Favorite Grocery stores

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partscounterman

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Jan 6, 2018
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Cortez, Colorado
Until I met my Dennis, I never really gave grocery stores much thought. Dennis loves grocery stores and grocery shopping in general. I've learned to put myself into a state of susupended animation when we go to the store together, as Dennis is a VERY careful shopper.

Red Owl is one of his favorite grocers from the past. I thought Red Owl had gone the way of the Dodo bird, but found this one still in Leroy, MN

Dennis also pledges alliegence to Safeway. He loves the fact that we once again live in Safeway territory.

Other store we like include Hy-Vee (Iowa, southern MN), Kohls (Wisconsin), Bashas (Arizona) Byerlys and Lunds (Twin Cities)
AJ's (Arizonas Up-scale supermarket)

We also used to like City Market in SW Colorado. The first time we went to City Market, Dennis thought it was a dump. He wrote a nasty letter to them. They sent us a 60 dollar gift cert. and they then proceded to fix everything Dennis had complained about. City Market became our favorite store. When we returned to the area 10 years later, City Market was bought out by Kroger and was back to being lousy-but Safeway opened by then -Yay!

We are also glad to be away from the Twin Cities, which are dominated by horrid Cub Foods (absolutly filthy stores!) or boring Rainbow. Both these stores employ the misguided "warehouse" concept and force you to bag your own groceries, a practice I detest. Cub Foods used to be fun when they gave you a little grease pencil to mark prices on things (set your OWN prices-hehehehe) but UPC codes took away that advantage

I also wish that Trader Joes would open a store here on Maui. You kids in California and Arizona know what I'm talking about! Sure miss that 3 buck Chuck (cheep wine) and the laundry detergent at Trader Joes is called "Next to Godliness"
which is an awesome name IMHO
 
I have several supermarkets I like to keep in my "rotation".
Safeway is nice--always spotless, but it's the most expensive chain around here. Weis is another one I like. Prices are fairly good and though selection isn't as huge as some other bigger stores, they carry stuff that nobody else does.
I tend to do most of my marketing at Shoppers. Can't beat the prices. I've also started going back to "Super Fresh"; they can call it what they want, but it'll always be "The A&P" to me! They double dollar coupons so you can get some good buys. As long as you don't buy their expensive produce!
They're building a Wegman's in the area. I've heard a lot of good things about them, but have never been to one.

veg, who is a very careful shopper
 
Save-A-Lot, a "bag your own" market with an unusual house branding scheme: Nearly every item has its own brand name, and sometimes they're downright hilarious like Panner Peanut Butter (an obvious Moëbius strip twist on "Peter Pan") and Ginger Evans baking products (named after a relative of founder Bill Moran). The prices on staple items are unbeatable and the store is kept clean.

For the rest, we go to Stater Bros., southern California's home-grown rival to the more expensive Ralphs (founded by the inventor of the supermarket concept George Ralphs) and out-of-towners Albertson's.
 
Locally Super Wal-Mart is where I go to get speciality items. Special seasonings, imported cheeses, vegetables and fruits. Also can find really good seafood, lamb and duck there, although the latter two are not something I'm brave enough to attempt.

As far as the majority of stuff we go with what is now the "Hometown IGA". The store use to be called Pic-Pack and thats still how I refer to it. The owner of the store is super nice and a down right good person. Many days she works the checkouts and is never shy to help you carry out your groceries.

I also tend to favor Sams Club for the simple reason I can get enough stuff so we aren't at the store every other day. We have one of the largest Super Wal-Marts in their chain but yet you can never seem to make it through an aisle in less than five minutes. For household items, personal hygeine items, diapers, cleaning supplies, ect... it's either Super Wal-Mart at home, or going in to Lexington to Target or K-Mart. My wife is always embarassed at the sheer amount of Laundry Detergent I can buy in Sams Club.. but hey... We'll use it :)

Now as far as the store I miss... Has to be County Market in Lexington, KY. Shopped their for years and years then poof, out it went. Now the space has been redone in to a Home Depot. I don't think their was ever ANYTHING that I wanted or needed that County Market didn't have.
 
Fav Supermarkets

When I lived in Miami, I used to LOVE Publix! They had everything. Here in Texas I love the larger H.E.B.'s (you guys don't even want to know what that stands for) and Central Markets. The Kroger Signature Stores and Randall's Flagship stores are also really nice and upscale. Whole Foods Market is there for the health conscious and there is a plethora of ethnic markets. We took a trip to Chinatown and went through their supermarkets. Yeesh! I've never seen so many unidentified critter parts packaged for purchase!

Venus

I love, love, love to grocery shop. Unfortunately, I have to drive at least 17 miles to shop at a store with a varied selection. We have a Brookshire Brothers store in town, but they have limited shelf space, high prices, and so-so quality.
 
When I was a kid we either went to Weis (remember the original brick buildings?) or Acme. The Weis closed, and the Acme became a BiLo and then something called "P&R Patron Supermarket" (with outrageous prices). There was also an IGA, but I don't remember it well. Now our primary supermarket is part of a local chain called Boyer's. Sometimes we shop at Wal-Mart (in masochistic moods) and Redner's Warehouse Markets.

At college the choice is Weis or Wal-Mart, but I do most of my shopping at the Dollar Tree and Amelia's Grocery Outlet.
 
