Favorite Grocery stores

[parunner58]

So Venus it is Harry E Butt. LOL

I can't believe other people remember Penn Fruit and Food Fair. I lived in Philadelphia until I started second grade and went to catholic grade school across the street from Penn Fruit. Where our Food Fair then Pantry Pride was, is now a Save-a-Lot. We have IGA's around here they have very good chocolate covered donuts in the bakery, people bring them to work on thier birthdays. Since they are not real close to my house when I usually get there they are all gone. We do not have a Target yet, I hear they are coming. There is one over in New Jersey but not very convienient to go to regualrly.

I remember going to the A&P with my mom and she always bought a 3 pound bag of eight o'clock coffee and had it custom ground in the store. I loved that smell. I buy the same coffee today at Wegman's but I grind it fresh each morning. I love that smell.

Mike

 

[david]

Remembering A&P

I remember we had those stores here until the mid 70's and that wonderful smelling eight o' clock coffee grinding. A fresh bag just smelled heavenly. We now have Albertson's, Kroger and Brookshire's and SuperOne which is a Brookshire's warehouse discount job. Venus, you may have seen Brookshire brothers down close to Houston, same (feuding) family from what I've heard. Walmart of course, and a super Target to round out the grocery selection here. And CircleK! I have actually seen a box of supersuds in a CK recently. Guess the turnover is low in convenience stores in certain locations.

 

[GESwivel]

My parents worked and met at Food Fair. It was like a family-oriented company. I also had an uncle who worked there. We shopped at A&P occasionally, but I thought they were expensive. They were very clean though. I liked GIANT. I liked their donuts. They left the area in the early 80's. We also had COLONIAL stores, but they were one of the first to leave. They kept their small BE-LO stores for a while.

retromom;

H.E. Butt! When I lived in TX, they had already shortened it to H.E.B. They also had Stop and Shop stores, but they were convenience stores like 7-eleven. Everyone called them "Stop N Rob".

Now, I shop often at Stater Bros. They have pretty good prices. I liked shopping at a Canned Foods Warehouse that later became Grocery Outlet. It was usually in a bad area of town. They had alot of items that were not from this part of the country, but the prices were great. It is not in this area any longer.

 

[retromom]

Tee-Hee

geswivel:

Actually, I believe the H in H.E.B. stands for Henry (the founder). The company's products have the name of Charles Butt on the back. I was just pulling a leg about the "Harry" name. Didn't mean to make the store the "butt" of my joke ;-)

 

[deeptub]

When I was growing up (in Waukegan, IL) we had Jewel, A&P, Eagle,and Dominicks. At some point a Pick n' Save opened in Gurnee. Pick n' Save was one of those stores with the grease pencils to mark the prices on your items. It was usually a madhouse and people began to refer to it as Push n' Shove. Mom mostly shopped at "The Jewel". I don't know why, but most people in the greater Chicago area refer to Jewel as "The Jewel". They never say "The Dominicks" or "The Cub Foods". Just "The Jewel". "Steak was on sale at the Jewel today." I've lived in southern Illinois for 15 years now and I still say "the Jewel" when I'm visiting up there. Mom never shopped at Dominick's because she said the meat department smelled funny. Shopping carts weren't so deep in the 1970s, and I would ride on the bottom platform and my younger sister would ride in the cart's kiddie seat. Somehow my mother's threat of "I will never take you anywhere again" kept us from reaching out and grabbing things off the shelves. And I remember there was a grandfatherly butcher named Clarence at the Jewel on Lewis Avenue who thought my sister and I were too cute.

Now, in Southern Illinois, we have Schnuck's, Kroger, Aldi, Super Wal-Mart, and a Sav-A-Lot under construction. We also have a small independent grocer with a real butcher shop in back. I like Schnuck's for most of my shopping--it's always double coupon there, and they have a lot of smaller volume things that Kroger won't carry--King Arthur flour, for one. I'm finding that Aldi has some really good values too. For example, their version of Triscuit crackers is just as good, and 99 cents a box. They also have a more "upmarket" brand of products called Grandessa--comparable with the "premium" store brand a lot of places have. BUT, to get these good deals you have to put up with a dreary decor and crowded aisles and a generally unsavory shopping experience. I really like the self-check-out aisles at Kroger. Most people seem to be unwilling to learn how to use them, so there is always one open, and it's especially nice when I'm just buying one or two things.

T.

 

[lavamat_jon]

Asda

Here in the UK my family and I shop at Britain's most popular supermarket, Asda. Asda is now owned by Wal*Mart, and a lot of their stuff is now branded as Asda Wal*Mart. The first one here originally opened up in the 70s, however in the late 90s a new Asda was built on the car park of the old site (so as not to disrupt the old Asda at the time). Now it is one of the largest Asda supermarkets in the country at over 80,000 square foot.

