Is Publix Closing Stores? Most Listed Sites Are Coming Back

Reports that began circulating Oct. 6 said Publix is closing seven stores in 2026, but all seven have already closed, and five, in Goose Creek, Miami, West Palm Beach, Palm Bay and St. Petersburg, have been or will be rebuilt or replaced, while the two Atlanta-area stores closed for good, according to Publix and local reports. Its latest quarterly report, which runs only through June 27 and does not cover the July and September closures in Palm Bay and West Palm Beach, shows the same pattern: of eight stores closed in the first half, Publix said six will be replaced on site and one will not be replaced.

Where the Seven Store List Came From

The list traces to Inc., which published an updated roundup of Publix closures on Tuesday, Oct. 6, under the headline "Publix Is Closing More Stores in 2026." The same day, other sites repackaged it as seven stores "closing," and on Wednesday, Oct. 7, Supermarket News wrote that "a sales slump is forcing the hand of Publix." By Friday, Publix was still trying to correct the record, according to the Post and Courier, which said the chain had been trying to clarify "the misleading news ever since it first hit outlets Oct. 6."

Status of Each of the Seven Listed Stores

• Goose Creek, S.C., 208 Saint James Ave.: Rebuild. Closed in January for a teardown, and Publix plans to reopen it, spokesperson Jared Glover told the Post and Courier.
• Miami, 8250 Mills Dr.: Rebuild. Closed Jan. 17 after four decades, and the old store is being torn down for a larger Publix on the same site, the Miami Herald reported.
• West Palm Beach, 828 Southern Blvd.: Rebuild. Closed Sept. 26 so the store can be rebuilt, Publix spokeswoman Lindsey Willis told WFLX. No reopening date was given.
• Palm Bay, Fla., 4711 Babcock St. NE: Replacement. Closed July 11, with the building to be demolished for a new, larger Publix, Florida Today reported.
• St. Petersburg, Fla., 5577 Park St. N.: Relocated. Closed March 7, and Publix opened a replacement store about three miles away at 6605 38th Ave. N. on March 12, spokesperson Lindsey Willis told Tampa Bay Beacons.
• Atlanta, 1380 Atlantic Dr. NW: Closed for good. The Atlantic Station store shut Dec. 27, 2025, Publix confirmed to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
• Chamblee, Ga., 2562 Shallowford Rd. NE: Closed for good, also on Dec. 27, 2025, the AJC reported.

What the 10-Q Says About Closures

Publix files full reports with the SEC even though its stock does not trade on an exchange, and those reports spell out store churn. For the six months ended June 27, the second-quarter 10-Q says 16 supermarkets opened, including four replacements, and 56 were remodeled. Eight closed. "Six supermarkets closed in 2026 will be replaced on site in a subsequent period and one supermarket will not be replaced," the filing says, adding that the impact of future closings "is not expected to be material." One of the eight had already been replaced by June.

The first-quarter 10-Q shows the same eight closures by March 28, when Publix had 1,431 stores. That means it closed no stores between April and June, by our reading of the two filings. The count reached 1,440 by June 27, up from 1,432 at the end of 2025, a net gain of eight in the half, by our tally.

Publix does not say which store will not be replaced. The pace is also not new. In 2025, the annual report shows, Publix opened 52 stores and closed 10, and said two of those would not be replaced.

The Number That Actually Slipped

Sales are where the slowdown shows. Second-quarter sales rose 1.0% to $15.7 billion, and comparable store sales fell 0.5% after a flat first quarter, the 10-Q shows. Same-store sales rose 3.5% in 2025, the annual report shows.

Publix blamed two things. Starting in January, Medicare's negotiated prices for 10 drugs cut what its pharmacies collect, which "resulted in a decrease in sales." It also cited "economic conditions impacting consumer spending." Operating and administrative expenses rose to 19.5% of sales from 18.8%, and operating margin fell to 6.9% from 7.4%.

What Shoppers Should Watch Next

For most shoppers, the answer to the search is narrower than the headlines suggested. Five of the seven listed stores have been or will be replaced by new buildings, and the chain is still expanding, with seven openings planned for October, USA Today reported.

The bigger question is whether same-store sales keep sliding. Shoppers are paying more per trip but visiting less, and rivals are pushing into convenience, with Walmart moving into small-basket restaurant delivery. Publix's next quarterly report, through late September, will capture the Palm Bay and West Palm Beach closures and show whether the second-quarter dip deepened.

Cover photo: Gurchetan Singh on Unsplash