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bon footprint than another one that a cus- tomer might consider to be not as desirable an option for their child.”
Similarly, organic is more of a lifestyle choice for some customers. It doesn’t neces- sarily point to sustainable,” says Brous. Publix is not in the business of claiming that eating organic is more beneficial than eating natural, conventional or locally grown. It’s about bal- ance. “Just because customers are living healthier lifestyles, doesn’t mean they’re not going to want to eat the pastries,” just prefer- ably in moderation, she says. Especially in a difficult economy, price may be an overriding factor in consumer purchases. For others, it might be whether purchasing the product gives back to a community cause.
Publix wants to provide helpful education- al labeling and merchandising without inun- dating customers with dizzying information overload. It’s committed to insure against deceptive or questionable certifications while providing consumers with plenty of product options. For example, depending on who you talk to, one seafood item may be from a sus- tainable fishery, while someone else may say that it’s not, according to Hewitt.
In Publix GreenWise Markets, there is at least a 50 percent organic mix throughout the produce department, and as high as 85 per- cent in some categories, says Brous. Subtle, color-coded signage along side products, dis- tinguish the variances. Even within the organ- ic category itself, Publix makes a point to note the differences between USDA 100 Percent Organic, products that contain all organically produced ingredients, and USDA Certified
Organic, products that contain 95 percent or more organic ingredients. Then there’s the phrase “Made With Organic Ingredients,” which consumers are told means it has 70 per- cent to 95 percent organic ingredients.
For other terminology, All-Natural, Earth- Friendly, Vegetarian and Vegan, consumers are directed to the company’s website to learn more. The underplayed strategy is intentional. “These consumers know what they’re looking for,” says Hewitt. The approach informs with- out “being in your face.” The goal is to create an all-inclusive atmosphere that welcomes a diverse customer base.
While accommodating consumer demand for year-round produce from around the world, Publix does like to capitalize on pro- moting locally grown produce when it has the chance. Brous points out, however, that the
definition of local is different to every person. This year, Publix kicked off a huge media blitz to elevate its three-year-old program, “At Sea- son’s Peak,” which highlights in-season local produce, playing to the taste, freshness and special availability.
Through its Aprons in-store kiosk and cooking schools, it also inspires customers with cooking demos, guest appearances by celebrity chefs and meal ideas of the week that are merchandised with all the necessary ingre- dients. Publix also reaches out to the commu- nity in other ways, such as partnering with schools to motivate kids towards healthy nutritious eating.
Publix customers are not necessarily look- ing for a separate segmented storefront, but rather to integrate options into the core super- market chain, explains Brous. “This is not a situation where, here’s our green store over here for this niche.” The mission is to incorpo- rate these concepts throughout the Publix store portfolio, to envelop sustainability into the whole.
Publix sees itself as a friendly stalwart foundation in the community that neighbor- hoods depend on when disaster strikes. Hit with back-to-back hurricanes in 2004 and enduring losses of over $60 million, Publix started a project that would invest $100 mil- lion in back-up generators for hurricane- prone stores. The project ballooned, and the company now has over 700 stores with these 500-kilowatt generators. According to Hewitt, many of them use bio-fuel, allowing for longer runtime. This is an ideal example of how the three silos of sustainability come together: installing back up generators addresses the conservation effort in a finan- cially sound way, while providing a critical ser- vice to the community.
PRIVATE/PUBLIC DILEMMA
In many ways, ultimate philanthropic acts emanate behind the scenes from anonymous donors. The analogy is fitting when speaking about Publix, sustainability and corporate social responsibility.
“We never overreach when we talk about our green efforts. We never want to be accused of overstating anything. What you see is what you get,” says Hewitt. This very private, 80- year-old company is realizing the virtues of becoming more open. Consumers more and more are making decisions on where to shop based on a store’s sustainability and corporate social responsibility directive.
Sustainability isn’t cheap, but there’s a return on investment — short-term sacrifice for the long-term goal. Perhaps this award will help spread the word and inspire other retail- ers to follow in Publix’ footsteps, while setting new paths for the greater good.
Perhaps this award will help spread the word and inspire other retailers to follow in Publix’s footsteps, while setting new paths for the greater good.
24 PRODUCE BUSINESS • MAY 2009