There have been a few social media posts where folks have called out the pricing of Publix as being exorbitant, like one TikToker who claims they spent $36 in groceries just to make a chicken sandwich for her boyfriend.
Now Carmita, who posts under the handle @curlysexycool, has also gone viral for condemning the oft-criticized pricing of Publix. In the clip, she expresses her disbelief at the price set for a single 5.5oz container of Lawry’s Garlic Powder—$9.95.
@curlysexycool We in a recession, HOE!! #MyThoughts #WTF #OHellNah #FYP #BlackTok #BlackTik #BlackTikTok #BlackCinema ♬ original sound – Carmita
“Publix lost they goddamn mind. Look this shit!” Carmita says in the video, which she captioned “We in a recession, HOE!!”
She then flips the camera’s lens to show the canisters of Garlic Powder along with the price tag beneath them. “Since when is Garlic Powder ten motherfucking dollars bitch?” the TikToker questions. “And that’s what I came for I’mma let that hoe sit right there.”
The TikToker then films herself walking out of the aisle. “Matter of fact I’m going to Family Dollar,” she concludes, “fuck this shit.” Her video has received over 415,000 views.
Local news outlet WPTV conducted a 2022 survey of local Florida grocery stores factoring in six basic items: whole milk, eggs, bacon, orange juice, white bread, and apples. Of all the retailers included in the survey, they found that Publix was the most expensive, while Aldi was the cheapest.
So why are Publix’s prices higher than other retailers? A blog post published on Bob Cut Magazine suggests the fact the brand’s consistently ranked for its top-tier customer service might have something to do with it.
GlassDoor indicated that a Publix cashier’s hourly pay ranges anywhere from $13 up to $29 an hour and Deli clerks make anywhere from $14-$36 an hour. The Cold Wire reports that “Publix associates are paid more than the associates at many other grocery stores, and this also increases the amount that Publix has to charge. There are many grocery stores that only pay minimum wage to their associates, especially when they just start.”
The chain’s financial investment in ensuring more pleasant customer service experiences seems to be translating to the cost of the items in the store.
It also doesn’t help Publix shoppers that inflation in America has hit a 40-year high, and there’s been reports that the chain, like many retailers, is suffering from supply chain issues. In spite of these obstacles, the brand enjoyed a hefty increase in Q1 sales, with profits jumping 13.5%.
TikTokers who viewed Carmita’s post also shared anecdotes of their own Publix shopping woes. Some people blamed the recession, others claimed that the store’s prices are “double” than those of Walmart.
“I cried at the grocery store today. Four bags- no meet or produce for bare necessities and it was $100+,” one viewer wrote.
“& 7.99 for a box of cereal!!!!” another claimed.
“The whole world has become one big price gouge….” a third user argued.
Then there were others who couldn’t believe that the Publix store brand product cost more than other third-party food distributors.
“THE PUBLIX BRAND OF SHREDDED CHEESE IS $7!!!!” one TikToker alleged. “The name brand Sargento is 4.99.”
“I started getting my stuff at Aldi. Dollar General too,” a second added.
An additional TikToker wrote, “I be living that Great Value life these days.”
Then there were people who suggested other low-cost solutions.
“Go to the section with Hispanic foods and get your spices there, they’re much cheaper,” one said.
“Get spices from the global foods / ethnic foods aisle,” another seconded. “So much cheaper.”
“I went a got me a dehydrator and dehydrated onion and garlic powder in the winter,” a third offered. “I do enough to last me all year.”
The Daily Dot has reached out to Carmita on TikTok, and Lawry’s and Publix via email for further comment.
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