Finally visited my first Publix (Memphis, Kingsport: for sale, insurance, pharmacists)

[Blue Ridge]

I'm in Greeneville, where Publix competes with three Food City locations, two Ingles locations, Walmart, Aldi, and a handful of bargain basement grocers (think Save-a-Lot).

It's not even close. My hierarchy is as follows:

• Publix
• Aldi
• Walmart
• Ingles
• Shopping outside of Greeneville
• Going hungry
• Food City

Also, let me add that the notion of Food City being cheaper than its competition is bunk. I hear that repeated over and over by locals, and it never fails to give me heartburn.

Edited to add: of course prices are higher in the PF/Sevierville/Gatlinburg tourist mecca. Like you, my wife nearly had a coronary when we stopped in the Food City on 321 in Gatlinburg for snacks.

[Serious Conversation]

You can't just compare top-line prices at Food City vs. Publix.

Keep in mind that virtually everyone at Kroger or Food City has a discount card. That brings their prices down a bit, but they make much higher margins off the folks that do not have cards.

At least at Kroger, you can type in your phone # for your discount card at the register and the gas pump. You can get Food City to accept a phone number, but have to ask, and no way to do so at the pump.

What I do when comparing grocery prices is I'll take a set of commonly purchased items. For me, I'll take prices on a pound of gala apples, pound of bananas, bag of Tyson Frozen chicken, 6 oz. berries, some other things, and compare them between stores. You can do this over several weeks or sub out items that are on sale

When I've done this, Food City and Ingles have always been the most expensive, followed by Publix in Greeneville/Turkey Creek, with Kroger always being the cheapest among mainline grocers. If I can find it at Walmart and it's a generic type of item, they're almost always cheapest.

Food City is notably more expensive on several items in my regular shopping pattern than any other store in the area, and quality is generally lower.

[Blue Ridge]

Originally Posted by Serious Conversation

You can't just compare top-line prices at Food City vs. Publix.

Keep in mind that virtually everyone at Kroger or Food City has a discount card. That brings their prices down a bit, but they make much higher margins off the folks that do not have cards.

At least at Kroger, you can type in your phone # for your discount card at the register and the gas pump. You can get Food City to accept a phone number, but have to ask, and no way to do so at the pump.

What I do when comparing grocery prices is I'll take a set of commonly purchased items. For me, I'll take prices on a pound of gala apples, pound of bananas, bag of Tyson Frozen chicken, 6 oz. berries, some other things, and compare them between stores. You can do this over several weeks or sub out items that are on sale

When I've done this, Food City and Ingles have always been the most expensive, followed by Publix in Greeneville/Turkey Creek, with Kroger always being the cheapest among mainline grocers. If I can find it at Walmart and it's a generic type of item, they're almost always cheapest.

Food City is notably more expensive on several items in my regular shopping pattern than any other store in the area, and quality is generally lower.

Spot on. Glad to know others agree that Food City's price and quality leave something to be desired.

Family in Erwin are loyal Food Lion shoppers and dread the day Food City opens. No doubt it kills off Food Lion, leaving the town with Walmart, Food City, and PriceLe$$. No thanks.

[sprintuser2014]

I'm really hoping for a Publix in Kingsport just because well Kingsport doesn't have a grocery store with a good deli. Aldi doesn't have a deli, Kroger's is meh. Walmart Neighborhood Market is at least decent but nothing to rave about, Ingles is fairly good actually but it's far for me. Food City's Deli is terrible and often their food has an odd taste and texture to it. I think it's because much of their deli items are made with Food Club/Valuetime branded items and that store brand is just terrible.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by Blue Ridge

Spot on. Glad to know others agree that Food City's price and quality leave something to be desired.

Family in Erwin are loyal Food Lion shoppers and dread the day Food City opens. No doubt it kills off Food Lion, leaving the town with Walmart, Food City, and PriceLe$$. No thanks.

