Publix, Winn-Dixie cap buys of Thanksgiving foods due to supply chain issues

Feeding a large group for Thanksgiving? You might not be able to buy as much of your favorite ingredients as you’d like.

Publix is instituting purchase limits on certain items “due to ongoing supply issues and increased holiday demand, and to best serve the majority of our customers,” according to an email from company spokeswoman Maria Brous. Publix is headquartered in Lakeland.

For the affected items, customers will see signs in stores letting them know they’re limited to buying two of each, Brous said.

Items affected include Thanksgiving staples such as canned cranberry sauce, jarred gravy and canned pie filling, as well as canola and vegetable oils, cream cheese, bacon and rolled breakfast sausage. Paper napkins and disposable plates, cups and cutlery also will be subject to purchase limits.

Customers also will be capped when it comes to buying refrigerated snacks such as Lunchables, sports drinks, certain juices like Capri Sun, canned cat food variety packs, refrigerated pet food and — in a familiar pandemic tableau — toilet paper.

Winn-Dixie is also limiting the purchase of turkeys to one per customer, similarly citing problems in the supply chain. The measure will “help all families have an opportunity to enjoy a traditional Thanksgiving meal this year,” said Meredith Hurley, spokeswoman for Southeastern Grocers, the parent company of Winn-Dixie as well as Fresco y Más.

“While we don’t have a limit on other items throughout the store,” Hurley added, “we are politely asking customers to only purchase what they need for their families while shopping for key holiday items.”