Which grocery stores do you prefer?

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Replies

  • Deviette
    Deviette Posts: 978 Member
    edited November 2018
    Local is Sainsbury's. Although to be honest I always preferred the Morrisons that we used to use that was near us before we moved but it's an extra 10 minutes drive into town to get to it now and I often just can't be bothered to go to it (although Morrisons did move their store around just before we moved and I didn't like it, and never really got used to it, so that might also be one of the reasons as to why I went off it.)

    And when we need meat and my partner is on nights, he goes to Smithfield's Market. The meat is so good! We normally get a chicken breast tray, the ridiculously large pack of bacon and sausages. It's some work to separate them out into sensible portions when you get them home, but it's so worth it as it's nicer quality for a bit cheaper.
  • apullum
    apullum Posts: 4,838 Member
    apullum wrote: »
    Grocery Outlet! They seem to be mostly a northwestern US thing, so for those who aren’t familiar, think Big Lots but just for groceries. They get a lot of random things in stock, sometimes stuff that didn’t sell well elsewhere, but other times really good things that they sell cheap. I was buying boxes of Quest bars there for a while, and they generally have nicer chocolate for $2-3 per bar. The produce is pretty good too. I always go there first to see if they have a good deal before shopping elsewhere.

    If I can’t get what I need at Grocery Outlet, then I usually like Trader Joe’s, or Safeway.

    I was shocked when I found Quest White Chocolate Raspberry bars there for $11.99 & then they lowered the prices to $9.99. I'm for sure looking there during January to see which brands of protein bars they get since it will be the onslaught of 'healthy items' to kick start some people's New Year's resolutions/weight loss journeys.

    I finally found two food items that I have been looking for in Grocery Outlet for over a year (I would look whenever I was shopping there in case they got these products in). The first being Pumpkin Pie KitKats (only a Kroger exclusive) & Pop Secret's Popfetti Popcorn (Walgreen's exclusive last year & may be released to other stores this year).

    I got chocolate brownie Quest bars there for months before they ran out. They don’t have good Quest bars at mine right now, but I do get lots of other things there. We have three Grocery Outlets in the area and if I’m bored on a weekend, I’ll check them all.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Woolworths or Salamanca Fresh or the local Hill Street Grocers.

    I was totally shocked when visiting South Africa and saw a huge Woolworth's. Here in the US, they were a five and dime that went out of business decades ago. I never knew the name lived on in other parts of the world.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    Usually go to Walmart. 4 miles from my house Walmart, Jewel. Sam's Club, Aldi, Meijer and Kroegers are all within a half mile of each other so plenty of options.
  • josette06
    josette06 Posts: 119 Member
    edited November 2018
    Sharp Shopper is one of my faves. It has stuff on the verge of going bad to stuff that was ordered in excess. I like to get still fresh packs (usually 7 days of going bad like grocery stores) of perdue harvest chicken breasts for $3.99 and freeze them. They also get stuff that I can't find other places.

    Usually I shop at Giant. On occasion I will go to the grocery outlet and Wegmans.
  • Cbean08
    Cbean08 Posts: 1,092 Member
    Out of both convenience and preference, I do most of my shopping at Marianos or Whole Foods. I absolutely despise Jewel Osco. Occasionally I do a Trader Joes run, usually to check out any seasonal stuff.
  • kellyjellybellyjelly
    kellyjellybellyjelly Posts: 9,480 Member
    apullum wrote: »
    apullum wrote: »
    Grocery Outlet! They seem to be mostly a northwestern US thing, so for those who aren’t familiar, think Big Lots but just for groceries. They get a lot of random things in stock, sometimes stuff that didn’t sell well elsewhere, but other times really good things that they sell cheap. I was buying boxes of Quest bars there for a while, and they generally have nicer chocolate for $2-3 per bar. The produce is pretty good too. I always go there first to see if they have a good deal before shopping elsewhere.

    If I can’t get what I need at Grocery Outlet, then I usually like Trader Joe’s, or Safeway.

    I was shocked when I found Quest White Chocolate Raspberry bars there for $11.99 & then they lowered the prices to $9.99. I'm for sure looking there during January to see which brands of protein bars they get since it will be the onslaught of 'healthy items' to kick start some people's New Year's resolutions/weight loss journeys.

    I finally found two food items that I have been looking for in Grocery Outlet for over a year (I would look whenever I was shopping there in case they got these products in). The first being Pumpkin Pie KitKats (only a Kroger exclusive) & Pop Secret's Popfetti Popcorn (Walgreen's exclusive last year & may be released to other stores this year).

