Two Giants to close

[brooklynborndad]

When the Cohens still owned Giant, they generally carried Elite Chocolate bars from Israel, priced competitively with Hersheys or Nestles.

I miss that.

We used to live near the Bradlee Giant. I liked it, and often picked it over the Safeway.

TJs is too narrow a range of products and too limited on produce. HTs do run a bit high. Wegmans - far away, too big, etc. I don't care for the whole business model.

And, you know, Giant and Safeway are unionized, and most of the new chains are not. I will give them some plus points for that.

As for Bradlee's lot being crowded - personally I'd rather take some time to find a space, than have a parking lot so big that it lowers the neighborhood density to the point where things are too far away to make walking an option. Folks whose preferences are otherwise might not find that side of Alexandria to their liking in a lot of ways.

[persnicketygal]

BBD: I have bought some Israeli chocolate bars at Harris Teeter (from the Shirlington and Columbia Pike stores). I don't recall if they were the Elite brand, but I do remember that they weren't expensive and that they tasted good. I believe that Wegman's had an Israeli brand, too, if by chance (or miracle? LOL!) you find yoursel in Fairfax or Woodbridge.

I agree that the Bradlee's lot can be crowded. But I just headed for the spaces farther away after a while -- much less stress!

[queenswake]

I think Giant knew that after the new Safeway opens there, the Bradlee one can't compete. That new Safeway will be a destination grocery story and a regular old Giant won't be able to compete with that.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by persnicketygal

BBD: I have bought some Israeli chocolate bars at Harris Teeter (from the Shirlington and Columbia Pike stores). I don't recall if they were the Elite brand, but I do remember that they weren't expensive and that they tasted good. I believe that Wegman's had an Israeli brand, too, if by chance (or miracle? LOL!) you find yoursel in Fairfax or Woodbridge.

He doesn't need to go to Fairfax or Woodbridge.....he just needs to hop aboard his bike and take the O&WD trail to the Sterling/ Dulles Wegmans. It's within a half mile of the trail...

[CAVA1990]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

TJs is too narrow a range of products and too limited on produce.

When was the last time you were in one? The produce offerings at the Old Town location are pretty extensive now. Other than fresh cilantro or maybe jicama I can't think of any other fruit or vegetable I'd buy at the supermarket that I can't get there.

The narrower range of products is part of their business model. They know what the yuppies and muppies want and that they get flustered and "purchase paralyzed" having to make choices.

[spencgr]

Originally Posted by CAVA1990

They know what the yuppies and muppies want

Muppies?

[jillabean]

Originally Posted by brooklynborndad

TJs is too narrow a range of products and too limited on produce. HTs do run a bit high. Wegmans - far away, too big, etc. I don't care for the whole business model.

Originally Posted by CaliTerp07

Trader Joe's isn't realistic for my full shopping list. I can get a few things there, but not all.
Harris Teeter is ridiculously expensive compared to Giant or Safeway. When I went there last, my grocery bill was over $100 for my "usual suspects". Usually the bill is closer to $70.
Wegmans I've never actually been to. The closest one is 30 minutes away, so you're right, it's a geographic thing. I'm not driving an hour round trip to go grocery shopping each week. My time is worth more than that to me.

This is pretty much my experience too. There is a Trader Joes near where I live, it's good for novelty items and a few of the more common basics, but I can't get half of my regular grocery list there. I used to shop at a Harris Teeter now and then when I lived somewhere else and it's nice, but it's more expensive (and it's far from where I live now). Wegmans is too far away and like Cali, I don't want to spend an hour round trip to grocery shop. Whole Foods is nice but, really, really expensive (and again, sometimes it's hard just finding something basic--a prime example is when I went in to just buy sugar for baking cookies. I ended up having to buy some kind of organic sugar that was three times the price of regular cane sugar since it was the closest I could find to plain old sugar). I do buy my fish from Whole Food though.

So I shop mainly at Giant. I usually spend about $60-$70 a week on groceries for me and my daughter (and that includes non-food items like laundry detergent, toothpaste, toiletpaper, etc.) I don't buy a lot of processed food or frozen food--which is why the bill is low. But that covers breakfast, lunch (we pack lunches), and dinner.

I really don't understand the hate for Giant. It's a standard grocery store and the staff is friendly. At my local giant there is a nice man behind the deli counter who gives you sample of things similar to what you are ordering. It's a good way to try new stuff. For example, if I buy cheese and he makes small talk and I mention I am making grilled cheese sandwiches, he might say, "oh, you should try this cheese on the sandwiches" and gives a sample. I've found more new food likes that I never would have tried that way.

They pretty much have everything I need. Now and then I have a problem finding something like pastina--love pastina in recipes, but it's hard to find. And I have a hard time finding jicama--but that's about it really. I make recipes from scratch and you can find all the basics like dried beans, rice, organic meats and dairy, flours, veggies, etc. at Giant. (edit) To be fair, other than Mexican and Polish food, I make pretty standard American meals like beef stew, chicken soup, meatloaf with mashed potatoes and greens, chicken with squash, pancakes, or the occasional soufflet etc... I am not a yuppy (not sure what a muppy is).

My biggest complaint about Giant is their produce just doesn't last long. I think they refrigerate it or it comes on refrigerated trucks and then put it out. It seems to rot in a few days (even if I refrigerate it). So I tend to buy veggies and cook up those recipes right away and put them in my freezer. In the summer, I don't buy produce from them--I go to a farmer's market that's right across from where I work.