Publix to buy 49 Florida Albertsons stores

[I-275westcoastfl]

Originally Posted by ljc

It has only been since 2001 that publix has sucked to work. When the grandson of the founder took over, he changed the company's mentality of the employee is the most important thing to the nickle, dime, and dollar! When I worked for publix I met a man who worked with the founder and his son. He told me that both were very nice to work with. But the grandson is mecurial(moody) and doesn't take after his father nor grandfather. Publix has trouble keeping their help due to the way management treats them and the company nickeling and diming their employees. I worked in a store in Florida.
The company had 3 different zones where pay varied in each zone just for the state of florida! I could understand having different zones for each state but in one state! The mood of the company comes from the top. Publix is not a pleasant place to work for most employees. In my store alone, in about a year and a half, two grocery department managers retired from publix young because they were fed up. Another assistant department manager in the bakery retired young after giving a months notice and not fullfilling the time due to disgust with publix. Even though every year publix makes the list of 100 top companies to work by some magazine, its inaccurate statistically. Seventy percent of the info comes from publix corporate. The number of employees surveyed is not enough to be statistically accurate-400 in a company of over 100,000! My wife and I see management treating employees bad right in the open these days! Eventually it will hit the bottom line and cause PUblix's growth to slow down. But, hey it still is a pleasant place to shop. Where else can I go shop for food and empty my whole wallet for just a half a dozen items. The store is geared to the upper middle class and above. I know their stock dropped for the first time in july due to their high prices and the economic slow down of the country. I met some really nice people while working there; customers and employees. But unfortunately, the mean co-workers and a few mean managers drove me out! Quality help in florida is hard to find. After the company drug tests and criminal checks it does not leave much to choose. When almost all of your part time register and bagger college students do not come back after summer break my last summer at publix, you've got a problem! These kids would rather not work than work at publix! The ones that work hardest and made to work this way are the low paying jobs at publix. Conversly, you have department managers that are told from corporate to make your employees do the work. There are some department
managers that spend most of their day doing nothing and earn big salaries for it.! And corporate encourages this! What a screwed up company!

Haha thats a great summary of how it is!! I unfortunately am stuck working there, the economy is in the shitter and I can't find a better job. It's basically they hire as many people as they can until we all have pathetic hours, this way they don't have to give out those benefits they brag so much about. It's even worse with the Albertsons people coming in, I am going to move departments and stores to try to gain more hours. I've been working there for a while, have been rewarded multiple times for customer service, have never had a complaint about me, the other employees have even said I am a hard worker. It really is just a big corporation like any other, and if you are working in the entry level positions its half assed.

[HARTride 2012]

That doesn't sound too good.

[John F]

The conversions are nearly complete I think. I can say the Alderman Plaza Albertsons (it was originally a stand alone store but is now part of a larger shopping complex) has it's Publix signs up. I have not been to Boot Ranch recently but I suppose conversion is going a little slower there. After all -- Boot Ranch's supermarket retail space was larger than the "Super" Publix at Coral Landings (US 19, north of Tampa Road) and twice or three times the size fo the Publix that it will be replacing across the street in East Lake Woodlands plaza.

To be continued.

[I-275westcoastfl]

I am transferring to the converted Publix on Sunset Point and Belcher Rd, it's one of the biggest if not the biggest in the county. It opens in 2 weeks exactly.

[HARTride 2012]

The one in Britton Plaza is still being renovated. It looks like everything's going at a snails pace. People want the Publix to open ASAP so they'll have a reason to shop there. All the business owners and managers want it open ASAP also, so they can get some of their business back.

[John F]

Originally Posted by I-275westcoastfl

I am transferring to the converted Publix on Sunset Point and Belcher Rd, it's one of the biggest if not the biggest in the county. It opens in 2 weeks exactly.

That's more inside information than I was expecting (an opening date). The Aldermann road/US 19 publix had several non-construction cars in the lot, so they are also making preparations for an imminent move.

I had a chance (but blew it off) to talk to the East Lake Woodlands Publix manager about timeline and what was going to happen with the new space. I really wish I had taken him up on it after all.

EDIT: I-275, it occurered to me about the location that you speamk of, that there is a more highly visible publix just a quarter mile from there at Sunset Point and US 19. Do they plan to keep the store open? Or perhaps convert it into a greenwise? Has anyone said anything?

[John F]

Originally Posted by HARTride 2012

The one in Britton Plaza is still being renovated. It looks like everything's going at a snails pace. People want the Publix to open ASAP so they'll have a reason to shop there. All the business owners and managers want it open ASAP also, so they can get some of their business back.

I can understand that.

