Walmart and Publix almost tie in North Florida/South Georgia market share
The Shelby Report of the Southeast supermarket industry trade publication reported in its March issue that Walmart remains the No. 1 supermarket retailer in North Florida and South Georgia, while Publix Super Markets Inc. is a close No. 2, with less than a half-point percentage difference.
The Shelby Report found that Walmart's 62 stores were No. 1 in sales volume, with a 30.1 percent market share, followed closely by Publix's 108 stores, with a 29.7 percent market share.
The broad market area includes the Jacksonville, Daytona Beach and Tallahassee areas in Florida and the Albany and Brunswick areas of South Georgia.
Walmart is based in Bentonville, Ark., and Publix is based in Lakeland.
Jacksonville-based Winn-Dixie, owned by Bi-Lo LLC, remains No. 3. Its 93 stores captured 18.1 percent of the market.
Together, the top three account for 77.9 percent of the market share.
Sharing the remaining 22.1 percent were:
• Harvey's, 61 stores, 6.8 percent
• Supervalu (wholesaler), 31 stores, 2.9 percent
• Save-A-Lot, 26 stores, 1.8 percent.
• SuperTarget, six stores, 1.3 percent.
• Ira Higdon (wholesaler), 25 stores, 1.2 percent.
Other smaller retailers account for the remaining 8.1 percent of the market.
The remaining 8.1 percent is attributed to small independents, from one to multiple stores, who don't register above the 1 percent mark individually, but aggregated represent a significant piece of the share of the pie, said Shelby.
Shelby, based in Gainesville, Ga., said shares are for chains, independents and/or wholesalers that supply them within each region's distribution area, which extends "well beyond" typical metro or trade areas.
"Each market is defined by the sphere of distribution, not limited to static geographic boundaries," reports Shelby.
All markets are identified by their primary state with metro areas or key cities.
Percentages are estimates based on annualized sales, industry data, institutional research and store footprints, Shelby said.
Shares are updated routinely as market metrics dictate.
Shelby Publishing Co. creates reports for the West, Southeast, Southwest, Northeast and Midwest and also produces Sunbelt Foodservice Magazine.
Its website is theshelbyreport.com.
Among other Southeast markets, the No. 1 supermarket chains by market share are:
• South Florida — Publix, 52.8 percent. (Walmart is No. 2 at 14.7 percent.)
• Central Florida — Publix, 43.8 percent. (Walmart is No. 2 at 27.7 percent.)
• Georgia — Kroger, 31.1 percent.
• North Carolina and parts of South Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia — Walmart, 28.6 percent.
• Alabama and parts of Florida, Georgia and Mississippi — Walmart, 39.3 percent.
• South Carolina and East Georgia — Walmart, 30.1 percent.
• Louisiana and parts of Mississippi and Alabama — Walmart, 38.2 percent.
• Kentucky and parts of Indiana and Tennessee — Kroger, 43.2 percent.
• West Tennessee and parts of Arkansas, Mississippi and Louisiana — Walmart, 46.9 percent.
• Middle and East Tennessee and parts of Kentucky, Virginia and Georgia — Walmart, 35.4 percent.
Save-A-Lot test-marketing in Jacksonville
The Shelby Report of the Southeast supermarket industry trade publication also is reporting on the plans by the Save-A-Lot chain to test market a pricing strategy in Jacksonville.
The Daily Record reported in January that the Save-A-Lot supermarket chain plans to extend a test market strategy under way in Kansas City and St. Louis to its Jacksonville stores, according to the CEO of its parent company, Supervalu Inc.
Save-A-Lot hasn't fully explained what that means.
Supervalu CEO Wayne Sales said in the company's quarterly conference call early this year that the supermarket operator plans to roll out the test market strategies to the Jacksonville market, according to a transcript of the call posted by the company.
Chief Financial Officer Sherry Smith said in the call that the plan involves a "new price program" that generated higher comparable-store sales in the other test markets, but company officials gave no other details.
Supervalu operates 10 Save-A-Lot grocery stores in the Jacksonville market, according to its website. Save-A-Lot has 1,300 stores overall.
Minneapolis-based Supervalu operates a number of supermarket chains under different banners. It has announced a plan to sell several of those chains – including Albertsons, which left the Jacksonville market in 2005 – for $3.3 billion to an affiliate of Cerberus Capital Management L.P.
Supervalu said Save-A-Lot and its other remaining chains plus its food wholesale business still will generate $17 billion in annual sales.
The Shelby Report said in its March issue that the sale of five regional retail banners is expected to be completed March 18.
The Shelby Report quoted Smith as saying attention at Save-A-Lot also includes item assortment, making sure the stores carry relevant items.
She said about 200 items are being added to what the stores carry and that the product mix is increasing from 57 percent to 70 percent private-label products.
Publix posts high customer satisfaction
Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets Inc. reports that for the 19th consecutive year, it is the highest-ranking supermarket for customer satisfaction according to the American Customer Satisfaction Index, achieving a score of 86 points.
The ranking is determined through customer interviews and measures, such as customer expectations, perceived quality, perceived value, customer complaints and customer retention, Publix said.
The index is produced through a partnership among the University of Michigan Business School, the American Society for Quality and the international consulting firm, CFI Group. For more information, visit theacsi.org.
According to Publix, the company is privately owned and operated by its 157,000 employees. Its 2011 sales were $27 billion. It has 1,069 stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee and is opening in North Carolina.
The company said it has been named one of Fortune magazine's "100 Best Companies to Work For in America" for 16 consecutive years.
For information about the company, visit publix.com.
A'Gaci, O'Shoes to Avenues
Build-out is pending for A'Gaci and an O'Shoes site within it at The Avenues mall.
The City is reviewing a permit application for a $550,000 build-out for the 10,730-square-foot space near JCPenney at the 10300 Southside Blvd. mall. A'Gaci is planned in Suite 1070A, the permit shows.
Plans show 9,678 square feet of sales area and 1,052 square feet of storage.
No contractor is listed. Agaci LLC is based in San Antonio. WestEast Design Group of San Antonio is the project manager and the architect is Jimmy L. Powers of San Antonio.
The Agacistore.com site calls A'Gaci "the one-stop shop spot for today's modern, trendy, glamour girl."
It says its "racy, femme fatale styles come in great quality and unbelievable prices."
It was founded by two brothers in 1972.
The site shows it has more than 40 stores in eight states.
h.h. gregg adding loading dock
The City is reviewing a permit application for h.h. gregg appliances & electronics to add a loading dock to the existing one at its store at The Shops at Avenues Walk. Fulcrum Construction LLC is the contractor for the $200,000 project at 10320 Shops Lane, not far from The Avenues mall.
The chain has three area stores at Regency Commons, Oakleaf and Avenues Walk.
Rack Room remodeling at Roosevelt
Rack Room Shoes is planning to remodel its Roosevelt Square retail store.
The City is reviewing a permit application for a $100,000 project to renovate the 5,445-square-foot store at 4495 Roosevelt Blvd.
Rack Room Shoes operates next to the Publix Super Markets Inc. store at the Westside shopping center.
Rack Room Shoes, based in Charlotte, N.C., opened the Roosevelt Square store in 1997 and has updated the location a few times, according to the company.
Dewberry Capital Corp. of Atlanta is the landlord.
Rack Room Shoes Project Manager Andy Foster said the company has four stores in Jacksonville and one in Jacksonville Beach.
In addition to Roosevelt Square, it has Jacksonville stores at The Avenues mall in Southside, River City Marketplace in North Jacksonville and Riverplace Shopping Center in Mandarin.