Publix is well-known Southern grocery staple, an employee-owned business with a reputation for putting its customers first (as well as its selection of delicious sandwiches). In recent years, it has branched out into the liquor industry with a dedicated department for its products. Although Publix operates over 350 liquor stores, they aren’t attached to every grocery location. In fact, Publix shoppers looking for spirits and the like may have to venture outside of the brand’s main locations. Simply put, this has to do more with liquor laws across the United States than it does with Publix wanting to create separate stores dedicated to specific products. Expanding in this way certainly isn’t anything new, as Publix isn’t the first chain to do so.
It might seem strange that Publix would open distinct liquor operations when there are perfectly fine, spacious stores to put inventory in. However, in many states, there are laws in place regulating the sale of alcohol. Among the ones dictating how it must be sold is a regulation limiting the number of licenses a single store can hold. In basic terms, this means that although grocery stores like Publix can sell beer and wine within their main stores, liquor and spirits must be sold separately from them. It’s not only Publix that these laws have affected, as other grocers like Winn-Dixie don’t sell liquor in-store and have been motivated to open their own standalone operations. Thankfully, many are close to their brands’ anchor stores.
Liquor Laws Have Prompted Publix And Other Grocers To Get Crafty
Although Publix has been operating since the 1930s and has offered its shoppers beer and wine over the years, the grocery chain didn’t sell liquor until much later. Its first attempt was in 1987, when it opened three stores in South Florida. Although they were all closed by 1989, it seems like the stores’ failure was just a matter of timing. In 2003, Publix took another crack at liquor sales, opening a dedicated store in Miami, Florida. This time, it was so successful that liquor locations expanded across the state, including new stores opening in Auburndale, Kissimmee, and Orlando within the year. From the store’s perspective, this was in response to consumer demand for an all-in-one stop. Especially within a highly competitive industry, creating a convenient way for consumers to shop for their week’s groceries at Publix’s main store and stock up their bar conveniently next door was a no-brainer.
While this “liquor wall” can be found in many states, these regulations have prompted Publix to get crafty with its Florida locations. In 2018, Publix opened its first Publix Pours location within one of its Tallahassee Greenwise Market stores. Locations with a Pours offer freshly brewed coffee, draft beer, wine, smoothies, and acaÍ bowls for patrons to enjoy while they shop. Since the chain debuted its Publix Pours concept, it has expanded into over 10 locations throughout Florida, Georgia, and Tennessee. The popularity of this venture also prompted the grocery chain to expand the interior of its more recent locations to feature not only a Public Pours inside and a liquor store next door, but also an upstairs dining area for patrons to sit and enjoy their meals and drinks…