How Publix’s arrival to the Tri-State could impact shoppers
UC real estate assistant professor speaks with Fox 19 about the grocer’s growth in the region
Publix, a Florida-based grocery chain, is expanding its footprint in the Tri-State with a new store opening in the Northern Kentucky community of Walton. The move is turning up the competition with grocery giant Kroger and other supermarket chains.
Fox 19 spoke with Eunjee Kwon, PhD, assistant professor of real estate in the Lindner College of Business about the move. Based in Cincinnati, Kroger has 16 locations in Northern Kentucky and dominates the region’s grocery market.
“Kroger has a really thick fan base and loyal customers in the greater Cincinnati area because of its history,” explains Kwon.
Eunjee Kwon | Photo/provided
Some shoppers will stay loyal to Kroger, but the unique products a chain like Publix brings will most likely make the market more competitive.
“I think what Publix will bring into the market, in terms of the competition, is they’re going to provide different sets of products. On the internet, for example, social media is really about the 'Pub sub' that everyone loves,” Kwon explains to Fox 19. “That’s another type of a product that Kroger, at this point, cannot offer.”
She says consumers who want cheaper prices won’t change their spending habits, but others will be interested in seeing what a new store can bring.
Kwon has a research focus on urban and real estate economics. Particularly, her research agenda explores the socio-demographic implications of the system of the cities and the relevant policies, such as transportation, land use, housing and education.
Listen to the entire Fox 19 interview online.
Featured top image of Publix grocery store courtesy of iStock.
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