Ranking of grocery stores. Giant Eagle, not so good. (Pittsburgh: buying, college)

[gg]

New survey ranks best, worst grocery stores | www.wpxi.com

We are lucky in Pittsburgh to have two grocery stores that made the top few. Actually Trader Joes is ranked second and Pittsburgh has two of them and probably more to come considering the competition is so weak. Now if we could just get Wegman's here.

[Evergrey]

What frustrates me most about Giant Eagle is the wide variability in quality of stores from location to location. They have a few Market Districts... which are on a tier with the State College Wegman's I used to patronize... then they have quite above-average "regular" Giant Eagles... modern clean spaces with great selections... 24hr... like the one I used to patronize in Massillon, OH (Ohio seems to have better Giant Eagles). Then there's a very boring/average tier that is found in very middle-income suburban areas. Unexciting but they are serviceable. Then there's ones out in the sticks... like the Giant Eagle in my hometown of St. Marys... that have such a pathetic selection of fresh fish or non-cheddar cheese (they don't even have lamb!). Then there's the lowest tier of crummy Giant Eagles located in urban areas... like the one on the North Side... what an embarrassment.

[sparrowmint]

While I miss the Fred Meyers and Safeways of Portland, OR (and many of the grocery stores I was used to in Ontario), the fancier Giant Eagles are all right by me. Competition would be nice though. Whenever I go to Steubenville Ohio to use the Chase Banks there, I get jealous of the large Kroger on the PA/WV border.

[greg42]

Originally Posted by sparrowmint

While I miss the Fred Meyers and Safeways of Portland, OR (and many of the grocery stores I was used to in Ontario), the fancier Giant Eagles are all right by me. Competition would be nice though. Whenever I go to Steubenville Ohio to use the Chase Banks there, I get jealous of the large Kroger on the PA/WV border.

Really? I've been in there, and it's a Kroger but can't figure out what is so great about that.

Not really surprised Giant Eagle is middling, because, as Evergrey says, the stores are uneven in quality. The closest one to me is pretty good actually, most of the time.

Interested to have Whole Foods up north here, for *select* items, not everything because that would probably get out of hand price-wise (although we're not always great about being price conscious in these stores). Should be opening in Wexford in maybe a month or so? They had a big recruiting event last week.

Whispers are that Trader Joe's is scouting north locations, nothing firm that I know of though.

[sskink]

I've only been to one Wegman's, in Cherry Hill, NJ. But that was a sweet store. The produce was arranged so beautifully I was almost afraid to mess it up. Demonstrators and taste testers almost every aisle, including wine. A beautiful store. Always wondered if they're all like that.

I don't get TJs as #2 as far as PA goes. I can understand say, VA, where wine and beer are a huge part of the draw. TJs here is nice for some oddball things and prepared foods, but for everyday shopping, not so much IMO.

Interesting re: Whole Foods. I was recently on a job in CT. The WF in both Darien and Milford were only as expensive as the other major supermarket chains. If moreso, it was nominal. Not like here. Got to go to my first Fairway in Stamford. Interesting concept - they have everything and anything you could want, including lots of obscure stuff, but not much design or presentation.

On GE/MD - I go to the MD in Bethel Park. Sometimes I don't have my shopping bags in the car and just get the plastic (which gets recycled). It's like the baggers TRY to see how many bags they can use on your order. I've bought $30 of stuff there weighing no more than 10 lbs and get 15-20 bags to carry. It's insane.

MD shopping tip: The organic scallions and cilantro are always priced below the "regular" stuff. Sometimes root vegetables as well.

[PreservationPioneer]

I like Aldi and Save a Lot, myself. I'm cheap.

[gg]

Here is more on the list.
Wegmans
Trader Joe's
Publix
Fareway Stores
Costco
Harris Teeter
Market Basket
Raley's
Hy-Vee
Stater Bros.
WinCo Foods
Whole Foods Market
Fred Meyer
King Soopers
H-E-B
Ingles
Schnucks
Fry's
Hannford
Aldi
Meijer
Target/Super Target
Giant (NJ, NY, OH, PA, WV)
ShopRite
Big Y
Kroger
Piggly Wiggly
Save Mart
Cub Foods
Price Chopper
Smith's Food and Drug
IGA
Sam's Club
BJ's Wholesale Club
Vons
Giant Eagle
Giant (DC, DE, MD, VA)
Albertsons
Safeway
Winn-Dixie
Shop and Shop
Acme
Ralphs
Pick 'n Save
Food Lion
Weis Markets
Tops Markets
Jewel-Osco
A&P
Shaw's
Walmart Supercenter
Pathmark

[gg]

Originally Posted by sskink

I don't get TJs as #2 as far as PA goes. I can understand say, VA, where wine and beer are a huge part of the draw. TJs here is nice for some oddball things and prepared foods, but for everyday shopping, not so much IMO.

Strange, I don't buy prepared foods and shop there more than anywhere else. They have the best prices on all organics in town by far. I mean the vegetables alone are worth going there. Wild caught salmon or any wild caught fish? No one can beat those prices. Cheese? Best price anywhere. Rice or organic pasta? You might pay twice those prices at other stores. Prepared foods? I rarely eat anything like that, but I would say I do 90% of my shopping at TJ's. Of course I am a foodie. If you like real low quality stuff like Chinese apple juice and products will tons of fillers and large ingredient lists, then TJ's wouldn't be for you. I mean have a look at the ingredients on bread at TJ"s and compare that to your Towntalk stuff. Come on. What about buying half and half? At TJ's the ingredients are milk and cream. Have a look at Giant Eagle's half and half. I read labels, so I don't do the Giant Eagle thing. I can't afford that dumb little section they have for organics. The prices are crazy high.

[gg]

Originally Posted by greg42

Not really surprised Giant Eagle is middling...

I posted the list. Middling doesn't come to mind. Lower middle maybe. I don't trust that company. Too expensive and a lot of smoke and mirrors. I wish we had Publix. I do like those for meats, but not so much for organics.

[jjs65]

Can anybody explain why there are two listings for Giant? It looks like it's split up by states. Different companies or owners?