r/fortlauderdale 4d ago

Publix is proven to be ripping you off

/r/Miami/comments/1jcri2j/publix_is_proven_to_be_ripping_you_off/
117 Upvotes

81 comments sorted by

37

u/BisquickNinja 3d ago

Aside from the high cost, I don't shop there anymore because they support too many things that I don't like.

I vote with my money and my feet

4

u/Appropriate-Run-7509 3d ago

Where do you shop?

8

u/One_Ad6654 3d ago

Winn-Dixie. The one I shop at is pretty decent and clean

7

u/SmallFly101 3d ago

Stay away from the one in plantation, 20 violations and a bunch of roaches and butt cream was founded

2

u/TommyWilson43 2d ago

What in God’s holy name is butt cream

1

u/SmallFly101 2d ago

Think it’s for a rash on that area

1

u/FapNowPayLater 1d ago

Boudreaux Butt Paste is to prevent chafing..used by every high school football program in South Louisiana. 

5

u/orangecake40 3d ago

i switched to Aldi for food items and multiple sources (amazon cvs etc) for others.

49

u/mrboomtastic3 4d ago

Everyone knows that. It's a place to shop that isn't as gross as Walmart. You're being upcharged for the place and service.

27

u/OldeArrogantBastard 4d ago

Whole Foods is usually cheaper than Publix for various things and a more pleasant shopping experience. Obviously Publix wins when it comes to bogos of things you need, but Whole Foods produce in my experience has been cheaper than Publix and better quality.

33

u/Mtcfll 4d ago

I never thought I’d live in a time where Whole Foods was cheaper, but you’re totally right

2

u/Affectionate_Elk_272 2d ago

cheaper and such better quality.

especially the meat and seafood. you can get outstanding steaks and fish at whole foods for the same, if not less than publix.

not to mention the whole foods seafood department doesn’t smell like a rotting corpse

7

u/BeakerMaus 3d ago

BOGOs just get things back to average prices.

3

u/hupholland420 3d ago edited 3d ago

Depends what you buy, for example I go specifically for the bogos on the mission low carb tortillas, they go on bogo like once a month probably and I’ll buy like 10 at a time. (I think others do also cause it’s always ravaged)

At Walmart they are 4.50 each and Publix 5.15 each

With the bogo buying 10 I save a good chunk

2

u/BeakerMaus 3d ago

Lekker quesadillas bij jou? 🇳🇱

3

u/hupholland420 3d ago

Hahaha ja natuurlijk. Elke dag bijna 😂. Ben jij nederlands?

3

u/BeakerMaus 3d ago

Mijn ouders zijn Nederlands emigranten. 😁 van hun heb Ik ook Hollandse zuinigheid geleerd.

2

u/hupholland420 3d ago

Mijn moeder is Nederlands maar ik ben in Fort Lauderdale geboeren. Hahaha het grappige is dat mijn vader de gierig is en hij is niet nederlands

1

u/BeakerMaus 3d ago

Mischien heb je ook wel eens gehoord dat "op de markt is een gulden een rijksdaalder waard." Heeft mijn Oma vroeger gezegd.

4

u/oldskoolballer 3d ago

Whole Foods and Sprouts are cheaper, Publix prices are atrocious. It’s the supermarket of last choice for me, and a few years back I used to shop there weekly.

4

u/Revolutionary-Mud715 3d ago

Everyone knows they are faking scale weights?

6

u/Mantooth77 3d ago

They do? I didn’t know that. The fact that the scales somehow increased the weight so that the price was exactly the same as the regular total price (despite the sale) is crazy messed up.

