T. Ozbun
Research expert covering food retail and all food topics for Italy and Brazil
Publix Super Markets - statistics & facts
Publix Super Markets, Inc., founded by George Jenkins in 1930 as a small store in Florida, has grown to become the largest employee-owned supermarket chain in the United States. Its 1,322 stores, spread over seven U.S. states, and the approximately 240,000 employees can attest to this achievement. While remaining a regional retailer with operations exclusively in the United States, Publix continues to be one of the top retailers in the country, although it does not rank in the top 10. Nevertheless, it remains one of the five leading supermarkets in terms of sales and size.
In the face of fierce competition in the market, Publix has increased advertising spending over the past few years, paired with a significant increase in sales over the same period. In less than a decade, the company's sales have nearly doubled, exceeding 54 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. In the period between 2015 and 2022, Publix's net earnings followed the same growth trend as its sales, with a slight decline reported in the last year. According to forecasts, the company is expected to maintain a steady growth path leading up to 2026.
Publix in the supermarket retail landscape
Publix Super Markets, which operates mainly in the Southeastern region of the United States, has most of its stores located in the state of Florida. Despite its regional focus, the company remains a significant participant in the country's retail market, competing with supermarket giants such as Kroger, Albertsons, and Ahold Delhaize, some of which operate globally.In the face of fierce competition in the market, Publix has increased advertising spending over the past few years, paired with a significant increase in sales over the same period. In less than a decade, the company's sales have nearly doubled, exceeding 54 billion U.S. dollars in 2022. In the period between 2015 and 2022, Publix's net earnings followed the same growth trend as its sales, with a slight decline reported in the last year. According to forecasts, the company is expected to maintain a steady growth path leading up to 2026.
Publix’s awareness and popularity
Although it ranks lower among the grocers chosen by consumers for shopping, Publix remains one of the leading stores in terms of brand awareness, with 57 percent of internet users in the United States recognizing it. This is a noteworthy achievement for a regional grocer, given that even a competitor like Albertsons, which covers a much larger area in the U.S., has lower brand awareness. The supermarket chain is more popular among younger generations than older ones, and while monthly visits to Publix locations showed a negative trend between 2022 and 2023 when compared to the previous year, they showed significant growth when compared to three years earlier.
