ORLANDO – Publix Super Markets Inc. is testing a smaller store prototype that may help the grocery chain “muscle its way into the smaller-space retail arena,” reports the Orlando Business Journal.

The newspaper writes that Lakeland, Florida-based Publix is reportedly working on a new 20,000-square-foot store that would fit seaside and college towns. Large formats shrinking to a smaller store footprint is a trend many grocery and big-box retailers are latching onto to gain better traction and appeal in urban areas.

Publix already has 1,067 stores in the Southeast and more than 150,000 employees. “However, other upscale and specialty grocery concepts are moving into Central Florida,” notes the newspaper, such as Trader Joe’s, which is making its debut in Central Florida in June. A typical Publix grocery store can range from 40,000 to 60,000 square feet.

In other news, Omaha World-Herald reports that Hy-Vee is adding a 3,000 square-foot convenience store to its Peony Park store in Omaha, Nebraska. The store will feature 8 fuel pumps and is expected to open late summer.

“It’s more convenient, obviously, for our customers to get their fuel right outside the store,” Hy-Vee spokeswoman Chris Friesleben said. “Where it makes sense to build one, we’re trying to get them up as quickly as possible.”