Publix adds pharmacy items to curbside pickup
Publix Super Markets Inc. is expanding the range of its curbside pickup service.
The regional Southeastern grocer is rolling out curbside pickup at stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama and Virginia, with select pharmacies excluded. North and South Carolina-based Publix pharmacy locations plan to offer curbside pickup at a later date.
Customers may select curbside pickup after prepaying for their prescriptions through the Publix pharmacy app or online at the Publix pharmacy website. Upon arrival, customers should park in the designated spaces for curbside pickup, call the number on the sign and inform customer service of their arrival.
Curbside pickup for prescriptions is available during Publix pharmacy hours of operation at no additional cost to the customer. Prescription costs and copays will be collected during the prepay process on the Publix pharmacy app or website. Controlled substances, purchases through Medicare Part B and age-restricted medications are not eligible for curbside pickup.
In addition to curbside pickup of grocery orders, Publix also has several other existing omnichannel fulfillment options available for grocery shoppers. The retailer offers its own online delivery service, and Publix and Instacart first partnered in 2016 to launch same-day delivery in as fast as one hour.
In November 2021, Publix partnered with Instacart to roll out a new online storefront called “Publix Quick Picks.” Available across Publix’s entire seven-state footprint, the new storefront allows customers to shop from Publix’s assortment of fresh groceries, pantry and household essentials, meals, snacks and more, for delivery in as fast as 30 minutes with Instacart’s Priority Delivery service.
The service is available to customers via the Publix e-commerce site and the Instacart Convenience Hub, a new Instacart marketplace product feature designed to streamline convenience shopping.
And in April 2022, Publix began leveraging the Instacart Carrot Warehouses nano-fulfillment solution in Miami. This omnichannel offering customers in Miami’s Brickell, Coral Gables, and Wynwood neighborhoods to have a wide range of fresh produce, pantry staples, household goods and other products delivered from Publix in as fast as 15 minutes.
Publix has also collaborated with Instacart to offer additional omnichannel services such as delivery and pickup of specialty items like alcohol and prepared sandwiches, as well as online EBT SNAP payment acceptance.
“Our customers enjoy the convenience of curbside pickup for their grocery orders, so we are excited to add prescriptions to that offering,” said Publix VP of pharmacy Dain Rusk. “Whether customers choose to shop in our stores or from the comfort of their cars, we are committed to providing the same great service from our pharmacies.”
Headquartered in Lakeland, Fla., Publix is the largest employee-owned company in the United States and currently operates 1,295 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina and Virginia. The grocery chain recently announced plans to enter Kentucky, with plans to open a store in the Bluegrass State in 2023.