According to a report from Placer.ai, Publix’s GreenWise Market, a chain of small-format specialty grocery stores, has generated more foot traffic at every location in Florida on a year-over-year basis even as visits to the retailer’s traditional supermarkets in the state have consistently declined by the same measure.
Shoppers also tend to stay longer in GreenWise stores than they do at standard Publix locations, Placer.ai found. The median time spent at the GreenWise location in Odessa, Florida, for example, was 28 minutes in the third quarter of 2022, while the comparable figures for three Publix stores located were 26, 25 and 24 minutes, according to the report.
Publix began the GreenWise format in 2018 and currently runs seven GreenWise stores and more than 800 traditional supermarkets in Florida.
While Publix’s GreenWise stores seem to be popular with customers, the retailer seems to have stepped up attention on expanding the number of traditional supermarkets and other avenues of growth.
GreenWise stores, which typically occupy around 25,000 square feet, have a heavy focus on organic and prepared foods and are aimed at “health-conscious and gourmet foodies alike,” according to Publix. The locations feature a variety of “experience zones” that focus on items like meats smoked in-store, sausages made on the premises, gourmet sandwiches and burrito bowls. The concept also incorporates an area where shoppers can buy wine, beer, or coffee to drink while they walk the aisles.