Fairy Tips – Shopping at Publix Grocery Store

When I was in college I worked for Publix Grocery Store.

Best.  Job.  Ever.

Disney is my first love, but Publix is a close second.

Seriously, when the Happy Hubby and I were dating, we would literally go to Publix for our date nights just to be there and walk up and down the magical cereal aisle.

I also made all of my college roommates get up at 6 am so that we could all go to the grand opening of a new Publix that was located right by our apartment.  It was a day to remember.

As much as I try to shop for my groceries at Wal-Mart or Farmer’s Markets to get a better price, I always walk away discontent because my dear Publix simply knows how to make me feel at home.

Here are 5 of my favorite things about shopping at Publix…

I hope you find a secret or two that will help you out on your grocery adventures!

1.  Cut Your Meat – One thing I can’t stand besides long toenails is having to cut raw meat.  Blech!  But many recipes that I like to make for our Happy Home call for boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces, or beef cut for stir-fry, etc.  I spend a lot of time worrying that salmonella is spreading all over my kitchen when I am handling that chicken.  So one day I decided to ask the meat man at my local Publix if he would cut my chosen package of meat for me.  He cheerfully agreed and I have never cut a single piece of raw meat since.  You name it – they will  cut it for you!  All you have to do is ask.

2.  No Questions Asked – Did you know that Publix has a policy where you can return items and they won’t ask you for a receipt?  No matter what it is (I have even returned meat that I opened out of the package and was bad), they won’t ask any questions about it.  This may sound a little silly, but sometimes toward the end of the month when my grocery budget is running thin and we need money for a gallon of milk or a carton of eggs, I will go through my pantry, find items that are returnable and that I don’t have an immediate need for (like canned items or boxes of pasta, etc.), and take them back to Publix for a quick buck.

They also do this with coupons – If you’re like me and are constantly forgetting to bring your coupons to the grocery store with you, you can bring your receipt and coupon to Customer Service and they will give you cash back for the coupon.  It’s AWESOME.

3.  Compliment An Employee – This is my FAVORITE thing that Publix does.  When Publix employees are complimented, they are given a FREE meal from the deli!  I always try to swing by the customer service desk after my shopping and let them know who really blessed me during our time in the store.  And if you want to go a step further, if you write a letter to Publix Corporate Offices (go HERE for address) and compliment a store employee you enjoy, they will literally send that employee a MEDAL as well as a copy of the letter you sent to corporate on their behalf.  I got one when I was working in college and I still have it to this day!

Plus, the more you spend time complimenting instead of complaining, the more your Happy Buddy learns to do the same. 🙂

4.  Ask and Receive – The Publix by my house recently stopped carrying an item that I LOVE and have always bought.  I asked them if they could get it for me again.  They took my name and phone number and the product information and then called me that night to tell me that it had been ordered and was on its way to the store.  Don’t you love that kind of service??

5.  Publix Brand Deliciousness – Let me just tell you, every Publix brand item that I have bought has been AMAZING, if not BETTER than the national brand AND it’s way cheaper.  The Happy Buddy especially loves Publix brand Greenwise Cheerios and I love the Publix brand walnuts because they have a picture of Humpty Dumpty on the bag with this written saying, “Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall-nut.”  I got such a kick out of that when I first saw it I laughed in the grocery aisle for like 5 minutes.  How can you not buy something so cleverly packaged?

There are so many other great things about Publix.  They have a Baby Club (free membership) with awesome coupons, they have terrific recipes, and then there’s this magical site called I Heart Publix that is dedicated to helping you save at Publix.

Happy Publix-ing! 🙂