How do you find a good supermarket?

**MTS04** · 10-11-2009, 12:05 PM

How did you find your favorite market; and what attracted you to it? What makes you a loyal customer?

**shoiji** · 10-11-2009, 12:15 PM

I have basically stuck with Shoprite. One was because of familiarity. I had grown up with Shoprite.

The other is price. I find it has the best prices and products for me.

**perSue** · 10-11-2009, 12:32 PM

I shop at a small chain of stores. There's just a few in my state & a neighboring state.
I used to shop at a few national chains because they advertized they sold "local produce" & such. But the quality was always lacking. (ie, rotten fruits, bug eaten veg, etc.)

Then I found the store where I frequent now. The prices are way better. Not everything is sold from local farmers, but you can tell which are (by the signs or stickers on produce).

There's also the relationship made with the different deparment managers to find out about sales, specials, changes, etc.

This store doesnt have the variety that others stores may have (such as the "foreign foods" section), but it's got all the basics I need and use, which is good enough for me. But I know other people who like that variety & shop elsewhere simply because they have more choices. (I'm a simple shopper.)

It's close to where I live. If need be, I can walk the 1 mile or so to the store (no bike, otherwise I'd do that).

Basically, it's good food, for the price I like, much of it is from local farmers (what's in season) & the people there are very friendly and helpful.

**frugalfranny** · 10-11-2009, 01:25 PM

What makes me a 'loyal customer' is CONSISTENTLY low prices on most everything that I buy.

I check the ads and used to shop many of them with not much loyalty. Since we got a WinCo I have done most of my shopping there.....for various reasons...but the most important was PRICE! All the people that I have encountered were very friendly and VERY WILLING to help. LIKE THIS STORE!

For me this was the reason:

Fred Meyer......can OFTEN be out of an item if on sale, they ripped the public off once on meat and I don't trust them. Their produce prices are OFTEN stupid and that is most of what I buy, on a weekly basis.

WalMart will have low....then high prices, won't buy their meat and their produce is usually bad. Further away from my house. You have to really know your prices to shop there. Can't be bothered with their economics!!

Safeway and Albertson's......well....enough said....high prices.

The other two local (small chains here) I will shop at if they have some good prices....maybe once or twice a month.

WinCo is very handy for me when running other errands. Will also shop at Costco for some things but their prices can be beat if you shop the sales.......however, have YET to get a bad piece of meat from them.....though pricey!

**monkeywrangler71** · 10-11-2009, 01:50 PM

We have about a dozen different grocery chains here, and they are all owned by three different companies. I will go anywhere for lossleaders, but for general shopping I stick to the parent company that I've been shopping at my whole life. I buy my dry goods at their discount chain and my meat & produce at their high end chain. I shop there because they are based out of my family's hometown, and I like to support businesses from home whenever possible.

**Jamauk** · 10-11-2009, 02:25 PM

It used to always be price. I'd go wherever I could get my items the cheapest. But I've come to realize that quality and customer service mean A LOT to me.

We are trying to completely eliminate processed foods, so I'm finding myself more often at our local grocery/healthfood store. Their prices are a little more expensive, but their produce quality can't be beat and their meat is excellent and fresh and organic.

I will still run into the large chain stores for some of our staples, if there are several of them on our list. But I find I'm going there less and less often.

**dcompton** · 10-11-2009, 03:10 PM

"My" grocery store, over time, has been Kroger. That said, I have not shopped there often the last year because they have been remodeling the store and every time I go in, things are moved around and I can't find stuff.

I like this Kroger for several reasons. Their prices are middle of the road, it seems, sometimes a less, sometimes more than other stores. Their meat and produce are fine.

They double/triple coupons, and I get a 10% senior discount on their house brands, that I like. The discount applies even on sale prices, so it can add up.

Since they are almost (finally!) finished with the remodeling, I will eventually be doing virtually all of my shopping there again I imagine. I sometimes go elsewhere to pick up something that seems a particularly good deal, but long shopping trips are too taxing on my energy and really escalate the pain, so I try to go one place and let it go at that. Kroger seems the best overall from my choices here.

**scooby8themall** · 10-11-2009, 04:19 PM

Mine is Hannaford they have a good selection on food. And 99.9% of their cashiers are very knowledgeable about coupons and their store is clean and very well organized .Prices could be a little better but still my favorite.

**Contrary Housewife** · 10-11-2009, 04:36 PM

For me it comes down to selection. The store either has what I want or not. Some of the stores here have good prices and sales, which is fine, but there are certain foods we like and they tend to be ethnic or gourmet items so I go to the shops that carry it regularly. For basic stuff I go where the sale is, once I have determined that their quality is good. Most of the time I just shop the store with the best selection and don't worry about whether it's a nickle more than the other place.

**gapeach** · 10-11-2009, 05:09 PM

I shop Publix and Kroger. They are both within a few miles of my house. I prefer Publix meat and produce. The customer service at my store can't be beat, they're great. I buy most everything else at Kroger. I like the Private Selection line of products there. I refuse to shop at the WalMart in town, the store is filthy, it's all self check out lanes and people usually have problems with the scanned prices vs the posted price.

**KeithBC** · 10-12-2009, 12:09 AM

Word of mouth and service. There are three supermarkets in the nearest town. Two are big national chains; one is a smaller chain. The smaller one is in a building that is too small and therefore crowded. It's always too cold in there - you put on a coat when you go in. But everyone here who has similar food tastes to us said it is the place to shop. And they were right. The staff are friendly, and their product selection is great. If there is something you want them to carry, you just ask the manager and they'll probably order it in. Everyone we know shops there, so there is a good chance of bumping into your neighbours and having a chat.

**norcalmommy** · 10-12-2009, 12:15 AM

Because I am in rural area, I have no other choice, lol. Its either shop at Safeway and the other local market or drive 100 miles.

**pat in east texas** · 10-12-2009, 07:02 AM

I check the produce first for freshness, variety, decent prices on the organics. If the store has a bakery I check the store-baked breads. A lot of times they're better than the Wonderbread types, but sometimes not. Meat should be fresh and have no "enhancement" as in Walmart meat. Also I like an onsite butcher. I check the dates on meat and dairy. In the grocery aisles I will check out a few "store-brand" items, also look for the hard to find things I like.

**savvy_sniper** · 10-12-2009, 09:05 AM

After trying out different stores and then several chains coming and going in our area, my MAIN grocery store is Kroger. The have the majority of the items I use, sale prices are good, I use the Kroger Plus card and get a 10 cent a gallon discount on a tank of gas for every $100 of groceries I purchase. Their gas prices are pretty much the best in the area and I get a additional 10 cents off of that.

They recently started mailing me coupons based on my previous purchases. Since I cook from scratch I don't use a lot of coupons. I can actually use the ones they send me and they are also for Kroger brand items that you don't get coupons for.

I have a decent size stockpile so I pretty much just shop the loss leaders these days. I buy a couple of items at WalMart because they don't carry them at Kroger and I recently started frequenting several grocery salvage stores.

I keep track of prices of items I buy regularly. So when I find a deal, I stock up and make the most of the good price.

**Karen1** · 10-12-2009, 10:40 AM

I don't have many choices.

Being rural, you get what you get..LOL

I shop 4 stores in the area. 2 mainly. Closest and best prices. If big sales--that will draw me to the other 2 stores.

Other than that I don't waste too much prescious time trying to find stores that have "1 or 2"things on great sale...I won't drive far to save a $1.

I like stores where the cashiers know me...and that is my 2 fav stores. Neighbors basically.

Rural towns have all that old time touch.