supermarket
AN “HISTORIC” EVENT IN “GREEN”: FIRST-EVER PUBLIX GREENWISE MARKET OPENS IN PALM BEACH GARDENS, FLORIDA
By Lisa Carvin, Freelance Correspondent
09/27/2007
Thursday morning, September 27, 2007, the parking lot in Legacy Place, Palm Beach Gardens, FL’s upscale dining and retail area was nearly filled to capacity and buzzing with more activity and anticipation than usual. Shoppers, media and surrounding businesses were eagerly and with curiosity awaiting the opening of Legacy Place’s newest business tenant, Publix Greenwise Market.
The doors to the supermarket opened promptly at 9:00 a.m. For patrons unable to arrive well in advance of the opening and get parking close to the front door, golf cart transportation was courteously provided for the aged, parents with small children, the physically-challenged and anyone else who needed to be shuttled from even the furthest reaches of the immense parking lot, which serves not only Publix but also the plaza’s neighboring establishments. Thank you, PGWM, for this thoughtful detail. Standing directly in front of the store’s front doors, outside from the air conditioning in the uncomfortable, humid 80° F Southeast Florida heat was the store’s manager, Michael Louramore, looking crisp, professional and polished despite the heat, sporting an earnest, inviting smile and passing out flyers explaining the Greenwise concept to all who entered.
Mr. Louramore introduced himself with a hearty handshake and directed Supermarket Green News toward public relations experts who could give our readership detailed “insider” information on the store. First to speak with us was a cheerful, enthusiastic staffer who identified himself as:
PGWM: Dwaine Stevens, Publix Supermarket Media Relations Department.
SGN: Tell us, Dwaine, what’s your prospectus on today?
PGWM: All I can say is, “Wow,” right now. We’ve got a great customer flow coming through here. We’re really excited about bringing…expanding a prototype of PGWM to the Palm Beach Gardens area. We’re very proud of it; we’ve been in the Greenwise business under the label since early 2000/ late 2001, and we’ve been in the organic business offering since the 1990s, so this is the marriage of all worlds; of conventional merchandising in natural and organic products coming together This is Publix’s vision, which is PGWM and we hope -- we believe that we are going to satisfy the taste palates of the entire family, ones that are looking for more healthful choices as well as those who are looking for conventional items. This is Publix’s vision and we’re happy. We’re proud of it.
SGN: I have actually read somewhere, possibly at Palm Beach Post online, that this is the first PGWM of its kind. Is that true?
PGWM (Nods affirmatively.): Yes. Yes, it is.
SGN: This, then, is the forerunner. Where are the other ones slated to be opened, and is this a kind of “test market”?
PGWM: This is the first market. We have 914 Publix locations in 5 Southeastern states. This is the very first PGWM, here in Palm Beach Gardens. The next opening is projected to be sometime in Spring, 2008 in Boca Raton and also in the Tampa market. Then after that, one will likely open in Vero Beach in 2009, and we’ll probably have a Naples (FL) location, also sometime in 2009.
SGN: I realize that this is sort of a cliché, but in “25 words or less,” can you explain exactly what a Green Market is, what your goals are for this enterprise and what you’re trying to accomplish here?
PGWM: What we’re trying to accomplish here is that you know about Publix. We’re all about convenience and customer service. Again, it’s a marriage of the “two worlds” together. Bringing together the best offerings of organic and natural food products as well as conventional items that you would find in traditional Publix locations, to encourage “one-stop shopping.”
SGN: Well, I really appreciate your time, Dwaine, and we’re looking especially at the business aspects of the Market. In terms of “green” and business coming together, are there a lot of other businesses that also profit from a business model such as this?
PGWM: Well, I want to believe so. I thank that we should all work together; all corporations, individuals, in being “green” and having sustainability philosophies, because it’s going to help us all. It’s going to help us be better neighbors and we’ll have a better environment for the future. So, it’s something we should all have responsibility in doing.
SGN: I also remember reading or hearing somewhere that the store itself was actually built, quote, green, endquote; that is, built to be environmentally-friendly. How does that translate? What would you say regarding that?
PGWM: That is correct. Actually, in our ceremony this morning, it was announced that our building was made from the ground up to be eco-friendly in every conceivable way, from the way the air conditioning and lighting systems conserve power to safer waste disposal and meticulous water management. It’s really fascinating.
Supermarket Green News proceeded to thank Mr. Stevens for his input, and then had the pleasure of briefly making acquaintances with Ms. Maria Braus, Director of Media and Community Relations, here in Southeast Florida for the grand opening all the way from Publix’s corporate headquarters in Lakeland, FL. This charming spokesperson was in high demand for interviews and attention on such a pivotal occasion, but was kind enough to point out the layout of the store and give us permission for photo opportunities as we saw fit.
Anyone who has shopped in a modern Publix Supermarket will attest that across the board, these grocery stores are generally massive, sporting full-service pharmacies, delis, bakeries and other amenities, varying from store to store. Imagine the surprise of SGN when we discovered that this particular PGWM is 93,000 square feet and two stories high. Tasting bite-sized sample foods handed to us by smiling, aproned employees in practically every division, from produce to no-preservatives-added, milk chocolate-dipped pretzels to foreign and domestic cheeses made from grain-fed cows, the well-fed SGN duo made it up the elevator to the second floor, which permitted not only a bird’s eye view of the entire store, from aisle after aisle of natural foods to the ample checkout area on the first floor, to…merely steps away on the second floor…a conference room! A write-on, wipe-off whiteboard adorned the back wall of this well-appointed room, with several rows of seats available for private meetings based on availability of the room and advance booking with Paw’s…Event Planner. A Publix with an on-staff Event Planner. What a forward-thinking concept that is.
After assuring SGN that for carrying such high-end retail fare, PGWM will strive toward being as price-conscious they are health-conscious, remaining competitive with the other predominantly “green” supermarket in Palm Beach County, Whole Foods, Ms. Braus bid Supermarket Green News farewell. As patrons, free-sample “junkies” and media alike exited the store, they/we were treated to a complimentary gift of a canvas carrying bag to commemorate the day. The golf carts graciously shuttled us back to our vehicles. Kudos to Publix Greenwise Market for a memorable, seemingly successful and highly pleasant beginning. It is our earnest hope that this prototype will be a boon for the community and the beginning of a trend toward most if not all of new businesses being environmentally sound.