Publix #1808
Gandy Shopping Center
Tampa, FL 33611
Hybrid Format 2.0
Welcome back to My Florida Retail Blog for another edition of The Sing Oil Blogger writes about a store that he's never even been to!
So, what's the deal with Publix #1808? Why am I writing a post about somewhere I've never even seen?
It turns out that this store is the first to debut an all new layout design for Publix. The keen-eyed amongst you may have noticed where I updated my Publix Store Prototypes page a few weeks back to include this new addition, but I wanted to give you a formal introduction of it today.
I first discovered this new prototype several months ago in the plans for future Publix #1846 in Louisville, KY (mentioned as a 55.3-U in that case) and only shortly thereafter realized that the new #1808 in Tampa would also utilize this design. It appears that this may be the "hybrid format 2.0", with #1808 essentially merging features from a GreenWise Market with a large, premium Publix store; the overall service department configuration strongly resembles that of a second-generation GreenWise while the store itself is the size of a flagship Publix location.
Publix #1808 happens to be the third Publix store to occupy this parcel on Gandy Boulevard in Tampa, following the circa 1954 Art Deco store #23 and the circa 1986 55E store #310, making this one of the longest continuously operated pieces of property for the company. You may remember that AFB covered Publix #310 a few weeks back, and I'd encourage you to check out his post if you missed it or if you want a refresher on how this site once looked.
With that behind us, let's take a look inside.
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
Parts of this post will look familiar to anybody who has read some of my earlier posts on an Evergreen store (including the sign we see above that I first saw at Publix #515 last summer), so I'll try not to dwell on those details since this is a rare mid-cycle post for me.
I would like to point out how this store's Wanzl 4140W shopping carts feature a green cup holder on the front. You'll see why in a minute . . .
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
Stepping inside, we are greeted by Publix's relocated floral department which backs right up to the all-new corral-style self-checkout area. I haven't seen one of these corrals for myself, but they've popped up in almost every set of plans for a new store I've come across so I think they may be here to stay.
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| Publix #2011 - New Construction (2023) - Life Safety Plan |
If you need a better idea of how these new self-checkout areas are configured, here is a screen capture from the plans for future Publix #2011 which shows how the nine self-checkouts are positioned in relation to the standard checkout lines (only one pictured on the left) and the floral department.
Another thing I haven't seen anywhere else is the presence of Publix's own graphics on the NCR self-checkout lights. We can see above where the four machines closest to us feature a modified version of the "10 items or less" checkout cube design; meanwhile, the two machines off in the distance have regular numbers resembling those found on regular checkouts (and are also out of sequence with those found on the traditional checkout lines.
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
Turning to our right, we see the customer service and Instacart pickup area nestled off to the side. I suppose it does make more sense to greet customers with the floral department, but this is still a big departure from the way Publix stores have been laid out for the last decade and a half.
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
Taking a look down the store's front speedway, we can see some nice balloon decorations set up to commemorate the grand opening.
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
Past the service counter is the first truly unique characteristic of the 55M: the POURS café and bar. Store #1808 happens to be the first Publix store which wasn't originally planned as a GreenWise Market to include a POURS bar.
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
Swiveling to the left, we see another intriguing part of this new Publix design: the fact that the bakery is not relegated to timeout in the back left corner of the store. That being said, this grand aisle layout isn't exactly anything new . . . you'll see what I mean in this week's Sing Oil Saturday post.
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
What hasn't changed from Publix's other recent store models is the large deli island; however, the 55M uses the island exclusively for prepared food options including burritos, sushi, pizza, and pasta.
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
The other side of the deli island also features a self-serve soup, salad, and olive bar with some additional grab and go deli foods in the coolers off in the distance.
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
Jumping back to the corner, we find the sliced meat counter nestled between the bakery . . .
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
. . . and a dedicated popcorn counter. I've noticed Publix offers fresh popcorn in a number of stores but this is the first time I've seen an entire counter for the snack food. Store-made popcorn could be a high margin item; however, this still seems like an awful lot of real estate to dedicate to one product!
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
Continuing on, we find the bakery counter and bread displays sandwiched between cold cuts of all kinds (ironic, isn't it).
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
I'm not sure if I'm a fan of the Black Fox painted ceiling paired with the dark color of terrazzo in this store, but at least it is better than having splashes of Portabello left over from Sienna.
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
Thankfully, the terrazzo lightens up in the center of the store, as we can see here on aisle 7. I believe the white terrazzo is used throughout the grocery department.
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
Jumping to the back left corner of the store, we find the new location for the meat and seafood counters. This is strikingly reminiscent of the 37D, 37N, and 44T stores of yore, in addition to the second-generation GreenWise Market format.
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
I forget if I've mentioned this before, but the textured pattern behind all of the Evergreen department signs is actually just a printed vinyl sticker.
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
Turning down aisle 15, we find beer, wine, and what appears to be a split-aisle cut through to aisle 14. I'll give Publix a pass because I find one-off situations like this to be some of the only acceptable times to cut an aisle in half and place a walkway in between.
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
Since dairy now occupies the back wall of the store, fresh meats have moved to the left wall of the store: creating the perfect setup for a backyard barbecue with hamburgers and hotdogs.
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
Despite all of the other changes, the pharmacy counter can still be found in the front left corner of the store.
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
I'm really surprised that this store already has items on clearance only several days after it first opened for business – I guess they ordered too much flour and infant formula?
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
Finally, it wouldn't be a fancy new Publix prototype without a second story dining area overlooking the sales floor.
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| Courtesy HR2012TPA - Publix #1808 - March 2023 |
If you want to check out some more pictures of the new Gandy Boulevard store, this article includes a nice photo gallery from the grand opening day with photos that appear to have been taken by Publix's marketing department.
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| Courtesy Publix via GIPHY |
That's all for today, but make sure to check back for your regularly scheduled programming this Sing Oil Saturday.
Also, make sure to check out last week's MFR post covering Tennessee's only Pub-Dixie if you haven't had the chance to.
Until then,
- The Sing Oil Blogger
