Columbus voted this grocery store its favorite. See who won in a landslide victory
Price Check is a Ledger-Enquirer series focusing on local grocery stores to find the best trends and best values. Have a suggestion for a future story? Email Srose@ledger-enquirer.com.
After a recent poll in the Ledger-Enquirer about readers’ favorite grocery stores, a clear winner has emerged. Columbus voters, by and large, prefer Publix over other area stores.
The poll presented voters with seven local stores: Publix, Piggly Wiggly, Walmart, Fresh Market, Winn-Dixie, ALDI and the commissary.
The results
68% of shoppers preferred Publix
13% - Piggly Wiggly
10% - Walmart
3% - Fresh Market
3% - Winn-Dixie
3% - ALDI
0% - commissary
Why Publix?
After speaking with a few shoppers who, by and large also chose Publix, the reasons why its the favorite started to emerge.
Shopper Andy Freeman cites Publix “even though it’s a bit more expensive, they typically have better quality produce, some items/brands that Walmart does not carry. You can also get good deals with their running BOGO promotions.”
Kat Canella cites convenience as the determining variable. She lives close to a Publix and says she likes the “friendly staff, the higher quality experience.” She also “feels good about their produce and meat. [Some other stores] are super sketchy.”
According to Grocery: The Buying and Selling of Food in America, a lot of the hype over Publix, specifically from people in the Southeastern United States is the regional brand loyalty, since Publix originated here. It also has a good reputation for quality customer service and its ability to adapt to market trends.
The other stores
Coming in second in the polls is Piggly Wiggly. A lot of people still frequent this store because of price and value, exclusively. Rawley Green, who is new to the area, finds it to be the most economical option, saying, “price is the only factor. Although ALDI often has some pretty good deals as well.”
Hannah Vonsavang, who frequents Publix, often seeks out international markets for some of the things she can’t find in a traditional market. She shops at Oldest Food and Gifts for things like “Thai curry paste, fish sauce, oyster sauce and all kinds of noodles. There is seafood you can’t find at Publix.” These markets accept all traditional payment methods and shoppers can also use WIC and SNAP benefits.
Surprisingly, there were no votes for the commissary. Considering the close proximity to Fort Moore. A commissary works slightly differently than a traditional grocery store and offers deep discounts on food items, and not to be confused with “the exchange.”
What is your favorite grocery store? Did I leave yours out? Sound off in the comments, or you can email me or find me on Instagram.