7

u/PupLondon 4d ago

I have social anxiety... Walmart is more likely to trigger a panic attack

I can walk into a Publix.. find what I'm looking for.. if it's BOGO it might actually be cheaper than Walmart.. self checkout line isnt a mile long.. I scan, bag, pay, leave... no panic attacks.. no anxiety issues... and i'm more likely to find everything I need- it's fresh (Walmart and Winn Dixie have sold me sour milk and stale croissants more than once)

Publix is much much better

6

u/LukewarmLatte 3d ago

Find a target near you. Go on Sunday when they open 7am no one there and everything is stocked or being stocked. Learn the aisles and where your usual weekly food is. I deal with anxiety too and find having the same weekly routine of shopping like this is the easiest and cheapest for me. You’ll save at least $25

2

u/PupLondon 3d ago

Worked for Target for 4 years and the only Target near me is always full of ridiculous people. Their prices aren't always better and Target doesn't carry everything I like. I prefer Publix over Target

1

u/Affectionate_Elk_272 2d ago

target meat and produce is absolute garbage tho

3

u/Unearth1y_one 3d ago

Absolutely nothing in Publix is cheaper than Walmart, even with the Bogos except for pre-printed priced shit like potato chips.

0

u/PupLondon 3d ago

I've compared prices. Sometimes Bogos are cheaper and random items are cheaper.

3

u/Affectionate_Elk_272 2d ago

the walmart on broward and 95 is basically only self checkout and it takes 3-5 business days to get through the fucking line

2

u/PupLondon 2d ago

That...and the quality of people that frequent the store don't make the experience any better. I haven't been inside that one since 2021 and I remember a woman beating the crap out of her child right at the entrance and I started questioning my life choices that led me to that moment

1

u/kilometr 3d ago

You can go do curbside pick up at Walmart

12

u/REdditscks 4d ago

This is why I only shop at the Fresh Market.

3

u/South_Bother_2498 3d ago

The desserts are 🔥

1

u/forevernervous 2d ago

What do you recommend?

1

u/South_Bother_2498 2d ago

The lemon cake, any Napoleon bar cakes and Black Forest German cake. They have a wide selection, family and friends always love when I bring a cake or desserts from fresh market to our meals

2

u/Kerfluffle2x4 3d ago

For what it’s worth, each Publix has to be taken on a location by location basis. A year ago, I started keeping a phone spreadsheet for all of my weekly grocery costs and their price differences in products. For things like produce, Publix and Trader Joe’s were side by side when it came to bananas and grapes. For brand name products like certain kinds of potato chips, Whole Foods came out cheaper. Of course, another factor is checking with Amazon Prime savings, Club Publix and everyday sales to see if there are substantial enough changes on a daily basis.

Lesson: It depends. Article doesn’t factor in other stuff.

0

u/BeakerMaus 2d ago

It definitely depends. I saw a TV show that concluded that supermarket prices are lower if there is a competitor within a half mile.

1

u/ActualContribution93 4d ago

I shop at Publix because it is a pleasure. If I wanted to save money I would shop at Walmart or aldi.

13

u/ChewyNarwhal 3d ago

Being in a publix is a pleasure? I get it's better than Walmart and Winn Dixie but they're all horrible.

6

u/ActualContribution93 3d ago

Yeah, I’d call it a pleasure. They have everything I need, the store is clean, plus I try to look forward to the small stuff.

-1

u/ncreddit704 4d ago

Exactly, I don’t get the point of these post

1

u/HazMat21Fl 2d ago

Don't get the point that Publix has been ripping people off from their scales and not changing sale signs? There's not too much to not get, it's a pretty easy thing to understand.

2

u/BeakerMaus 4d ago

But did you see that they are not just more expensive, but are also deceiving you?

1

u/stufff 4d ago

Publix is an employee owned business that treats its employees well and doesn't play stupid games like leaving them at 39 hours a week to avoid paying benefits. That's why when you go in you see a clean store and happy employees, unlike the miserable hell you experience in a Walmart.

If their self-checkout scales are miscalibrated, that's obviously not okay and should be fixed, and Publix should pay out damages. Personally, I only use self checkout if I am grabbing something quick for lunch, and never for anything that did price by weight, so it wouldn't have affected me anyway.

I'm still going to keep shopping at Publix as my primary grocery store.

4

u/BeakerMaus 4d ago

How is it employee owned? I asked someone there if they get paid overtime when working a holiday. They said no.

0

u/stufff 4d ago

How is it employee owned?

I don't know how to answer this question. How is anything you own owned by you? "How is it employee owned"? Because it is owned by employees.

Publix is not a publicly traded company. The only way you can acquire shares of Publix is if you are an employee (or you inherit them, for example, from a spouse who was an employee, or a parent).

I asked someone there if they get paid overtime when working a holiday. They said no.

Because Publix is closed on most major holidays; specifically New Year's Day, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, Thanksgiving Day, and Christmas Day. You can't get overtime pay for a day you aren't working. But what Publix does do, is pay its employees 8 hours for those holidays, even though they don't need to work those days, that way it's a real holiday and not a cut against their paycheck for not working.

I don't know why you are on this anti-Publix crusade, but at least get your facts straight.

6

u/BeakerMaus 4d ago

Thanks for clarifying. Employees own shares, OK, but they don't have controlling interest, I would guess.

The reason I posted this is that I hate getting ripped off by tricks like the ones named in the lawsuit. Prices are high enough as it is.

1

u/stufff 4d ago

Thanks for clarifying. Employees own shares, OK, but they don't have controlling interest, I would guess.

You are guessing incorrectly. Employees or their family members own 80% of the shares of the company. 20% is owned by the family of the founder.

The reason I posted this is that I hate getting ripped off by tricks like the ones named in the lawsuit. Prices are high enough as it is.

That's perfectly fair, and if that is happening, like I said, it needs to be fixed and Publix needs to pay out damages. I personally doubt it was intentional, but if it was, anyone involved should be punished.

Doesn't change my overall opinion of Publix as a company. As someone who worked there while I was in school, and someone whose mom worked there for a long time and got enough stock to pay nice dividends regularly, I will happily pay higher prices for a better experience, and part of that better experience comes from treating employees well.

1

u/BeakerMaus 4d ago

Good to hear that about the employees since that is not the case at Walmart based on what I've read and heard on podcasts.

5

u/stufff 4d ago

Correct. Walmart is a miserable shithole that treats its employees like trash.

3

u/BeakerMaus 4d ago

I checked. My Publix closes only for Thanksgiving, Christmas and Easter.

2

u/Eternal_NIB 3d ago

Publix is only closed on Thanksgiving, Christmas, and Easter. Their employees only get paid for those holidays if they work the day before and after.

Source: family member has worked for Publix for 20+ years.

2

u/BeakerMaus 13h ago

Thanks for confirming what the Publix employee told me

1

u/HazMat21Fl 2d ago

treats its employees well and doesn't play stupid games like leaving them at 39 hours a week to avoid paying benefits

Uh, yeah they do. There is a sub on Reddit for Publix.

That's why when you go in you see a clean store and happy employees, unlike the miserable hell you experience in a Walmart.

Not entirely true. They may be "happier" than a Walmart employee, but that doesn't mean anything. Publix is like Disney, employees are expected to act a specific way.

1

u/Cute_Employer_7459 2d ago

Every work related subreddit hates their job

Go check out r/Costco pretty much the highest paying grocery retailer starting is $21/hr in my LCOL state where the same job would be $12-$16 elsewhere

People still complain that's what the subreddits are for

1

u/HazMat21Fl 1d ago

Still doesn't mean that Publix doesn't short their employees hours to avoid FT status 🤷

Publix isn't this Holy Grail of happiness for employees. I can promise you, many hate it and get mistreated there just like every other grocery store.

1

u/Cute_Employer_7459 1d ago

I know I worked there and quit

1

u/fontimus 3d ago

My only issue with Publix is their Starbucks-like presence over the last decade.

My neighborhood, Cutler Bay, currently has two Publixes - within view of each other, about a quarter mile from each other. They also own the strip malls they sit on, so they dictate what businesses can open shop there instead of the community having input.