Northeastern Ohio--

I love to cook (for more than just me!), and I like to grocery shop.

We don't have Safeway (never have), and Kroger and A &P pulled out of this area a long time ago. Even though Kroger is based in Cincinnati, they don't like NE Ohio's strong union emphasis.

I love a local chain (20 stores or so) called Acme (NO relation to the defunct Philadelphia stores of the same name). At "my" Acme here in Kent, I am known by name, and reputation (nice guy, but particular).

I admit it. I like to be known, and recognized, and I like to know the clerks and be on friendly terms with them.

The biggest player in NE Ohio is a Pittsburgh based chain called Giant Eagle. I do not love Giant Eagle. but they have the most 24 hour stores. When I was taking care of my mother as she declined from a condition similar to Alzheimer's, 24 hour markets were necessary.

We also have the Tops chain, formerly known as Finast. Tops has great produce, but is very high for the things I buy regularly.

NE Ohio has a WONDERFUL store in Akron, West Point Market. The best and newest of everything!
For those who know Byerly's (My favourite when I visit my Minneapolis family,) West Point is very like Byerly's. But just one, not a chain.

We finally have Trader Joe's, but not particularly close to me.

There is a Costco in Cleveland, but it too, is not really close enough. I love their extra-virgin olive oil.

There are also Save-A-Lot, and Aldi's. I go to Aldi's once in a while, but don't like it much. I don't like their fake brands--"Carlini," "Baker's Oven," "Clarissa" and so on. Don't know why it bothers me more at Aldi's. The quality is adequate, but I do not love shopping there.

Lawrence/Maytagbear
 
Old supermarket architecture

One of the things I vaugely remember from my childhood is many of the unique architectures that the supermarket buildings would come in. While some stores were just "big brick boxes" some other stores came with some interesting designs. Safeway used to be in this area, and they built some supermarket buildings with arched beams that held up the roof. They didn't have any posts in the middle of the building holding them up, and with the arched roofs, appeared to be more like gymnasiums that a grocery store. Some of the older stores around here had the familiar concrete latticework that was a popular architecture element back in the early days.

Still, I enjoy some of the subtle supermarket architecture elements. For instance the patterned linoleum tile floors. Every store had a different pattern on the floor. As a child, I remember jumping between all the red tiles in one. Other interior elements were the freezer chests that had more chrome than 50's automobiles, and you can't forget the cheezy muzak coming from the P.A. system! On the walls of some were shapes that resembled the foods sold below them, like eggs, milk cartons, canned veggies, etc. They shared the walls with the typical patterns of the time, like stars, boomerangs, sputinks, etc.

Today's supermarkets seem to lack the flair of the older stores. On the outside, they resemble colonial style buildings. On the inside, their exposed-beam ceilings with metal-halide lamps resemble warehouses more than supermarkets. Very drab, yes, their may be more of a variety of foods at the new stores, but shopping at them is boring
 
My Supermarket Realities

When I was a boy living in the San Fernando Valley area of Los Angeles, we used to go shopping at Alpha Beta (a store was just a few blocks from our house). Sometimes my mother would get daring and go to Ralphs, Market Basket, Food Giant, White Front, Big A, Unimart and other stores in the area.
Las Vegas has a handful of major stores--Super Wal-Mart, Albertsons, Vons, Smith's and Food 4 Less (the latter two owned by Kroger).
My favorite stores are Trader Joes (how I went so long without shopping there, I'll never know) and Grocery Outlet, which sells overstock/discontinued/generic products at deep discounts. Grocery Outlet is like a gift-wrapped present; you don't know what you'll find week to week, but if you don't stock up, it may be gone. Ah, the joys of marketing!
 
Grocery Stores;

In the area I am in now-Greenville,NC it is dominated by Food lion.They OK but don't really thrill me-their prices are sort of high as well.I miss the old Winn dixie That used to be downtown.There is a Krogers superstore here. also a Super "Wally World"I just go there for malt mix.They are the only ones in town that have the Carnation Malted mix.There is also a Piggly Wiggly.-Kind of dirty though.don't use it much.In Rapid City South Dakota-there is one of those older Gym shaped Safeway stores-its pretty cool.Still in use.Across the street from the old Bacon Park Shopping center.In wash DC area it was Safeway and Giant Foods.They had a Shoppers Food Warehouse in Manassas.-really liked that store-despite the bagging things yourself-selection was really good and low prices.They had a really good meat section.
 
Wow, all these grocery store names brings back memories (or nightmares LOL ) of when I use to support the PC's and software systems of our sales and marketing department of the big greeting card and crayon maker i work at.

Retromom I know what the " B " is in H.E.B LOL. Never found out what " H or the E" stood for.

Here in northeast PA I shopped at Giant, part of Giant Eagle, Redners Warehouse, and Weis Markets, Shop Rite. Out where my daughter goes to school by Pittsburgh they call it Giant/Eagle here they dropped the Eagle. We are finally getting a Wally Mart super-center. My favorite is Wegman's We shop there weekly. I love those stores, especilly all the samples you can eat as you shop and the cooking classes they hold. The prices are higher but you get what you pay for.
 
Trader Joe's is the best! Love that store. I buy detergent and household supplies, including Starbuck's coffee, at Target and otherwise shop at Ralph's.
 
I'm a Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, and Safeway shopper. For non-food items, you can't beat Target. I could spend hours in Target. Ugh.
 

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