The real estate and development teams at Lakeland, FL-based Publix Super Markets have come up with a couple of new approaches to site selection and store design.

One of those plans came to fruition last week with the opening of the first Publix store located on a major college campus at USF (University of South Florida). The 28,500-sq-ft footprint is roughly 50-60% of a standard model, but the store carries a full line of goods while focusing on convenience and prepared foods. The company is leasing the space from USF.

Another concept that’s further out – but perhaps not too far out – on the schedule came to us via Hollywood, FL mayor Josh Levy’s Facebook page last month. On it, he posted that the company had submitted preliminary plans for a store along the Intracoastal Waterway at Hollywood Beach that would feature outdoor dining and boat docks for shoppers to use as they enjoy a day out on the sea. Publix has not commented, and the post has been removed from Levy’s site, so time will tell.

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