The Sarasota Herald Tribune reports that Publix is shutting down its Aprons Cooking School operation after almost a quarter century.
According to the story, Publix “once boasted 11 in-store culinary spaces in select stores. The Apron Cooking School, designed to give everyday customers the chance to enhance their cooking skills and enhance their recipe arsenal, nixed the in-store cooking classes after 22 years … The Publix Aprons Cooking School once served as a hub for date nights, a classroom for those from every walk of life, and a weekday hobby for 22 years.
“All 11 chef-led, in-store cooking classes have now shifted online Publix officials said late last week.”
KC’s View:
Clearly this never a huge component in the Publix business model, and I don’t know the economics of the program. But there is part of me that thinks that this is a shame.
Cooking schools – big or small, ambitious or traditional – can serve as a wonderful way to nurture shoppers’ aspirations. But it also is a great way to personalize the customer’s experience with the store – it gives a business direct access to what customers think and want. Cooking schools are a way not just to help the shopper learn, but also for the business to learn.
Sure, the world has gone digital. And while I don’t want to sound like an analog guy in a digital world (though my kids might argue that this might be an apt description), I do think that there are things one can learn in person that cannot be gleaned from data. (Not to understate the importance of actionable data actually acted upon.)
The post Publix To Shut Down Cooking Schools appeared first on MNB.
View Original Article
