Who's up for boycotting Publix!

[Fla Dem]

Adam Putman is the current Fl Commissioner of Agriculture, was a congressman for 12 years and currently running to replace Rick Scott as Republican governor of Fl. He's a Rick Scott and Trump sycophant. Publix just made a $670,000 contribution to his campaign. The only good thing about him is he's running against Ron DeSantis the current (R) Rep from Fl-6. He's worse than Putnam.

Never knew about Publix's backing of RNC, RW PAC's and Republican candidates. Have shopped there ever since I moved to FL, almost 20 years ago.

Publix's 2016 Political Contributions


If you go to this page you can see the entire list of Publix's 2016 contributions.
https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/summary.php?id=D000028488&cycle=2016

Will now shop at Winn-Dixie. They used to be big into political donations to both Reps and Dems, more to Reps though. But in the last 10 years their total contributions have been negligible.

https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/totals.php?id=D000000603&cycle=2014

Who's up for boycotting Publix?

By Dan SweeneyContact Reporter
South Florida Sun Sentinel
May 22,2018

Following a report in the Tampa Bay Times that Publix has given $670,000 to the campaign of Adam Putnam, the inevitable #BoycottPublix campaign has sprung up on Twitter.

It wouldn’t be so inevitable but for a few factors. First, there’s the sheer amount of cash — not a lot for a multibillion-dollar corporation, but a very significant amount for an individual candidate or committee. Then there’s the candidate, Putnam, who made one of the most ill-timed political declarations in recent memory when he called himself a “proud #NRASellout” on Twitter last summer, a designation that has since backfired given the heat the gun-rights organization has taken post-Parkland.

More>>>>
http://www.sun-sentinel.com/news/sound-off-south-florida/fl-reg-boycott-publix-20180522-story.html

Publix distances itself from NRA after Adam Putnam donation backlash

Kyle ArnoldContact Reporter
Orlando Sentinel
May 16, 2018

Publix distanced itself from the National Rifle Association on Tuesday in posts on social media after facing backlash for donations to Republican gubernatorial candidate Adam Putnam.

After drawing criticism for its support of Putnam, Publix’s verified account tweeted that “When we are deciding which candidate to financially support during an election, we consider a number of factors. Publix has not provided financial support to the National Rifle Association.”

And it added, “As the hometown candidate, we have supported Commissioner Putnam since he ran for the state House of Representatives.”

Publix has donated $650,000 since 2017 to Putnam, currently Florida’s agriculture commissioner. Publix and its leadership have a history of donating to Republican candidates and committees.

Putnam has been a fierce defender of gun rights and the NRA, and once even called himself an “NRA sellout.” That loyalty to gun-rights group has drawn criticism after the Feb. 14 shooting at Parkland’s Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, which left 17 people dead.

More>>>>>>

http://www.orlandosentinel.com/business/consumer/os-bz-publix-putnam-nra-20180516-story.html

[Laffy Kat]

1. Do they go by another name in the west?

To my knowledge we do not have Publix here. It's just Safeway which I never go to, or King Soopers (Kroger) where I usually spend my money.

[bearsfootball516]

4. I don't think they exist out west. They're pretty much a Florida company.

Although I think they have a handful in Georgia and South Carolina.

[dameatball]

14. NC also

[CurtEastPoint]

23. Not a handful. Over 150 in Atlanta alone.

[Docreed2003]

27. TN as well

[Fla Dem]

6. Thy're basically a SE territory supermarket, but they really dominate the market.

Publix stands as one of the largest U.S. regional grocery chains. Locations are found as far north as Virginia, and as far south as Key West, Florida, while the westernmost location is in Mobile, Alabama. Today, the state of Florida still has the largest number of stores, with 785, about two-thirds of the outlets.[1] Publix employs almost 190,000 people at its 1,172 (as of March 2018) retail locations, cooking schools, corporate offices, 9 grocery distribution centers, and 11 manufacturing facilities.[1] The manufacturing facilities produce its dairy, deli, bakery, and other food products.[1]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Publix

Their other brands: Aprons, GreenWise, PIX, & Presto!

[hlthe2b]

7. No... none outside the South, AFAIK

[rockfordfile]

2. Terrible company.

[HopeAgain]

3. We already stopped shopping at Publix

We have Aldi's and Trader Joe's nearby, so we save money by staying out of Publix anyway.

[Fla Dem]

10. I do feel bad, because I've gotten to know several of their employees by name, but...Oh well.

[hlthe2b]

5. Every time I see that name, I "see" PUBIX LOL

(and I'm sure I don't need to state the obvious phonetic misspelling)...I know they are all over the South, but none out here, fortunately.

[Docreed2003]

28. Lmao....me too

My wife gives me crap every time we pass one here and I say "Do we need anything from PUBIX??" Lol

[Zoonart]

8. I get it...really...

But we should all be sitting or laying in the street in front of the White House right now.

