Publix hasn't officially arrived in Kentucky yet, but the grocery chain seems very excited to let prospective customers and workers know that it will be there soon. 

The company known for its sandwiches and dinosaur mascot is using a dedicated website to spread the word. 

Publix’s “Hello Kentucky” website serves as a way to share information with grocery shoppers and people interested in working for the grocery company. On the site, people can sign up for updates on loyalty programs, view job openings and learn about products and deals, including the grocer’s Publix and GreenWise items. Viewers of the site can also learn about Publix’s liquor stores and pharmacies, along with its charitable efforts and e-commerce offerings. 

While many grocers have long relied on press releases, local news stories, print marketing materials and grand openings to spread the word about new stores, Publix is going a step further with its site. This approach to seemingly connect more closely with shoppers and workers comes at a time when Publix is expanding its presence beyond its Southeast foothold, stretching its store footprint upward into the Mid-Atlantic region.

A Publix spokesperson said this isn’t the first time the company has launched a website to introduce customers in a new state to its brand, but did not provide further details. 

Publix broke ground on its store at the Terra Crossing Shopping Center in Louisville, Kentucky, last summer and expects to have that location completed by the fourth quarter of this year.

The grocer has two more stores set for the city. Publix's planned location at the corner of Ballardsville and Brownsboro roads is slated to open during the first quarter of 2024. Another location, which was announced at the end of last year, will sit at the corner of Flat Rock and Shelbyville roads and is expected to open during the second quarter of 2024.

Last summer, Publix signed a lease for a store in Lexington, Kentucky. That store is expected to open in the fourth quarter of 2024.

The "Hello Kentucky" site suggests that Publix is aiming to make a splashy debut in the Bluegrass State, which already has a robust presence by Kroger. The rival has been building an online-only presence in Publix’s home state of Florida through its Ocado-powered e-commerce services. 

The Publix site is one more example of how grocers are aiming to gain greater control over their relationships with shoppers, instead of relying on local news outlets to spread the word.  

In case you missed it

Aldi prospers by helping shoppers experiment

Several supermarket chains operating in the U.S., including Kroger, Albertsons, Publix and Aldi, are among the globe’s 100 largest retailers as measured by their worldwide retail sales in 2022, the National Retail Federation reported this week.

In a blog post about the rankings, based on Kantar’s Retail IQ integrated research methodology, the NRF noted that Aldi, at No. 15, has been able to power ahead by empowering shoppers with limited funds to try new products when shopping for groceries. “Many don’t realize that the lower the income of a shopper, the less likely they are to take a risk,” NRF said in the post. “Aldi’s prices, however, are low enough that even those shoppers are more willing to experiment.”

New Zealand banishes disposable produce bags

The island nation has started prohibiting single-use produce bags in grocery stores, becoming the first country in the world to forbid supermarkets from distributing the ubiquitous pouches to shoppers, NPR reported this week. The ban, which came into force on July 1, will stop the use of 150 million plastic bags per year, New Zealand Secretary for the Environment James Palmer said, according to the report.

Albertsons pays for kids’ meals as school lunches take a summer break

The grocer plans to pay for meals for children facing food insecurity this summer by making donations to local hunger relief organizations linked to sales of the products under the grocer’s O Organics line. The chain plans to fund up to $7 million in grants through its Nourishing Neighbors program to more than 200 groups that provide food to kids who depend on school lunches.

Through the initiative, which will run through Aug. 1 and is known as “Fight Hunger, Serve Hope,” Albertsons will donate one meal for every O Organics product purchased, up to the equivalent of as many as 28 million meals.

Number of the week: $17.5 million

That is how much H-E-B is putting towards its expansion project at its Hudson Oaks location in Parker County, Texas, west of Fort Worth, according to the Forth Worth Star-Telegram. Construction is reportedly set to begin in November on the 16,717-square-foot space.

H-E-B is moving full speed ahead on a number of renovation and expansion projects, including its newest store, Nutty Brown H-E-B, which is now open in southwest Austin, Texas. The location is offering a number of in-store experiences for shoppers, including a full-service meat market, a Cooking Connection section with live demos, and a bakery and tortilleria. 

What’s ahead

Inflation figures due

The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics is set to reveal Consumer Price Index data for June on Wednesday. The numbers will provide clarity on the direction prices took at the start of the summer season and if this year’s inflation slowdown has continued. 

Impulse find

Did your human leave you sitting in the car again while they shop for groceries? Well, two huskies sang the blues about it recently in a supermarket parking lot. From separate cars, bystanders captured the huskies with their heads out their respective car windows howling away, giving everyone else in the parking lot a soulful serenade.