Publix To Require All Customers To Register and Show ID Card
When Publixâs CEO Todd Fakenamedonâtsueus heard President Trump tell a rally of supporters in Tampa that Floridians were required to show ID for groceries, he was confused: âI didnât think it was trueâŠbut Iâm a wealthy person, so I get all of my food delivered from Whole Foods using Instacart, so I just wasnât sure.â Of course, it turned out Trumpâs statement was completely false, but it gave Mr. Jones a good idea: âWhy not require an ID?â
One of the challenges Publix faces is the reality that fewer and fewer people view the Publix experience as âa pleasureâ.
âIt used to be that Publix was the epitome of luxury grocery shopping. That isnât the case anymore,â said Publix director of marketing and user acquisition Heinrich Schweinhund. âOur stores are outdated, we donât give away chocolate chip cookies, the world is catching on that chicken tenders on submarine sandwiches are gross unless you are really, really high, our bag boys tell customers too much about their personal lives, and we have spent lots of money over the years on political campaigns that are antithetical to a modern society.â
In an effort to attract high net worth customers, Publix plans to compete with fancy grocery stores like Whole Foods and Milams by redesigning its dated stores, raising its prices, and requiring customers to pre-register and show a store-issued ID before making any purchase. âPeople arenât interested in a community grocery store any more. They want an exclusive shopping experience where people can make assumptions about your income and sophistication by the very fact that you shop there,â said Mr. Schweinhund, which means âPig Dogâ in German.
To register to shop at Publix, customers will have to pay an annual $500 fee which will grant them access to most stores. Customers desiring to shop at Publixâs âsignatureâ stores, such as those in Brickell and Weston, must pay extra.
âThe IDs are great because they really make the shopping experience more streamlined,â said Mr. Pig Dog. âThe ID will display our customersâ dietary information and eating habits, and also allow our cashiers (now called âNutritional Facilitatorsâ) to ensure that the items purchased donât contain any ingredients that cannot be consumed by the customer, which actually is a pretty good idea.â
âThis is an absolute godsend,â said Mariana McCartney, whose son Julian has a peanut allergy. âNow, when we scan our items it alerts us when there is a peanut in one of the products we are buying. It is actually a very good idea.â
âI agree, this is a good idea,â said Miriam Mordechaishaninbergstein, a reform Jew who occasionally cooks Kosher meals in her un-Kosher kitchen for the Holidays. âLast Rosh Hashona I accidentally bought non-Kosher shrimp. Oy gavalt, I was so embarrased. Now, because the ID says that I am Kosher for one week in September, it will let me know not to buy shrimp.â
As part of the rebrand, Publix will change its signature motto from âWhere Shopping is a Pleasureâ to âWhere Shopping is a Privilege.â
But not everyone is thrilled. Community activists worry that Publixâs attempt to cater (not a pun) to wealthier customers will leave poorer customers without as many grocery options. When asked where he believes Publixâs less affluent customers will shop, Mr. Shcweinhund, which again, means âPig Dogâ, said âThe same place theyâve always been shopping: Win-Dixie.â