Grocery stores in your area

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fan-of-fans

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What grocery stores do you have and what is your favorite.

Here we have less than used to. My favorite is Publix. The one near my house closed last year to be rebuilt and just reopened. I have not been in the new one, but the old one was my favorite store ever and the best I think.

We used to have an Albertsons and it had the best meat and seafood department and the guy that ran the department was from a New York meat market. The other departments I don't recall much about. Publix took it over around 2008 and it's a pretty good store but didn't like as much as the other one. They kept the store the same layout but scaled down the meat department some.

There are two Winne-Dixie stores. The further away one is older. It was remodeled and it is pretty nice as far as the store itself. I like their produce dept but the meat section doesn't have much selection. There is no Pharmacy which doesn't bother me. I liked shopping there because it's smaller than Publix and quicker to pick up a few items but two things I don't like.
1 it usually feels like a ghost town, the store didn't seem to have a lot of traffic and there were few people working on the floor with only two checkout lanes open ever. 2 the parking lot is hard to get in and out of.

The other Winn-Dixie is closer to my house. I like it better. It was a Sweetbay store before that was pretty nice and Winn-Dixie didn't do much at all to it other than changing the signage and the Hannaford branded items to their own brand. This store is much busier and better staffed than the other. They have more checkouts open and the meat and seafood departments are much better stocked. The deli and bakery also seem to have a bigger selection. Though I usually find Publix brand items are a little better quality than Winn-Dixie in general. And Hannaford's seemed a little better also.

I never really shop at Walmart much, usually just to grab small things or occasionally get something in the bakery. The biggest issue there is the parking lot size and dealing with the heavy traffic and long lines.

We also have Aldi and Save A Lot. I have been to Aldi a few times but haven't bought anything. Save A Lot I went once but haven't tried again. You have to bring your own bags at those stores.
 
We have Giant Eagle (It takes a Giant to make life simple)
Aldi
Friedmans (local outfit)

And of course, sprawl mart.

Used to have a shop n save but it closed and building is still empty.
 
Meijer, Kroger and local independents supplied by SpartanNash. Aldi, Save-a-Lot, Whole Foods and Plum Market (Plum mimics Whole Foods---the owners of Plum sold their original stores to Whole Foods, then sat out their noncompete before starting Plum. Meijer spanks Walmart and Kroger, frankly---they started as a supermarket that went into the Hypermarket concept 20 years before Walmart--they are the original and best, AFAIK. Plus, Meijer opened stores in big bad Detroit about 3 years ago (at about the same time as Whole Foods--all of which are doing nicely--Kroger abandoned the city of Detroit many years ago which doesn't sit well around here.
 
In my immediate area, it comes down to basically:
-Kroger owned (Fred Meyer & QFC)
-Albertsons/Safeway (with the same ads, even, as far as I can tell)
-Stores like Costco, Target, Walmart
-Whole Foods and Trader Joe's
-Some single stores, some small chains that are mostly hugely inconvenient for where I live

Most of my shopping now is Fred Meyer, mainly because the prices are, overall, the best. I get good service at the store I use, and it's convenient for me. I used Albertsons as a secondary store, but life circumstances have made it less convenient. I think I've been there maybe 1 time in the last nearly six months.
 
We have Strack & Van Til, a local chain and an awful one at that. They're known for their atrocious quality produce and meats, as well as poor management in general. It's really a wonder how they stay in business.

We also have Ultra Foods, Aldi, Meijer, Jewel, Wal-Mart, and Whole Foods.

Ultra Foods is owned by Stracks and is a discount grocer (seeing how bad Stracks quality is i don't wanna know how much worse Ultra can be)

We pretty much exclusively shop at Whole Foods since that opened last year. Their pricing is cheaper than Stracks on most stuff we buy, especially anything organic. I wouldn't mind if Kroger bought out Stracks and converted them to Kroger stores, I've been in some of them and holy cow were they nice.
 
I live in a town of 1,400 right on the WA/Canadian border.  Yes, the border crossing is 10 blocks away!  We have a small town grocery that is about to close due to the fact that "pop" is paying the "kids" to run it and with the $$/Loon  exchange rate, there's little business and little to buy in the store.  I haven't set foot in there in a year.  

