THE WINNER WILL SING THE NATIONAL ANTHEM FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY FIREWORKS SHOW
>> IF YOU’VE BEEN TO A PUBLIX
YOU’VE LIKELY SEEN THE BIG
SCALE THAT THE COMPANY HAS,
IT’S A FLORIDA BASED NOVELTY.
SCOT JOHNSON TELL US IT’S
PART OF A DECADES OLD
TRADITION TO GIVE CUSTOMERS A
SERVICE THAT IS TRULY FREE OF
CHARGE.
♪
CHARGE. ♪ >> Reporter: AS AMERICA
WORKED ITS WAY OUT OF THE
GREAT DEPRESSION --
>> PRESIDENT ROOSEVELT SAID
IN A STATEMENT TODAY THAT THE
JAPANESE HAVE ATTACKED PEARL
--
>> Reporter: AND ENTERED A
WORLD WAR A LOAF OF BREAD
COST A NICKEL, 2 POUNDS OF
HAMBURGER, 19 CENTS, A DOZEN
EGGS ALMOST A QUARTER BUT IN
THIS STORE IN WITHIN PARC,
FLORIDA THAT OPENED BACK IN
1930, THERE WAS ONE THING
THAT WAS FREE.
>> HOW IS IT?
>> LOOKS GOOD.
>> Reporter: AS A WEIGHT
CONSCIOUS COUNTRY PUSHED
THROUGH DECADES WHERE CHUBBY
CHECKER SANG --
>> DO THE TWIST --
>> Reporter: WEIRDAL YANGO
VIC BELLOWED -- AND QUEEN
TOLD YOU ALL ABOUT --
>> FAT BOTTOM GIRLS YOU MAKE
THE ROCKING WORLD GO ROUND.
>> Reporter: YOU MIGHT
START TO UNDERSTAND WHY AFTER
90 YEARS, PUBLIX KEEPS THESE
BIG GREEN SCALES IN THEIR
STORES.
>> YOU USE IT?
>> NO.
>> YOU DON’T.
>> I NEVER --
>> Reporter: BECAUSE SCALES
NEVER REALLY GO OUT OF STYLE.
WHY NOT?
>> I DON’T WANT TO KNOW.
>> Reporter: EVEN IF NOT
EVERY CUSTOMERS WANTS TO KNOW
THEIR WEIGHT.
A LOT OF THEM DO.
>> I THINK THE FIRST YEAR
THAT IT OPENED UP I THINK IT
SERVED MAYBE 5 MILLION
CUSTOMERS IN THE ONE YEAR.
>> Reporter: SO THE SCALES
USED TO BE IN THE BACK OF THE
STORES.
BACK IN THE DAY.
WELL, I’M TALKING WAY, WAY
BACK IN THE DAY.
WHEN GEORGE JENKINS FOUNDED
THE CHAIN IN THE 1930S, BUT
THESE PEOPLE WEIGHERS AS THEY
WERE CALLED ARE THE ONLY REAL
THROWBACKS IN THIS MODERN
SUPERMARKET FROM A TIME BACK
WHEN PEOPLE DIDN’T HAVE
SCALES IN THEIR OWN HOMES.
YOU WON’T FIND THESE IF YOU
HEAD TO PUBLIX IN ALABAMA OR
THE CAROLINAS.
THESE SCALES ARE TRULY A
FLORIDA THING.
>> I HAD ONE AT HOME, BUT I
LIKE THE WEIGH IN HERE
BECAUSE THIS ONE IS MORE
EFFICIENT FOR ME.
>> Reporter: THERE ARE ONLY
SO MANY LEFT.
DUANE STEVENS HAS WORKED FOR
PUBLIX --
>> YOU SAY YOU USED IT AS A
SMALL KID COMING IN HERE.
>> YES, FOR AROUND FOUR
DECADES.
>> SHOPPING WITH MY PARENTS,
ALSO ONE OF THE KIDS THAT SAT
IN THE BASKETS AND SHOPPED.
>> Reporter: HE TELL MEETS
THERE IS A SAD REALITY ABOUT
THE PEOPLE WEIGHERS.
>> IT HELPS YOUR MIND TO THE
WEIGHT HELP YOU MAKE BET ERR
FOOD CHOICES.
>> Reporter: THE COMPANY
THAT MADE THEM STOPPED BROKE
IN 2015.
SO I HEADED TO THE WAREHOUSE
IN CENTRAL FLORIDA WHERE NO
NEWS CAMERA HAS EVER ENTERED
TO SEE THE ONLY BACKUP SCALES
IN EXISTENCE BECAUSE YOU SEE
PUBLIX BOUGHT UP ALL THE
REMAINING 2830 MODELS
HONORING JENKINS’ VISION.
>> HE UNDER PEOPLE LIKED TO
USE SCALE.
>> Reporter: MAYBE TWO
DOZEN REMAIN HEAR.
EUGENE IS TASKED WITH KEEPING
THEM STOCKED IN FLORIDA
STORES.
HE FOLLOWS THIS REPAIR HAND
BOOK AND SHIPS THESE BACKUPS
IF THE A SCALE BREAKS IN
MIAMI OR MANDARIN BUT DON’T
WORRY.
THESE SCALES HAVE STAYED
OPERATIONAL FOR DECADES.
JUST LOOK AT THE PUN LINKS
ORIGINAL NOW AT CORPORATE
HEADQUARTERS.
IT STILL WORKS.
>> IS THAT THE WEIGH YOU ARE
GOING FOR?
>> I’M GOING FOR MORE THAN
THAT.
I’M TRYINGS TO GAIN WEIGHT.
>> Reporter: FOR THE FOE
SAAB FUTURE, YOU CAN STILL --
FORESEEABLE FUTURE YOU CAN
FEEL NOT SO 21st CENTURY.
>> THEY SEEM OLD-FASHIONED TO
BE IN A SUPERMARKET?
>> I DON’T THINK SO.
IF YOU STEP BACK ON THIS
THROW BACKTO THE TIME OF TYPE
WRITERS AND TUPPERWARE, SCOTT
JOHNSON, THE LOCAL STATION.
>> Anchor: A COUPLE OF
NOTES IT’S NOT JUST PEOPLE
WEIGHING THEMSELVES, ONE
MANAGER SAYS THE SECOND MOST
COMMON USE IS PEOPLE WEIGHING
THEIR LUGGAGE ON THE WAY TO
THE AIRPORT TO SEE IF IT’S
TOO HEAVY.
I TELL YOU ONE OF THE THINGS
THAT STANDS OUT TO ME IS THAT
THOSE MACHINES WERE MADE IN
THE AGE WHEN THEY’RE GOING TO
LAST FOREVER.
IT SEEMS LIKE THEY ARE SO
STURDY.
IT’S LIKE, YEAH, THAT MIGHT
BE AROUND FOR ANOTHER SEVERAL
DECADES.
>> MY HUSBAND WILL BE HEART
BROKEN.
HE STEPS ON THE SCALE EVERY
TIME WE GO TO THE STORE.
>> THAT’S THE LAST THING I
WANT TO DO.
>> THERE MIGHT BE SOMETHING
TO THE IDEA.
IF YOU GO IN AND WEIGH
YOURSELF AND YOU ARE NOT
HAPPY YOU MAKE DIFFERENT
CHOICE ONS WHAT YOU BUY.
BUT I’VE NEVER DONE THAT.
>> NO.
NO.
>> I SHOULD.