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Food Club Stores owned by Publix?

Posted: 01 Feb 2006 14:03
by terryinokc
Back in another thread, someone had mentioned that Publix had owned stores called Food Club. I went back through trying to find it, but didn't. Anyway, how many of these stores were there? How were they different from regular Publix stores? Did these stores (or Publix) use Food Club as their house brand? We haven't had any stores with Food Club products here in Oklahoma since the 70's--at Humpty Dumpty. It was the house brand of Dillons, King Soopers and also Tom Thumb in Texas until those stores were sold to Kroger and Safeway.

I have a collection of 1960's and before Food Club items. Just wondered if that was how these stores were named.

Posted: 01 Feb 2006 17:21
by Dave
Food Club (now, anyway), is a trademark of Topco. which is a cooperative distributor owned by a bunch of markets (like Ukrop's, Harris-Teeter, Schnuck's, Raley's, Meijer, Weis, Acme, ShopKo, Bashas', Bi-Lo, Piggly Wiggly Carolina, etc.). Publix isn't one of the Topco group per the topco.com website, at least not now.

Posted: 01 Feb 2006 17:48
by Steve Landry
I believe you are speaking about Foodworld? Or maybe Foodland?

It was a short lived discount operation for Publix. There were very few of them and I think it was northern or mid area Florida (maybe even Tampa).

:)

To my knowledge none exist any longer and also, I do not think Publix ever carried Topco products.

Posted: 01 Feb 2006 19:03
by DanG
Steve, you're right it was Food World. They had one in Leesburg, FL in the early 80's. It seemed like a cross between a Publix and a upscale Win Dixie.
When I worked for Publix, we used to carry Food World bread as a cheap alternative to the Publix bread. I remember reading in the Publix News that they were being closed or converted to Publix in the mid 80's.

Posted: 01 Feb 2006 19:19
by Steve Landry
Thanks Dan.............Food World.

From what I remember it was Publix's answer to Pantry Pride (Food Fair) which was the low price leader in Florida.

:)

Posted: 01 Feb 2006 20:01
by Groceteria
Interesting. Bruno's also operated a Food World chain in the deep south; I think it still exists as part of the new Brunos-BiLo entity.

AND there was a separate Food World chain in North Carolina and Virginia which sold out to Harris-Teeter in 1984. This chain was based in the town next door to my home town.

Apparently Food World is one of those names southerners respond to very well.

Posted: 02 Feb 2006 13:46
by terryinokc
There were Food World stores here in the Midwest also--Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska that I know of. These were around in the 70's and early 80's. They were licensed by Scrivner (the wholesaler that was acquired by Fleming). Since they were independents, some of them remained that after Fleming got them, then most of them later changed their affiliation to IGA's or Super Thrift.

Posted: 02 Feb 2006 13:49
by terryinokc
Sorry, forgot to mention. Yes, David, Food World is still an ongoing division of Brunos/BiLo. I have these stores all over Alabama--they may be in other states too. Brunos was always the more upscale market, and Food World was "The Low Price Leader", according to their advertisements.

Posted: 03 Feb 2006 05:07
by Daniel
There was a "Food World" market in the Fig Garden Village shopping center here in Fresno. It was affilliated with the local Christensen's chain, and was their "upscale" outlet. It was the last of the chain to close, and that space in the center is now a Longs Drug store.

Posted: 04 Feb 2006 01:07
by Edric Floyd
Groceteria wrote:Interesting. Bruno's also operated a Food World chain in the deep south; I think it still exists as part of the new Brunos-BiLo entity.

AND there was a separate Food World chain in North Carolina and Virginia which sold out to Harris-Teeter in 1984. This chain was based in the town next door to my home town.

Apparently Food World is one of those names southerners respond to very well.
The Brunos' Food world stores were mostly in Alabama & The florida Panhandle. There wre a couple in Georgia but mostly there were Foodmax Stores that used the same slogan and marketing. Often, while shopping at FOODMAX you would see a Food World or Brunos truck making a delivery and sometimes you would get a Food World shopping bag when you shopped at Food Max. It appeared to be a very disorganized operation and I have heard that working for these stores was not a great experience.

Southern Family Markets purchased most of this chain and converted many stores (at least where I live) into Piggly Wiggly and Southern Family Market. The purchase was recent and I have not been in Alabama to see how many if any Food World stores have changed.

Posted: 04 Feb 2006 10:49
by Steve Landry
Welcome back Edric :)

Please see my post regarding Fredrick's (below).

Thanks

Posted: 09 Feb 2006 02:24
by wayne winterland jr.
There were also some Foodworld grocery stores located in the greater Oklahoma City area which were owned by the Scrivner Grocery Wholesaler which was later bought out by the Fleming Company. Their stores were probably just over 30,000 sq. ft. and when you entered the store you were supposed to only enter the grocery store by first going through their small produce dept. which was the entry point to the rest of the store. Guess they wanted make sure that you had to go through the product dept. in hopes that you would buy something on your way to the rest of the store. Even with the backing of the Scrivner Company it eventually bombed out as a failure.

Food World, Kissimmee

Posted: 03 Feb 2007 13:58
by paysh
There was a Food World in Kissimmee, FL. Everything in Central FLorida was __ World after the Opening of The Magic Kingdom, located just up the road.

It was owned by Publix and was one of their older stores. It was located in a big-old half abandonded shopping center. It closed in the late 80's, I believe.