Publix Open Carry

Publix and Florida’s New Open Carry Law: A Dangerous Mix.

Florida recently overturned its 1987 ban on open carry, now allowing anyone with a legal firearm to openly carry their weapon in public. Private property owners still have the right to prohibit guns on their premises — but Publix, Florida’s largest grocery chain, has refused to do so.

With more than 800 stores across the state, Publix’s silence on this issue sends a dangerous message: that guns belong in the same aisles where families shop, workers stock shelves, and children wait in line at the bakery.

WHAT’S HAPPENING.

Even as gun violence at grocery stores has become increasingly common, Publix has not taken action to prohibit customers from openly carrying firearms in its Florida stores.

Other major retailers, including Target, Walmart, Kroger, and Aldi, have already banned open carry to keep shoppers and employees safe. Publix’s refusal to follow suit normalizes the presence of guns in community spaces, fuels fear and confusion, and creates unnecessary risk for its customers and workers alike.

WHY IT MATTERS.

Gun violence is now the leading cause of death for children and teens in America. Parents shouldn’t have to wonder whether the person standing beside them at the checkout line is armed.

Grocery stores are meant to be safe, communal spaces — where families gather, where neighbors meet, where life happens. Allowing open carry inside Publix doesn’t make anyone safer. It only raises the risk of tragedy in the very places where we should feel most secure.