Whether Publix is your go-to for weekly groceries or you’re stopping in for a Pub Sub, picking the right (and quickest) checkout matters. But recently, shoppers may have noticed a subtle, yet notable change happening at the front of the store’s express lanes.
For years, checking out of an express lane meant being limited to just 10 items. After all, it’s the place for when you just need bread or a couple of items you might’ve forgotten for dinner. But while the goal remains to get customers on their way quickly, Publix has moved away from its 10 items or less limit. The grocery chain is shifting toward a more flexible amount to give shoppers a little more grace if they happen to have 12 items in their cart.
In a statement to the Miami Herald, Publix’s media relations manager for South and Central Florida Lindsey Willis said:
“Rather than adhering to a specific item limit, our focus is on reducing wait times and ensuring customers can be served as efficiently as possible.”
Local 10 reported that the policy change was first tested at Miami Publix stores before being rolled out companywide.
Basically, if you’re looking for a quick checkout at Publix, the 10-item lanes have become a thing of the past!
Shutterstock/Trong Nguyen
More Publix news
In addition to no longer enforcing the 10-item limit, several Publix closures are coming to Florida by the end of this year, according to a recently published list by Inc. Citing slowing sales growth and redevelopment plans, the affected Florida stores include:
8250 Mills Drive, Miami, FL 33183
828 Southern Boulevard, West Palm Beach, FL 33405 (redevelopment)
5577 Park Street N., St. Petersburg, FL 33709
4711 Babcock Street NE, Palm Bay, FL 32905 (redevelopment)
While the Miami store is closing, the West Palm Beach location is scheduled as a redevelopment project, meaning the older building will be demolished and replaced with a newly built Publix on the same site.