Publix: What Have They Done to Florida?

FMNN Investigates · Publix · By Joseph J. Jackson · Oct. 31, 2026

This is an investigative report. Facts are sourced and linked. Allegations from lawsuits and anonymous employee accounts are labeled as allegations, and case outcomes are noted where they are known.

George Jenkins mortgaged an orange grove to build what Publix calls Florida's first supermarket. Ninety-six years later, the company he founded is turning groves into grocery stores and buying the land under its feet.

Publix now owns the land and building at 473 of its 1,432 supermarkets, up from 351 in 2019. Since May 2024, it has spent more than $400 million in cash buying shopping centers it anchors in South Florida alone. Last year it collected $322 million in rent from other businesses.

That makes Publix one of Florida's biggest commercial landlords. As owner or anchor, it decides what else opens next to it, wins zoning changes and tax breaks, and helps turn farmland at the edge of town into subdivisions and strip centers.

The land is only part of the story. Publix sells close to half the groceries in much of Florida and charges about 20% more than Walmart. It is the state's largest corporate campaign donor. And behind the counter, most of its workers have historically been part-time, while the company has paid some of the largest workplace-discrimination and overtime settlements in Florida history.

Most of this is legal and much of it is public. But it is rarely added up. FMNN did.

Market dominance: the numbers

Every independent measure puts Publix far ahead of anyone else in Florida, often by three or four to one.

Market	Publix share	Next competitor	Source
South Florida (2020)	60.2%	Walmart, 12.5%	Shelby Market Research via Produce Blue Book
Central Florida (2020)	52.9%	Walmart, 18.9%	Shelby Market Research via Produce Blue Book
North Florida (2020)	46.6%	Walmart, 20%	Shelby Market Research via Produce Blue Book
Statewide sales (2021)	37%	Walmart, 26%	IRI via Produce Blue Book
Miami metro (2023)	~47%	Walmart, 15%	Supermarket News

The chain has outlasted Albertsons, Food Lion, Sweetbay and others that tried to compete here. Grocery analyst David Livingston told Retail Dive that nothing happens in Florida's grocery market unless Publix lets it, while adding that Publix earned its share (Retail Dive).

Prices: what Floridians pay

Publix's regular prices run about 20% above Walmart's, and Florida shoppers get a worse deal on its signature sales than customers in other states.

• The gap. A 2026 Consumer Reports analysis found Publix averaged 20.3% higher than Walmart (The Daily Meal). In a Palm Beach County survey of 40-plus items, a 5-pound bag of potatoes cost $7.45 at Publix versus $1.97 at Walmart (Stet News).
• The Florida-only BOGO rule. Outside Florida, shoppers can buy a single BOGO item at half price. In Florida, they must buy both (The Daily Meal).
• The convenience markup. Publix's online policy prices delivery and curbside items above in-store prices.
• Checkout claims. A 2025 class action over expired sale signs and higher register prices was dismissed (The Daily Meal). A newer suit filed in Miami federal court by shopper Wendy Koutouzis alleges inaccurate self-checkout scales and lingering sale signs at five Tampa-area stores (Sarasota Herald-Tribune via Yahoo).

In fairness, Publix store brands are often far cheaper than name brands.

How big the real estate empire is

Publix's own SEC filing shows nearly $12.5 billion in land and buildings on its books at cost, and that figure understates market value.

Item (fiscal 2025, at cost)	Amount
Land	$2.97 billion
Buildings and improvements	$9.49 billion
Stores where Publix owns land and building	473 of 1,432
Stores where Publix owns the building on leased land	77
Rent collected from tenants in Publix-owned centers	$322 million (up from $253M in 2023)
Future rent owed to Publix under signed leases	$1.15 billion
Capital spending	$2.25 billion in 2025; about $2.4 billion planned for 2026

Source: Publix Form 10-K, fiscal 2025. Publix files with the SEC because employees hold its stock.

Publix's leases as a tenant typically run 20 years. The leases it writes as a landlord typically run five. That gives Publix long-term security in its stores and short-term leverage over its neighbors.

In South Florida alone, The Real Deal counted more than 170 Publix parcels with a combined just value above $2.2 billion (The Real Deal). Many deeds name Real Sub LLC, a Publix subsidiary registered at 3300 Publix Corporate Parkway in Lakeland (Business Observer). Sunbiz-based business listings name Publix CEO Kevin Murphy as Real Sub's president (BizProfile).

The buying spree

Publix is paying cash to buy out the landlords of centers where it is already the anchor, often when big institutional owners decide to sell.

