For those of us who have grown up in Florida, Publix has always been the go-to grocery store. However, with the emergence of so many competitors such as Whole Foods, Lucky’s Market and other smaller specialized chains, there was a gap in the Publix brand that needed to be filled. Their solution was simple and aimed directly at FSU students which was opening its first-ever GreenWise Market right here in Collegetown.
While in most Publix stores you can find a GreenWise section with organic and health-based products, this new store is devoted solely to providing shoppers with these products. Don’t go into the store expecting to find bags of Doritos or Pubsubs like you would in your normal Publix. Instead, you can find shelves filled with sparkling probiotic drinks, chickpea puffs and dairy-free ice cream.
According to Publix spokeswoman Maria Brous, she believes that the palate of customers is changing in what they are looking for in a grocery store. This newly designed store is intended to meet the needs of millennials in the trendy, organic shopping experience they are looking for. While current Publix stores can be as large as 69,000 square feet, the largest GreenWise store is intended to be 29,000 feet. Having this smaller space will not only allow them to fit in great locations like college towns or within big cities, but it allows them to display their more curated selection of foods in an efficient way.
Similar to Whole Foods, there is now a salad bar and a hot food bar that customers can make their own lunch or dinner and weigh it by the pound. If you’re looking for food options that are made for you by a chef, there are multiple different food sites such as a stand to get poke bowls, acai bowls, pizza and wings. Drink wise, there is a full bar to get specialty beer, kombucha, smoothies and coffee. The shopping carts themselves are even designed to include a drink holder to make it convenient to eat, drink and shop simultaneously.
In a recent news release, Publix emphasized that you may not even go to GreenWise Market to shop for groceries, as it is not your typical grocery store. They encourage you to grab a snack or drink and stay awhile instead of just grabbing your groceries in a hurry. On the second floor of the store, there is a full lounge with tables, chairs, USB ports and TVs. On the weekends, the store will put on sports games and broadcast popular TV events or college students can simply use it as another place to study or do homework.
One of the main goals of Publix has always been to create a pleasurable experience for the shopper but also to provide them with deals and incentives for shopping. There will now be coupons available to redeem specifically at GreenWise Market as well as a new program called GreenWise Market REWARDS where you can earn coupons and personalized offers for frequent shopping. Other unique features include paper shopping bags as opposed to plastic bags to be environmentally friendly and a self-checkout option to bag your own groceries.
Want to check out the new store and see for yourself? The address of GreenWise Market Tallahassee is 625 W Gaines Street, Tallahassee, FL 32304.
Photos courtesy of Katherine Gibson.