Publix is changing its express lanes. Will Tennessee stores follow?

Have you ever stood in line at the grocery store with just a stick of butter, a roll of paper towels or maybe just a bottle of soda? You’re in a rush to get where you need to go, but somehow there’s only one cash register open, and everyone in front of you has shopping carts filled to the brim.

That’s the beauty of the express lane. The limit on the number of items helps speed the process along. Only a few items and in a hurry? Head to express checkout. Doing the grocery haul for the month? Wait in the regular checkout lane.

If you ever find yourself at a Publix and are pressed for time, well, good luck. The grocery store chain is making changes to its express checkout lane. Here’s what to know.

What is the express lane policy at Publix?

It used to be 10 items or fewer. Now, there is no limit on the number of items allowed in the express lane.

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Other popular grocery chains in the South still have express-lane item limits. At Kroger and Food City, the limit is 15 items.

“To better serve our customers and improve checkout efficiency, we recently updated our express lane process to provide associates with greater flexibility in managing customer flow,” the company said in a statement to USA TODAY. “Rather than adhering to a specific item limit, our focus is on reducing wait times and ensuring customers can be served as efficiently as possible.”

The company also said it is in the process of rolling out the change to all of its locations. A Publix spokesperson contacted by email did not immediately respond when asked when the change would be implemented at Tennessee locations.

Reactions to new express lane policy

Publix customers appear to be split on the new policy and whether it is a good idea. In a Facebook group called “Publix Community: Where Shopping Is Almost Always a Pleasure,” customers discussed the change to the express lane.

“No reason to give customers who are buying the fewest items preferential treatment,” one person commented.

“It’s just another lane like the rest,” another commenter wrote. “Might as well take the express off.”

In the Facebook group “Publix Employees Current and Past,” more people appeared to oppose the new express lane policy.

“Customers with just a few items don’t want to wait behind a full cart of groceries! They want to pay and go, and they shouldn’t have to wait!” a commenter said.

“Keep the express lane, make sure cashiers enforce 10 items or fewer, and stop with the nonsense,” another person commented.

Publix locations in Tennessee

Publix, a Florida-based company, is one of the most prominent grocery store chains in the Southeast. Publix operates locations in Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia.

The first Publix location opened Sept. 6, 1930, in Winter Haven, Florida. At the time, it was known as Publix Food Store.

Publix expanded into Tennessee in 2002. It was the fifth state in which the grocery chain opened stores. The first two Tennessee locations were in Franklin and Hermitage.

Here are the locations statewide:

11656 Parkside Drive, Knoxville Tennessee

2010 Town center Blvd., Knoxville, Tennessee

2429 University Commons Way, Knoxville, Tennessee

13123 Kingston Pike, Farragut, Tennessee

750 Winnfield Dunn Parkway Ste. 100, Sevierville, Tennessee

198 Foothills Mall, Maryville, Tennessee

453 Highway 76, White House, Tennessee

460 Long Hollow Pike, Goodlettsville, Tennessee

7014 City Center Way, Fairview Tennessee

7344 Nolensville Road, Nolensville, Tennessee

110 Indian Lake Blvd., Hendersonville, Tennessee

1265 Interstate Drive Ste. 111, Cookeville, Tennessee

2321 E. Andrew Johnson Highway, Greeneville, Tennessee

2555 Boones Creek Road, Johnson City, Tennessee

2656 Parkway, Pigeon Forge, Tennessee

509 N. State of Franklin Road Ste. 20, Johnson City, Tennessee

1771 Madison St., Clarksville, Tennessee

920 Highway 76, Clarksville, Tennessee

1490 Tiny Town Road, Clarksville, Tennessee

2300 Trenton Road, Clarksville, Tennessee

2020 Fieldstone Parkway, Franklin, Tennessee

3525 Murfreesboro Pike, Antioch, Tennessee

4670 Lebanon Pike, Hermitage, Tennessee

1703 W. Main St., Lebanon, Tennessee

11207 Lebanon Road, Mt. Juliet, Tennessee

665 S. Mt. Juliet Road, Mt. Juliet, Tennessee

8105 Moores Lane, Brentwood, Tennessee

10638 Concord Road, Brentwood, Tennessee

101 Creekside Crossing, Brentwood, Tennessee

1111 Gallatin Ave., Nashville, Tennessee

1010 Dr. Martin L. King Jr. Blvd., Nashville, Tennessee

7604 Highway 70 S., Nashville, Tennessee

8028 Highway 100, Nashville, Tennessee

2223 8th Ave. S., Nashville, Tennessee

2324 Lebanon Pike, Nashville, Tennessee

4324 Harding Pike, Nashville, Tennessee

6614 Charlotte Pike, Nashville, Tennessee

15544 Old Hickory Blvd., Nashville, Tennessee

Afton Pratt covers trending news for The Knoxville News Sentinel and Tennessee. She can be reached at ampratt@usatodayco.com.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Publix is changing its express lanes. Will Tennessee stores follow?

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