Publix Super Market Inc., a food and drug retailer is one of the fastest growing employee-owned grocery store chains in the United States. The privately held company began 1930 in Winter Haven, Florida by George W. Jenkins. Since the company’s start, Publix has continued to grow and as of 2013, it ranked 108 on the Fortune 500 list. Likewise, Publix had revenue of 27,706.8 million and profits of 1,552.3 million. Publix’s current stock price is $30.00 per share and the number of shares of common stock outstanding as of Feb. 5, 2013 was 773, 972,000 (Publix.com). The company has stores located in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina with the majority of the stores being located in its home state of Florida. In the 83 years in which Publix has been around, the company has made many changes and improvements to help build a good company reputation. Publix has been involved in equal opportunity and labor issues but the company’s commitment to employee, food and service quality, and their mission statement, has earned the company a good reputation and a competitive edge. How a company treats its employees is vital to its reputation. Over the years, Publix relationship with its employees has improved. Currently Publix describes its employee relationships as good. Publix employs approximately 163,000 full-time and part-time employees with the pay ranging from $8.00 for a cashier to 1.1 million for William E. Crenshaw, Chief Executive Officer. Additionally, employee benefits include employee stock ownership, annual holiday bonus, 401(k) retirement plan, tuition reimbursement, dental, vision, and health. The highest paid employees are board of directors, which comprises of nine people. Three of which are George W. Jenk... ... middle of paper ... ...h the stores are located in the south, the business is expanding its chain and opening stores in North Carolina in 2014. Publix has used its commitment to employees and consumers to differentiate itself in food retail market. Its biggest competitors are CVS, Kroger, Walgreens, and Wal-Mart. By staying committed to its mission and providing quality goods and service to customers, Publix has been able to maintain and build a good company reputation. In addition, the company has influenced the communities in which their stores are located by donating food to churches and to charities. Publix is involved with charities such as Food For All, Untied Way, Special Olympics, March of Dimes, and Children’s Miracle Network. With its high quality goods and service, and charitable donations, the company has earned a good reputation, especially in its hometown of Florida.
There are 118 cities where Brookshire’s, FRESH, and Super 1 Foods stores operate. There are over 150 stores, 113 pharmacies and 81 fuel centers (Company, 2011, p. 11) and Brookshire’s has over 13,000 people known as partners that work for them. Brookshire’s owns seven BGC manufacturing plants, three distribution centers; two that are in Tyler and one that is in Monroe, LA., and operates an onsite track store in a tent at the Texas motor speedway. Brookshire’s also has extraaisle.com that offers items that you won’t find in your local Brookshire’s grocery store on their company web site (Extraaisle.com by Brookshire's , 2014). Brookshire’s Grocery has a company fleet that has 71 tractors and 297 trailers. The primary focus of Brookshire’s is on retail and their top competitors are HEB, Walmart, and Kroger.
Publix strives to utilize the industry-wide differentiation strategy. Although Publix isn’t open 24/7 and does not have self-checkout (which also plays a role in its strategy), it focuses on providing the best customer service and facility presentation. The grocery store chain sets itself apart from the competition by keeping their stores as neat, organized and clean as possible; as well as Publix strives to provide the highest degree of customer service and accommodation as possible. Not only is the staff friendly and knowledgeable, they are encouraged to assist customers to the best of their abilities, they even help with carrying out the groceries to your car and assist in loading. As mentioned before,
In a market that is so dependent on nature and agriculture, it is reassuring to see a company that values the recompensing of materials back to the natural world. In order for Publix to remain successful, the company must carry the momentum that founder George “Mr.George” Jenkins originally started in 1930. The morals and philosophies that lie at the center of Publix Super Markets are integral to their success. Mr. George believed that customers and employees should be treated like family, and if their business model continues to accurately portray their core values, then they will continue to be successful. The question that looms over Publix is not “What can we change?” it is “What can we elaborate on?” Publix needs to use their positive image to expand into other communities. Publix is well-received in the public eye to the point that they are considered beneficial to a community. A marketing campaign that focused on bringing positive change to a struggling community through Publix and their charitable campaigns would create a want/need for the super market in new, untapped territory. Publix is lesser known in the Northern regions of the U.S., a nationwide marketing campaign would result in well-received
Publix Super Markets have a fast developing and quickly motivated group of competitors. This allows for the market to have interesting trends and advances rapidly. According to the Food Marketing Institute’s website, in the year 2012 there were thirty-seven thousand and fifty-three companies in this trade which puts Publix very high on shopper’s lists. Being employee owned is one of the characteristics current workers contribute to the firm’s success. Focusing on the well-being and progress of their team members has given them a sought after job pool.
