On Wednesday, November 28, a new Publix Super Market opened at the intersection of Leesville and Strickland Road. Right across the way from an already standing Harris Teeter, Publix is bringing strong competition to the area. After many months of construction and wondering about the new store, it is finally here.
*This is a forewarning for readers: I am reciting my and only my personal experience at Publix, and paying your own visit may help you to develop your own thoughts of the store.*
I opened the door of my car and took about three steps before a Publix employee started talking to me. The workers welcomed me, offered me a cart to shop, and then escorted me all the way into the store. Immediately, it was easy to see my look of astonishment at the level of customer service.
Personally, I hate when people constantly speak to me in public places. If I look lost, sure, offer me help. If I approach you, I expect a positive attitude and assistance. Publix has this nailed, but on a magnitude 50 times stronger than what I expected. When I walked in the front door, I had already spoken to about four workers.
Everything looked extremely neat and orderly once inside the store. The store had all of the produce perfectly sorted and aligned and the workers ensured that every aisle was fully restocked. Once again, employees offered me three different samples of products (pineapple, apple pie, and cheddar cheese) within the first five minutes of shopping. Immediately, I felt a sense of annoyance overcome my body. I hurriedly looked for sandwich bread while attempting to dodge anyone wearing a shirt with a Publix logo.
Soon into my adventure, I began to realize how small the actual store is. Yes, there was a rather gigantic crowd in Publix simply for the novelty of it, but the physical space is much smaller than its competitor across the street. As well as not having much room, Publix’s brands are very limited, and I could not find half of the things I was looking for. They had Pillsbury turnovers but no raspberry. Guess which store carries the raspberry ones?
If you picked Harris Teeter, you’re a winner. Overall, the grocery store was unimpressive to me. It’s clean and has many employees. When I walked out the door to go back to my car, five different Publix workers waved at me on my way. This grocery store is not for me, but if you are interested, do not hesitate to pay the new location a visit.
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