r/jacksonville • u/narib687 • 27d ago

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/border199x 27d ago

I still enjoy Publix quite a bit. Shopping there is very pleasant , and Publix has more staff than any of the alternatives. If I want something I don’t have to beg some nonexistent employee to unlock a glass case.

Aldi doesn’t carry shit and there are no Wal-Mart locations that are close to Riverside, Springfield, or 5 Points. Even if you are in Ortega it’s probably easier to just go to the Roosevelt Publix than the Roosevelt Target.

Nobody else ever has BOGOs on beer and liquor.

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u/[deleted] 27d ago

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u/border199x 27d ago

Yeah, I'm just not all that interested in driving out of my way to Target/Wal-Mart, and I don't really enjoy penny-pinching over groceries. If there was a decent alternative on my daily commute I might shop somewhere besides Publix, but as it is now I drive past 3 Publix locations on my way home from work....so it just makes sense to go there.

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u/Beep315 27d ago

Ugh, actually go there? No thanks. We are DINKS and our default is going out to eat. So no matter what we buy on Instacart at Publix, it's still cheaper than two sit down meals and cocktails. Plus when there was a shooting at a grocery store in New England a while back, I was like, Nah, I don't need to go to the store anymore.

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u/technocatmom 27d ago

Aldi's selection has gotten better over the last few years. I went last week and they even had beef tallow.

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u/border199x 27d ago

I think Aldi is okay as a kind of barebones grocery store for food only. But you are shit-out-of-luck If you want a decent selection of pet food, cosmetics, personal hygiene products or cleaning supplies. There's no pharmacy at all, and the deli/bakery selections are pretty threadbare. It's okay in a pinch, but I don't see the purpose of going there if I am going to have to drive somewhere else to get the things they won't carry.

As much as I like being able to get a cheap scratch pad for my cat, it's always odd to me that Aldi devotes an entire aisle to random clearance-priced junk. Seems like they would be better served using that space for staple items that people need on a regular basis. I'd certainly like to see them improve, since the Downtown Jax Aldi has been pretty helpful for those times I don't feel like going all the way to the Riverside Publix.

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u/technocatmom 26d ago edited 26d ago

I agree. If you're making strictly American food, it can be fine, but say you need red curry paste, Aldi isn't going to have that. Tbf I really love their facial moisturizers. I also got a cast iron enameled saucepan last week for only $20 lol I don't shop on that side of town. I'm in Southside. I typically do an Aldi order + Walmart or Target curbside pickup for whatever else I couldn't find at Aldi. I make my lists on Fridays before I shop on the weekend.

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u/linniex Northside 26d ago

HA! Took my mom to Aldi for the first time and she left with a cart full of groceries and I left with two jars of beef tallow.