Publix objective is to provide excellent service to associates and customers with a quality and care in general merchandise. The organization places emphasis on quality control for its products as well as providing a higher quality of life for its associates. Management within the organization follow all managerial, ethical, and teambuilding practices ensuring all associates are accountable for themselves, and can provide the best service and product for its customers. The close guidance of these practices has led to substantial profits and praise for its managerial practices.
But Wal-Mart’s care for us goes beyond that simple relationship. As many of us have seen if we have been to a Wal-Mart, they hire people who normally would not be able to get a job. The company knows that by broadcasting itself as positive and helpful in nature it can increase its revenue and in turn increase the amount of assistance it provides to us the consumer. “In 2004 Wal-Mart donated over $170 million. More than 90 percent of these donations went to charities in the communities served by Wal-Mart stores.’ Even more heartfelt than this, Wal-Mart was the leader in goods based relief efforts for victims of hurricane Katrina. “Walmart’s response to the hurricane was lauded even by its critics: it donated more than $20 million worth of merchandise, including food for 100,000 meals, and it promised jobs for all of its displaced workers.” And the first supply truck to arrive at the superdome was a Wal-Mart truck.
...ization with a solid infrastructure. Since 1930 it has consistently expanded and is among the most prosperous supermarkets in the U.S. Through its research, employee programs, technological incorporations, adaptations to consumer preference and psychographics as well as its marketing strategy with respect to competition, Publix has successfully created an environment “where working is a pleasure” and where shopping is a pleasure.” With competition constantly growing, it is essential to keep on top of the global business community and market environment to have a leg up on competition and provide the highest customer value.
1. Publix Supermarkets is a company that prides itself on providing the best customer service to its customers. This includes updating prices, products in-stock, and each store has a properly trained staffed. The company developed an innovative IS, an automated ordering process which allows the grocery department to receive an accurate order.
A firm may produce a product in a particular industry while another industry produces something similar with a variety of characteristics but not exactly alike. The consumer may favor one substitute product over the other one from another industry. The firm could be affected by competitors in the same industry that don’t offer substitute products. The substitute originates on the outside of an industry in the firm. The substitute can put a limitation on the price of the substitute in the firm although it is made outside the industry. The firms that are prosperous will be have some or no substitutes. For example, the Sam’s Club have many different products sold in their store but they carry their store name brand. Publix sells many different
..., John E., Strickland, A.J. Thompson, Arthur “Whole Foods Market In 2006: Mission, Core Values, and Strategy”, Crafting & Executing Strategy 15th Ed., McGraw-Hill Irwin, 2007
Wal-Mart Stores Inc. is in the discount, variety stores industry. It was founded in 1945, Bentonville in Arkansas which is also the headquarters of Wal-Mart. Wal-Mart operates locally as well as worldwide. It operated 1209 discount stores, 1980 super centers, and 567 Sam’s Club by January 31, 2006. It has also extended its operations to many international countries. It runs its retail stores in two forms: Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart Stores. The Sam’s Club sells assorted product lines such as hardwares, electronics, jewelry, and to mention a few. The Wal-Mart stores also offer similar products in addition to the following: health and beauty products, apparel for women, men and children, household appliances etc (www.yahoo.finance.com). The Vision Statement, Mission Statement, Values and Code of Conduct, Corporate Governance: Directors, Executive Management, Committees and Stakeholder will be the key elements that will discussed in this report as it relates to Wal-Mart. In addition to that, the major trends in the general/macro environment and industry will be analyzed.
In our store, the majority of those we observed were buyers. People come to Publix with the intention to purchase rather than walk around and look at nice things, as one would expect others to do when in a clothing store. The conversion rate we observed was one hundred percent with every customer observed ending up buying at least one item. The store targets all demographics because everyone needs to eat and drink; they are two necessities of life. Publix caters to people from all walks of life, offering an ethnic aisle for those that may be looking for specific international items. Specifically, our store targets students and alumni at the University of Central Florida by selling UCF merchandise.
Publix has very high expectations when it comes to its employees. The work environment is very fast paced. One of the many pros about working at Publix is that it is a very stable job with a fantastic retirement/profit-sharing plan. It is also employee owned which is not common so employees will take pride in the fact they are all shareholders of the company. Because the employees are working somewhere that they all own, it creates a pleasant working environment, which is nice to see for customers.
There has been much criticism from employees such as working conditions and low wages. In some cases workers were denied overtime pay despite working off the clock and also taking a rest or lunch break were not given. It has said that Walmart also discriminates towards woman and especially towards the elderly and disabled. Walmart has paid
The company started off when Ben Dunne Sr. began working at a drapery shop in Cork, Ireland in the early 1940s. From his experiences here he then proceeded to leave the job to set up his own store, this idea quickly developed and in 1944 Bernard Dunne Sr. set up a new store with the intention of changing the Irish market under the promise of “Better Value” by offering products at a lower more affordable price, This slogan and idea carried on today.