Doing a search on the internet for Asda Lincoln (which is the Asda supermarket down the road from me), I have actually found a case study on it focusing on the construction and other details of the newer supermarket. I've also found a pic of it here, this is the actual supermarket down the road from me that I use every week!

Here's a plan view of it from Multimap:
http://www.multimap.com/map/photo.c...ale=5000&coordsys=gb&db=freegaz〈=&mapsize=big (copy and past the link into the address bar - I tried being posh and used html codes but I kept getting to the Buzzer Sounding 404 page)

On that aerial photo, you can also see my primary school, which is the big set of buildings on the right. Then the street leading diagonally off the top right hand corner of the page is the one that I live on!!

Jon

BTW, I just love standing at the front of the supermarket where the checkouts are, and hearing the "beep, beep, beep, beep, beep, beep" from all the different tills - it's so soothing!!!

http://www.mjgleeson.com/retail/case_histories/case_asda_lincoln.php#project

 

[peterh770]

Growing up in central NY, it was Chicago Markets.
Then Price Chopper.
In Rochester, it was Wegman's and Tops.
It's Kroger for me here in the Atlanta area.

 

[partscounterman]

More Grocery store memories

As I said earlier, my Dennis has always loved Red Owl. Working at the Red Owl in his hometown of Waterville, Minnesota was one of his very first jobs.
My Grandparents shopped at Red Owl exclusively. I remember the Red Owl house brands-Harvest Queen and thier soda pop was called Brimfull. In the early 80's, Red Owl gave way to Red Owls County Store-that tired old warehouse concept-ick

My mom shopped at a local chain called Country Club. Her other favorite was Shoppers City, which was a huge discount emporium with a grocery, like a super Wal-Mart. Shoppers City was cool because under each grocery checkstand was a convayer belt that took your groceries to a basement holding area. The cashier would give my mom some numbered cards. We then went out to the car and drove up to where the young men would load the groceries into the car. None of this dragging your groceries through the parking lot. I so bad wanted to get in one of those baskets and ride on the belt...

Piggly-Wiggly (what a great name!) made a brief appearance in the twin cities as did Kroger. For some reason, none of the national chains seemed to make it in the Twin Cities area...

As I said the Twin Cities area is now dominated by awful Cub foods. I hnate their big exhausting stores. Its nice to have variety, but I go into the woods if I want a 5 mile hike, thank you. cub stores are always dirty, the cashiers cannot be bothered to even look at you let alone say please and thank you. I especially DeSPISE bagging my own groceries. I mean, here you just dropped $100-$150 and the cashier sits and glares at you like "You don't have that crap outta here yet..." The most recent Cub foods that I've seen have the frozen and refer. foods in the middle of the store. THIS MAKES NO SENSE! Your ice cream is bound to be melted by the time you get through that crummy store.

I prefer that my groceries be packed in a paper bag, but those are nonexistant here on Maui, I'm sure due to the cost of shipping. Plastic bags are the pits in my eyes.

One final rant- If a store(such as walmart or target) decides to start selling groceries, they need to teach the cashiers hove to pack groceries. It drives me crazy to find butter packed in the same bag as soap.
Pack food with food
Pack frozen with frozen
Pack chemicals and cleaners AWAY from food

Oh-a final word about Shoppers City. When I was six, it was riotously funny to tell you friends to say "Shoppers City" fast six times. It would devolve into Shopper shitty, which would send any group of elementary school kids into gales of laughter. Shoppers City got bought out by Zayre, who dropped the grocery dept

 

[partscounterman]

Target too

When Target first opened in North St. Paul, they had a full grocery.

So now they have groceries at Target again and they act like its some big new deal.
Everything old is new again

 

[retromom]

Zayre

David

My first job was at a Zayre. They were out of Frammingham, MA. They did not carry groceries when I worked there. I was making $1.65 an hour, and had the best time of my life. About half of the employees were teenagers (like me) and the rest adults. I'm sure we drove them crazy! One of our managers, Mr. Bender, used to poke his fingers through bags of candy because anything that was opened was brought up to the service desk for everyone to eat. He was a hoot!

Of course, back then (I know that sounds like foreverago)the cash registers were the kind you punched the prices in, and we had to figure out the tax ourselves (4% at the time). Because the items had price tags and not bar codes, we would get lots of "cheaters" who used to try to switch tags. It was more fun to "bust" someone at the register who was trying to rip us off. About half would say "I'll take it anyway" and the other half "never mind".

I agree with you on plastic. I hate it!!>:/ Everytime I go shopping I ask for paper. I get this "lady, you're a pain" look all the time. I don't like my groceries sliding all over the car. I also don't like when they pack the toilet bowl cleaner with the donuts I just got from the bakery. I always unload my cart - produce , refrigerated items, canned/heavy goods, lighter items, lastly cleaning/misc. I am trying to help the sacker, but usually there is none and the cashier lets all the stuff pile onto the end of the staging area. It's a pet peeve of mine, but I try not to get too upset about it.

