The 1970s ushered in disco music, video games and changes to our stores’ appearance and the company logo. The iconic Publix wings and neon lights were replaced with a square with a “P” in the center and “Publix” spelled out.

If you were around in the 1970s, you might remember one of Publix’s alternative format stores called Food World. Food World had a completely different look and pricing structure, and used the signature color blue (not Publix green). Each store had a giant rotating globe in front. These stores were just as clean and friendly as their Publix counterparts but without extras like trading stamps — an early customer reward program. By the end of the 1970s, Publix had 23 Food World stores in central Florida.

As bakery sections were added in Publix stores, the variety of baked goods increased. In 1972, a 28,000-square-foot Publix bakery manufacturing plant was built in Lakeland, Florida. This allowed store bakeries to operate more efficiently, ensuring consistent quality and offering customers the best prices. Read more about the history of our bakeries.

An exciting new department was the Photo Lab. Customers dropped off their rolls of film and returned later to pick up photo prints. Introduced in 1975 as a customer convenience, by 1978, Publix was processing more than 2.5 million rolls of film a year. Photo processing departments were available until the early 2000s.

The most significant change at Publix happened near the end of the decade. The world was about to see a huge technological advancement that would modernize how everyone shopped. In 1974, a supermarket in Ohio tested the first check stand scanner. Publix was at the forefront of this advancement, and by 1979, computerized scanning checkout systems were installed in 73 stores. Within the next year, all Publix stores got rid of obsolete keypunch registers and sped up the checkout lanes with scanners, which shoppers still appreciate today.

Of course, the new scanning systems relied on Universal Product Codes, better known as UPC numbers. The series of lines on each product is what the “eye” of the scanner reads to interpret the price.

Here’s some trivia: What was the first item with a UPC scanned at a retail checkout? It was a pack of Wrigley’s Juicy Fruit chewing gum! This historic event, on June 26, 1974, took place at a supermarket in Ohio.

Publix stores were spreading to communities throughout Florida. In the previous decade, the company expanded on Florida’s southeast coast with robust store growth in Dade County. But in the ‘70s, the focus shifted to north Florida. As stores continued to open in Duval County, a distribution facility was built in Jacksonville. Stores from Jacksonville to Ocala became known as the Jacksonville Division. Likewise, stores from Vero Beach to Homestead became the Miami Division, and the Lakeland Division included most stores in central and southwest Florida. By 1979, Publix had 231 stores.

Despite rapid growth, new technology and a changing world, Publix remained committed to the founding philosophy of making the customer experience great. The motto was, “No purchase is complete until the meal is eaten and enjoyed.” But, with an expanding mix of products and services, this statement was updated in 1972. The motto became — and is still known as — the Publix Guarantee: “We will never knowingly disappoint you. If for any reason your purchase does not give you complete satisfaction, the full purchase price will be cheerfully refunded immediately upon request.”