From knowing where something is to being aware of the food allergens in products, our customers expect to find friendly, knowledgeable associates working here.

You gain new knowledge everywhere you work. For example, in

• the meat/seafood department — it’s about the cuts, recipes and preparation time. You learn about the origin of product, the species type, if it’s fresh or frozen, and how to prepare it.
• the deli department — like in our other fresh areas, food safety knowledge must go beyond sanitation; it’s about keeping food at the right temperature for the right amount of time, but it’s also about preparing quality products.
• the grocery department — with a larger department, you have to learn about more items and know where the hard-to-find ones are. You also provide a service by taking the customer to the product or getting something while the customer is heading to check out.
• the pharmacy department — you must know about drug interactions to help keep your customers safe.
• new locations — each store and community has a unique customer base. The more you get to know the area where you work, the better you’ll be able to serve your customers and community.

While I didn’t touch on all store departments or support areas, it is important to know each of our customers has high expectations of our being friendly and knowledgeable when they need help.

We are all in the business to sell groceries — no matter where we work — and we can all continue to learn, no matter how long we’ve been here. I know each of you will do everything you can to continue to learn and grow — and that’s part of why I love working at Publix.

Ed Crenshaw
CEO