Food: Publix

If you're not from the southeast part of the U.S., you probably have never shopped at a Publix supermarket. Refreshingly, grocery store chains tend to be regional. I can count the times I've shopped at Food Lion or Piggly Wiggly on one hand, for example. Publix started in Lakeland, Florida, more than 75 years ago, and it's still going strong. My family's been shopping there for over 25 years.

The average Publix is, frankly, a step up from most supermarkets. The stores are well lit and clean, and the prices, while not the cheapest, are never expensive enough to matter. The company's won numerous awards and places high in most consumer satisfaction indices. Publix dominates the Florida market, with over 600 stores in the state.

Part of the success of the retailer is due to the food, of course. Publix fried chicken compares favorably to most fast-food joints and even some restaurants. The quality of the dairy and deli products is pretty good, and even the generic "Publix" branded foods (dry spaghetti, yogurt, you name it) are often as good as their name-brand counterparts.

In truth, though, much of Publix's popularity is because of its advertising. Publix has some of the slickest TV ads I've ever seen, from any company. Check out some of them below: