Grocery Stores

[morgin]

Hey Cpuck,

I wasn't sure if this fits into food and entertainment, but figured it's a bit more general so probably belongs in here.

Where do you guys do your grocery shopping?

I've never really paid much attention to which places seem to have better quality of certain items or prices (meat vs produce, etc) but the collective wisdom here hopefully will improve my food purchasing habits. For us right now it's a combo of costco for bulk items, superstore when I make it out there, and then safeway nearby for produce or odds and ends when we are out of something. I used to shop at co-op midtown market but it's a bit more inconvienent location wise.

Also, do any of you shop at specialty butchers for your meat? If so, have you gone exclusive to butchers, or do you still buy from grocery stores as well?

Do certain stores only make sense if you have the membership? I have a safeway card and it seems like I'm always saving 15-20% off the bill which seems odd. Co-op has cards but they apparently work as a cash back at year end? Obviously costco needs membership, but it doesnt always make sense to buy certain things from them.

Domesticate me with your widsom.

[Northendzone]

We mostly go to Safeway, because we like it!! We throw stops at Walmart and superstore as well and costco.

To me it does not seem to matter where we shop the bill is about the same.

To me costco only makes sense if you have a freezer. If I was single I'd never go there.

[CubicleGeek]

My experiences based on the stores I've been to:

- Superstore has shoddy produce and meat, but is by far the cheapest. Good place to pick up the non-perishables, spices and stuff.
- Safeway generally sucks all around and is expensive, but short line ups and they bag your groceries. I have one within walking distance so I buy odds and ends there or I buy a meal at a time. Even after the "savings" from the safeway card you will likely spend more than superstore for the exact same product.
- Co-op has by far the best produce and meat (at least the 2 I go to), but is extremely pricey.
- Costco is probably the best bang for your buck and mostly everything is high quality, but I find it extremely hard living alone to get through their meats and produce, but I buy almost all my non-perishables there. Whatever I can't get here I usually get a superstore. The membership isn't as bad as you think - when I lived with my ex-girlfriend, we always made back the $100 for the executive membership, now by myself I'm still credited back $50-$60 which is almost the same as if I were to get the regular membership.
- Sunterra is a rip-off, but I've found their meats very high quality as well. I lived by a Sunterra for quite a while and I only bought odds and ends there or I would by a steak at a time.

I've never shopped at Sobey's/IGA as I've never lived in an area with one nearby. Haven't done the specialty butcher thing either, but I've been told that is the way to go for meats.

[morgin]

Awesome post. Thanks!

[#-3]

Originally Posted by CubicleGeek

- Co-op has by far the best produce and meat (at least the 2 I go to), but is extremely pricey.

Carzy. I Don't shop at co-op simply because of the low quality of meat.

Superstore/Walmart just generally don't like being around the people there.

Costco is a commitment, you need to plan a couple hours to go there, wait in line, unpack, freeze some stuff....

Safeway/Sobeys you have to read the flyers. and stock up TP / canned.... food when they tell you to.

[jayswin]

I'm having deja vu.

[bluck]

I live alone. I'm a lazy ####. So I usually end up at Co-op. It's close by, they bag your groceries, the meat, deli, vegetables and fruit are usually always good quality. No damn Superstore lines or crowds... Yeah it's expensive but if you wanna know why I shop there... read the above again.

[Dynamic]

Out in northern rural alberta we have basically a small superstore called Extra Foods. All the same brands as a superstore but a regular sized store without all the people. The best of both worlds.

here is also No Frills which is also ran by the same people as the superstore. But the selection is alot smaller than a superstore with more emphasis on low prices.

[Maritime Q-Scout]

I find the perception of grocery stores out west compared to the east funny.

I prefer Superstore. Bigger store, better selection, more checkouts, quicker lines, better quality store brand items.

Sobeys is smaller, I do find the produce better but not enough for me to switch.

No Frills is too limited, it doesn't have the selection. Emphasis on low prices but I find they carry the lower quality, less healthy items with no produce selection. Also having to have a quarter to use a cart is beyond annoying (not sure what it's like out there).

Price Chopper is the small version of Sobeys. Basically their version of No Frills.

Foodland is owned by Sobeys (I think) and is a small grocery store in smaller communities.

Co-Op is the other grocery store in smaller centres (although there is the odd one in cities). Can't say I've been to the one in Sydney very often, but the one I was at in PEI a few weeks ago was very bare bones (maybe 5 small isles?).


Out here Superstore is the bigger, cleaner, upper middle class grocery store. I find it fascinating that the perception isn't the same across the country. Mind you we don't have Safeways here, and for some strange reason Sydney doesn't have a Costco (which I love, yes you spend a lot of money but you only go once in a blue moon).

[Nage Waza]

I find the hottest chicks all shop at Safeway.

[TurnedTheCorner]

Sobeys is my store of choice, but only because of ease and convenience.

I would kill myself before going to Superstore or Costco.

[puckluck2]

Originally Posted by #-3

Carzy. I Don't shop at co-op simply because of the low quality of meat.

CO-OP has a very good well deserved reputation for their meat. It is the place to go for good meat.

[killer_carlson]

Sobeys has the best bakery

[Red John]

Going to be the first meat snob in this thread and say if you buy your meat from the grocery store, you're doing it wrong.

Find a good butcher and you'll never go back again.

/notcraftbeerguy

[TurnedTheCorner]

I also use a dedicated baker, as well as a dedicated candlestick maker.

[Traditional_Ale]

Sobey's chicken pot pie is delicious enough and cheap enough I usually end up doing some grocery shopping on my lunch break.

[albertGQ]

Excuse me for my ignorance. But don't all grocery stores basically get their produce and meat from the same supplier? Aren't there only a couple big companies that provide this service to the grocery chains?

[rd_aaron]

Originally Posted by Maritime Q-Scout

Out here Superstore is the bigger, cleaner, upper middle class grocery store. I find it fascinating that the perception isn't the same across the country.

It depends. If you go to the Superstore in the NE, it's an older building, and in a lower income part of the city, and it never feels very clean.

The Superstore down in Deerfoot Meadows, on the other hand, is a newer, brighter, cleaner building and I actually enjoy shopping there.

[rotten42]

Sobey's because it is the most convenient. Sometimes Wal-Mart, Safeway, Coop and Costco….but never, ever Superstore. I can’t stay in the store on Country Hills and Sarce without wanting to kill somebody after 10 minutes. Never seen such a bad place for people blocking the aisles with their shopping carts.

[Nyah]

Sobeys here too. The one by my house has great produce. It's a bit more expensive than Superstore, but I'll pay the extra money to not have to go into Superstore. The only thing that pisses me off is that they move the entire store around every couple months.