Publix will be opening its doors in July 2024 in the city of Milledgeville in a newly constructed shopping center called Lakeside Commons. It will be off Log Cabin Road, near the Milledgeville Kroger. This will bring Milledgeville a new grocery store and many new job opportunities.
“The first couple of months, I do feel our other grocery stores will take a hit as far as sales go just because Publix is a lot more fancy compared to our other grocery stores, and it’s new,” said Mackenzie Masoudpour, a sophomore chemistry major. But I think it’ll wear off in a few months, and college students will realize it’s more expensive. In hindsight, Milledgeville did not need another grocery store because we have Kroger, Aldi and Walmart, which are three name-brand stores.”
Kroger is currently the main grocery store in Milledgeville, offering products like that of Publix. With Publix opening its doors just a few hundred feet away, Kroger will have a new source of competition, impacting their daily business.
“Direct competition is going to be Kroger, but Publix is gonna beat them out because of their customer service,” said Mary Rickard, an associate marketing professor at GC. “Years ago, I know Publix did a test where they put their products in a shopping cart and then similar or same products in a shopping cart, from Kroger actually, in Douglasville, Georgia, and compared it, and they were actually neck and neck.”
Rickard believes price and product-wise, the two grocery stores are similar. She says Publix’s customer service and store cleanliness are what make it more desirable.
While other local grocery stores offer similar products to Publix, a few key variations in products may lead to customers choosing Publix first. A main differentiation between Publix and other stores is in the type of hot premade food offered along with their deli section. It appears some Milledgeville residents prefer Publix when it comes to these two options.
“I think a lot of people like Publix better than Kroger based off food options and Pub Subs,” said Gabrielle Portka, a sophomore exercise science major.
“I don’t think Publix will have to do a whole lot of advertising because of the brand they’ve built over time,” Rickard said. “I used to work at a Publix while I was in college many years ago, and they treat their people well.”
Publix is hiring 150 new associates, allowing new job opportunities to students of GC and locals of the area.
“I already worked at Publix; I worked in the bakery,” Portka said. “And yeah, I would tell people to work at Publix because Publix pays better, and their management is very good.”
The opening of Publix might cause a shift in the grocery store employment pool. This shift could have a negative effect on surrounding grocery stores when searching for employment. The Lakeside Commons strip mall will include an additional 10 units available for lease. These units have the potential to bring new business to the area.
While opinions differ on whether Milledgeville needs the addition of Publix or not, Publix is set to open its doors in July 2024.
