Publix Dives Further into N.C.

With North Carolina proving to be a hotbed of supermarket activity – Hickory-based Lowes Foods’ decision to close two Triangle-area stores and Kroger’s acquisition of Matthews-based Harris Teeter are two examples – Publix Super Markets Inc., currently in the midst of self-described “aggressive” expansion into the state, revealed it will enter the Winston-Salem market and add a third location in Mecklenburg County.

Slated to open in 2015, the 49,000-square-foot Winston-Salem store, to be located at 34 Miller Street, will feature covered parking below the site. The third Mecklenburg County location will be at West Catawba and Jetton Road in the Magnolia Plaza. The 49,000-square-foot supermarket, which will offer such amenities as a drive-through pharmacy, is scheduled to debut in late 2014, but its actual opening will depend on several factors, including permitting and completion of the store’s construction, according to Lakeland, Fla.-based Publix

“We continue to deliver on our promise of serving the great state of North Carolina by adding yet another county to our market area,” said Maria Brous, Publix’s media and community relations director.

Publix earlier said it would open its first five North Carolina locations in Ballantyne, greater Charlotte (two stores), Cary and Asheville.

Privately owned and operated by its 160,500 employees, Publix has 1,072 stores in Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, Alabama and Tennessee.