Rent relief for tenants in Publix-owned shopping centers
LAKELAND, Fla. - Publix is helping some small businesses hit hard during the coronavirus pandemic.
The Lakeland, Florida-based company is offering rent relief to businesses operating in company-owned shopping centers. Publix is waiving rent for two months for those businesses as well as maintenance fees and taxes.
“As a company that started as a small business 90 years ago, Publix wants to help businesses renting from us survive the economic impact of these unexpected closures,” Publix Director of Communications Maria Brous was quoted as saying in a release.
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Publix owns about a fourth of the properties where its more than 1,200 stores sit across the South.
The company has been having to change the way it does business over the last month in response to the coronavirus outbreak. It has started limiting the purchases of some high-demand items, has started to allow its employees to wear masks and gloves, has started installing plastic shielding at all registers and customers service areas at each of its locations, is now wiping down all carts before entering the stores, and has adjusted store hours to include hours specifically for seniors and to allow for more cleaning time within the stores.
Publix also is having to hire thousands of employees to meet the current demand.
Publix Super Markets, Inc. operates about 1,243 stores in Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, Virginia, and the Carolinas.
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