Publix Hits 10 Kentucky Stores, With 16 More Planned

Publix has opened its 10th store in Kentucky less than three years after debuting in the state, and the company says it plans to add 16 more locations there.

The grocer announced the milestone Wednesday alongside the opening of its new store in Florence, a city in northern Kentucky. Publix said it sees considerable room for growth in the Bluegrass State.

Kentucky became the eighth state where Publix operates when the chain arrived in 2024. The expansion puts the Florida-based grocer in direct competition with Kroger, which is headquartered in Cincinnati, just across the river from Publix's newest stores.

How has Publix built out its Kentucky footprint?

Publix entered Kentucky in 2024 with a store in Louisville, then added two more locations in that city the following year. Last year, the grocer opened a store in Lexington, about an hour and a half east of Louisville.

In early 2025, Publix moved closer to Kroger's home turf with its first Northern Kentucky store in Walton. Over the last year, the chain added locations in Cold Spring (opened in June) and, most recently, Florence — both just across the river from Cincinnati.

Publix said its fourth Northern Kentucky store is set to open in Independence, and a fifth store in the area is reportedly planned for Hebron.

Other upcoming Kentucky locations include:

• Additional stores in and around Louisville
• Several stores near Lexington
• A confirmed store in Bowling Green, in the southern part of the state

Where does Kentucky rank in Publix's growth?

Over the last two years, Kentucky ranks among the states where Publix has grown its store count the fastest. Only Florida, where the grocer added 25 stores over that period, has outpaced it. North Carolina is the only other state outside Florida that has grown as quickly since 2024.

Outside Kentucky, Publix runs 1,436 stores across Alabama, Florida, Georgia, the Carolinas, Tennessee and Virginia. More than half — 897 — are in Florida, the company's home state.

The 16 planned Kentucky stores would more than double the chain's presence in the state, deepening its challenge to Kroger in its home market.