    I got chocolate brownie Quest bars there for months before they ran out. They don’t have good Quest bars at mine right now, but I do get lots of other things there. We have three Grocery Outlets in the area and if I’m bored on a weekend, I’ll check them all.

    They have the Quest Cinnamon Crunch packets (comes in a box of maybe 10-12) for $11.99 & I bought Whey 2 Be cookies (never heard of this brand before) $0.99 cents a cookie & the cookies look to be the same size as Lenny & Larry's.

    https://www.whey2be.com/
  • JennJ323
    JennJ323 Posts: 646 Member
    Aldi & Giant Eagle are my go-to stores
  • ngk2000
    ngk2000 Posts: 192 Member
    WinCo...oh how I miss WinCo.
  • Ruatine
    Ruatine Posts: 3,424 Member
    I live in a metropolis and am lucky to have many options from which to choose:
    - HEB
    - Wal-mart
    - Target
    - Sprouts
    - Trader Joe's
    - Grocery Outlet
    - Central Market
    - Whole Foods

    That being said, I do 99% of my shopping at HEB. It's the cheapest everyday grocery shopping option. The others I might use if looking for something specific I can't get at HEB or if they have a specific sale on an item that blows HEB's price away.
  • DaisyHamilton
    DaisyHamilton Posts: 575 Member
    We go to Vons because it's a block or two away from the house. But we occasionally go to Walmart or Costco depending on what we need. Sodas, water, Monster energy are more for Costco. Regular groceries are all Vons unless Walmart has a particularly good price on dry goods. Never buy meat there, though. Gross.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited November 2018
    Cbean08 wrote: »
    Out of both convenience and preference, I do most of my shopping at Marianos or Whole Foods. I absolutely despise Jewel Osco. Occasionally I do a Trader Joes run, usually to check out any seasonal stuff.

    I'm pretty glad that Jewel isn't my convenient store now (it was halfway between my place and my L, so even though I was a short enough walk to WF and TJs it was often just too convenient to run into Jewel for some last minute staple I was low on, or paper towels or whatever). Main reason is the service had gotten so incredibly dreadful, almost always understaffed so lines were stupidly long unless you were just lucky.
  • Cbean08
    Cbean08 Posts: 1,092 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Cbean08 wrote: »
    Out of both convenience and preference, I do most of my shopping at Marianos or Whole Foods. I absolutely despise Jewel Osco. Occasionally I do a Trader Joes run, usually to check out any seasonal stuff.

    I'm pretty glad that Jewel isn't my convenient store now (it was halfway between my place and my L, so even though I was a short enough walk to WF and TJs it was often just too convenient to run into Jewel for some last minute staple I was low on, or paper towels or whatever). Main reason is the service had gotten so incredibly dreadful, almost always understaffed so lines were stupidly long unless you were just lucky.

    I thought it was just my Jewel, but yes! Multiple times I have waited in line for over 20 minutes because they are understaffed or the cashiers have no idea what they are doing. I have some incredibly terrible cashiers and baggers there, gone home with food spilled out, broken eggs, smushed bread, broken sugar bag, cakes turned sideways, donuts squashed, pies put in upside down. It's terrible.

    I'm also really close to a Tony's Finer Foods which I stop at occasionally. Great produce that is very, very inexpensive.
  • Machka9
    Machka9 Posts: 25,615 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    Machka9 wrote: »
    Woolworths or Salamanca Fresh or the local Hill Street Grocers.

    I was totally shocked when visiting South Africa and saw a huge Woolworth's. Here in the US, they were a five and dime that went out of business decades ago. I never knew the name lived on in other parts of the world.

    Completely different store.
  • workinonit1956
    workinonit1956 Posts: 1,043 Member
    Ruatine wrote: »
    I live in a metropolis and am lucky to have many options from which to choose:
    - HEB
    - Wal-mart
    - Target
    - Sprouts
    - Trader Joe's
    - Grocery Outlet
    - Central Market
    - Whole Foods

    That being said, I do 99% of my shopping at HEB. It's the cheapest everyday grocery shopping option. The others I might use if looking for something specific I can't get at HEB or if they have a specific sale on an item that blows HEB's price away.

    When we lived in Texas I loved HEB! It’s similar to Wegmans.
  • Lounmoun
    Lounmoun Posts: 8,423 Member
    hesn92 wrote: »
    Lounmoun wrote: »
    hesn92 wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Aldi is inexpensive, isn't it -- that would be a reason to like it.

    I've never been there because it's never been convenient for me, and I only go to grocery stores I can walk to. (I do keep toying with whether joining CostCo would be worth it, and I'd drive there.)