My "local" store is 6 miles away in Everson, WA.  Still a small store with higher prices, but has fantastic produce and meat.  The manager is "very" friendly and the store employee's take good care of their customers.  There are employee's who have been there for over 30 years!  And they're MY age!  So that's my "daily" store.

If I go another 6 miles away to Lynden, Wa, there's Safeway.  Huge, busy and the longest check-out lines you've ever seen!  I only go in for under 10 items and use the self-check.  I'm not a Safeway fan!

But like Lord Kenmore, my big shops are at Fred Meyer in Bellingham, which is 20 miles away.  Prices can't be beat; I walk in with my list and by staying focused, leave with the shopping done.  I
 love their lamb chops, seafood counter and wine area.   If I can't find it within 12 miles, Freddie's will have it!  
 
>Whole Foods since that opened last year. Their pricing is cheaper than Stracks on most stuff we buy,

Suggests prices at Stracks is really high! I've never visited Whole Foods, but have heard the commentary, including the name "Whole Paycheck."
 
> Huge, busy and the longest check-out lines you've ever seen!

I've seen that at both Safeway and Albertsons where I've shopped. Busy is fine, but the lines can be insane--particularly given how expensive the place is.
 
Kroger

is ever growing with newer larger stores and more hardline items. They are always needing help.
Nash bought Spartain about 5 years ago. Very political. Follow the money. They closed VG's which was a nice smaller chain started by the Van Gilder family. Nash Spartain also supplies Mikes Fresh markets in Detroit, and Value Center, based in Livonia with several metro area locations. A few Shoppers, and Vegas markets. Oak Ridge is still around as well.
While grocery margins are better than they used to be, the competition is cut throat. Companies pay big money for shelf space, and often battle for it.
Their labor costs are the lowest ever, as older employees who had better pay and benefits have retired. Younger employees go to college, and move on.
It was my life's career, but I'm glad to be out of it.
I liked the people, except the tine I was held up at gun point. The concrete floors were torcher. Heel spurs, callouses, and once, a customer swung her cart around and nailed me in the knee. It still bothers me at times.
 
We have a local chain called Trig's (2 stores), 2 Pick & Save's (Roundy's affiliated), 2 IGA's, County Market (SuperValu affiliated), Wal-Mart, and Aldi's.  Also 2 Mexican grocers, 3 Asian grocers, and a mom & pop grocer about 6 blocks from our house.  I wish we had a Hy-Vee, Save-A-Lot, and Trader Joe's closer to us.
 
We have Giant Eagle, Shop N Save, and Foodland
I believe all 3 are Pittsburgh based chains.
I find, as I call it, The Giant Bird pricey but their produce is nicest, I usually go to Shop N Save as I prefer the store in general.
Bring only 10 minutes from West Virginia I can also cross the border on occasion and go to Kroger, though I don't often do that as in PA food is tax exempt and in WV it is taxed 6%. However you can buy beer/wine in the grocery and liquor in the drug stores in WV which are usually a bit cheaper than the a state store or beer distributor in PA

Shop N Save also has a fuel perks program in which you earn $.10 every $50 spent towards a discount at Sunoco.
Giant Bird has fuel points too which are redeemed at their chain of gas stations, Get Go, but their gas is crap and I get poor mileage from it

I don't buy meat in the store, except frozen boneless skinless chicken breast. All my other meats come straight from the slaughter house
 
John

It's a combination of Stracks being really expensive and Whole Foods being price competitive in the region. Up in the city they are a bit pricier.
 
I my town we have Safeway, Raley's, Grocery Outllet, Grocery Max, Walmart, Target and Oliver's, which is a very nice, upscale market, much like Whole Foods, only better. I have been shopping at my local Safeway off and on , but mostly on since 1974 and it is my favorite store. I know all the staff and they know me. I receive friendly personal service, which I appreciate. I use the Just 4 U program online to get the very best prices. In addition, most of the Safeway store brand products are very good many times better than the name brand. I also shop at Target and Walmart if they have a really good deal on something we need. Oliver's is a store that I'll go to for specialty items that I can't get anywhere else or if I want the very best produce for something special.
Eddie
 

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