phoenix grocery stores (Williams: sales, coupon, costs)

[OctoberMoon]

I love Fresh & Easy! We have one a couple blocks from where we live and it really does make life easy. The stuff there is also pretty cheap and the quality for the price is awesome. If you go there towards the end of the day they have some pretty good deals as well.

As for a big Supermarket, I would say Fry's is my favorite. It's the same company as California's Ralphs, and that was my favorite market there. They have some pretty great stuff.

[OctoberMoon]

Originally Posted by joninaz

My receipt at 8:46 pm tonight (5/6/3008) says Super L

I do remember there being a 99 in the name, but they might have changed things. I seem to think they also had "Ranch" in the name at some point.

99 is very similar to the 99 cent stores. Ranch markets in SoCal tend to be Asian, not Hispanic. Meanwhile there's a Ranch brand already going well in PHX, very Hispanic. I'd guess that all the companies got together and decided to create different, non competing identities.

I was just there 2 days ago and it said Super L Ranch Market. It also says so on the website of the Chinese Cultural Center.

And I'm sure the old 99 Ranch Market was the same company as the chain in Southern Cali. I used to shop at the 99 Ranch Markets there all the time. They may have just sold it to someone else and therefore changed the name.

[MaikeerinWA]

It definitely was. We shopped at the 99 Ranch in Cupertino quite often when we lived in Northern Cali and were surprised to find a Phoenix location at 99 Ranch Store Locator (http://www.99ranch.com/StoreLocator.asp?Store=All - broken link) during a past visit to see my parents in Arizona. We went to the Chinese Cultural Center location a few times, but it does look like the chain sold that particular store.

Originally Posted by OctoberMoon

And I'm sure the old 99 Ranch Market was the same company as the chain in Southern Cali. I used to shop at the 99 Ranch Markets there all the time. They may have just sold it to someone else and therefore changed the name.

[wit-nit]

We live near a Trader Joe's, Fry's, Safeway, Albertsons, Basha's, and Sprouts.
Trader Joes averages 20% higher in prices than most grocers, plus they have a limited selection.
Fry's has the overall best prices, but lousy service.
Safeway and Albertson's average about the same price wise.
Basha's is highest overall along with their upscale AJ stores. Basha's is locally owned.
Sprouts is very limited and runs hot and cold with quality. Prices are so so.
Most of these grocers get their supplies from the same common distributors. It's their ad specials on a weekly basis that sets them apart competively.
The quality of their meats depends on their meat staff. Bashas near us has a great meat dept. Safeway has a good dependable meat dept also. Albertson's runs hot and cold. Safeway has ribs to die for. AJ's has premium quality overall food that you pay more for.
Milk seems to be the competive war price. Trader Joe's is always $3.29 gal. This week Basha's has milk at $1.99 gal and Fry's is $1.00 for 1/2 gal.
In general it's a crap shoot, you have to watch the ad's and use your coupons. Everybody's household needs and wants differ.
The quality of service varies from store to store, with the exception of Safeway who has a steady Customer Service program that is uniform throughout their stores.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by movin'on

Anyway, don't know if you have the same Safeway deals in your neck of the woods, but worth looking into.

P.S. Fetzer is only around 7-8 dollars a bottle and quite excellent for the quality.

No such equivalent deals. Fetzer: 7-8. Two Buck Chuck: 2. Both are equally good IMO.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by OctoberMoon

And I'm sure the old 99 Ranch Market was the same company as the chain in Southern Cali. I used to shop at the 99 Ranch Markets there all the time. They may have just sold it to someone else and therefore changed the name.

We have 99 ranch in Southern California. I didn't realize they had them in Colombia.

[Lovehound]

Originally Posted by nitram

We live near a Trader Joe's, Fry's, Safeway, Albertsons, Basha's, and Sprouts.

Most of these grocers get their supplies from the same common distributors.

That's where Trader Joes is different. They develop their own distributors. They often bypass distributors and go directly to the producers, in effect becoming the distributors. That's where they get their good prices.

[joninaz]

Smart & Final (http://www.smartandfinal.com/locationSearch.aspx - broken link) is another stop on my rotation. They are like smaller Costco/SamsClub, but without a memerbship fee and one of their key target markets are independent restaurant owners, so the prices are really solid. They don't have a huge variety of produce, but are good for other things... I often buy their big cuts of meat for BBQs.

[nebulous1]

I think Safeway stinks. Back east, we had Giant Eagle, Kroger, and Marsh.
Fry's seems okay and I haven't been to Albertson's yet...

[wit-nit]

Originally Posted by Lovehound

That's where Trader Joes is different. They develop their own distributors. They often bypass distributors and go directly to the producers, in effect becoming the distributors. That's where they get their good prices.

I said most grocers.
Trader Joe's is the highest priced of all the grocers.