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The Mary Sue
The Mary Sue
Ljeonida Mulabazi

‘They don’t even try to hide it’: Florida Publix customer buys pecan, sweet potato pies. Then she peels back the stickers

A Florida Publix shopper says she discovered price changes on her holiday pies only after peeling back the store’s stickers. In a now-viral TikTok, she showed two pies with lower prices hidden underneath newer labels.

Did Publix Mark Up These Prices?

TikTok creator Elizabeth (@lizalienemoji) shared a clip showing herself removing the top price stickers on two Publix pies. Her video has gotten more than 116,000 views.

In the clip, she shows a boxed pecan pie as a voice in the background reacts in real time. “Wow!” the person says. She then reads the current price: “$10.99.” She then points to the sell-by date printed underneath. “12/3.”

Next, she peels back the top sticker. Underneath, there’s a lower price. “And $9.99 12/3,” she says. “They marked it up for the holidays.”

She moves on to a second box, this one a sweet potato pie, and the same thing happens. “$6.99,” she reads from the current sticker. Then she removes it. “$5.99.” Another voice reacts with, “Oh, wow,” as Elizabeth leans in closer. “Er. [Expletive] you, Publix. Bye,” she adds as the clip ends.

What Could’ve Happened Here?

In the comments, many viewers shared the same explanation for what Elizabeth found. They believe the pies had been on sale before Thanksgiving and were no longer discounted when she bought them.

“They were on sale BEFORE Thanksgiving and are no longer on sale so new stickers,” one person wrote.

Another added, “It was on sale… now it’s not, not that hard to understand.”

Others pointed to Publix’s weekly pricing cycle. “Every Thursday Publix rolls out the new BOGOs and specials for the week. So if you bought this after Thursday, which you probably did because Publix isn’t open on Thanksgiving, you missed the sale that was going on that ended on Wednesday night,” one commenter explained.

Some viewers focused on broader price fatigue that many shoppers already feel.

“Price gouging everywhere, capitalism at its finest,” one person wrote. “Why are we still acting surprised this had been going on for at least my whole life,” another said.

A third added, “This is why there’s an economic blackout. We shouldn’t be buying ANYTHING.”

Was There Really a Sale for Thanksgiving?

Publix regularly runs weekly promotions, including deals, digital coupons, and buy-one-get-one offers.

During Thanksgiving 2025, the chain advertised discounts on a wide range of items, including flowers, turkeys, pies, and other holiday staples.

On November 15, the account @Publixsavings101 shared an ad stating that pumpkin pies would be priced at $5.99. As of now, when selecting a Florida store location on Publix’s website, that same pie lists at $6.99.

@lizalienemoji lazy price gouging by Publix #revolution #capitalism #thanksgiving #newearth #truth ♬ original sound – LizAlienEmoji

That one-dollar difference lines up exactly with what Elizabeth saw after peeling back the top sticker. Still, whether the price change came from the end of a sale, a timing issue with weekly promotions, or something else entirely is unclear.

To get clarity, The Mary Sue has reached out to Publix via email. We’ve also contacted Elizabeth through TikTok direct messages.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]

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