Date	Property	Price	Seller
Oct. 2026	Shoppes at Quail Roost, Miami-Dade	$23.7M	First Washington Realty
Sept. 2026	Airpark Plaza, near Miami International Airport	$83.3M	First Washington Realty (paid $32.9M in 2008)
June 2026	Aberdeen Square, west of Boynton Beach	$24M	Longpoint Partners (paid $12.4M in 2022)
May 2026	Fountains of Boynton, Palm Beach County	$78M	Union Investment / Bolder Group
Jan. 2026	Six-center portfolio, four in Central Florida	$130M+	Maury L. Carter & Associates
Dec. 2025	Polo Club Shops, Boca Raton	$83M	Jamestown
Oct. 2025	Hammocks Town Center, Kendall	$71.9M	Regency Centers
Aug. 2023	8701 W. Hillsborough Ave., Tampa	$7.25M	Private family owner; Publix used a right of first refusal

The Tampa deal shows one quiet tool. The owner put the Town 'n' Country store on the market and drew six offers in three days. Publix then matched the winning bid under its right of first refusal, through Real Sub LLC (Business Observer).

In the Central Florida portfolio, the seller offered the centers to Publix before listing them publicly (GrowthSpotter). Brokers say owning the centers lets Publix control the tenant mix and avoid rent increases. Publix did not answer The Real Deal's questions about its strategy.

News outlets give different running totals because they count from different start dates and regions. County deed records would settle the true total.

From groves to grocery: building on farmland

Across Florida's growth corridors, a Publix lease is often the commitment that turns agricultural land into a shopping center. Developers file the rezonings. Publix's 20-year lease makes the project bankable.

The stakes are statewide. A University of Florida and 1000 Friends of Florida study projects that if current sprawl continues, Florida could lose about 2.2 million acres of agricultural land to development by 2070, roughly 120 acres a day (1000 Friends of Florida). Researchers note that once farmland is paved, it does not come back.

Lake Alfred, Polk County — a citrus grove. On July 30, 2026, Tampa-based Dunphy Development bought 37.5 acres of former citrus land at Old Lake Alfred Road and County Road 557 for $6.8 million. The same day it closed a $28.5 million construction loan. The anchor is a 54,964-square-foot Publix with a liquor store and seven outparcels. Publix signed a 20-year lease with options for 10 more years (GrowthSpotter).

East Manatee — general agriculture to commercial. North American Properties asked Manatee County in 2022 to rezone land on State Road 64 East from general agriculture to planned commercial. Commissioners unanimously approved a 14.89-acre rezoning in November 2023 for the Northchase Shopping Center, now permitted for a 55,454-square-foot Publix (Bradenton Herald via Yahoo).

Jacksonville's Westside — vacant agricultural land. The City Council is weighing ordinances to rezone 22.18 agricultural acres on Pritchard Road for Pritchard Plaza, a Dunphy project anchored by a 54,964-square-foot grocery store — the same size as Lake Alfred's Publix (Jax Daily Record). Publix has not been confirmed as the tenant.

Publix buying raw land itself. Publix paid $6.66 million in May 2024 for 18 acres in the Nocatee West center on the Duval–St. Johns line and then applied to clear the site (Jax Daily Record). It paid $4 million for 10 acres at Thompson Nursery Road in Winter Haven for its sixth store there (Florida Daily).

Following the rooftops. New Publix stores open as anchors of master-planned communities on the suburban edge, such as Market Walk at North River Ranch in Parrish (Miami Herald via AOL) and Waterset in Apollo Beach, which opened Aug. 13, two days after Hillsborough accepted its final plat (Apollo Beach Ruskin Tribune).

The other side. Publix does not cast the votes; county commissions do. Some rural residents beg for a store: in Charlotte County, Burnt Store Road residents pushed for a Publix-anchored rezoning so they would not have to drive 20 miles round trip for groceries (Gulfshore Business).

Still unconfirmed: whether Publix itself asks developers to seek agricultural rezonings, or helps pay for them. The applicant files for each project would answer that.

Lakeland's broken buffer: the Lake Miriam Square fight

In its hometown, Publix promised neighbors a green buffer to win a rezoning — then whittled it down and later sought to put apartments on it.

In August 1973, Publix needed a zoning change to build Lake Miriam Square at Lake Miriam Drive and South Florida Avenue. A proposal signed by then-CEO Charles Jenkins Jr. promised a 500-foot buffer, leaving about 24 of the site's 48 acres vacant and undeveloped (The Ledger via Yahoo).

The buffer did not hold. A 2002 amendment to the shopping center's planned development cut it to 75 feet and added nearly 40,000 square feet of commercial rights along Lake Miriam Drive (LkldNow).

Later, Atlanta-based Preferred Apartment Communities, partnering with Publix, asked to rezone 12 acres of the Publix-owned land from commercial to multifamily for 244 apartments (LkldNow). Residents packed hearings over traffic near Lakeland Highlands Middle School. Even Gregory Fancelli, a Lakeland developer and grandson of founder George Jenkins, urged the city to honor the 1973 promise.

The planning board approved the plan 3-2. The City Commission rejected a scaled-back 211-unit version 5-2 (LkldNow). City planners had argued apartments would create less traffic than the commercial space Publix was already allowed to build.

Leases, covenants and keeping rivals out

Court files and city records show Publix using land agreements to control what its neighbors can build or sell.

• Vetoing a neighbor's building. Under a 1974 easement agreement in Pinellas County, a neighboring owner promised not to build without consent. In 2001, Publix refused consent for a roughly 7,900-square-foot building. A Florida appeals court ruled in 2004 that Publix could withhold consent for reasons beyond access (Publix v. Wilder Corp., CourtListener).
• Suing to keep BJ's out. Publix sued BJ's Wholesale Club and the owners of the center next to its Port St. Lucie store, claiming its lease gave it the exclusive right to run a grocery there. The developer countersued (Progressive Grocer). FMNN could not confirm the outcome.
• No supermarkets on public land next door. In Rocky Mount, N.C., a 2025 city agreement with a Publix developer required a deed restriction "for the benefit of Publix" barring any grocery store on 22 neighboring city-owned acres for the life of the Publix lease (Rocky Mount agenda).
• Choosing the neighbors. Brokers told the Miami Herald and Commercial Observer that owning a center lets Publix control the tenant mix and stay the only supermarket there.

Other states are banning this. Rhode Island outlawed grocery deed restrictions in 2026 (R.I. Legislature). Florida has no such law, and Florida courts read grocery exclusives broadly.

Rule changes and tax breaks

Local governments repeatedly change their rules, sell public land or forgo taxes to land or keep a Publix.

• West Palm Beach. The city is selling Publix 0.79 acres of public land for about $3.53 million, with a 15-year covenant requiring a grocery store. Publix now says the downtown store is in jeopardy unless the city waives open-space and storefront rules. The project could also free land for developer Related Ross (Hoodline; Citizen Portal).
• Fernandina Beach. Commissioners rewrote the comprehensive plan and land code on large commercial projects. Days later, Publix announced a bigger rebuild it had been barred from under the old rules (Fernandina Observer). The record does not show Publix asked for the change.
• Holmes Beach. Commissioners voted 3-2 in 2021 to rezone a vacant bank for a Publix pharmacy and liquor store over residents' objections (The Islander).
• Polk County tax breaks. The county granted Publix property-tax exemptions for a warehouse ("Project Harvest"), an IT headquarters ("Project Horizon") and a downtown Lakeland tech campus ("Project Pomelo"). The county estimated it would give up about $366,000 a year on Pomelo alone (LkldNow; Tampa Bay Business & Wealth).
• Fighting assessments. In 2016, Lee County's property appraiser sued Publix after a review board cut its assessment, arguing Publix would pay a smaller share of taxes than others (Florida Revenue).

Publix's 406-acre Lakeland distribution campus, expanded with a $200 million warehouse project, includes about 99 acres of wetlands and 15 acres set aside for floodplain mitigation (Hoodline).

Food access and closed stores: what is and isn't proven

The record does not yet show Publix deliberately keeping closed stores dark or avoiding poor neighborhoods. It does show where Publix has not gone.

• Midtown St. Petersburg. Tangerine Plaza has had no grocer since Walmart left in 2017, and Midtown's tracts are federally designated low income and low access (Tampa Bay Times). Residents have publicly asked Publix to come. FMNN found no record Publix was offered the site or blocked anyone.
• Jacksonville's Gateway Town Center. Publix closed its Brentwood store in December 2019, raising food-desert fears. Winn-Dixie opened in the space about six weeks later (First Coast News) — evidence against a blocking pattern.
• Sarasota's Ringling Shopping Center. It sat largely empty for years after Publix left in 2011, mainly because of local land-use fights, before becoming apartments (Longboat Observer).

FMNN has not found a Florida deed in which Publix restricted a property it left from future grocery use. That is the next records search.

Political money and lobbying in Tallahassee

Publix is the largest corporate campaign contributor in Florida politics, and much of its lobbying has worked to take power away from cities and counties (Seeking Rents).

The donations. Publix gave more than $2 million in the 2016 cycle. Before the 2018 governor's race it gave nearly $1.5 million to PACs that steered $2.1 million to Adam Putnam, plus $410,000 straight to his committee. As agriculture commissioner, Putnam oversaw regulation of Publix stores (Tampa Bay Times). After Parkland survivors staged die-ins at its stores, Publix paused political giving (Miami New Times).

The pause did not last. In December 2020, Publix gave $100,000 to Friends of Ron DeSantis. On Jan. 5, 2021, DeSantis named Publix the state's partner to vaccinate seniors; he called any link between the two "baseless and ridiculous" (WJCT). Publix also gave $200,500 to Democrats that year (Mediaite).

