Publix (Knoxville, Johnson City, Farragut: marketplace, food, friendly)

[JMT]

Originally Posted by weisgarber1

Publix hints at more stores | Property Scope | knoxnews.com

That is great news! And holy cow, 27 stores in the Nashville area? Surely we in Knoxville could support a dozen or so.

Originally Posted by hiknapster

I worked at Publix when my little one was a baby. The prices are very low. They constantly price shop at the other stores to beat their prices. They will also get you ANYTHING you want. Ask the manager and they will get it for you.

You can also eat off their floors in the back rooms. Very clean stores.

Walmart opens their stores with the lowest prices and then slowly raises them. Oddly enough, they thought their customers weren't noticing.

Well, some did.

Walmart has drastically cut their prices, although that was only a few months ago. I've kept an eye on them. We'll see if the snakes raise them up when they think no one's looking. Doubtful, though. Walmart is running scared. The dollar stores have took a big market share, others have left because of pricing cons or due to various principles. They are still one of the big boys but being the bullies that they are they hate healthy competition.

It's going to be nice to get a sub that I don't have to make, for a change. As much as I love my Knoxvile, I've yet to find a decent sub.

Publix has impeccable customer service. I mean beyond just getting you any product you want (which is already really cool). They still carry your grocery bags out to your car for you, and they absolutely insist on doing it without being tipped. Signs are usually posted all over the cash registers telling you to not tip them. Even in their stores in Florida with all those surly retirees, Publix employees remain polite and all smiles.

They also have free cooking classes and, as you said, absolutely spotless stores. Their in-home brand food is really good, too. I'll be glad to get some Publix ice cream again!

[ThatTNGuy]

So, what took them so long to decide to expand into Knoxville?

[JMT]

Originally Posted by ThatTNGuy

So, what took them so long to decide to expand into Knoxville?

A bunch of us have been asking that question for years! But seriously, Publix doesn't seem to be in any particular hurry to expand. They're still not in NC, for example, not even Charlotte. For decades they were only in Florida. It's really been only in the last 20 years or so that they've expanded outside of Florida. What took them so long to finally come to Knoxville is anyone's guess.

[Badbird2000]

Yup, i actually called their real estate department a few months ago to ask when they were planning a store up here.. the lady said they would not be opening one this year.. she really wasn't lying, as this store won't open until July next year.. yippee!! I can get my birthday cake from there next year! My birthday is in July!!

[hiknapster]

Originally Posted by JMT

.
Publix has impeccable customer service. I mean beyond just getting you any product you want (which is already really cool). They still carry your grocery bags out to your car for you, and they absolutely insist on doing it without being tipped. Signs are usually posted all over the cash registers telling you to not tip them. Even in their stores in Florida with all those surly retirees, Publix employees remain polite and all smiles.

They also have free cooking classes and, as you said, absolutely spotless stores. Their in-home brand food is really good, too. I'll be glad to get some Publix ice cream again!

I know this will not come as any surprise but I was the Publix cooking/product demo lady on weekends!

Their ice cream is the bomb! Chocolate chunk is my favorite. I haven't found anything that comes close to it, since.

I once had a guy bring out my cart at Kroger's. He spent the entire time complaining about how people don't give him much in tips. Sheesh. That left a very poor taste in my mouth.

[TheShadow]

Wow, Nobody tips baggers at all in CA. Just not done. Of course they are all union and make a fairly decent wage.
Could somebody please give me a sort of rundown of the various grocery chains and level of quality, cleanliness, service, etc. of the chains in the Knoxville area. We have completely different chains out here and there is definitely a heirarchy from super fantastic but pricy to crappy and dirty in terms of the grocery chains around here. I have no knowledge of these southern groc chains. Thanks in advance.

[PaulaC]

Good news that Publix is expanding into East Tennessee! Yes, their stores are very clean from everything I've seen and their buy one, get one free sales gives you the chance to stock up. Enjoy everybody!

[jabogitlu]

Originally Posted by TheShadow

Wow, Nobody tips baggers at all in CA. Just not done. Of course they are all union and make a fairly decent wage.
Could somebody please give me a sort of rundown of the various grocery chains and level of quality, cleanliness, service, etc. of the chains in the Knoxville area. We have completely different chains out here and there is definitely a heirarchy from super fantastic but pricy to crappy and dirty in terms of the grocery chains around here. I have no knowledge of these southern groc chains. Thanks in advance.

At least in the Knoxville/Tri-Cities area, Food City and Ingles are good quality and pricier. Kroger is still good quality, but cheaper. Wal-Mart is cheaper than them, but some of the food/meat sucks sometimes. Cheap chains include Save-A-Lot, Dollar General Markets, White's/IGA anything with a name like that.

And of course, Publix will be on the top of that chain once it's here.

[DCStudent]

Wish there was a Publix there when we still lived there. Their deli sandwiches are superb! Our Kroger on Chapman Hwy was ALWAYS a freak show and miss and miss in the meat and seafood section. We always drove to Earthfare or the Kingston pike Kroger for our food.

[jabogitlu]

Oops! Forgot the newer additions - Earth Fare, Whole Foods and Fresh Market are of course up on top of the list, too.