Publix plans to convert all eight of its GreenWise-branded markets into traditional Publix stores, once again stepping back from a specialized organic grocery segment inhabited by chains such as Whole Foods, Fresh Market and Trader Joe's.

Publix had announced in 2019 it would expand its GreenWise concept by three locations not long after Amazon had announced it had purchased Whole Foods, one of the first grocers to target consumers interested in nutritious and organic foods, the Ledger previously reported.

It was the first expansion since the GreenWise stores were introduced in 2007. Prior to the expansion, GreenWise-branded products had slowly appeared on traditional Publix store shelves.

The Tampa Bay Business Journal first reported Publix's plans on Thursday, saying “The Lakeland-based grocer confirmed ... that it will transition eight Publix GreenWise Market stores to traditional Publix stores.”

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From 2018 Publix GreenWise Market coming to Lakeland

The Lake Miriam Publix, which is across the highway from the GreenWise, is due for demolition in another year and during the rebuild, the GreenWise location will remain open, according to a person at the GreenWise customer service desk on Friday.

The retail footprints of GreenWise stores are between 35,000 and 40,000 square feet. They also emphasis organic and specialty items as well as grab-and-go prepared meals. 

Offerings include fresh produce and meats, wines and cheeses. At least one store in Florida features a cheese maturation cave to age semi-soft cheeses, including brie. Some locations offer international wines made from organic grapes with a sommelier on hand to help customers select their wines.

The meats, including beef and poultry, are free of antibiotics or added hormones and some are raised on vegetarian diets. Organic smoked beef or turkey brisket are common offerings.

Transitioning to traditional stores

Several food and beverage sections developed in GreenWise have been added to select traditional Publix stores, including Pours, which allows shoppers to enjoy beer or wine or coffee, tea and cold brew while they shop or relax at the Pours bar.

Like other locations the Lakeland store operates in the 33813 zip code, one of the 10 highest household income areas in the Tampa Bay market, the Ledger previously reported.

Social media posts, especially on Reddit, have been circulating the conversion of GreenWise for weeks. One Reddit post says Publix is also eliminating its gourmet cooking schools and its chefs. That could not be independently verified.

Hanna Herring, a Publix media relations manager, did not return an email from The Ledger requesting further information about the conversion. The Business Journal did receive a statement from her for its report on Thursday.

“Our customers’ shopping habits have reinforced that they enjoy the attributes of a Publix GreenWise Market location, but within their traditional Publix shopping setting,” Herring told the Business Journal.

That bears out research done recently on the nationwide specialty-grocery market.

"Over the last decade, natural and specialty products have seen the majority of sales funnel through conventional supermarkets and mass outlets like Walmart and Target," said David Browne, a co-writer and researcher on a soon-to-be published report for the Specialty Food Association.

The SFA "estimates that conventional outlets garner roughly 70% to 80% of total natural, organic and specialty sales," he said. "Consumers can buy premium natural and organic products virtually anywhere these days. Meanwhile, true natural and specialty retail stores aren't growing as fast and have lost some market share.

"That's not to say there isn't a need for natural and specialty retail store concepts," Browne said. "Far from it. This remains a channel where consumers can find the broadest selection of natural and premium products, and it's also where emerging brands often get their footing.

"Furthermore the strictest natural and premium consumers prefer to shop in stores that are like Whole Foods rather than stores that sell mostly conventional goods," he said.

When will it happen?

Herring did not say when the transition process would commence but told the Business Journal that each location depends on “various factors." In addition to Lakeland, there are GreenWise locations in Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale, Nocatee, Odessa, Tallahassee, Tampa and Mountain Brook, Alabama. GreenWise locations in Mount Pleasant and Lexington South Carolina closed in 2020, according to a Charleston News Channel 4 report.

The most recent store built was in 2021 on Water Street in Tampa at street level within the Herron apartment building. It was touted at the time as energy efficient because it was connected to a district cooling system. 

The Lake Miriam Publix teardown and rebuild would follow the Oakbridge Centre Publix store rebuild at 3636 Harden Boulevard in Lakeland. That store, built in the 1980s, was closed for demolition in September, with the rebuild and upgrade expected to take about a year.

Publix applied for full engineered site plan approval for its Lake Miriam location on April 26, but as of Friday morning had not submitted building plans or permitting applications.

The GreenWise store in Lakeland opened in December 2019. The longer-term fate of the GreenWise at the Shoppes of Lake Miriam Crossing could not be confirmed, including when the rebranding of the location will take place or whether it will eventually close permanently.

Publix Super Markets Inc. is the largest employee-owned company in the U.S. with more than 240,000 associates. It operates 1,341 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia with plans to open new stores in Kentucky this year.

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: GreenWise stores will be transitioned into traditional Publix stores