I used to live in other areas and grocery prices/selection has been one of my biggest complaints coming back. Food City is just far inferior to any mainline grocery anywhere else I've lived.

Ingles has better selection and is a little more upmarket than Food City, but they're still a bit pricey and out of the way. Kroger is the best, but the Kingsport and North JC Krogers are just plain awful. The south JC one is passable, and the Bristol, VA store is pretty good.

I do probably 60% of my shopping between Walmart, Sam's, and the Asheville Whole Foods. Kroger is the other 30%. Sometimes I have to stop at Food City. Publix would probably get most of my non Walmart business.

[Normashirley]

In my area, we have Aldis, Kroger, Publix, and Walmart --- all within a few blocks of each other.

We had already started spending more grocery money at Kroger than WalMart because I am sick to death of Walmart's discontinue attitude. Discontinuing the brand of "live active culture" yogurt that I like was the last straw.

K-Mart completely folded -- all we have left for a department type store is Walmart, so they have us on that one.

DH will stop at Aldis on his way home from work, if he needs something because he doesn't have to cross lanes. He won't shop at Publix because he thinks it's too expensive.

I, on the other hand, don't think Publix is too expensive if I watch what I buy. I love our new Publix. If I can get myself past the bakery and the deli, Publix has unique food offerings the other grocers don't and the prices are not that bad for those unique food products.

I still haven't gone into Publix on a full scale shopping trip, to compare prices on things we buy all the time, so I haven't seen the entire store. -- to repeat myself, I spend waaaay too much time at the bakery and deli sections

[Carolina Knight]

Originally Posted by Blue Ridge

Spot on. Glad to know others agree that Food City's price and quality leave something to be desired.

Family in Erwin are loyal Food Lion shoppers and dread the day Food City opens. No doubt it kills off Food Lion, leaving the town with Walmart, Food City, and PriceLe$$. No thanks.

Food City should provide an easier, fresher, and more affordable shopping experience than Food Lion.

I would not mind seeing an Ingle's in Erwin. I do not know if Erwin is ready for 72,000-square-foot supermarkets.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by Carolina Knight

Food City should provide an easier, fresher, and more affordable shopping experience than Food Lion.

I would not mind seeing an Ingle's in Erwin. I do not know if Erwin is ready for 72,000-square-foot supermarkets.

Doesn't work that way.

I used to work in Lebanon, VA. That was a very rural town in VA not a half hour from FC's HQ. That FC had scraps in terms of freshness and such.

FC will not put any effort into upmarket products (read: fresh produce and veggies) in a town like Erwin. The margins are just too low at a store like that.

[Carolina Knight]

Food City and Food Lion disagree with you.

Food Lion is consistent in extra high prices and not having necessities. It is funny to see people waste time and money at Food Lion.

If Food City and Ingle's have intelligence, they would expand Super Dollar and Sav-Mor into Erwin.

[Blue Ridge]

Originally Posted by Carolina Knight

Food City should provide an easier, fresher, and more affordable shopping experience than Food Lion.

I would not mind seeing an Ingle's in Erwin. I do not know if Erwin is ready for 72,000-square-foot supermarkets.

Listen, I get that it's easy to dump on Food Lion given its struggles over the past decade (which can be directly traced to Delhaize's mismanagement and incompetence), but the notion that Food Lion is more expensive than Food City is, once again, bunk. Perhaps in other markets that is true, but Food Lion's few remaining East TN stores are priced quite competitively.

As for freshness, I'm chuckling at the notion of Food City being fresher than any grocer outside of the bargain basement group.

Regarding Ingle's, the site on which Food City ultimately selected to build was considered by Ingle's several years prior. My understanding is that the corporation was well aware Erwin could not support the typical mammoth footprint of an Ingle's, but they were initially interested in testing a "scaled-down" footprint. Plans obviously fell through.

Reckless speculation alert: rumor is Food City reps were involved in some back room dealings with the seller to deter Ingle's. (But, that's likely just small town scuttlebutt.)