If you’ve been to Publix lately and noticed something different about the express lane, it’s not your imagination. Publix has done away with the 10-items-or-less limit. The express lanes are still there, but the company is no longer putting a specific number on how many items shoppers can bring through them. Instead, employees have more flexibility to direct customers to available registers and keep the checkout lines moving.
The company says the goal is simple: reduce wait times and move customers through checkout more efficiently. Early social media posts indicate customers disagree with this approach.
So, yes, you can officially stop counting the groceries in the cart in front of you. And perhaps more importantly, you can stop wondering whether the person with 14 items just decided the rules didn’t apply to them. There isn’t a 10-item rule anymore.
