Do you like your grocery store?

[Colleen27]

I love our local grocery but price isn't my only consideration. They are price-competitive if you shop sales, but even on things that they aren't I'm willing to spend the small difference to support this store and their way of doing business. It is a small locally-owned chain that provides excellent service (they even have baggers on their self-checkout lanes, and they'll take your groceries out to the car for you), is known as a good place to work, and buys from a lot of local farmers and producers.

I tend to steer clear of the big boxes because I find them overwhelming in a sensory-overload sort of way and because it takes a lot more hunting and label-reading to shop an unfamiliar store. And for us, the gas to get there and back pretty much negates any savings anyway, because the closest Meijers is a 20 mile round trip and the closest Walmart/Target/Staples/Best Buy/major retail area is about 45 miles round-trip. For big shopping like back to school or Christmas I'll go into the 'burbs for the better selection, and I do a lot of shopping online for things that don't need to be touched/tried on (like books, electronics, etc.), but for our everyday needs I'd rather support our small local businesses.

 

[pearlieq]

Love, love, love my local grocery store! It's called Woodman's and it's a regional chain.

The prices are AMAZING! They're routinely better than WalMart and are about what I used to consider a "good" sale price at Jewel or Dominicks.

The selection is unreal too. If Woodman's doesn't have it, you don't need it! Some people complain that it's too big, which I can understand, but I'm still spry enough to navigate it so I'm happy to have all those choices. They carry all the national brands, at least 2 private label brands, and plenty of specialty and regional brands.

DH and I talk about moving about 45 minutes away, but I would seriously commute back once a month to stock up if we ever did move. It's that great.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

Does anyone know when Price Chopper's sale week begins? What about Stop & Shop?
...

Thanks guys!!! Now off to cut my coupons!!! One more thing....someone mentioned something about Target coupons (where do you get those?)

Price Chopper's sales starts on Sunday, S & S is Friday I am pretty sure.

Target coupons. They post them on Target.com- look on the bottom of the home page for the link "coupons". I sometimes get coupon books in the mail from them, probably since I once placed an online order. The ones in the mail tend to have a lot of P&G or Target Up and Up coupons. Maybe it is because I have saved P&G receipts to send in for their coupon books.

As for Wegmans- I have been praying to the grocery gods for years and years for a Wegmans... and in 2011 we are finally getting a Wegmans in MA! It was supposed to open in Feb, but just this week I saw a billboard go up that says Coming Fall 2011. DH was working for a client in NJ so we got a taste of what Wegmans is like, but that was back in the days when we weren't as budget minded (no house, no DD, former DINKS-lol). I am still praying to the grocery gods for Shop Rite to come to New England!

Market Basket- I have a friend who swears by them, it is out of the way but I finally might make the trip this week. I have the feeling this will become part of my monthly shopping runs (like Super WM) since DH is starting a new job in 2 weeks and he won't be traveling anymore. My food bill is about to skyrocket! Good thing is I will now have him home at night so now I can go food shopping when he gets home w/out DD, I always spend more when she is there!

 

[DisneyKT]

No I don't like my local grocery store which is Stop and Shop. High prices and rude staff. They pretty much ignore you. I go between Sam's Club and a small family business for meats. They have excellent meat and what a nice staff and a clean store.
There is a Shaw's the next town over but I find the prices there high. I am to faraway from a hannafords.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

I know in my original post it said that all I had here was BigY, but I meant to say that's all I had in the direction that I travel (always head south of here) lol For some reason, I always thought of Stop & Shop and Price Chopper being more expensive than Big Y. But hearing everyone else, it seems the other way around.

It all depends on where you live, my company had retail locatons inside Stop and Shop stores. I would pick up stuff as I was leaving to go home and sometimes stuff in Quincy, MA was much cheaper than Worcester, MA or Glastonbury, CT locations. DD used to drink Dannon Danimals and one Stop and Shop in MA was cheaper than another one a few miles away.

 

[DisneyAndRedSox]

OK, my 3rd post in a few minutes...

I always hear people talking about Aldi so I decided to take a look. One opened about 40 minutes from me this week. Is it worth the trip?

 

[maslex]

Price Chopper's sales starts on Sunday, S & S is Friday I am pretty sure.

Target coupons. They post them on Target.com- look on the bottom of the home page for the link "coupons". I sometimes get coupon books in the mail from them, probably since I once placed an online order. The ones in the mail tend to have a lot of P&G or Target Up and Up coupons. Maybe it is because I have saved P&G receipts to send in for their coupon books.

