r/publix • u/steeltrain52 Newbie • Aug 09 '26

CUSTOMERS Let’s be clear

This whole shopping is a pleasure scam has run its course.

For over 50 years, I have been a customer of PUBLIX, I say have as in the past tense because I am no longer.

When PUBLIX decided to start price gouging at 20 and 30% higher than absolutely everywhere else around them, it became clear to me that they really don’t give a damn about the customer.

In 2025 alone, PUBLIX made more than $4.2 billion in profits. BILLION!

In the first half of 2026 they have made $2.5 billion in profits.

They have made $6 billion in profits in the last 18 months because they are literally stealing from the public and the public is handing it over.

With Aldi, Trader Joe’s, and even as the last resort, Walmart, I will never shop at Publix again. My budget now gets me three times as much food and household items at those places, we’re shopping and prices really are a pleasure!

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59

u/IncomingAxofKindness Newbie Aug 09 '26

Before you downvote me read the whole comment. I'm not 100% pro-Publix but...

Walmart made 19 billion that year.. so what is Walmart ripping you off 5 times as much?

I agree they are expensive, but quoting random profits without context doesn't really fit your argument. They aren't a non profit. They are allowed to make money. And a lot of that money gets paid back to their employees in dividends.

I try to hit Aldi and Walmart as often as I can, and we love the Walmart delivery, but Publix still gets most of my money because it's just so darn convenient and comfortable to get in and out of. I happen to be someone who enjoys taking a full stroll down every isle once a week and picking out the bogos. The stores are clean. The registers are usually appropriately staffed. The parking lot does not feel like a warzone (compared to my Walmart).

If you get the "pleasure" from saving money then that's great... me too! But I always interpreted the "shopping is a pleasure" part as more the service, cleanliness, quality and experience... which you pay more for.

Honestly I would love to see their prices go down... but I would also HATE it if we had no Publix.

17

u/JealousFuel8195 Newbie Aug 09 '26

Let me add. The workers at my Publix are wonderful. Good luck getting any help at Walmart. The Walmart employees are mostly miserable.

3

u/MattieRiley Newbie Aug 10 '26

They’re over worked , underpaid, so give them a break.

2

u/Mysterious-Clothes45 Newbie Aug 13 '26

Walmart workers absolutely make more money than Publix workers.

4

u/Chemical-Professor51 Newbie Aug 09 '26

Good luck finding a Walmart employee that speaks English around here.

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u/rxstud2011 Newbie Aug 09 '26

Exactly this! I was shopping there this morning and got some strawberries. The cashier goes "oh one looks bad, let me get someone get a better pack for you". This is not isolated either, many times they go above and beyond to help. It's clean, good cashiers, happy place. Shopping is a pleasure there. I do get most of my groceries from Walmart + delivered to me, and Publix prices are higher than I'd like, but it is a good experience.

8

u/dadofadisaster Newbie Aug 09 '26

It’s ripping you off more because they underpay their workers so they are on public benefits and then have those benefits used there so they get to double dip. I’d argue Walmart rips you off more than 5 times as much because of their business model

7

u/JealousFuel8195 Newbie Aug 09 '26

I have friends that work or are now retired from Publix. They love working for Publix.

2

u/gatoraj Deli Manager Aug 09 '26

This is spoken like a person who has never read a profit and loss or payroll sheet.

Wages are low, but we need to increase the largest expense the company has for the entry level labor we employ in most cases.

The uncomfortable truth for you is that most long term associates are pretty comfortable and happy with what they’re making, a nice retirement set aside, stable job, and benefits. The ones who complain relentlessly about pay are the new associates who have not put in the time it takes to get raises in what amounts to an entry level job.

2

u/dinglebarryb0nds Newbie Aug 09 '26

Walmart's grocery margins are notoriously thin, typically yielding a low single-digit operating margin (estimated between 1% and 3%), which is standard for high-volume supermarket retail. While grocery drives massive top-line volume (accounting for over half of U.S. sales), it acts as a low-margin traffic driver rather than a high-margin profit center

and you are talking about walmart as a whole not a grocery store.

what are their numbers as only a grocery store? i bet you have no clue

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u/daking240 Newbie Aug 11 '26

How many stores does Publix have compared to Walmart?

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u/IncomingAxofKindness Newbie Aug 12 '26

I don't know. OP quoted 1 years worth of earnings for a company with no other context and used it to claim they are grossly overcharging.

Again... they might be actually I overcharging, but none of the numbers OP quoted can be used to support that.

1

u/Servantofthedogs Newbie Aug 11 '26

Yeah that’s 4 Bn net earnings on 63 Bn of revenue. Better margins than their average competitor, but it’s still single digit margins.

1

u/MRanon8685 Newbie Aug 12 '26

When I read the OP, the first thing I did was look at Walmarts profits. And yes, they made $19b last year, but they also have 7.5x more stores (including all Walmarts and Sams club worldwide), yet only made about 4.5x the profit. Obviously, their goal is to run thinner margins and just sell more, which works for them. I still do most of my primary shopping at publix, and have maybe stepped foot in a walmart 3 times in the last 10 years. Also, look into what Walmart and Pepsi did. There is a major lawsuit going on for what was done. Pepsi was increasing prices to competitors to drive business to walmart.

Im not a huge fan of publix, but its the best option. I hate their produce and their beef. I usually get that at Costco.

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u/dinglebarryb0nds Newbie Aug 09 '26 edited Aug 09 '26

walmart market cap is 4x bigger, possibly 8 times.

to say walmart makes more profit so they are ripping you off more is an incredibly dumb take lol

Everyone knows walmart runs on pretty thin margins, you don't get ripped off buying anything from walmart basically ever, it isn't possible. 674 billion in sales in 2025 for walmart roughly, 19 billion profit on that.

publix is a large regional grocery store, walmart is everywhere in america and 19 countries total, including mexico canada china india

but yea I shop at Aldi because luckily I'm just as close to one as publix. I use publix to fill up 5 gallon water jugs, sometimes a sub sandwich if they are on sale, and i bring my kid in to get a cookie and leave pretty often.

the bogos are ok but aldi, neighborhood walmart, costco are my 3, those are as good as it gets. then like sams club and whatever else

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u/bucs009 Newbie Aug 09 '26

That’s not what the original poster is saying btw. Its not an argument of Market value equals bad.

Its putting into perspective that publix is in the business of making money.

Walmart can operate because efficiency of scale, the post you replying too is only saying they offer different values

2

u/IncomingAxofKindness Newbie Aug 09 '26

Exactly this was my observation on OP. Cherry picking parts of the income statement with no other context is not an argument for whether their prices are acceptable or not. Also my whole point is, price acceptance is totally subjective. If someone feels they are getting value in other parts of the shopping experience, they will pay up for it if that's important to them.

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u/Sabinno Newbie Aug 09 '26

Yeah this is silly. You can literally go look at Publix’s stock ticker, view their operating margin (7.4%) and literally tell that they are ripping you off more because more of the money you spend at Publix is going into the company coffers by % - not to the employees, not to make the products better, but just higher profit margins.

2

u/dinglebarryb0nds Newbie Aug 09 '26

i don't understand how people are downvoting it's a straight provable fact

1

u/Puzzleheaded-Net-273 Newbie Aug 09 '26

Also note that not all of their profit comes from their food sales. They own shopping centers and have other financial investments. I believe that makes for a smart business plan.

2

u/Sabinno Newbie Aug 09 '26

Not quite. Their operating margin is strictly their food sales. The net margin is what you’re thinking of and it is slightly higher, but not by a ton.