Boot Ranch, when I was last there, was a dead zone around the Supermarket retail space. No trickle down effect. To the south, blockbuster video and Subway were busy like normal, to the north? Target was going like gangbusters as it usually was.

Albertsons did not have a big following even when it was open... but it had a following.

What I'm also wondering about with these conversions is -- will parking lot renovations take place in the near future? Publix has a very stylized parking system at all of their stores. I can say the Boot Ranch parking lot is in desperate need of a re-configuration as traffic is inconsiderate and snarling at times.

[HARTride 2012]

The rumor mill so far for South Tampa is that the Publix on Gandy might be converted over to a GreenWise Market down the road. But there is nothing to confirm this.

The only official word about the location so far has only come from the Trib.

[I-10east]

I hate Publix; I hope that NO MORE come to Jax!!!!Places that I'd rather shop over Publix......Winn-Dixie, Wal-Mart, Food Lion, The military comissary, Target, and just about ANYWHERE except "Publics". The new renovated Winn-Dixie's looks fifty times better than anything Publics can muster; Publics is VERY HIGH in prices too. I know that I'm not gonna be popular on this thread or whatever, but oh well. Just my opinion.

[HARTride 2012]

Well, your area Winn-Dixie continues to flourish. The one near my house shut down when it went bankrupt and nothing has replaced it. The entire plaza it used to sit in is now a wasteland.

[I-275westcoastfl]

Originally Posted by John F

That's more inside information than I was expecting (an opening date). The Aldermann road/US 19 publix had several non-construction cars in the lot, so they are also making preparations for an imminent move.

I had a chance (but blew it off) to talk to the East Lake Woodlands Publix manager about timeline and what was going to happen with the new space. I really wish I had taken him up on it after all.

EDIT: I-275, it occurered to me about the location that you speamk of, that there is a more highly visible publix just a quarter mile from there at Sunset Point and US 19. Do they plan to keep the store open? Or perhaps convert it into a greenwise? Has anyone said anything?

Yea November 6th will be the first day I am working at that Publix, which I'm guessing that's opening day. I could ask about the other ones, but they all seem to be opening around November. There is a Publix on US19 and Sunset, I used to work there, when the overpass went up it died, which is why I went to Gulf-to-Bay and Belcher. So they will keep that one open, but my guess is that store will be so dead they will close it and move the people in time. It's a rumor but perhaps on Countryside Blvd and US 19 that Albertson's may turn into a Greewise, which if that's the case I will try to go there because it's very close to where I live. Anyways the Sunset and Belcher Rd Publix(Store 1300) will be the biggest in the county or one of the biggest atleast, 70,000+ sqft.

Originally Posted by I-10east

I hate Publix; I hope that NO MORE come to Jax!!!!Places that I'd rather shop over Publix......Winn-Dixie, Wal-Mart, Food Lion, The military comissary, Target, and just about ANYWHERE except "Publics". The new renovated Winn-Dixie's looks fifty times better than anything Publics can muster; Publics is VERY HIGH in prices too. I know that I'm not gonna be popular on this thread or whatever, but oh well. Just my opinion.

Winn-Dixie's are dying here, I go to Walmart, Sams Club and Aldi mostly, and it's due to prices. I don't like it because I work there, but they have a lot of good quality things, and they have good service for the most part. I guess it all depends on what you look for in a store, some look for price, some look for quality, service, etc.

[John F]

I-275: That store will be one of the biggest. Why?

Former Jewel Osco building. I was a new resident when it was constructed and it was for Jewel Osco. The Boot Ranch (East Lake Road / Tampa Road) location is also huge -- so big that Albertsons really didn't know what to do with all the space.

Thanksgiving is the busiest time of year for Publix... but we're now in a down economy. Having excess stores open isn't the grandest of ideas, methinks.

[Comfortably Numb]

Don't Publix have enough of a monopoly here in Florida as it is? I know you can't really blame anything but the free market, but damn. It would be nice to have at least 3 large supermarket chains to choose from instead of just Publix on every corner.

I don't count Winn-Dixie because Winn-Dixie are horrible. Their stores are far too small, crowded and for most things, they are no cheaper than Publix anyway (in some cases, they're more expensive). We really need Kroger down here, badly....or another chain to come and compete with Publix.

Besides, in the few years that I've lived here, I've noticed that the quality at 3 of the Publix supermarkets I shop in has deteriorated and prices have gone up.