As for Wegmans- I have been praying to the grocery gods for years and years for a Wegmans... and in 2011 we are finally getting a Wegmans in MA! It was supposed to open in Feb, but just this week I saw a billboard go up that says Coming Fall 2011. DH was working for a client in NJ so we got a taste of what Wegmans is like, but that was back in the days when we weren't as budget minded (no house, no DD, former DINKS-lol). I am still praying to the grocery gods for Shop Rite to come to New England!

Market Basket- I have a friend who swears by them, it is out of the way but I finally might make the trip this week. I have the feeling this will become part of my monthly shopping runs (like Super WM) since DH is starting a new job in 2 weeks and he won't be traveling anymore. My food bill is about to skyrocket! Good thing is I will now have him home at night so now I can go food shopping when he gets home w/out DD, I always spend more when she is there!

Just wanted you to know that Shop Rite has been in New England for years. There is one a few towns over (Norwich CT) about 30-35mins away from me. I have been in there a couple times when I was shopping down that way. Not enough though to know whether I like it or not. Just a quick stop for something. I just wish we had more of a selection up this way.

And for those of you who wanted to know where I live. I'm in the Northeast part of CT. About 20 mins from Webster MA and about 10 mins from Foster RI. HTH

 

[zoemurr]

OK, my 3rd post in a few minutes...

I always hear people talking about Aldi so I decided to take a look. One opened about 40 minutes from me this week. Is it worth the trip?

a 40min trip. I have one on the corner by my house, and a Wegmans accross the street. I do most of my shopping at Weg. but we go to Aldi when we only need staples as they are cheaper. (bread, milk, veggies, meat, snacks). You can't be brand loyal, but we have liked everything except their "Cheerios". I buy a lot of "no sugar added" type of things and they don't have those usually. Produce is clearly flown in, so it needs to be used quickly, but the prices (especially for peppers and grapes) are 1/2 off what they are at the grocery store.

Make sure you try the animal crackers and the refrigerated pizzas ($6-$7 for a full sized pie).

As for Wegman's.. if you watch "The Office" they are always drinking WPop and most of the grocery items in the brake room are from there as well. Great product placement and we always get a kick out of it.

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

Once you shop there you have so much trouble going anywhere else.

Not always the cheapest, but often. The expensive stuff is the pre-made, but it is all so yummy and convenient. Sushi, pizza, subs, chinese, salad, you name it. Now they have $6 meals where you get an entree and two sides. Great deal.

Clean, bright, very helpful/knowlegable, (chefs always around to answer questions) free child care, tons of samples, double coupons, everything fresh and lots of local produce. They even have a Santa breakfast, Halloween party, Earth Day Celebration and other workshops for kids (this weekend it was make your own ice cream.)

Love, love, love my Wegmans.

Wegman's has ruined me for any other grocery store. I live behind a Super Walmart but won't shop there (other then pikcing up milk if I need it.) Nope, Wegman's is it for me. And I have found that shopping sales there and their wonderful store brands is cheaper then shopping at the Super Walmart anyway.

Really, if you havn't shopped at a Wegman's you can't understand. It is an amazing place! I know people who come into town and visit Wegman's as if it is a tourist location.

 

[brymolmom]

Wegman's has ruined me for any other grocery store. I live behind a Super Walmart but won't shop there (other then pikcing up milk if I need it.) Nope, Wegman's is it for me. And I have found that shopping sales there and their wonderful store brands is cheaper then shopping at the Super Walmart anyway.

Really, if you havn't shopped at a Wegman's you can't understand. It is an amazing place! I know people who come into town and visit Wegman's as if it is a tourist location.

I'm with you here! Wegmans first, last and always - I even have trouble going to the Publix near WDW for the few things I need for the week of vacation!

Of course, I have worked there for close to 23 years....I obviously like the company!

To the MASS poster...Wegmans has gone to Consistent Low Pricing in recent years - so give our prices a shot. Oftentimes around here - you can get the basics for the same or less than Walmart - with a TON more service!

 

[MickeyMomOfThree]

I'm with you here! Wegmans first, last and always - I even have trouble going to the Publix near WDW for the few things I need for the week of vacation!

Of course, I have worked there for close to 23 years....I obviously like the company!