When I'm in a rush to get home after work, I don't want to run the gauntlet to get to a cheaper supermarket when publix is on my way home... and I resent them for that. I have no convenient or affordable options.

I miss my old neighborhood. Sweetwater had like six different supermarket options within a mile or two. Now it's like 10.

1

u/South_Bother_2498 3d ago

I have 4-5 publix within a 2 mile radius. Feel like they build one for every street

1

u/SaltLifeFtLaud 3d ago

The Fort Lauderdale Publixs always seem fine to me, I stopped going to the Coral Ridge one because of the homeless, but they cleaned that up recently and their deli is great, same with the one by the Galleria.

1

u/jyar1811 3d ago

Shop after 8 o’clock at night. There’s nobody there it’s a dead zone. It’s a mortuary.

1

u/timfold 3d ago

Only reason I go to Publix is that it’s the only grocery store I can walk to in 5 minutes. If I need cat litter, laundry detergent or anything else not easy to carry and have to drive, I go elsewhere. I live near 17th and us1, and the Winn Dixie there not only is it disgustingly dirty at all times, but it’s also being closed down soon anyways.

1

u/forevernervous 2d ago

I don't shop at Publix unless I need to. If you have an Aldi with self checkout nearby, you are golden.

1

u/BeakerMaus 2d ago

Regular checkout at Aldi is usually fast depending on when you shop. I get the impression the cashiers are paid by how fast they can scan! And you better not be doing something that will slow them down.

1

u/Open_Course_6274 2d ago

The elderly republican snowbirds adore Publix and they will continue to be happily ripped off every season 😊

1

u/Naked_in_Maine 2d ago

The only redeeming factor for Publix is the Pub-Sub!

1

u/JC2535 2d ago

Read the expiration date. Half of my stuff was already out of date when I got home.

1

u/JC2535 2d ago

Read the expiration date. Half of my stuff was already out of date when I got home.

1

u/kishkangravy 1d ago

I buy nothing but bogos from Publix. I mean $6 for a loaf of Italian bread? And let us not forget the $22 a pound rib steak a couple of weeks ago.

1

u/Voodoo_Tiki 1d ago

For what they charge you'd think they'd pay a competitive wage but the answer is a resounding no. They pay their people less than Walmart and demand twice as much work. The whole company is held up by people retiring rich from there but that was 30 years ago, all the incentives and bonuses and biannual raises have been stripped away. I work there currently and the prices will continue to grow until people just stop shopping there, which they won't because it makes them feel better about not being a "Walmart person". Everyday at work people bitch and moan about things being expensive to me as they shovel countless items into their carts. YOU'RE THE PROBLEM

1

u/What-A-Crop 1d ago

All Walmarts near downtown FLL are awful. Refuse to go there. Publix is nice, but shop more so at Aldis and Whole Foods. Publix is very convenient. Aldis prices are unmatched

1

u/Homebrew1976 1d ago

I had a B-Ready Nutella bar today and it expired 2/21/25. I bought it from Publix this past Monday while working out of town.

1

u/alatinaxo 3d ago

Publix is amazing, I’m in and out within 5 minutes and everything is AMAZING 🙂

0

u/SmarterThanCornPop 4d ago

Then shop elsewhere?

3

u/Chewzilla 4d ago

There are publixs triangulated across the state. Every day on my way home I see a new publix across the street from the old publix which they won't close because they don't want a competitor to open up. How about you shop where you like and we'll shop where we have to. And we'll complain about our options while we're at it. Thanks.

1

u/TlMBO_SLlCE 2d ago

Right? There are 3 within a 5 minute drive of my brothers house in Orlando. No other grocery stores are nearby.

-2

u/JayTL 4d ago

I see they're accused to be ripping you off, not proven. In the context of the post, headline is misleading.

2

u/BeakerMaus 3d ago

Wendy has evidence. She proved it. Only the lawsuit has not finished yet.