instore - December 2017 - 16

cover story

"Here in Virginia we've been testing this, and it's been received really
well," Reynolds says. "Customers like the convenience of just being able
to grab it and go. And the variety is important. It's not just donuts. The
more variety we can offer, the better."

A new take on

meal kits

One of the few items in the bakery area that are not baked in the store
are Publix's famous pies. They are produced in one of the company's
facilities in Florida or Georgia.
"Most everything is still baked in the store, but whatever isn't is still
baked by Publix associates in our manufacturing facilities," Reynolds
says. "We think that's important."

Say cheese
Publix puts a strong emphasis on its cheese department. Just past the
bakery, right before an expansive wine section begins, sits a curved
cooler case that hold a few hundred varieties of cheeses - everything from Wisconsin cheese curds to a hefty wheel of private label
Parmigiana Reggiano.
"This is about $2,000 worth of cheese that's two years old. It's some of
the best Parmigiana in the world," says cheese specialist, Mark Wylie,
who is based in the Indian Land, South Carolina Publix location and
was on hand to help the Colonial Heights store open. "By the time it gets
to us, it's been loved and looked after for two years. Then we process it
and turn it into blocks or whatever the customer wants. We'll cut it into
any size for you."

Publix's Simple Meals initiative isn't
a meal kit. It doesn't necessarily fit
the same description and Publix
definitely doesn't call it a meal
kit. But the basic idea is the same
and it's a new way of helping
consumers put together quick,
easy meals.
Opposite the cheese section and
butting up against the produce
sits the Simple Meals kiosk, where
customers will find a pair of weekly
recipe cards and a Publix associate
preparing the selections for
customers to sample.
If the customer decides to purchase
the ingredients necessary to make

16 * DECEMBER 2017 * instore

the meal, everything is available
for purchase right there in a small
cooler behind the kiosk.
"It's all about helping our
customers learn to have fun in
the kitchen," Publix spokesperson
Kimberly Reynolds says. "We
make cooking at home very
non-intimidating."
The recipes feed four people.
During the morning of the Colonial
Heights store opening, customers
sample a Praline French Toast
recipe. Behind the kiosk sat
vanilla, syrup, milk, butter, bread
and everything else necessary to
prepare the meal at home.

Wylie's job is almost a throwback to the days of a small neighborhood supermarket. He's the cheese expert customers come to when
they want the perfect pairing for a certain wine or a cheese board for
a special dinner. He helps customers with cheeses that range from
pricier selections to a reasonable chunk of Gouda for $6.
"My job is to help the customer and I'm training two employees right
now to do the same thing," he says. "If you want to make a meal, we can
help you set up a board of cheeses. If you want to have a game of cards
with your friends, I'll tell you what to put out for them that is perfect for
snacking. We get this great opportunity to guide people around all the
different cheeses."
And that, Reynolds says, sums up what Publix strives for when it comes
to customer experience.
"We talk a lot about really making the shopping experience more of
a pleasure and this is a perfect example," she says. "Cheeses may be
intimidating to the average customer, so we have our expert who helps
make them not intimidating, but fun. That' s just part of the services we
offer to go above and beyond."

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of instore - December 2017