(WSVN) - If you despaired at the news that Publix was no longer giving free sliced meat samples at the deli, you can relax. Only select stores in central Florida are testing a program that takes the samples away.
After the Tampa Bay Times reported that a number of Publix supermarkets were part of a pilot program that no longer gives customers free samples of sliced meats automatically, news spread like wildfire.
But, as the Sun-Sentinel reports, South Florida stores are not part of that test.
“Our stores in South Florida should not see any changes in our deli processes, as our stores in this trade area are not impacted by the pilot,” Publix spokeswoman Maria Brous told the paper.
The grocery chain is running their test at 200 stores from Naples to Tampa. Rather than sampling deli meats at the affected locations, Publix is testing out a different option: offering a sample cheese item that changes weekly. But even in those pilot program stores, customers can still request a sample of whatever meat they’d like.
Considering the outcry that resulted in the news this week, we’re guessing Publix may change their minds after seeing customers’ reactions.
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