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LAKELAND, Fla. — Publix Super Markets Inc. is expanding into Virginia, which will be the seventh state in the employee-owned grocery chain’s operating area.
The retailer said this month that it has signed two leases for stores in greater Richmond. The Bristol store will measure 54,000 square feet and will be located at the corner of Lee Highway and Clear Creek Road in Washington County. The Glen Allen store, 49,000 square feet, will be at the corner of Nuckols and Twin Hickory roads in Henrico County.
Grand opening dates are yet to be determined, but Publix says the Bristol store is tentatively slated to debut in the fourth quarter of 2017, with the Glen Allen store to follow in 2018.
“Being company owners, our associates continue to work diligently to exceed our customers’ expectations, which has allowed Publix to experience continued growth,” outgoing chief executive officer Ed Crenshaw said of the supermarketer’s plans to expand its territory into the Old Dominion.
“As we enter new markets and continue to open new stores, our associates prepare for new opportunities, which supports our culture of promotion from within. We look forward to providing the great state of Virginia with the high-quality service and products that our customers have come to expect and that have earned us recognition throughout the industry,” added Crenshaw, who will be succeeded upon his retirement at the end of April by company president Todd Jones.
Publix last announced plans to expand across state lines in September 2012, when it said it was making a long-awaited move into North Carolina. It opened its first store in the Tar Heel state in February 2014. The company is looking ahead to aggressive growth within the state and the rest of its current operating area, which includes Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee and South Carolina.
