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What is your favorite grocery store chain?
- Thread starter Noodlehead
- Start date
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Fisher's Mom
Executive Chef
I guess Sam's is my favorite place for groceries now. We used to have Albertson's, and I loved them. Now, I get the things I can't get at Sam's at our Super WalMart.
We have a small local chain here called Food Depot. I buy most of my meats there because they are cheaper than the other stores but for other things, I use Sam's Club and Kroger. My bread I buy at the local Flowers Bakery Thrift Store.
SierraCook
Master Chef
Where I live most folks shop at WinCo for staple items. I like their meats and produce. Also, they carry my favorite brand of taco sauce. I also shop at Raley's or Safeway depending on the town I am shopping in. Since a town of any significant size is over 40 miles away, if I have to go in on any errands I also do some shopping.
The local grocey store is OK for the basics like regular produce (no bean sprouts, pea pods, etc.), milk, bread, etc. They jack up the prices of most items, because they have a captive market, so I try to limit my shopping at the local store.
If I get an opportunity I like to shop at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. But I watch what I buy at those stores because their items can be guite pricey.
The local grocey store is OK for the basics like regular produce (no bean sprouts, pea pods, etc.), milk, bread, etc. They jack up the prices of most items, because they have a captive market, so I try to limit my shopping at the local store.
If I get an opportunity I like to shop at Trader Joe's or Whole Foods. But I watch what I buy at those stores because their items can be guite pricey.
justplainbill
Executive Chef
Depending on the item being purchased- King Kullen (Bridgehampton), IGA (Sag Harbor), Best Yet (Riverhead), Fairway (NYC), BJ's, Costco. Quality and variety available in many chains seems to vary based on location of store.
HMGgal
Senior Cook
Whole Foods for me, too. Trader Joe's is pretty great for some things, and in our area, we have New Leaf. New Leaf is out of Santa Cruz and they just opened up a store here and it's wonderful. They buy local produce (within 100 miles), sell Smart Chicken (I'll never buy anything else) and Harris Ranch Never Never meats, and the prices really aren't that bad. They have a nice, informative website, too. The whole community is so excited to have them here because all we had was Safeway (a very poorly run one, at that), and a mom and pop store that had been in the town for 100 years, but was sold to someone that no one can stand, even though it's a pretty cool store.
Saphellae
Head Chef
South Eastern Ontario is very much a farm laden area. I love farmers markets in the warm months. I just buy baskets of fresh local produce.. Mmmmmmmm! The best I've had is homegrown garlic, which was 10x more potent and delicious than store bought imported.
BreezyCooking
Washing Up
I have to admit that I feel extremely lucky to live where I do. While my property is in a delightfully rural farm area, within a reasonable shopping distance (between 10 & 40 minutes) I can choose from Super WalMart, Super Target, Safeway, Giant, Food Lion, Bloom, Aldi, Harris Teeter, Wegman's, & CostCo. A little further away (45 to 60 minutes) I can hit Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, & several large ethnic supermarkets. I don't normally jump around while doing regular grocery shopping - I go to the store that has the most of what I want/need for the best deals that week. But on the whole, this is how I feel about the bunch:
Super WalMart - Just 10 minutes away, this is my "go to" place for most of my basic shopping. Prices, selection, quality, & customer service are excellent.
Food Lion & Bloom - both stores are owned by the same company, Bloom being just an upscale version of Food Lion. Not crazy about Bloom, but our local Food Lion has terrific sales on all parts/types of Perdue-brand chicken weekly. They also stock a wide variety of fresh mushrooms.
Giant & Safeway - Good quality; somewhat pricey unless one is buying weekly sale items.
CostCo - my "go to" place for bulk toilet paper, paper towels, cat litter, nuts, otc pharmaceuticals, you name it.
Harris Teeter - pricey, but carries an extremely wide selection of brands, has good sales, & has an excellent seafood & produce department. Terrific customer service.
Wegman's - we just got blessed with this one this past November, & it truly IS a blessing. FABULOUS in every way you can imagine. Seafood department is extraordinary, quickly followed by the tremendous cheese, bread, seafood, deli, frozen foods, etc., etc., etc. There's NOTHING I don't like about this store. Customer service excellent beyond belief. VERY reasonable prices.
Aldi - you couldn't pay me to step foot in our local Aldi again. It's a dirty, depressing little store that I consider an insult to our community & to the people who have to shop there due to necessity.
Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, & ethnic markets - since all of these are a bit farther away, I only hit them once in awhile. I consider them all pretty much "specialty markets", & shop there when I'm in the area more for fun, special items, & to try new things than for regular shopping.
Super Target - haven't shopped there yet.
And of course in the summer I regularly patronize our local farmers market every week to supplement whatever I'm growing myself.
