LAKELAND, Florida, May 7, 2026, 06:03 EDT
Todd Jones, executive chairman at Publix Super Markets, plans to retire from the post on May 31, wrapping up a 46-year run with the grocer, according to the company. He’ll remain in the picture as chairman of Publix’s board of directors. Despite leaving the executive suite, Jones stays tied to the private, employee-owned supermarket group.
Timing left little room for speculation. Just days ahead of the retirement news, Publix posted first-quarter sales at $16.1 billion—a 2% rise—even as comparable store results barely budged and net earnings fell 21.5% to $794 million. The company pointed to a federal Medicare maximum fair price rule targeting certain drugs as a drag on sales.
For Publix, keeping things steady has its advantages. The grocer runs 1,434 stores spanning Florida, Georgia, Alabama, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, and Kentucky, employing over 260,000 people. Its shares aren’t listed on public exchanges—they’re available exclusively to current employees and board members.
Publix CEO Kevin Murphy called Jones “an outstanding operator and mentor,” and said Jones isn’t stepping out of leadership just yet—he’ll stay on as chairman, with Murphy indicating the board seat won’t just be for show. Supermarket News
Jones framed the transition as more of a handoff than a departure. He pointed to founder George Jenkins’ vision as Publix’s “north star,” expressing trust in the current leadership team and associates to continue steering the company. Chain Drug Review
Jones joined Publix back in 1980, working as a front-service clerk in New Smyrna Beach, Florida. By 1988 he’d moved up to store manager, then district manager in 1997, followed by a regional director role in 1999. In 2003, he was tapped as vice president of the Jacksonville Division, eventually stepping into senior leadership.
He took over as president in 2008, then added the chief executive title in 2016, followed by CEO in 2019 and executive chairman in 2024. Murphy succeeded Jones as CEO at the beginning of 2024, with Jones shifting into a top oversight position until this recent move back.
Publix is hardly alone—pressure is showing up across food retail. In April, Albertsons flagged that shifts in federal drug pricing hit its pharmacy sales, laying out a projected 1.5 percentage-point hit to identical sales for fiscal 2026. Pharmacy numbers can swing the needle for big grocers.
Still, the transition comes with its own challenges. Persistent weakness in pharmacy, a possible turn in food inflation, or softer store traffic could all weigh on Publix, and board stability might not be enough to counter slower growth. Net unrealized losses on equity securities — representing investments the company hasn’t sold — deepened the drop in quarterly earnings.
Jones departs from his executive post with a legacy closely linked to Publix’s culture and its community initiatives. According to the company, he supported Good Together’s food donation and register campaigns. Publix said in 2025 it had hit the 1 billion pounds mark for food donations.
Publix hasn’t named anyone to take over as executive chairman, according to its statement. For the moment, the setup is clear enough: Murphy is in charge, Jones stays on the board, and the grocer aims to hold its operating model steady—even as its top-line growth slows.
