LAKELAND, FL – Publix Super Markets Inc. may be planning a smaller format store debut for Charlotte, North Carolina.
Real estate sources from Jacksonville and Tampa tell the Tampa Bay Business Journal that the retailer is working on a 20,000 square foot model, possibly for a Charlotte location.
As we reported earlier, Publix has been considering this format for some time. Generally, Publix stores tend to range from 40,000 to 60,000 square feet. The smaller format could help the retailer compete against specialty grocers in urban neighborhoods and other small markets like college towns, which have previously been inaccessible to big box stores.
As of now, Publix has not confirmed these plans. “At this time, we can’t confirm plans for a 20,000 square foot prototype,” Kim Reynolds, a Publix spokeswoman in Charlotte, told the Tampa Bay Business Journal. “Therefore, we can’t confirm where that first prototype might be located.”
In 2013, Publix did announce that it would open 11 stores in the Charlotte area by the end of 2015, according to the Business Journal. In the Charlotte market, Publix’s top competitor is Harris Teeter, which has an 18,000 square food store in the city’s uptown area.
This move to a smaller format would add Publix to the growing number of retailers making the move away from big box stores. Let us know what you think of the smaller format trend in the survey below.