[Fla Dem]

12. Yes we should and if I could I would.

All I can do right now is get involved in local politics, Getting a Dem Governor elected, and making sure Bill Nelson doesn't lose his seat to Rick Scott.

[csziggy]

9. Publix has backed Republicans forever

At least since Florida allowed Republicans to have primaries. Back when only Democrats had primaries in Florida, there were few registered Republican voters. Once there were enough Republicans registered and they started having their own primaries (sometime after 1971 when I first registered to vote in Florida) Publix began funding Republicans.

It's not surprising - Publix started in Polk County when has always been very conservative and which went Republican early along. I grew up less than twenty miles from where Publix started and have shopped there since one opened in my home town.

I can't really boycott Publix - there are not very many other choices for shopping around here. Whole Foods and Fresh Market have limited selections and are over priced. The local health food coop, New Leaf Market, is way out of my way and are also limited in selection and much higher priced. I won't shop at Walmart and the one WinnDixie is a long drive from home. There are some discount stores on the south side, but again they are a long drive.

[Fla Dem]

11. I can appreciate your situation

I'm lucky, there's a W/D almost right across the street from the Publix I have shopped in for almost 20 years. I too won't shop at Walmart.

[csziggy]

17. Remember, Publix is the largest employee-owned grocery chain in the United States

They must pay a decent wage and have good benefits - the employees all seem happy and I see the same ones all the time over many years. They have a diverse range of workers in age, ethnicity, and experience and they hire many disabled workers.

That information is not from their corporate site - it is from my observations over the sixty years I have shopped at Publix. Here is their official page for employee benefits: http://corporate.publix.com/careers/why-publix/benefits

[doc03]

13. I always shop Publix when in Florida,

love their stores. I thought they were employee owned don't get their involvement in politics.

[NCTraveler]

33. Their involvement in politics is very limited considering their size.

They seem to support what they view as the business friendly politicians, mainly in Florida.

Putnam resides where their headquarters are.

A majority of what they are calling Publix contributions are actually employees contributing.

[dameatball]

15. I have been a Publix shopper since way back in the days they were closed on Sundays.

I will spend my money elsewhere after this.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

16. At this point, it's not very practical for me to boycott.

Publix is a for-profit corporation, and the sad fact of the matter is, the vast majority of for-profit corporations lean right.

Now, if there was a viable alternative, I'd consider it.

There's not.

Publix has a) a near monopoly on the shopping market in my area and b) admittedly strictly in terms of service and all politics aside, they do a pretty freaking good job at what they do.

What options do I have other than Publix?

Well, there's one Winn Dixie in my area. They're serviceable enough, I guess, but not as good as Publix. Problem is, I have to pass 4-5 Publix just to get to the one Winn Dixie.

I've got a Fresh Market. That's a big upcharge compared to Publix. There's also a Whole Foods about 15 minutes away, which is the same deal.

There's a Trader Joe's 20 minutes away, which doesn't offer anything in terms of name brand food.

We've got an Aldi, which is one of the most depressing stores I've ever walked into, and the whole weird "pay for your shopping cart and bring your own bags" deal. Pass.

And we've got a Walmart.....that little slice of hell goes without saying.

On the other hand, I've got about 5 different Publix in a 10 mile radius, and they all feature cheery stores, good prices and quality products.

If there was an equal alternative to that, I'd consider taking my business elsewhere.

But there's no alternative.

So for now, I just have to go with corporations gonna do corporation things.

[csziggy]

18. Gee - do you live in Tallahassee?

Your description of the choices is almost identical to mine!

[Tommy_Carcetti]

19. I think it's pretty much universal wherever you are in Florida.

You have 10 Publixes, 1 Winn Dixie, a high end Fresh Market/Whole Foods, a Trader Joe's, an Aldi, and the Place Whose Name Must Not Be Spoken.

[csziggy]

22. No Aldis here - yet - unless they added one in the last year while I wasn't looking

I used to shop at Winn Dixie when there was one convenient and at Albertson's until they folded. There was another chain from out of state that used to have a couple of stores in town, but they folded, too. But I always preferred Publix because of their cleaner stores, better selection, and overall lower prices. plus the service was ALWAYS better at Publix.

It's funny - many of the locations that used to have other food stores now have Publix stores so it wasn't the locations that were the reason the other chains didn't make it.

[grantcart]

31. Don't boycott but try to have a pleasant talk with the manager

If enough people do the message gets heard

"I shop here and like it but since your head office supports policies that hurt my economic interests you should know that if the competition ever opens up around here I would vote with my pocketbook."

[crazycatlady]

41. I think that's better directed at corporate

Either by a phone call to them or social media.

I've worked retail before and have heard management's conversations with corporate. They really don't give a shit about what goes on in the store as long as they're meeting sales goals (and other benchmarks) and the store passes audits.