The lobbying.

• Electric vehicles. A Publix lobbyist sent lawmakers a proposal to stop local governments from enforcing EV-charging rules. A nearly identical provision passed in SB 1084, which Publix registered to lobby on (Seeking Rents).
• Lottery commissions. A budget provision made the Lottery pay retailers more, money otherwise headed to education. Publix lobbied on Lottery issues and stood to gain about $2 million a year (Seeking Rents).
• Florida Retail Federation. Publix funds the state's largest retail lobby, which backed laws blocking local plastic-bag bans and fought raising the felony theft threshold (CBS News; Miami New Times).

On the 2017 "liquor wall" repeal, Publix sided with independent liquor stores against Walmart and Target (CBS Miami).

The heirs' money: Jan. 6 and medical marijuana

The biggest political checks tied to the Publix name came from founder George Jenkins' daughters, not the company. Publix says neither speaks for it.

Jan. 6. Julie Jenkins Fancelli gave about $300,000 toward the roughly $500,000 rally at the Ellipse that preceded the Capitol attack, The Wall Street Journal reported (WTSP). Tax records show $200,000 from her to a group that spent about $180,000 on rally advertising (CREW). Publix said Fancelli has no role in the company and called the Capitol violence a national tragedy.

Medical marijuana. In 2016, the Carol Jenkins Barnett Family Trust gave $800,000 to defeat Amendment 2 (Ganjapreneur). Barnett, a former board chair, had given more than $500,000 against the 2014 version (Orlando Weekly). Publix said the gifts were personal. Voters passed the 2016 amendment anyway.

Part-time by design? The workforce behind the counter

Most Publix workers have historically been part-time, and the company's stock and health benefits are tied to hours many part-timers never reach. No court or agency has found that Publix cuts hours to deny benefits, but its own employees say the thresholds are hard to hit.

A part-time majority — then silence. Publix's annual SEC filings showed part-timers outnumbering full-timers for years: 81,000 part-time and 71,000 full-time at the end of 2011 (Publix 10-K, 2011). The next year's filing, made in February 2013 as the Affordable Care Act's employer mandate approached, dropped the breakdown and reported only a combined total (Publix 10-K, 2012). Publix has not published the split since. It now has more than 260,000 workers.

Hours set the benefits. Publix's careers site says part-timers typically work 10 to 30 hours a week (Publix Careers). To get company stock through the PROFIT Plan, a worker must log 1,000 hours in a year (Publix). Publix says it offers health coverage to "eligible" full-time and part-time associates but does not publish the part-time rule.

What employees report. Current and former employees posting on Indeed and Glassdoor consistently say part-timers must work 1,500 hours in the prior year — about 29 hours a week — to qualify for health insurance, and several say most part-timers don't make it (Indeed; Glassdoor). In 2017 posts, employees said reaching 30 hours for coverage was nearly impossible and that hours had been cut across the board (Indeed). These are anonymous, unverified accounts; Publix has not confirmed the 1,500-hour rule.

Workers on public aid. A 2026 federal GAO report found an estimated 1,357 Publix workers in Georgia were enrolled in Medicaid in September 2025, seventh among employers there (GAO-26-108703; Supermarket News). GAO cautions that big employers naturally rank high on such lists.

Pay at the top. Publix's 2026 proxy puts the executive chairman's 2025 pay at about 133 times the median employee's (Publix 2026 proxy). Publix does not publish a starting wage; Florida's voter-approved minimum reached $15 an hour on Sept. 30, 2026.

Sexual harassment and discrimination

Publix has paid some of the biggest discrimination settlements in Florida history, though it admitted no wrongdoing, and it has won most individual harassment suits in court.

Women's pay and promotions: $81.5 million. In Shores v. Publix, women alleged bias in promotions, pay and even in who got full-time hours. Publix settled for $81.5 million in 1997 under a seven-year consent decree (George Washington University Law). The same day, Publix agreed to pay another $3.5 million to settle pending EEOC race and gender charges, according to its 1997 annual report.

Black workers: about $10 million. In Middleton v. Publix, Black employees alleged discrimination in hiring, pay, firing and promotion from part-time to full-time. Publix agreed in 2000 to pay about $10 million and admitted no wrongdoing (Tampa Bay Times).

Harassment cases in court.