Venus

 

[lavamat_jon]

Supermarket Chains

So what are the main supermarket chains in America?

Here in the UK, the main players are:

* Asda/Asda-Wal*MART (owned by Wal*MART)
* Tesco
* Sainsburys
* Morrisons/Safeway (owned by Morrisons)
* Somerfield
* Waitrose (owned by John Lewis)
* St. Michael's (owned by Marks & Spencer)

Supermarkets which mainly specialise in frozen food:

* Iceland
* Farmfoods

Major convenience stores are:

* Spar
* Co-op
* Londis

Then there's the "imports":

* Lidl
* Aldi
* Netto

Jon

 

[agiflow]

Hi Jon,..it depends on what region of the usa you live in.

In New Jersey we have:
Shop-Rite
Stop&Shop
Wegmans
A&P
Foodtown
Pathmark

I think there are a couple of others that escape me right now,but there is plenty of choice.

Our covenience stores are:
WaWa
7-11
quick-check
we used to have one called cumberland farms
and some gas station type convenience stores like Hess and little independent stores also.

Pat

 

[arrrooohhh]

Hello everybody!

In Australia Woolworths dominate the Australian grocery scene. They have the biggest supermarkets in the most locations. Then there is Coles which is more upscale and expensive, and at the other end we have Franklins, a real "no frills" kind of store. Franklins during the nineties was becoming really big, competition the Woolies stores, but, the parent company hit big financial trouble and sold Franklins. Half the stores were purchased by Woolies and rebranded as "Food for less" which my mother thought was a joke and our local Franklins became a "Food for less" and she said it was no less than the prices paid at Woolies.

The remainder of Franklins stores still bare the name Frankins and engaged in a big advertising campaign with an annoyingly catch jingle that one would find themselves singing all times of the day The smaller Franklins operation is now facing competition from Aldi.

I think in Victoria Woolies stores are called Safeway but dont know if they are still doing that. I am still cranky that Myer, our national chain of dept. stores, forced the NSW operations to rename from Grace Bros. It will always be Grace Bros as far as I am concerned.

Jon,
when my family were in the UK we did most of our shopping in Sainsburys. Loved it!

 

[coldspot66]

Where I grew up in Cambridge, MA we had a Zayre Dept store at the local "shopping center". Dumpy, dirty store but had great prices on household stuff. Most of my record collection came from there also.

 

[coldspot66]

RETROMOM

I also remember those old "Monroe Sweda" cash registers. I think you had to key in some sort of stock number as well as the price. I was always amazed at a fast cashier that didn't even have to look at the buttons when she rang up a large order!

 

[partscounterman]

Convenience store

In Iowa, there is a chain of convenience stores called Kum&Go.

I laugh every time I see that! (A dirty mind is a terrible thing to waste!) We always stop and get a Kum&Go lighter there.

Thank goodness they didn't spell it with a 'C' or I be too hysterical to drive!

Yes, I know Moms watching! (Sorry Venus!)

 

[pdub]

David - partscounterman

I too grew up in the Mpls. area (Bloomington) and remember Red Owl fondly. I also remember Lunds and their portable orange juice squeezing machine that sat near the vegetable section and Byerly's as the first 'fully carpeted' grocery store. There was a Country Club market that opened new in the 70's on the corner of Cedar Ave and Old Shakopee Rd. It is gone now.

I now live in Portland, Oregon and no matter what comes along I still prefer my "One Stop Shopping" at Fred Meyer which is now owned by Kroger. We used to have Cub here but they were bought out by Winco and are now employee owned. Every once in awhile I will shop there but agree about the store being too damn big. I know what you mean about the rush to hurry up and get your groceries bagged while someone else is waiting. Don't we have enough stress elsewhere in life!!!

Mahalo, Patrick

 

[retromom]

John (coldspot66): I had the fastest fingers in Miami! Yes, we had to put the department code in before we punched in the price. I used to hate "dollar days". The lines would be all the way to the back of the store with shopping carts filled with paper towels, toilet paper, and plasticware.

David: Now (tee-hee) that I've regained (tee-hee) my composure (tee-hee); I thought H.E. Butt was bad! I think I would definitely be wearing my shades when I frequented that convenience store. God forbid someone see "mom" in there ;-)

Venus

 

[kenmore1978]

paper vs plastic

A lot of customers around here ask for paper AND plastic. The baggers then put the paper bag inside of the plastic, so you get the stand-up characteristics of the paper bag with the carrying ease and non-tearing of the plastic bag

 

[kenmore1978]

cash register noise

I miss the almost deafning noise of the mechanical cash registers at grocery stores.

I was working at Montgomery Wards when they made the switch from the model 5300 mechanical cash registers to the new electronic ones. That first day was chaos, often the registers would forget their programmng, and NCR guys would be running around re-loading the software with CASSETTE DECKS!