Publix is struggling to overcome a worrying change in customer behavior that is noticeably affecting the grocery chain.
The company’s challenges come amid economic uncertainty and follow customer backlash it faced earlier this year over significant in-store changes
In March, Publix frustrated some customers when it discontinued Publix Pay, its contactless in-app payment option, which had been available since 2020. The company later sparked even more blowback in May, an even boycott threats, when it quietly updated its open-carry policy. Publix began posting signs inside and at the front entrances of its Florida stores, which asked only law enforcement to openly carry firearms in its locations.
Publix sees sales decline as customers cut spending After facing controversy, Publix has revealed that its comparable store sales decreased by 0.5% year over year in the second quarter of 2026, according to a recent press release. Publix stated that the decrease in sales was “due to the impact of the MFP (maximum fair price) change and economic conditions impacting consumer spending.” The Medicare drug pricing program now includes a maximum fair price that limits the amount that pharmacies can be reimbursed for 10 select prescription drugs, a change that took effect on Jan. 1. When Publix’s comparable store sales remained flat in the first quarter of this year compared to the same time period in 2025, it also linked the lack of sales growth to the maximum fair price change.