• A manager's conduct called "nauseating." Customer service rep Lauren Scott sued in 2007, alleging a South Florida store manager demanded back rubs, grabbed employees and made lewd remarks at a company picnic. The court agreed she faced a hostile workplace but threw out the harassment claim because she didn't report it through Publix's channels; her retaliation claim went toward a jury (Business Management Daily). The outcome was not found.
• Policy upheld. In Madray v. Publix, a federal appeals court in 2000 sided with Publix on harassment claims against a store manager, finding the company had an effective policy and acted promptly (FindLaw).
• Anti-gay harassment. Juan Pastran, a Miami-area employee from 1995 to 2014, sued in 2018 alleging years of anti-gay slurs from coworkers and firing after he went to the EEOC (Miami New Times). A coworker, Quintero, later sued alleging Publix fired him for refusing to give HR a false statement undermining Pastran's charge; Publix said the manager who fired him didn't know about the case (Justia). Outcomes were not found.
• Other cases. A transgender cashier sued in 2020 over alleged torment by coworkers at a downtown Miami store, and in 2012 the Broward County Human Rights Board awarded $100,000 to a cake decorator who said he was fired for being gay (Miami Herald via Yahoo).
• Cases Publix won outright. A Flagler County jury found for Publix in about two hours in a former employee's suit claiming he was fired for reporting harassment; the alleged victim testified no harassment occurred (FlaglerLive).

Video voyeurism arrests at Publix stores, such as a 2017 case in Riverview, involved customers, not Publix staff (Patch).

Wages, overtime, safety and health care

• $30 million in back overtime. In Ott v. Publix, Publix agreed in 2015 to pay $30 million over how it calculated overtime for department and assistant managers (Settlement site).
• Off-the-clock claims. In 2023, assistant department managers sued, alleging unpaid work before and after shifts and during breaks; 58 joined within weeks (Miami Herald via AOL). A federal judge refused in 2024 to let it proceed as a collective action, finding Publix pays managers who report overtime (Wage & Hour Litigation Blog).
• Religion. Publix paid $50,000 in 2021 to settle an EEOC suit by a Rastafarian applicant told to cut his dreadlocks, denying liability (Supermarket News).
• COVID mask ban. The family of Gerardo Gutierrez, 70, a Miami Beach deli worker, sued in 2020, alleging Publix barred masks while he worked beside a sick coworker; he died April 28, 2020 (WGCU). Publix required masks from April 20. A judge refused to dismiss the case in February 2021 (ClickOrlando); no public outcome was found.
• HIV prevention. In 2018, Publix's health plan refused to cover the HIV-prevention drug PrEP, then reversed within days after public pressure (CBS Miami).
• Opioids. The Tampa Bay Times reported Publix was Florida's second-largest seller of oxycodone by 2019; Publix later settled opioid litigation in Georgia (Palm Beach Post via Yahoo).
• No union. Publix remains non-union despite decades of organizing attempts, and federal labor charges have been filed against it (NLRB).

Farmworkers and the Fair Food Program

For more than 15 years, Publix has refused to join the Fair Food Program, the Immokalee farmworkers' agreement that Walmart, Whole Foods, Trader Joe's and McDonald's have signed. The program adds a penny per pound for tomato pickers and lets workers report abuse without retaliation (Palm Beach Post via Yahoo). Publix calls it a labor dispute between growers and their workers and says growers should pay fair wages (Longboat Observer).

Publix's side and what comes next

Publix says in its SEC filing that it competes for new retail sites and lists failing to secure good sites as a business risk — its own case for controlling its real estate. It gives $10 million a year for produce for food banks, and in 2020 it waived two months' rent for tenants in its centers. Publix did not respond to The Real Deal or the Business Observer about its real estate strategy.

Questions Publix has not answered publicly: FMNN did not contact Publix for this story. Publix's public statements and its responses to other outlets are included throughout.

1. How many shopping centers does Publix own, and how much has it spent buying them since 2023?
2. Does Publix ask developers to rezone agricultural land, or help pay for those rezonings?
3. Do its leases bar landlords from renting to other grocers, pharmacies or liquor stores?
4. Has Publix ever deed-restricted a property it sold or left against grocery use?
5. Why did Publix seek apartments on the Lake Miriam buffer it promised neighbors in 1973?
6. How much has Publix saved under Polk County tax exemptions, and how many jobs were created?
7. How many of its 260,000+ employees are part-time, and why did it stop reporting the split after 2011?
8. What exact hours must a part-timer work to qualify for health insurance, and how many part-timers are enrolled?
9. Did scheduling or hour budgets change as the Affordable Care Act's employer mandate took effect?
10. What is its current starting wage in Florida?
11. How were the Gutierrez COVID suit, the Pastran and Quintero suits and the 2023 overtime suit resolved?
12. Will Publix join the Fair Food Program?

