Which supermarket is worth my time and money? (Dallas, San Antonio: buy, organic)

[Treasurevalley92]

Originally Posted by NP78

Albertsons (or at least the private equity firm that owns Albertsons) owns Safeway/Tom Thumb, so by that measure there are tons in DFW. Of course there still are a few under the Ambertsons brand as well.

Yeah, I have some family friends who work for Albertsons Corporate. When I was really little I used to sled behind Kathryn Alberson's house in Boise. One time she brought us warm cookies. Oh course I was too little to realize who she was.

But yeah, I don't really shop at Tom Thumb all that often, but it's Alberstons by a different name/brand. I prefer the actual Albersons stores as they tend to be more on par with Kroger price wise.

[Aceraceae]

We mostly shop at Whole Foods, Kroger, and Costco. The new McKinney Costco is open now. It’s close to us. The one on 75 in Plano is insanity.

[stargirl007]

I primarily shop at Costco, but I've started to supplement more with Tom Thumb. I used to shop with Kroger before that.

I find myself shopping at Tom Thumb more because of their home delivery service. The prices are the same as in-store, can take advantage of the special deals on your reward card and the weekly ads. It's helped me with having fewer impulse purchases and I've saved quite a bit.

The delivery fee if you want just a 1 hour window can sometimes be steep ($10). But they usually have deals where you can purchase 2-3 items (which are usually staples you need anyway) to give free delivery - or if you're open to a 4 hour window for them to come by, the fee becomes only $4.

Even though their prices are a bit higher than Kroger, the time I'm saving and the better control over what I'm buying seems to even itself out.

[RJ312]

Originally Posted by BigDGeek

I don't shop at Tom Thumb because Kroger is usually cheaper for almost everything.

Since moving to Dallas, I've been trying to figure out how Tom Thumb attracts customers. I don't understand their positioning in the grocery market and who is the core customer.

Tom Thumb is more expensive than Kroger or Walmart. They don't have super organic, high end market either like Whole Foods or Central Market. They are not lower priced than Whole Foods or Central Market with similar merchandise like Sprouts or maybe even Trader Joe's.

I have bought from Tom Thumb because there have been instances where going to Tom Thumb was convenient. There have been times where I have bought at Tom Thumb due to really good sales. For instance, Tom Thumb will have meat sales where it is buy 1, get 2 free.

[Ablebodied]

Originally Posted by Sugar-free_jazz

Hey everyone!

I recently moved to the Frisco area from San Antonio, where HEB reigned supreme. I’m not familiar with any of the supermarkets in the area, except Sprouts, since we had one back in SA. So far, I have seen Aldi, Market Street, Tom Thumb, Kroger, and WinCo.

I usually like to get everything (food and non-food household items) at one place, but understand that this may not be so simple. I’m also on a budget right now because I just started a teaching job here and I won’t get paid until September, so I’m looking for a place with good quality ingredients (doesn’t necessarily have to be organic) for a lower price. I like buying spices and nuts/grains in bulk (like where they have the giant bins and you scoop out the items into a bag and label them), so having that feature is a must, but I also want to be able to buy other non-food related items (like foil, trash bags, etc.) all in the same place, if possible. I do know that there is a Central Market close-ish by, and while it is technically an HEB, it’s not quite the same. Also, I hate Walmart.

Can anyone who has had experience shopping at any/all of these places tell me a little bit more about them, and if they would be a good place for me to shop? Also, what other places that are worth checking out that I’m not aware of?

Thanks!

No brainer, Winco if your budget is the concern. Since I started at Winco when I get lazy and buy a lot from Walmart I get sticker shock at the register. I do Costco for bulk. I used to do Aldi some but just to cut down I find that Winco and Costco and just a few items or brands I do need from Walmart gets it done.

[nissan]

I find Tom Thumb to be more expensive than Kroger on most items. If you're on a budget, Aldi's, Kroger and Walmart are probably your best bets.

We shop all 3 (only added Aldi into the mix when they built one 5 mins from our home). For Kroger and Walmart, we use their ClickList/Grocery pickup service. Neither of us has time to spend walking the aisles in the store -- it's much easier to spend 30 mins at night and shop for the week. Then, just drive up, they load the groceries and you're on your way. Walmart is really quick and, even when we buy produce, they pick the right veggies/fruit as if we were doing the shopping (fresh, no bruises etc.).

We used to go to Sprouts for produce too (and it was our fav), but it became too much to hit 3 stores even if the other 2 were online pick ups.

[Dallaz]

Originally Posted by RJ312

Since moving to Dallas, I've been trying to figure out how Tom Thumb attracts customers. I don't understand their positioning in the grocery market and who is the core customer.

Tom Thumb is more expensive than Kroger or Walmart. They don't have super organic, high end market either like Whole Foods or Central Market. They are not lower priced than Whole Foods or Central Market with similar merchandise like Sprouts or maybe even Trader Joe's.

I have bought from Tom Thumb because there have been instances where going to Tom Thumb was convenient. There have been times where I have bought at Tom Thumb due to really good sales. For instance, Tom Thumb will have meat sales where it is buy 1, get 2 free.

It’s because Tom Thumb is a local brand and people are loyal to local brands (Just like Neiman Marcus). It was founded in the City of Dallas in 1948. Tom Thumb (and Randall’s - [Tom Thumb’s parent company after it was sold the first time]) was purchased by Safeway in the 1990s. Safeway re-entered the North Texas market after failing in the 1980s. Safeway basically turned all Tom Thumb stores into Safeway stores, the only thing left was the name - Tom Thumb. Safeway is known for their high prices and the current Tom Thumb stores reflect that. Even after the merger of Albertsons and Safeway, their prices haven’t seemed to lower. Tom Thumb is the last of the local grocery store names left in Dallas. Minyard (another local chain) bit the dust a couple of years back.

[RJ312]

Originally Posted by Dallaz

It’s because Tom Thumb is a local brand and people are loyal to local brands (Just like Neiman Marcus). It was founded in the City of Dallas in 1948. Tom Thumb (and Randall’s - [Tom Thumb’s parent company after it was sold the first time]) was purchased by Safeway in the 1990s. Safeway re-entered the North Texas market after failing in the 1980s. Safeway basically turned all Tom Thumb stores into Safeway stores, the only thing left was the name - Tom Thumb. Safeway is known for their high prices and the current Tom Thumb stores reflect that. Even after the merger of Albertsons and Safeway, their prices haven’t seemed to lower. Tom Thumb is the last of the local grocery store names left in Dallas. Minyard (another local chain) bit the dust a couple of years back.

Is having a history of being local the only explanation? Tom Thumb was local before a lot of current residents lived here. Does that matter to those who have moved here since Safeway purchased it in the 1990s?

I have noticed that legacy brand names are relevant in the grocery business. Kroger owns a lot of supermarkets that operate under legacy names, such as Smith's, Ralph's, Fry's, King Soopers/City Market, etc. Albertsons owns Safeway and Tom Thumb and is still using those legacy names in various markets.

[ragnarkar]

Whole Foods + 99 Ranch are the only two I need.

[jiping]

My favorite place is Preston/Park, where there were Kroger, Market Street, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods.
The Kroger store was closed though.