[zipplewrath]

20. Tough Call

Around here my choices are Publix, Costco, Walmart, Target, Fresh Market, Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and some small Asian place.

We do a huge amount of shopping at Costco. I'm not sure switching to Walmart is exactly a "step up". The Target here barely qualifies as a grocery store. It's mostly process/prepackaged kinda stuff and the selection sucks. Fresh Market has some of the things, although generally it's on the pricey side (although Tuesdays they have good deals, and their ground beef is noticeably better). Whole Paycheck is rarely useful. Traders has some stuff, but not most of what we need (good cheese and cooking wine selection though, and not a bad place for decent breads). So it tends to be Publix for the weekly perishables and Costco for the monthly stock up with trips to Traders and Fresh Market for the specialty items. (Oh, and Total Wine for the beer and spirits, we have a "local" place for wine).

[HAB911]

21. My letter to Publix:

I have shopped at Publix since 1974. I average $10,000/yr at store 524. Recent revelations of Publix overboard support for Adam Putnam, who BRAGS he's a 'proud NRA sellout', forces me to abandon Publx and spend my $10,000 elsewhere. It is not your store, employees, or locations, it's your POLITICS. When I see contrition from Publix for supporting the continued slaughter of our children by direct or indirect support of the NRA, I might consider returning.


Their response:

Thank you for taking the time to contact us regarding your concerns about political contributions. We are a company that cares about our associates, our customers, and the communities we serve. It is our mission to do our very best to please all Publix customers.

We support business-friendly candidates, regardless of political affiliation, and we remain neutral on issues outside of our core business. As one of the largest employers in the state of Florida, and with the majority of our stores and our corporate headquarters located here as well, we have a significant interest in our home state. We have supported Commissioner Putnam since he ran for the state House of Representatives.

We apologize for your disappointment in this decision. We appreciate the trust you place in us to be your grocer of choice and your community partner. Please know that your feedback has been shared with the appropriate department.

We hope we have answered your question to your satisfaction. Should you have additional follow up, please do not hesitate to contact our Customer Care department at 1-800-242-1227. You may also contact us via email at www.publix.com/contact or write us at Publix Super Markets, Inc., P.O. Box 407, Lakeland, FL 33802, ATTN: Customer Care. Please be sure to reference your case identification number. We look forward to hearing from you again soon.
Sincerely,
Emily
Customer Care

[grantcart]

32. They heard you

[caraher]

24. I thought this was going to be about the graduation cake

Proud mom orders ‘Summa Cum Laude’ cake online. Publix censors it: Summa … Laude.

?1526950273751

[RockaFowler]

25. Publix is so expensive

Now that I've moved I have a few more places to go besides Publix.

I now go to Aldi's and just love their produce. I have another location called Western Beef. They have better meat than Publix and it's a lot less expensive. I'm also going more and more to my local Farmer's Market. I would rather give them my money anyway.

Even WalMart has gotten better than Publix.

Publix is more expensive for at least 90% of the items I usually buy. This includes the cost of vegetables.

Each day I hear stories about Publix it makes it easier and easier to stop shopping there.

[bearsfootball516]

30. I briefly lived in Florida and went to Publix a few times.

But I did almost all of my shopping elsewhere. They’re really nice stores, but the prices of some items are more than double what they are at Walmart. And when you’re on a tight budget, that matters.

[IronLionZion]

26. Publix operates throughout the Southeastern United States, with locations in Florida (785), Georgia

Publix operates throughout the Southeastern United States, with locations in Florida (785), Georgia (186), Alabama (68), South Carolina (58), Tennessee (42), North Carolina (35), and Virginia (8).

[NCTraveler]

29. Not me.

Excellent store. Great employees, overall.

[NCTraveler]

34. Look at how many Democrats they gave $1 to.

https://www.opensecrets.org/orgs/recips.php?id=D000028488&cycle=2016&state=&party=&chamber=&sort=A&page=2

[GulfCoast66]

35. I wrote a letter

But did not threaten and will not boycott.

I personally know too many people whose lives have been improved by Publix. They promote from within and offer generous stock options to their employees. And many of their managers started as baggers or stockers in high school and now are making 6 figures. including children of some of my coworkers.

I sure as shit will not step into Wal Mart and the Winn Dixie chain is owned and is currently being legally robbed by hedge fund guys.

[EffieBlack]

36. I'd have to first start shopping there so that I can stop.

So, no thanks. I'm good.

[ConnorMarc]

37. Interesting...

[meow2u3]

38. Which name do they go by in Eastern Pennsylvania?

I'd join the boycott if I knew which business to avoid.

[Fla_Democrat]

39. Well, I'm kinda pissed off about the peanuts

Well, I'm kinda pissed off about them not carrying the large bag of peanuts any more, but not enough to miss out on the ultimate subs. Mark me down as another, "no".

[Generic Brad]

40. That didn't work with Whole Foods

But have fun trying anyway. Knock yourself out.