To the MASS poster...Wegmans has gone to Consistent Low Pricing in recent years - so give our prices a shot. Oftentimes around here - you can get the basics for the same or less than Walmart - with a TON more service!

What one do you work at? Tops makes me sick, I think it is just gross and Walmart isn't much better but is also a headache to deal with. The only other place I get food is the bulk stuff at Sam's, but otherwise it's all Wegman's for me.

 

[brymolmom]

What one do you work at? Tops makes me sick, I think it is just gross and Walmart isn't much better but is also a headache to deal with. The only other place I get food is the bulk stuff at Sam's, but otherwise it's all Wegman's for me.

I work at Coporate now...but started as a teenager at the Penfield store.

 

[zoemurr]

3 of us here from Rochester.
We go to the Penfield store. We even had our GS meeting upstairs there last week.

I went to TOPS one day to do some coupon/sale matches.
I purchased 6 items. I was very surprised to learn that even after I used the coupons, all 6 items were cheaper at Wegmans. I took them back, and am now officially, forever, done with TOPS.

(The Penfield TOPS is yucky, but the Fairport one is newer and not so bad.)
But I love how at Weg. I can walk in with a recipe and a chef will help me make substitutions, and if it is a "rare" item they will always have it.

Very little turnover too, so we know the people who work the meat, deli, and child center. (The woman who runs the child center helped open it when my DD was 3.. she is now 11.) They don't hesitate to give me stacks of paper bags and styrofoam trays for my pre-school class projects.

 

[figment3258]

I have that same problem. We have a super walmart near us and its great for the paper goods and for the can goods, but i would never buy the produce there or the meats. I used to go to stop and shop but it got too pricey now I go to trader joes for all fresh fruits and veggies and meats and wal mart. Its a pain and i don;t know if its worth it but its what er have i guess.

 

[NVDisMom]

I'm lucky that we have 4 or 5 grocery stores within 10 minutes of our home, plus WalMart, Target and Winco a little further away. I used to do like the OP and pick up most of my nonperishable and home/health/beauty items at Wal Mart and the rest at one of the grocery stores (which ever had the best ad for items I needed that week). But our Wal Mart remodeled and got rid of a great deal of the normal items I bought there and raised their prices on everything else. So I started shopping Winco more and more. I didn't used to like it because it was so busy and absolutely impossible to get through without issue. Plus they are the furthest away from home. But I found that if I go first thing in the morning and avoid the beginning of the month that it is quite pleasant. I rarely go to Wal Mart any more. I can beat their prices almost anywhere else in town for just about anything. And I rarely bother with regular store circulars except for cereal deals. I have been saving a ton of money as a result, despite the longer drive. Their produce is always good, so is their meat, their dairy prices are unbeatable, and I LOVE their bulk section. I do have to stop by one of the regular grocery stores for a few specialty ingredients once a month or so because Winco doesn't carry a few things I use regularly. I try to time that with a killer loss leader!

 

[Swimalie]

Once you shop there you have so much trouble going anywhere else.

Not always the cheapest, but often. The expensive stuff is the pre-made, but it is all so yummy and convenient. Sushi, pizza, subs, chinese, salad, you name it. Now they have $6 meals where you get an entree and two sides. Great deal.

Clean, bright, very helpful/knowlegable, (chefs always around to answer questions) free child care, tons of samples, double coupons, everything fresh and lots of local produce. They even have a Santa breakfast, Halloween party, Earth Day Celebration and other workshops for kids (this weekend it was make your own ice cream.)

Love, love, love my Wegmans.

I'll 2nd this. I shop there every week and love it. I may not save money but the store is clean, well stocked and has such a variety of food. There is a grocery store closer to me but it's not as clean, usually out of stuff and the produce is horrible. I don't find any where near the variety at Super Target as Wegmans.

Paper goods I get at Costco.

 

[southern_redhead]