Super WalMart - Just 10 minutes away, this is my "go to" place for most of my basic shopping. Prices, selection, quality, & customer service are excellent.
Food Lion & Bloom - both stores are owned by the same company, Bloom being just an upscale version of Food Lion. Not crazy about Bloom, but our local Food Lion has terrific sales on all parts/types of Perdue-brand chicken weekly. They also stock a wide variety of fresh mushrooms.
Giant & Safeway - Good quality; somewhat pricey unless one is buying weekly sale items.
CostCo - my "go to" place for bulk toilet paper, paper towels, cat litter, nuts, otc pharmaceuticals, you name it.
Harris Teeter - pricey, but carries an extremely wide selection of brands, has good sales, & has an excellent seafood & produce department. Terrific customer service.
Wegman's - we just got blessed with this one this past November, & it truly IS a blessing. FABULOUS in every way you can imagine. Seafood department is extraordinary, quickly followed by the tremendous cheese, bread, seafood, deli, frozen foods, etc., etc., etc. There's NOTHING I don't like about this store. Customer service excellent beyond belief. VERY reasonable prices.
Aldi - you couldn't pay me to step foot in our local Aldi again. It's a dirty, depressing little store that I consider an insult to our community & to the people who have to shop there due to necessity.
Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, & ethnic markets - since all of these are a bit farther away, I only hit them once in awhile. I consider them all pretty much "specialty markets", & shop there when I'm in the area more for fun, special items, & to try new things than for regular shopping.
Super Target - haven't shopped there yet.
And of course in the summer I regularly patronize our local farmers market every week to supplement whatever I'm growing myself.
OP
OP
Noodlehead
Cook
Wow Breezy,you have lots of options! We did finally get a Trader Joe's for which I'm glad but it'd be nice if Tennessee allowed the sale of wine in grocery store chains. Everytime we go out of town we like to go to Trader Joe's and pick up some Two Buck Chuck savignon blanc,its very similar in taste to a more pricy pinot grigios that I've had.
licia
Executive Chef
Publix, by far, but I think it is mostly Southern. I know it started out in Florida. Everything is just freshened up and they have anything that you can get at any store, usually.
Fisher's Mom
Executive Chef
I'm glad to see someone else mention Super Target. I don't have one super close to me here, but that's where I shop when I visit my mom in Houston. I was so surprised at the quality of their produce and cheeses. Also, their store brand is quite good and their in-house bakery is very, very good. The prices are fairly reasonable and it is always very clean.
licia
Executive Chef
Target has some very good Archer cookies - lemon, lime or cinnamon flavored twists - are great for tea parties.
merstar
Head Chef
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2004
- Messages
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When I lived in FL, Publix was the best. Now I'm in NC, and Harris Teeter is even better, especially their giant flagship stores. Tons of specialty items, ultra fresh fish, imported cheeses, imported oils and vinegars, baked goods from La Brea, olive bar, pizza bar, salad bar, hot food bar, etc., etc. Their own brand products are usually excellent, as in salsa, natural peanut butter, etc. Their fruit is so-so, but everything else is high quality. Unfortunately, their prices are crazy.
Earth Fare is another favorite of mine - it's a health food market. It's not nationwide, just in a few states in the South. It's a fantastic store, and overall, much better than Whole Foods, as far as I'm concerned - not just in their products, but in their customer service.
Earth Fare is another favorite of mine - it's a health food market. It's not nationwide, just in a few states in the South. It's a fantastic store, and overall, much better than Whole Foods, as far as I'm concerned - not just in their products, but in their customer service.
merstar
Head Chef
- Joined
- Aug 31, 2004
- Messages
- 2,002
I agree about Harris Teeter (see my post above), except for their fruit. Their customer service is the best I've ever seen.
The Food Lion here is excellent also, but much more limited in their offerings. Their fruit is much better than HT's.
Erinny
Senior Cook
Fresh Market by far. But it's pricey so I can't go there a lot. We have a couple chains here and I always check the papers and online for sales. I grow most of my veggies and herbs, but sometimes when I see nice fresh produce I can't help but splurge a little sometimes.
Especially artichokes. I love a big plump 'choke. And fresh asparagus, too.
Especially artichokes. I love a big plump 'choke. And fresh asparagus, too.
JustMeToo
Head Chef
jabbur
Master Chef
I like the local Kroger but will also use Food Lion and Super WalMart. I go to Sam's Club about 2-3 times a year to stock up on nonperishables and frozen stuff. We're getting a FreshMarket here. I don't know when it will open but the signs are up on the building saying it's coming. They are taking over the CompUSA store.
JustMeToo
Head Chef
When I lived in Pa., I loved shopping at Giant. In NJ, I like Shop-Rite and I like to buy in bulk at BJ's.
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