    I do the majority of my shopping at Aldi. I save so much money shopping there, it's insane. If I bought the same things at a Hy-vee or something, I would easily spend close to double. I have a family of 4 so I need the savings. Although I usually can't get everything I need. Most weeks there's at least a couple things I need to stop at the regular grocery store for, but it's worth it to me.

    Interesting. I have never been to Aldi.

    I have always had a good experience with Hy-Vee in terms of selection, cost and quality of products. We switched to doing the bulk of our grocery shopping at Hy-Vee vs. Walmart and started spending $30-50 less. I get a lot of store brand items which saves us a bunch. I order groceries online and we pick them up. If the store did not have that feature we would probably stick to the Walmart down the street.

    When I was a kid in another place we shopped at No Frills Supermarket and shunned Hy-Vee as being too expensive.

    I don't know if they are doing this everywhere, but where I live they are trying to make Hy-vee a real uppity place. They put a restaurant/bar in, a large cafeteria (where the chinese and stuff is) a starbucks, a beauty section with a bunch of bath bombs and soaps etc. Every time I buy anything from Hy-vee I always remark how much more expensive it is than Aldi. Their restaurant and cafeteria style food is also really mediocre and over-priced. That whole store is a huge disappointment to me. But, people seem to like it so what do I know.

    I don't often go inside our local Hy-Vee store since I order online but don't think they have made major changes to the physical store layout. I don't think there is an actual restaurant or Starbucks but some kind of coffee is sold I think. The online ordering has gotten better over the years. The store we go to also has a gas station. I don't think all stores have that. I have gotten mailings about buying gift baskets or small appliances and other non-food gift items at Hy-Vee recently and wonder if they are trying to egde closer to being like a Target or Walmart.
    Obviously Aldi suits you much better than your local Hy-Vee store.
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    edited November 2018
    Cbean08 wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Cbean08 wrote: »
    Out of both convenience and preference, I do most of my shopping at Marianos or Whole Foods. I absolutely despise Jewel Osco. Occasionally I do a Trader Joes run, usually to check out any seasonal stuff.

    I'm pretty glad that Jewel isn't my convenient store now (it was halfway between my place and my L, so even though I was a short enough walk to WF and TJs it was often just too convenient to run into Jewel for some last minute staple I was low on, or paper towels or whatever). Main reason is the service had gotten so incredibly dreadful, almost always understaffed so lines were stupidly long unless you were just lucky.

    I thought it was just my Jewel, but yes! Multiple times I have waited in line for over 20 minutes because they are understaffed or the cashiers have no idea what they are doing. I have some incredibly terrible cashiers and baggers there, gone home with food spilled out, broken eggs, smushed bread, broken sugar bag, cakes turned sideways, donuts squashed, pies put in upside down. It's terrible.

    I'm also really close to a Tony's Finer Foods which I stop at occasionally. Great produce that is very, very inexpensive.

    The local chain I mentioned going to sometimes now (besides my meat market and the other places mentioned) is a Tony's! (I think it's just local, as in this metro area, but not sure.)
  • stephanne13
    stephanne13 Posts: 212 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    I currently often use a local meat market that's close to my house and L stop, and has a lot of produce and other things I like (good yogurt and cheese selection).

    I'm also less than 2 blocks from a regular grocery (local chain) that I go to. It's pretty similar to the Jewel I used to go to, but a little smaller and has more ethnic stuff (the neighborhoods are somewhat different).

    My old place was walking distance to the Jewel (most convenient), TJs, and WFs, and I'd alternate depending on what I needed. (WF had the best produce and fish/seafood, TJ's was easy for staples, but the produce section was small, and a lot of the appeal is the packaged stuff I didn't get much, Jewel is a basic supermarket, but was super convenient since it was between my L and home, so I could stop in any time, and also sold drugstore stuff.)

    I get some stuff at the farmer's market even in the winter, and in season I'll get the vast majority of my produce from my farm share + the farmer's market.

