In the retail battleground that is Florida, Publix is gearing up for a grocer coup, as it is currently sizing up a new location in downtown Orlando. The retailer has plans to use this new location for one of its small-concept stores to offer consumers an alternative to the competition.
As part of the retailer’s further expansion into the coveted Florida market, it has been eyeing a 15,000-square-foot location, formerly occupied by Ferg’s Depot bar and restaurant, which closed last August, reported the Orlando Business Journal. Publix operates another store just one mile away, but the new store will be decidedly smaller. GreenWise Market, the company’s new small-concept banner, first debuted in Tallahassee last year, we reported earlier, and is most likely the store that would take up residence in this location.
The plans for this location are in line with the booming Orlando urban market, one which many competitors are trying to corner. Both Southeastern Grocers and Lucky’s Market, as we reported on our sister site, are attempting to expand their presence in the area. In addition, the Orlando Business Journal reports that Duckweed Urban Grocery and Dollar General are also looking to move in on the competition.
Publix is committed to continuing to build on its small-concept stores. The Tampa Bay Business Journal reported that the company disclosed its prototype sizes in its March regulatory filings. The store sizes range from 20,000- to 60,000-square-feet; the annual report for 2017 lists the size range beginning at 28,000-square-feet.
The Orlando Business Journal reports that Publix has recently ramped up efforts to invest in real estate and technology, allegedly spending $1.53 billion on “supermarkets, remodeling existing supermarkets, new or enhanced information technology hardware and applications, and the acquisition of shopping centers with the company as the anchor tenant.”
Will the downtown Orlando location be the next site of Publix’s GreenWise Market? And will Publix’s investments knock out the competition? Deli Market News will keep you informed.