Records that could answer the open questions:

• Deeds and declarations naming Publix or Real Sub LLC in Hillsborough, Pinellas, Pasco, Polk, Manatee, Palm Beach, Miami-Dade, Duval and St. Lucie counties
• Rezoning applications and applicant correspondence for Lake Alfred Square, Northchase and Pritchard Plaza
• The Port St. Lucie court file in Publix v. BJ's Wholesale Club
• Polk County compliance reports for Projects Harvest, Horizon and Pomelo
• West Palm Beach's executed Publix land sale and covenant
• Form 5500 filings for the PROFIT and 401(k) plans, showing how many workers actually participate
• Court dockets for Gutierrez (Miami-Dade Circuit), Pastran and Quintero (S.D. Fla.) and the 2023 overtime suit (M.D. Fla.)
• OSHA inspection records and NLRB case history for Publix since 2015
• Florida AHCA and DCF data on employers of Medicaid and SNAP recipients

Sources

1. Publix Form 10-K, fiscal 2025 (SEC): https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/81061/000008106126000038/ck0000081061-20251227.htm
2. Publix 10-K, 2011 (SEC): https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/0000081061/000119312512089457/d263014d10k.htm
3. Publix 10-K, 2012 (SEC): https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/81061/000119312513084552/d442621d10k.htm
4. Publix 2026 proxy (SEC): https://www.sec.gov/Archives/edgar/data/81061/000008106126000041/ck0000081061-20260304.htm
5. Produce Blue Book, Publix market share: https://producebluebook.com/?p=372303
6. Supermarket News, Publix dominates Miami: https://www.supermarketnews.com/grocery-operations/publix-still-dominates-grocery-in-miami
7. Retail Dive, Florida grocery market: https://www.retaildive.com/news/why-retailers-are-flooding-the-sunshine-state/554761
8. The Daily Meal, Publix price downsides: https://www.thedailymeal.com/2279532/downsides-shopping-publix/
9. The Daily Meal, customer complaints: https://www.thedailymeal.com/2291182/common-customer-complaints-publix/
10. Stet News, Palm Beach County price survey: https://stetnews.org/2026/01/09/whats-in-a-name-store-brands-save-shoppers-cash
11. Sarasota Herald-Tribune via Yahoo, checkout price lawsuit: https://www.yahoo.com/news/publix-sued-florida-checkout-prices-144700534.html
12. The Real Deal, Publix's South Florida buying spree: https://therealdeal.com/miami/2026/10/23/inside-publixs-south-florida-real-estate-buying-spree/
13. The Real Deal, Shoppes at Quail Roost: https://therealdeal.com/miami/2026/10/15/publix-buys-shoppes-at-quail-roost-in-miami-for-24-million/
14. The Real Deal, Polo Club Shops: https://therealdeal.com/miami/2025/12/15/publix-pays-83-million-for-boca-raton-shopping-center/
15. The Real Deal, Hammocks Town Center: https://therealdeal.com/miami/2025/10/13/publix-buys-kendall-shopping-center-for-72m/
16. The Florida Press, Airpark Plaza: https://www.thefloridapress.com/news/publix-pays-833-million-for-airpark-plaza-near-miami-international-airport-exten
17. Commercial Observer, Aberdeen Square: https://commercialobserver.com/2026/06/publix-aberdeen-longpoint-grocery-retail-florida/
18. CommercialSearch, Fountains of Boynton: https://www.commercialsearch.com/news/publix-pays-78m-for-palm-beach-retail-asset/
19. GrowthSpotter, six-center portfolio: https://www.growthspotter.com/2026/01/16/publix-pays-130-million-to-buy-six-grocery-anchored-shopping-centers/
20. Business Observer, Tampa store and right of first refusal: https://www.businessobserverfl.com/news/2023/aug/30/publix-super-markets-pays-tampa-grocery-store/
21. BizProfile, Real Sub LLC: https://www.bizprofile.net/fl/lakeland/real-sub-llc
22. 1000 Friends of Florida / UF, Agriculture 2040/2070: https://1000fof.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FOF-1306-Ag-2040-2070-Report-v4-WEB.pdf
23. GrowthSpotter, Lake Alfred Square: https://www.growthspotter.com/2026/08/12/publix-anchored-shopping-center-moves-forward-after-developer-scores-28-5m-construction-loan/
24. Bradenton Herald via Yahoo, Northchase, East Manatee: https://www.yahoo.com/news/manatee-county-getting-another-publix-095000452.html
25. Jax Daily Record, Pritchard Plaza: https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2026/aug/28/proposed-westside-retail-center-includes-publix-size-grocery-store/
26. Jax Daily Record, Nocatee West: https://www.jaxdailyrecord.com/news/2024/may/29/publix-wants-to-clear-land-for-its-nocatee-west-store-and-shopping-center/
