Why do Publix stores have scales? Florida man solves mystery.

From eager toddlers to reluctant grown-ups, millions of people have stepped foot on Publix scales, but why exactly are they there?

One Florida man, Chris Barr, decided to get some answers, and with the help of WLRN, he was able to uncover the mystery.

Back in the day, household scales weren’t the norm for most families so small shop owners and businesses would place big scales called “people weighers” outside their stores and charge people to use them, according to WLRN.

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George Jenkins opened the first Publix in Winter Haven and instead of charging people to use the scale outside of the store, he moved the scale indoors and made it free for all.

“His idea was hoping that when they walked in the doors, they would smell these fresh donuts, see the beautiful colors and feel the cool air,” Jennifer Bush, Publix’s historian said.

The Publix headquarters in Lakeland is home to the grocery store’s first scale. Although Publix has expanded to include locations outside of Florida, the classic scales are only found in Sunshine State locations.

Nowadays, the scales are four times larger and painted the iconic Publix shade of green. Because the scales are bigger, they make the perfect tool for weighing all your luggage before taking a Florida bucket list trip.

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