If you're from Palm Beach County, you've been to Publix, and as grocery prices climb, you've been looking for the best deals. Those money-savers include BOGOs, or buy-one-get-one-free deals, and no one offers more BOGO deals than Publix.
But did you know that Publix's BOGO rules differ in Florida compared to other states?
In Florida, shoppers must buy two of the same qualified items in order to get the BOGO discount, whereas in other states, including Georgia, they do not.
Say a Florida Publix has a BOGO deal on a $3.38 six-pack of Thomas' English muffins and you buy two packages. You'll pay $3.38 total and get the BOGO discount. If you don't want two and just buy just one, you also pay $3.38. But in Georgia, if you buy just one of the BOGO English muffins,
you'll pay half price — $1.69 for that one package.
Why are Publix BOGO rules different in Florida, compared to other states?
Does Florida have a state law regulating BOGOs?
On social media platforms such as Reddit, some people attribute the difference in Publix's BOGO rules in Florida to the state's Deceptive and Unfair Trade Practices Act.
But the state law does not actually address BOGO discount offers.
Here's what Publix has to say about the matter: "In Florida, our Buy One, Get One Free (BOGO) promotion allows customers to purchase one item and get a second qualifying item for free," wrote Hannah Herring, a spokeswoman for the Lakeland-based grocery chain, responding to an inquiry by USA TODAY Network-Florida. "This has been our approach since we introduced BOGO promotions and remains one of the most popular ways our customers save.
"In states outside Florida, customers may either get a second item for free or purchase a single item at half price. We adopted this approach to align with customer expectations in markets where similar promotions are commonly offered that way."
In other words, Publix's rules for BOGOs in Florida remain unchanged from when it began offering the promotional discounts. It changed its rules in other states to match what consumers there were already accustomed to.
When did Publix begin offering BOGO deals?
A timeline of the history of the Publix on the company's website does not specify when it began offering BOGO specials, but according to news accounts, including an article published by the Miami Herald, the practice dates back to at least the late 1970s.
The concept of "buy one, get one free" discounts dates back to the 17th century, according to The New York Times and other reports.
The actual acronym BOGO became popular in the early 1980s.
Publix is the undisputed champion of BOGOs
While many retailers offer BOGOs as a way to draw customers, Publix is the "undisputed leader" with nearly 40% of all its promotions falling under that category, according to an article published last year by the retail trade news website MassMarketRetailers.com.
"This strategy has become a defining part of their promotional identity, training shoppers to look for these deals and reinforcing the perception of value week after week," the article states. "When other retailers mix in 'x for y' deals or percent-off discounts, Publix leans heavily into BOGOs as its signature play."
Clayton Park is a journalist for the USA TODAY Network-Florida. He covers everything from insurance, utilities and home prices to groceries, gas and auto prices as the Florida consumer pocketbook reporter. If you have news tips, please send them to cpark@usatodayco.com. You can get all of Florida's best content directly in your inbox each weekday by signing up for the free newsletter, Florida TODAY, at https://news-journalonline.com/newsletters.
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Why are Publix BOGO rules different in Florida than other states?