    Isn't Jewel what used to be the old Alpha Beta? I think so, but if you're not 40+, you may not remember it.
  • lkpducky
    lkpducky Posts: 17,640 Member
    Most of my shopping is at Ralph's because it's a half mile away and I walk there. But I prefer Whole Foods or the farmers' market for meat and fish. I do like some of Ralph's ready made meals (such as sesame chicken bowls) but the Whole Foods food bar has a much wider selection. I have to stay away from the plethora of cookies (well, get one or two) but it's so tempting to get lots more!
    I do like to see what's at the farmers' markets for fruit (including a good selection of dried fruits), certain veggies and some ready-made foods as well (tamales, Hawaiian barbecue, barbecue chicken and ribs, kettle corn, empanadas, pupusas, Vietnamese food, baked goods). There are even oysters (from an aquafarm 90 miles south).
  • stephanne13
    stephanne13 Posts: 212 Member
    Central Market is my top choice, but I don't drive into DFW often enough to shop there all the time..amd it's not even that far, I'm just lazy about driving. So, it is typically Walmart & Brookshires for me. However, sometime next year, my town is getting an HEB, and I am sooo looking forward to it opening!
  • lemurcat2
    lemurcat2 Posts: 7,885 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    I currently often use a local meat market that's close to my house and L stop, and has a lot of produce and other things I like (good yogurt and cheese selection).

    I'm also less than 2 blocks from a regular grocery (local chain) that I go to. It's pretty similar to the Jewel I used to go to, but a little smaller and has more ethnic stuff (the neighborhoods are somewhat different).

    My old place was walking distance to the Jewel (most convenient), TJs, and WFs, and I'd alternate depending on what I needed. (WF had the best produce and fish/seafood, TJ's was easy for staples, but the produce section was small, and a lot of the appeal is the packaged stuff I didn't get much, Jewel is a basic supermarket, but was super convenient since it was between my L and home, so I could stop in any time, and also sold drugstore stuff.)

    I get some stuff at the farmer's market even in the winter, and in season I'll get the vast majority of my produce from my farm share + the farmer's market.

    Isn't Jewel what used to be the old Alpha Beta? I think so, but if you're not 40+, you may not remember it.

    I don't remember it. (I'm 40-something, but my local store growing up was Safeway.)

    Wiki says there is a connection -- American Stores bought Alpha Beta and also bought Jewel (which owned Osco). Some of the Alpha Beta got rebranded as Jewel-Osco (outside of Jewel's traditional area), but others got rebranded as other things, and it looks like some of the ones rebranded as Jewel may have purchased by Albertsons.

    Jewel is mainly in Illinois, eastern Iowa, and northwest Indiana, so everyone around here (I'm in Chicago) knows it, but it seems like many elsewhere don't (not that they are missing out!)

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Beta

    Very cool, I love that kind of stuff.
  • Cbean08
    Cbean08 Posts: 1,092 Member
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Cbean08 wrote: »
    lemurcat2 wrote: »
    Cbean08 wrote: »
    Out of both convenience and preference, I do most of my shopping at Marianos or Whole Foods. I absolutely despise Jewel Osco. Occasionally I do a Trader Joes run, usually to check out any seasonal stuff.

    I'm pretty glad that Jewel isn't my convenient store now (it was halfway between my place and my L, so even though I was a short enough walk to WF and TJs it was often just too convenient to run into Jewel for some last minute staple I was low on, or paper towels or whatever). Main reason is the service had gotten so incredibly dreadful, almost always understaffed so lines were stupidly long unless you were just lucky.

    I thought it was just my Jewel, but yes! Multiple times I have waited in line for over 20 minutes because they are understaffed or the cashiers have no idea what they are doing. I have some incredibly terrible cashiers and baggers there, gone home with food spilled out, broken eggs, smushed bread, broken sugar bag, cakes turned sideways, donuts squashed, pies put in upside down. It's terrible.

    I'm also really close to a Tony's Finer Foods which I stop at occasionally. Great produce that is very, very inexpensive.

    The local chain I mentioned going to sometimes now (besides my meat market and the other places mentioned) is a Tony's! (I think it's just local, as in this metro area, but not sure.)

    I think so too as I've never seen them elsewhere. There's a few throughout the city and a few in the southern burbs towards Oak Lawn.

    The one by me has a really heavy Mexican influence so lots of foods geared towards that cuisine. They have some really good pre-made rice with peas and sausage. And, if you're ever in a pinch, they have these chicken wraps that I swear have 1/2 a rotisserie chicken inside and it's only like 5 bucks.
  • rmcswain9372
    rmcswain9372 Posts: 6 Member
    I stick with Publix, Harris Teeter or Food Lion (for the cheaper non produce or meats). Publix is by far superior in terms of customer service, but I can’t always find what I need. HT has amazing produce and meats. And I know the store layout so well.
  • OddDitty
    OddDitty Posts: 248 Member
    I used to shop Kroger but they don't have them here. So, its WalMart and HEB and sometimes Aldi now. Well and the Commissary on base. The problem is they all are so different in what they carry. I really have no favorite since I go to each for different reasons. And I hit a local farmers' stand and meat market.