Publix, Winn-Dixie place limits ahead of Thanksgiving
Days before the Thanksgiving holiday, shopping at Publix has its limits.
The giant grocery chain is restricting how much canned cranberry sauce, pie filling, gravy in a jar, cream cheese, bacon and other items customers can purchase.
The caps came about because of ongoing supply chain issues and increased holiday demand, Publix spokeswoman Maria Brous wrote in an email Monday. The restrictions started in all of the Lakeland-based grocer’s more than 1,280 stores across the Southeast last week.
Brous said customers are limited to two of the following items:
Canned cranberry sauce Jarred gravy Canned pie filling Canola and vegetable oil Cream cheese Bacon
Rolled breakfast sausage Paper napkins Disposable plates, cups and cutlery
Bath tissue
Refrigerated snacks (Lunchables-type items)
Sports drinks
Aseptic-type juices (Capri Sun)
Canned cat food (variety packs)
Refrigerated pet food
Winn-Dixie, meanwhile, has capped the number of turkeys to one per customer.
Jacksonville-based Southeastern Grocers, which owns
Winn-Dixie as well as Fresco y Más and Harveys Supermarket, is not limiting other items but asks that customers only purchase what they need for their families when buying key holiday goods, said Meredith Hurley, director of public relations and community.
“Like other retailers, our stores aren’t immune to the current supply chain challenges,” Hurley said. “Our well-experienced supply chain team continues to update our stocking plans throughout each day to ensure that popular Thanksgiving essentials are available and on the shelf for our customers this season.”
The news comes as shoppers were already expected to pay more this year for Thanksgiving dinner.
A Thanksgiving meal for 10 was expected to cost $53.31, up 14% from last year’s average, according to the American Farm Bureau Federation’s annual survey. Those prices were checked between Oct. 26 and Nov. 8, but the Farm Bureau noted grocery stores started selling whole frozen turkeys at lower prices about two weeks later.
Other holiday essentials were up in cost, too, including a dozen dinner rolls 15% more expensive and a 30-ounce can of pumpkin pie mix increasing 7%, according to the Farm Bureau.