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storewanderer wrote: ↑October 2nd, 2023, 10:55 pm
I think Publix has more consistently executed so therefore better deli (also priced lower) but bakery assortment/price is a lot better at Safeway (quality... I don't know).
Chains like Publix and Raleys did a good job of image building in the 90's that they were something special, something better. Top rated supermarket in Consumer Reports, etc. Huge image for "quality." In the case of Publix now for decades the organic expansion/slow growth has continued and by all measures they are definitely a very good operator but personally I don't even put them in my top 5. In my top 5 I put not necessarily in top 5 order: Nugget (CA), HEB, Hy Vee, Marianos (really), Wegmans. If I could add 6 I'd put Harmon's in Utah in there.
My top 5 would include L&B, Wegmans, Hy-Vee, Gelson’s, New Seasons. If it weren’t for Kroger’s dumbing down, I’d put Fred Meyer in my top 5.
What would your bottom 5 chains be? Winn-Dixie, Food Lion, Homeland?
Bottom 5 is tough to define. Some of these chains that should be in bottom 5 make improvements and that gets them up higher. Save Mart would have absolutely been at bottom 5 (probably bottom 1) from about 2008-2016 when they started their remodel program then started to upgrade some of their fresh offer then started to run better ads, but there haven't been anywhere near bottom 5 for me for quite a few years now. Homeland definitely doesn't go there, though they have a number of iffy stores, in a lot of places they are your only option next to Wal Mart and they do have acceptable quality produce/bakery/deli items at a number of their stores and you really have to give Homeland credit for being able to stay in business all these years. Winn Dixie probably deserves to be there but they always seem to save it with a few nice stores at some point whenever I am in their territory, and also some decent promotions so I wouldn't put them there either. Food Lion definitely doesn't go there because they don't try to be something they aren't; they run a fair priced very basic store, clean, acceptable private label program; you know going in the fresh departments won't have much.
Maybe a better way to define bottom 5 is a chain I go into and struggle to find anything to buy because the assortment is just boring, the perimeters are completely unappealing/average, and the prices are too high. A couple chains that come to mind where I have that reaction time after time are Giant Eagle and Stop & Shop. Yes they are clean stores, yes they have great in-stock condition, large, modern, have all the departments, etc., but their pricing/mix are so far off that I find them to be completely useless.
veteran+ wrote: ↑October 7th, 2023, 9:06 am
Are your experiences with Publix in S. Florida?
I have not observed or experienced your more positive evaluations in Miami-Dade County.
The further you go north the better it gets. Broward County is a little better and Palm Beach County slightly better.
These southern parts of Florida with Publix are NOT good IMO.
Every busy Publix I've been to has the deli operated in the systematic manner I describe.
The only ones I've seen that didn't operate that way were around Nashville; they hardly had any customers so the deli only had a couple employees.
You might want to visit the stores on Bird Road, Coral Way, Flagler, Little Havana, Miami Beach area and many Southwest and Northwest stores.
Maybe they have straightened those stores out more recently?
I haven't been to them.
My general read is they seem to get basic store operations (clean, neat, stocked) properly. The service is what I notice is much better the further from FL you get, and the newer Publix is in a given market.
Every busy Publix I've been to has the deli operated in the systematic manner I describe.
The only ones I've seen that didn't operate that way were around Nashville; they hardly had any customers so the deli only had a couple employees.
You might want to visit the stores on Bird Road, Coral Way, Flagler, Little Havana, Miami Beach area and many Southwest and Northwest stores.
Maybe they have straightened those stores out more recently?
I haven't been to them.
My general read is they seem to get basic store operations (clean, neat, stocked) properly. The service is what I notice is much better the further from FL you get, and the newer Publix is in a given market.
Yep, that is what I have noticed. The more north you go the more you get the original Publix legend.
There are exceptions and carve outs of course like the Dadeland Publix (almost 2 million a week) and the other big one a little south on Dixie Highway. That could be a reflection of the demands of that very upper class customer base.
BUT (I know both these stores well as a customer and Manager), both those stores have a few too many high maintenance employees with a bad attitude. That attitude is what is overwhelmingly present in TOO many other stores in South Florida.
BTW..............all of my family is in Florida and they have not noticed any improvements.
storewanderer wrote: ↑September 23rd, 2023, 12:04 am
At one point Meijer's share was in the mid teens, not sure why they lost share, probably due to Kroger putting up more large stores/marketplace stores. Publix may think if they could pick off 10% market share it would be worth their while.
Because Meijer doesn't cover the entire market like the others do. Meijer generally sticks to the subruban areas. Within whatever they consider their relevant market area to be, I'm sure they do fine.