My area is VERY rural. We have a Super Walmart, a Dollar General, and a formerly locally owned grocery that was bought out by a regional chain but is still locally managed. I, seriously, only shop SW on a regular basis. We have a Target an hour from here and if I have to go for anything else I usually stop in. The last couple of weeks I've gotten good deals on things like Powerade, Market Pantry waters, frozen chicken.....just to name a few. BUT I was going anyway, otherwise not worth it due to the drive/gas. Our locally run grocery is NASTY and doesn't stock much of anything. They used to double coupons one day a week but I think they stopped that. The DG is pretty nice now but it used to be really scuzzy. I stop in there for things like my Covergirl foundation (WM never has my shade), they also have a really good selection of detergents but never put them on sale so I only buy them there if they are out of stock at WM or if I just need that 1 thing and don't want to drive to WM. Our WM, quite honestly, is pitiful itself. They have quit carrying many items, scaled back selection on other items, charges more for some items than nicer WMs that are in our driveable area.. We have better WM's 30 min south, an hour north, or forty minutes to the east. If I can swing it I usually try to get to one of them. For instance, I shopped at the one North of us yesterday (since I was there) and picked up 2 wks worth of Lunchables for my 2 youngest kids. They are $1 each there but our WM charges $1.50 for them?! I bought 15 so I saved $7.50 - that's crazy! All the other WMs stock the Smuckers Uncrustable PB & Honey...not ours anymore and that is, of course, the only ones DS 6 will eat. So I stock up on them when I'm there, too. And then our WM complains that people shop at other WMs?

 

[Cindy B]

Let's see within a one mile radius of my house is:

Shoprite
Wegmans
Genaurdi's (Safeway)
Aldi
Pathmark

Target--which has limited grocery
Walmart =limited grocery

Go out maybe 3 miles and you will find
Acme, BJ's, another Shoprite

The nice thing about all these stores is TONS of competition, so there are constant double coupons, price competition and all that
I love Wegmans.. but the meat is a little high, and it usually very crowded.
Shoprite is great, but it gets crowded as well.

I will not buy groceries at Target or Walmart. It is just so limited and well, iffy.

 

[cookies]

Within 5 miles we have
Stop and Shop - overpriced
A&P-prices are getting better
2 shoprites-great sales
2 foodtowns- overpriced
Super walmart- very overwhelming just opened
Aldi- never been (on my to do list)
Wegmans-produce is great, dislike meat and chicken
Trader Joe's is opening soon
Super Target-has changed not as good
Costco
BJ's
and some local farm markets, specialty stores
Since I am on a diet, I try to aviod everything!

 

[herdtoDisney]

I got to thinking about this yesterday while talking with a friend of mine. Around here we have Big Y. It's not my favorite store but hey, it's what we have.

My usual Sunday shopping trip includes driving about 20 minutes to the nearest Walmart (which is a Super Walmart) to get all of my toiletries, paper goods, laundry/cleaning stuff, boxed foods (cereals, pasta, etc) canned goods, frozen foods, some dairy and milk (if it's cheaper than the grocery store that week). Then on the way home I stop at Big Y and pick up my meats (which they don't have much of a selection, I think) lunch meats, newspapers (for my coupons ) and whatever I need that's on sale for that week (usually any buy one get one or buy one get two free sales)

It might be because I don't have any other grocery stores around, maybe I'm getting bored with the same store every week, I don't know. But while I was at work the other day, I stopped at a Waldbaums(sp) in another city and I just walked around a bit because it was so different than my store. Seemed like it had more variety of things. And then yesterday, I brought my son up to Staples & Target (which are in a new shopping area) that is about 20 mins from our house (opposite way of the Walmart that I shop at) In this shopping area, they have a Stop & Shop. I popped in there yesterday to pick up a couple things to make apple dumplings and I liked it.

Here's my question though. I have it in my head that I'm saving some $$$ by shopping at Walmart for most of my stuff and then getting the rest at our grocery store. But I'm wondering if I went to Stop & Shop instead for everything, will it be worth it?

I guess I'm just babbling along, but do you feel you save more money by shopping in Walmart (without extra purchases like clothes, electronics, etc....just food) and maybe a local grocery store for the rest or do you think I should just go the other way and do all my shopping at one store (maybe switching to Stop & Shop). And the closest warehouse store (Bj's or Sam's) is almost an hour away. So I don't ever go there.

I think you save some money shopping at the Super Walmart. I'm in central CT so the closest SuperWalmart is in Wallingford-not too close. I have been, though and wish it was closer! I'm near a Stop n Shop and I think it's expensive, although they have great meat sales. I do have a regular Walmart near here (it's on the same road as SnS) that has a little grocery section and I get all I can there. Then I can just grab whatever they don't have at Stop n Shop. I have the customer card at SnS, you can save with that.

There is a PriceRite here that I love! Great prices and decent selection. An Aldi's too-I go there sometimes. I do the Sams in Newington too. But yes, I do think you save shopping at Walmart over Stop n Shop, especially for more 'ordinary' items. But SnS is much better for meat.