27. Florida Daily, Winter Haven land: https://floridadaily.com/report-publix-buys-10-acre-plot-of-property-in-polk-county/
28. Miami Herald via AOL, Parrish store: https://aol.com/where-publix-opening-next-supermarket-123512475.html
29. Apollo Beach Ruskin Tribune, Waterset Publix: https://apollobeachruskintribune.com/articles/county-clears-11-acres-in-apollo-beach-oks-waterset-publix-plat-mspeyyy1
30. Gulfshore Business, Burnt Store Road: https://gulfshorebusiness.com/?p=48416
31. The Ledger via Yahoo, Lake Miriam 1973 buffer: https://news.yahoo.com/publixs-promise-residents-point-1973-145746572.html
32. LkldNow, Lake Miriam buffer history: https://www.lkldnow.com/hotly-contested-lake-miriam-apartment-plan-set-for-tuesday-hearing/
33. LkldNow, Lake Miriam apartment proposal: https://www.lkldnow.com/lakeland-asks-developers-to-change-lake-miriam-apartment-proposal/
34. LkldNow, City denies Lake Miriam apartments: https://www.lkldnow.com/city-denies-lake-miriam-apartments-in-5-2-vote
35. CourtListener, Publix v. Wilder Corp.: https://www.courtlistener.com/opinion/1656266/publix-super-markets-v-wilder-corp-of-de/
36. Progressive Grocer, Publix sues BJ's: https://progressivegrocer.com/publix-sues-bar-bjs-wholesale-club-adjacent-retail-property
37. City of Rocky Mount, April 14, 2025 agenda: https://www.rockymountnc.gov/DocumentCenter/View/5309/04142025-Agenda-PDF
38. Rhode Island Legislature, grocery covenant ban: https://www.rilegislature.gov/pressrelease/Lists/PressReleases/DispForm.aspx?ID=376746
39. Hoodline, West Palm Beach waivers: https://hoodline.com/2026/10/downtown-west-palm-publix-project-faces-zoning-review/
40. Citizen Portal, West Palm Beach land sale covenant: https://citizenportal.ai/articles/7616819/florida/palm-beach-county/west-palm-beach/commission-advances-sale-of-downtown-lot-to-publix-on-first-reading-with-15-year-supermarket-use-covenant
41. Fernandina Observer, code change and rebuild: https://www.fernandinaobserver.org/stories/publix-goes-for-expansion-allowed-by-new-code-changes,16034
42. The Islander, Holmes Beach rezoning: https://www.islander.org/2021/06/holmes-beach-approves-commercial-rezone-despite-precedent/
43. LkldNow, Lakeland warehouse expansion: https://www.lkldnow.com/publix-advances-200m-warehouse-expansion-in-west-lakeland/
44. Tampa Bay Business & Wealth, Polk tax break: https://tbbwmag.com/2026/05/01/publix-tax-break/
45. Hoodline, Lakeland warehouse wetlands: https://hoodline.com/2026/10/publix-pushes-200m-lakeland-warehouse-expansion-past-key-city-approval/
46. Florida Revenue, Wilkinson v. Publix: https://floridarevenue.com/TaxLaw/Documents/TC-120395_Kenneth%20M.%20Wilkinson,%20CFA%20as%20Property%20Appraiser%20of%20Lee%20County,%20Florida%20vs.%20Publix.pdf
47. Tampa Bay Times, Midtown St. Petersburg: https://www.tampabay.com/news/business/retail/walmart-is-pulling-out-of-st-petersburgs-poverty-stricken-midtown/2309838/
48. First Coast News, Gateway Town Center: https://www.firstcoastnews.com/article/news/local/publix-sign-comes-down-as-store-closes-gateway-town-center-location/77-e8c6edfa-4282-4eb5-85ec-95efb27c26d2
49. Longboat Observer, Ringling Shopping Center: https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2015/jun/04/owner-builds-support-ringling-shopping-center-rezone/
50. Seeking Rents, Publix and EV rules: https://jasongarcia.substack.com/p/publix-sought-to-block-electric-vehicle
51. Seeking Rents, Lottery commissions: https://jasongarcia.substack.com/p/last-minute-legislation-could-give
52. Tampa Bay Times, Publix and Putnam: https://www.tampabay.com/florida-politics/buzz/2018/05/15/publix-is-supporting-adam-putnams-run-for-governor-like-no-politician-before/
53. Miami New Times, heirs and DeSantis: https://www.miaminewtimes.com/?p=40436189
54. WJCT, vaccine rollout and donation: https://news.wjct.org/post/publix-vaccine-rollout-follows-grocer-s-100k-donation-desantis-political-committee
55. Mediaite, donations to Democrats: https://www.mediaite.com/news/not-just-desantis-here-are-the-democrats-who-took-200500-from-publix-in-2020
56. CBS News, plastic preemption: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/plastic-pollution-monster-publix-plastic-bags-greenpeace-climate-change/
57. Miami New Times, Florida Retail Federation: https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/heres-how-publix-walmarts-florida-retail-federation-influences-the-law-11250371/
