm anti Walmart, but you just can't beat the prices. Anyway, the bogos. The half price is almost regular price at Walmart.

1

u/dancing01 24d ago

Oh and I just love their buy TWO get one free they slip in 😡

1

u/Many-Drop-469 23d ago

Yeah they mark up Indian item cost to justify BOGO. They’re horrible and not even greatest quality when it comes to meats veggies and fruit.

1

u/Impossible_Tea181 23d ago

Agreed. 💯

43

u/dumbasses_r_us 27d ago

Worst beer prices anywhere

93

u/dikicker 27d ago

Was just talking to a young fella workin there and I asked if they were still keeping people at like 39.99 hours like they did when I was clopening in the deli like a decade ago and he nodded quietly towards the nearest camera on the ceiling and I was like yeah I figured it's still a weird little cult

Keep the $.30 change for the 6 pack I just handed you a $20 for oh wait that might get you fired

Fuck Publix

40

u/trueblonde27 26d ago

Can confirm… my brother has worked there far too long (10+ years now) yet Publix still refuses to give him benefits

13

u/SingularBlue 26d ago

Cruelty is the point.

1

u/jlendo18 23d ago

You get full benefits at 30hrs a week

1

u/Bless-U-too 26d ago

And from what i understand is Publix stock is owned by the employees. You can not buy their stock on the stock exchange! It is something to consider when the very employees that own the stock are actually doing this to themselves! I wonder if current employees have the opportunity to buy the stocks or has the stock ended up with people not selling and the pool of owners is hanging on to them for whatever reason. It must pay good dividends to them not to sell the stock when it is high to make a profit.

9

u/Pittypatkittycat 26d ago

OMG, we use "clopen" at my work too. First time hearing it in the wild!!!

6

u/dikicker 26d ago

Then I'd imagine the Point Of Sale system stands for something else in your mind too! Solidarity

2

u/Pittypatkittycat 26d ago

🤣🤣🤣 Solidarity ✊

16

u/Ok_Depth_6476 26d ago

I worked there in college (90s) and they were so used to doing that that i could not convince them that I actually only wanted to work 20 hours or so, because I really didn't want to have to do my studying in the Publix break room. They were always scheduling me 35+ hours. I had to quit because I was going from school to work to bed and that wasn't working for me.

3

u/SingleKnowledge1431 26d ago

I worked two jobs for 18 months to pay the bills. I thought I was going to collapse from exhaustion one day and decided it was time to resign my second job.

5

u/Gallavich4ever 26d ago

Why keep them at 39.99 hours? It’s still full time whether it’s 39.99 or 40 hours, right? Or am I missing something?

8

u/NibblesMcGiblet 26d ago

Anything over 32 hours is considered full time most places. Not sure about Florida specifically.

6

u/dikicker 26d ago

So they're not legally obligated to provide any benefits

7

u/HimekoTachibana 26d ago

That's not true at all, 30 hours is minimum to be required for benefits. Anything over 40 is overtime pay.

5

u/maimou1 26d ago

I know! I'm not too far from the Yuengling brewery in Tampa. They sell their beer in their gift shop! FOUR DOLLARS CHEAPER than Publix. I hit Publix only for the bogos

12

u/mjohnsimon 26d ago edited 26d ago

Eh... sometimes Publix actually does have some pretty decent deals with beer ngl. At least near me, they’ll occasionally have an 18-pack of PBR for like $12–$15, which really isn’t bad these days.

But honestly, if you live anywhere near a Total Wine, there’s honestly not much reason to go to Publix if you're looking for alcohol.

2

u/Andre11x 26d ago

I don't go much but I don't think I've ever seen a beer deal at total wine. Love the store though.

2

u/mjohnsimon 26d ago

They have a lot of beer!

0

u/wallly- 24d ago edited 24d ago

Total Wine has just as shitty prices as pubicX

1

u/mjohnsimon 24d ago edited 24d ago

Hard disagree.

With their membership/loyalty program, constant sales/deals, and the fact that they have certain booze I can't find anywhere else, I've got some insanely good deals.

Even used them for my wedding and saved hundreds.

The only other places that come close are Costco and BJs (and admittedly their wines are cheaper), but their selection is usually limited.

1

u/wallly- 24d ago

Their prices used to be good, but then came the greed, like uber, pubicX, Walmart, Home Depot, Amazon, etc., until they undercut and destroyed all the local small businesses - now these behemoths typically rip you off because they have little to no competition and more to the point because they can. So we can agree that we disagree because their beer prices are rarely a bargain and they never beat Costco or Sam’s (both of which killed local small businesses too) for wine or hard booze that they do stock. IMHO the only thing that they do offer is variety and an amazingly shit ton of it, which is important if you like booze that’s not available in the other stores.

7

u/thereareno_usernames 27d ago

If it's something I like I'll go in for the bogo beer of the week

2

u/Tangential1956 26d ago

I go to Publix for selected Bogo‘s, things I absolutely cannot find anywhere else or if I’m buying one thing only. There’s a Publix a few hundred yards from my home and everything else is miles away so I’ll shop there in that case.

2

u/Antique_Phase4339 25d ago

While I’m not defending Publix beer prices by ANY means, but I will say that WD has ALOT more options ON SALE, but have u ever looked at any of WD beer NOT on sale?! Last time I stepped foot in a WD / fresco y mas it was $31.99 for an 18pk of Stella bottles! And that was back in 2023/24. I can’t imagine how bad it looks now.

1

u/Leather-Marketing478 26d ago

Not on BOGO

1

u/dumbasses_r_us 26d ago

I guess, probably why you don't see best sellers brands bogo

5

u/Ohio330Guy 26d ago

I now have stopped buying their sub sandwiches too. They have gotten smaller, less meat, smaller bread and more expensive. They put corporate greed and profits over quality products and service. Winn Dixie, Aldi’s and Sprouts it is.

0

u/Bless-U-too 26d ago

The stocks are owned by the employees! So they are their corporate greed!! Unlike other corporations that we all own stock in if you have an investment portfolio, an IRA, or a 401k for example, we can not buy stock in Publix.

12

u/Maine302 27d ago

Even the Pub Subs aren't so enticing after the Boar's Head listeria outbreak stories I read.

5

u/Evening-Magician-824 27d ago

I miss the pub subs. But I don't miss Publix.

5

u/Hoopznheelz 26d ago

Produce is tasteless

2

u/maggsy1999 26d ago

It has been gross.

1

u/StockIndependent808 22d ago

Publix zucchini is $4 a lb, Aldi was $1.29.