Publix Online Deli Ordering Offered In Sarasota

Publix customers can now ditch that ticket at two Sarasota locations.

Publix launched online ordering for its deli at the Beneva Village Shops and Sarasota Pavilion locations of the Sarasota stores, and select stores will have in-store electronic kiosks to place orders for meats, cheeses and Publix subs.

"Our customers tell us they love Publix and love the products we provide, but they look for a way to get them quickly and easily," Publix spokeswoman Shannon Patten told Patch in July.

Lakeland's South Gate Shopping Center store was the first to get the online ordering on Aug. 3. Besides the stores in Sarasota, the closest Publix with online ordering are in St. Petersburg. No minimum purchase or order is necessary and customers will pay at the register with the rest of their groceries.

Customers will visit www.publix.com/order to use the new feature. 

“Publix Deli Online Easy Ordering is a natural extension of our service commitment, especially for our on-the-go customers,” said Maria Brous, Publix director of media and community relations.

Customers will be asked to provide an e-mail address and a phone number, Patten said. The e-mail address will be used to send a confirmation for the order, and the phone number is used to call for clarification, Patten said.

Select stores among those locations will also have the in-store touch-screen stations, she said. 

"If they're in the store and do their weekly shopping, instead of taking a number, they will place the order right then and there, continue their shopping around the store and come back to the deli later," Patten said.

For both the online and in-store electronic ordering, customers will be provided with estimated pick-up times at the end of their order to give the deli an idea of when the food should be ready. The orders will then be placed in a designated area that says “Online Easy Pickup” for customers to swing by and pick up their order, she explained. 

For subs, the system will guide customers to build their sandwiches in the made-to-order system, she said.