In 1940, what started as a bold idea in Winter Haven, Florida, transformed the grocery industry forever and laid the foundation for what Publix is today. Mr. George decided to close his 1st 2 stores to open the store he had always envisioned — the very 1st Publix Super Market — and brought the 35 associates from those locations together to operate it.

This new store featured innovations for its time, including glass entry doors opened by an electric eye, fluorescent lights, terrazzo floors, refrigerator cases and an air-conditioning system designed to make shopping a pleasure.

The 10,000‑square‑foot building showcased a green‑and‑white color scheme accented by marble, brick and glass block, and it included specialty products, such as the floral and doughnut shops. On opening day, more than 7,000 customers walked through its all-glass doors, marking the beginning of the Publix Super Market legacy.

Along with street parking, the store featured a separate gravel parking lot, which was not customary at the time — a modern touch for shoppers in 1940.

The store’s bright fluorescent lighting and checkout counters gave our customers a more contemporary experience and remain a model that is still used today.

Customers would select their own produce from the well-stocked shelves and could then weigh it on the scales.

The meat department featured the largest refrigerator cases used in a supermarket at the time, with associates standing at the ready to assist customers.

Customers enjoyed wide aisles and were able to select items themselves by browsing the store with a shopping cart, an invention used for the 1st time in Florida in our 1940 store.