58. CBS Miami, liquor wall: https://cbsnews.com/miami/news/publix-wal-mart-at-odds-over-separating-liquor
59. WTSP, Fancelli and Jan. 6: https://wtsp.com/article/news/nation-world/wall-street-journal-publix-heiress-trump-washington-rally-riot-capitol/67-c56b66ae-42ba-4286-9111-6f037da7df3e
60. CREW, Jan. 6 rally spending: https://www.citizensforethics.org/reports-investigations/crew-investigations/publix-heiress-backed-jan-6-group-spent-180k-on-rally/
61. Ganjapreneur, Barnett and Amendment 2: https://ganjapreneur.com/floridas-first-dispensary-opens-amendment-2-opponents-add-war-chest
62. Orlando Weekly, Barnett donations: https://www.orlandoweekly.com/news/publix-billionaire-donates-800k-to-fight-floridas-medical-marijuana-legalization-2511682/
63. Publix Careers, part-time hours: https://jobs.publix.com/2025/09/10/questions-about-publix-careers/
64. Publix, PROFIT Plan eligibility: https://www.publix.org/retirement-and-stock/profit-plan
65. Indeed, employee answers on health eligibility: https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Publix/faq/how-many-hours-to-qualify-for-health-insurance-at-least-30-35-40?quid=1bnn3rr4cb80nen8
66. Indeed, employee answers on hours: https://www.indeed.com/cmp/Publix/faq/how-many-hours-per-week-for-health-benefits?quid=1hvuu31a9j4jn800
67. Glassdoor, employee-reported benefits: https://www.glassdoor.com/Benefits/Publix-US-Benefits-EI_IE2945.0,6_IL.7,9_IN1.htm
68. GAO-26-108703, Medicaid and SNAP employers: https://www.gao.gov/assets/gao-26-108703.pdf
69. Supermarket News, GAO findings: https://www.supermarketnews.com/retail-labor/grocery-workers-rely-heavily-on-medicaid-snap-report
70. George Washington University Law, Shores v. Publix: https://scholarship.law.gwu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2031&context=faculty_publications
71. Tampa Bay Times, race bias settlement: https://www.tampabay.com/archive/2000/12/30/publix-settles-race-bias-dispute/
72. Business Management Daily, Scott case: https://www.businessmanagementdaily.com/6001/publix-sexual-harassment-reporting-policy-holds-up-in-court/
73. FindLaw, Madray v. Publix: https://caselaw.findlaw.com/court/us-11th-circuit/1082332.html
74. Miami New Times, Pastran lawsuit: https://www.miaminewtimes.com/news/publix-sued-for-firing-lgbtq-worker-10059174/
75. Justia, Quintero v. Publix: https://law.justia.com/cases/federal/district-courts/florida/flsdce/1:2018cv21615/526074/57/
76. Miami Herald via Yahoo, transgender cashier suit: https://www.yahoo.com/news/transgender-cashier-claims-torment-co-184100357.html
77. FlaglerLive, Flagler County trial: https://flaglerlive.com/publix-sex-harassment-trial-day-5/
78. Patch, Riverview voyeurism arrest: https://patch.com/florida/bloomingdale/video-voyeur-targeted-female-deputy-publix-bathroom-sheriffs-office
79. Ott v. Publix settlement site: https://publixovertimeclass.com/
80. Miami Herald via AOL, 2023 overtime suit: https://www.aol.com/58-people-joined-federal-lawsuit-201832097.html
81. Wage & Hour Litigation Blog, certification denied: https://www.wagehourlitigation.com/2024/12/the-facts-matter-publix-defeats-certification-of-off-the-clock-assistant-manager-claims/
82. Supermarket News, EEOC religious settlement: https://www.supermarketnews.com/foodservice-retail/publix-eeoc-reach-settlement-in-discrimination-lawsuit
83. WGCU, Gutierrez COVID lawsuit: https://news.wgcu.org/2020-11-24/family-sues-publix-citing-mask-policy-after-employee-dies-of-covid-19
84. ClickOrlando, dismissal denied: https://www.clickorlando.com/news/2021/02/08/judge-refuses-to-dismiss-case-against-publix-stemming-from-deli-workers-covid-death/
85. CBS Miami, PrEP reversal: https://www.cbsnews.com/miami/news/publix-reverses-course-now-covers-hiv-prevention-drug-for-workers/
86. Palm Beach Post via Yahoo, opioid settlement: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/publix-settles-opioid-litigation-alleged-152915527.html
87. NLRB, case 12-CA-023607: https://www.nlrb.gov/case/12-CA-023607
88. Palm Beach Post via Yahoo, farmworker march: https://news.yahoo.com/farmworkers-march-palm-beach-calling-204735541.html
89. Longboat Observer, Publix on Fair Food: https://www.yourobserver.com/news/2012/dec/19/workers-group-protests-publix/

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