[I-10east]

I must admit, Publix does have a nice deli, but that's all that I can say good about that supermarket. Publix has NO soul; Mostly just a buncha middle-class to upper class uptight young to middle-aged mostly WHITE professionals, along with the elderly white shop at Publix because of "so called" quality, but in reality you can get the same stuff from other stores for cheaper prices; Publix has a "blah" color scheme wit' that white and toothpaste look; Publix plays NO music at the stores that I've been to; Winn Dixie made it in the top 100 in the Fortune 500 before; Publix NEVER have; Winn Dixie has ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE that shop there; Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, Well-off, Poor etc. I can go on, and on with the laundry list on what's wrong wit' Publix. Why Publix don't have a discount card like W/D, and Food Lion???

[jonknee]

Haha wow, I didn't know people cared so much about grocery stores. I just go where is close/clean and reasonably priced (aka not usually Whole Foods). I could care less if my fellow shoppers are diverse, I'd rather not notice them at all actually. I don't get as much at the Publix near me as I do from Sweetbay because it's tiny and has a very limited produce section.

[John F]

Originally Posted by I-10east

I must admit, Publix does have a nice deli, but that's all that I can say good about that supermarket. Publix has NO soul; Mostly just a buncha middle-class to upper class uptight young to middle-aged mostly WHITE professionals, along with the elderly white shop at Publix because of "so called" quality, but in reality you can get the same stuff from other stores for cheaper prices; Publix has a "blah" color scheme wit' that white and toothpaste look; Publix plays NO music at the stores that I've been to; Winn Dixie made it in the top 100 in the Fortune 500 before; Publix NEVER have; Winn Dixie has ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE that shop there; Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, Well-off, Poor etc. I can go on, and on with the laundry list on what's wrong wit' Publix. Why Publix don't have a discount card like W/D, and Food Lion???

I never shopped at Winn-Dixie because they always jacked up prices and did bottom-dollar settings for stores. "All sorts of people shop there" may be a fact in jacksonville... But when stores are kept unkempt and generally ugly, unless the prices are low low low (a la soul-crushing Wal Mart) there is no reason to shop there.

Speaking of soul crushing Wal-Mart, that's another store I won't shop in. Yeah, the prices are lower but everything is done bottom-dollar. Aisles are barely cleaned and re-arranged, and hearing the stories / seeing the films / reading the literature about the tactics of Wal-Mart Inc., there's no way I can invest a dime in them.

it's a race to the bottom I don't care about participating in, in the end.

[I-275westcoastfl]

Originally Posted by John F

I-275: That store will be one of the biggest. Why?

I don't know some Albertsons were pretty big...

Originally Posted by I-10east

I must admit, Publix does have a nice deli, but that's all that I can say good about that supermarket. Publix has NO soul; Mostly just a buncha middle-class to upper class uptight young to middle-aged mostly WHITE professionals, along with the elderly white shop at Publix because of "so called" quality, but in reality you can get the same stuff from other stores for cheaper prices; Publix has a "blah" color scheme wit' that white and toothpaste look; Publix plays NO music at the stores that I've been to; Winn Dixie made it in the top 100 in the Fortune 500 before; Publix NEVER have; Winn Dixie has ALL SORTS OF PEOPLE that shop there; Black, White, Asian, Hispanic, Well-off, Poor etc. I can go on, and on with the laundry list on what's wrong wit' Publix. Why Publix don't have a discount card like W/D, and Food Lion???

Man Publix stores must be bad where you live, because here at Publix all kinds of people shop there, they also play music in almost every Publix I've been to. I can agree it's a store for upper middle class to wealthy people, and it's a store for elderly, but I see all kinds of people there. I should add I live in the suburbs too, but of course you can get the same stuff from other stores, it's America almost everything is the same everywhere. I did already say that prices are higher there, at Aldi, Sams Club, or Walmart the stuff is half price of what it is at Publix. Again I don't like Publix mostly because I work there and their methods piss me off, but also the higher prices. But stuff like what you said isn't true, atleast down here.

[John F]

I-275: It was a rhetorical question. I answered it in the enxt paragraph: It's a former Jewel Osco location.

[HARTride 2012]

Finally, significant work is occurring at the Britton Plaza location. The parking lots are being repaved and the interior is being remodeled.

I'm looking forward to a January/February opening. Britton is really going down the drain cause no one sees any reason to shop there.

[John F]

I was in I-275's store (Blecher and Sunset Point) on Saturday. I can tell you straight up that it's laid out exactly like the location at Boot Ranch (meaning both Albertsons stores were exactly teh same). I was shocked at how similar the floorplans were. So this gives me an idea of what the Boot Ranch location will be like when they finish work there.

At the same time, I was surprised at how much space was wasted. This locale has a huge floorplan and yet the aisles were narrow and short compared to other Publix locations..
\
I figure they got the store up to speed in haste and didn't change the aisle configuration... The store is online for the busiest time of year, after all (Thanksgiving).