Overview
- Publix confirmed it will permit customers to openly carry firearms in its Florida locations, aligning with a Sept. 25 legal shift after an appeals court struck down the state’s 1987 open‑carry prohibition.
- A company statement says staff will call law enforcement if any shopper creates a threatening, erratic or dangerous situation, regardless of whether a firearm is visible.
- Florida Attorney General guidance affirms that private property owners may require armed individuals to depart and notes refusal can trigger armed‑trespass charges, with existing bans at courthouses, schools and similar sites unchanged.
- Rival policies vary: Winn‑Dixie and related chains continue to bar open carry, while Walmart, Sam’s Club, Target and Costco say they ask customers not to bring firearms into stores.
- The policy applies across nearly 900 Publix stores in Florida, with managers and employees in multiple regions confirming the approach as shopper reactions range from concern to support.