Wegmans and Publix are two of the largest grocery stores in the United States. Both have a massive following with various locations all around the country. However, if you are deciding between which one to shop at, how do you know which one is better?
I compare these two stores based on three major decision making factors. These three factors are:
- Price
- Quality
- Variety
By the end of this article you should have a better idea as to which door is better for you based on your shopping needs.
Which is Better: Wegmans or Publix? Wegmans is cheaper than Publix by a range of 6% to 50% for store brand items. Wegmans also has about two times the amount of products to pick from. However, Publix does seem to have higher quality products, according to the FDA.
Is Wegmans Cheaper Than Publix?
Most shoppers would consider price as the biggest Factor when comparing two stores to shop at. It’s no surprise that most customers would rather shop at the store that gives them the best deal. Saving the most money is essentially a make or break factor when choosing between stores.
So, to see which store has the cheapest prices, I took a look at common store brand items that each store sells. I then grouped those average prices into common shopping categories and created the table below to show you which store has cheaper products in each category.
| Category | Publix Brand | Wegmans Brand |
| Beverages | ✓ | |
| Baking Goods | ✓ | |
| Canned Goods | ✓ | |
| Dairy | ✓ | |
| Dry Goods | ✓ | |
| Frozen Foods | ✓ | |
| Personal Care | ✓ | ✓ |
| Cleaners | ✓ | |
Wegmans is cheaper than Publix for a majority of common shopping categories. More specifically, Wegmans is anywhere from 6% to 50% cheaper than Publix for common store brand items.
The only category where Publix is the cheaper option is in the baking goods category. So unless you’re mainly shopping for products within this category, you will likely find the most savings shopping at Wegmans.
To paint a better picture, this graph shows the average prices for each category for each store. As you can see in a majority of the categories Wegmans is cheaper than Publix.
Some of the biggest price deficits are in the dairy, frozen foods and bread section. Other than that, the store’s prices are relatively similar. So if you consider yourself a price conscious shopper, then Wegmans is the better option for you.
Product Quality: Wegmans vs Publix
The quality of goods customers are purchasing are also a primary focus For most undecided shoppers. Customers wanna make sure that they are buying good quality products from each store.
So, to see which store has higher quality products I took a look at the FDA’s product recall database. This database records all recalls that stores have had in recent times. So the store with more product recalls is likely to have lower quality products.
| Category | Wegmans Recalls | Publix Recalls |
| Animal & Veterinary | 0 | 1 |
| Biologics | 0 | 0 |
| Cosmetics | 0 | 0 |
| Dietary Supplements | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 0 | 0 |
| Food and Beverages | 23 | 14 |
| Medical Devices | 0 | 0 |
| Radiation Emitting Products | 0 | 0 |
| Tobacco | 0 | 0 |
Product Variety: Wegmans vs Publix
Having a wide variety of products to pick from is a great attribute to a store. It means that shoppers will be able to find everything they need and more. Product variety is essentially the amount of options that a customer has to pick from. The more product variety, the more options.
So when comparing these two stores, which one has more variety? In other words, which one is going to have more options for you to pick from?
For reference, both of these stores are considered supermarkets which means that they sell produce, consumables, and other basic household items. Because they are both categorized as the same type of store, this comparison is very apples to apples.
| Total Wegmans Products | Total Publix Products |
| 50,000-70,000 | 30,000 |
Wegmans has almost double the amount of products available as Publix. Depending on what location you go to, Wegmans will have anywhere from 20,000 to 40,000 more products to buy. While you are likely to find everything you need at Publix, Wegmans has significantly more.
For reference, the average grocery store carries around 31,000 products. So Publix isn’t too far off from the industry average, but Wegmans absolutely blows the average out of the water. So, if you enjoy having many products to shop from, then Wegmans is the best choice.
What Does Each Store Sell?
Generally, each store sells the same types of products. You will not have any issues finding big brand names or any other popular product.
However, Wegmans seems to have a bit more variety in their organic food section. So, if you are a health-conscious shopper you will likely have better luck finding more suitable options for you at Wegmans.
Which One Should You Shop At: Wegmans vs Publix?
When to shop at Wegmans: Wegmans offers cheaper prices and more product options to pick from. Well they appear to have lower quality products, they still offer significant value to their customers. So if you prioritize price and product variety then you should shop at Wegmans.
When to shop at Publix: despite having slightly higher prices for most categories and fewer product options, Publix does offer higher quality products. So if you don’t mind paying a little bit more money for higher quality products, then Publix is where you should shop.
Final Thoughts: Wegmans vs Publix
After this analysis it seems that Wegmans is the clear winner. However, it is important to keep in mind that both of these stores are among some of the best in the country. Despite having slightly higher prices, Publix still offers affordable products. And even though Wegmans seems to have slightly lower quality products, they are still totally safe to purchase and consume.
All-in-all, both of these stores are good choices so regardless of which one you end up picking, you will be receiving extremely good value for your money.a