What's your take on grocery chains? (high school, live, shop)

[luvsdogs]

Originally Posted by Rob98LS1

Read an article in the Bee the other day concerning the supermarket chains struggle during tight times. The Ceo of Raley's/Bel-air resigned Friday citing personal reasons he felt was necessary for him and his family. The article goes on to say that Raley's has been struggling to compete with discounters such as Wal-mart "who have put their foot to the floor", doing all they can to gain market share in the region. A consultant goes on to say that other high end chains have made steps to bring a more upscale feel to their stores to "sell themselves through, compared to saving." And that is something that Raley's hasn't done so far. Other chains in the Sac area include Whole Foods, Nugget, Savemart, Safeway, Wal-mart, Sams-club, Cost-co, Winco, Albertsons, etc.

My view: For the essentials I have been going to winco, and for specialty items I have been going to Nugget Markets for the variety and quailty. This makes for an overal average budget to get me by and still have great dinners.
How do you feel about all of this?

I boycott walmart because they helped put the small guy out of business
nuggett best and most expensive
raleys 2 nd. best
safeway..better prices most of the time... excellent baked Goods

[NewToCA]

Well, we are generally WinCo shoppers for the majority of our supermarket order. We add in some deli and meats from Safeway, and that is about it.

Regarding Raley's/Bel Air, when I first moved to Columbus from Washington DC 17 years ago, they had a situation much like the current Sacramento supermarket mix. In their case, Kroger was the big national chain, much like our Safeway, Meijer was the discount chain with only about a half dozen stores, much like our WinCo, Big Bear was their long established local chain, similar to our Raley's/Bel Air, and Aldi was their deep discount and limited selection smaller supermarket, much like our Grocery Outlet.

Over the next dozen years a few big changes occurred. Wal Mart opened up about a dozen SuperCenter stores, and Big Bear ended up downsizing, and then closing down altogether. I wouldn't be surprised to see Raley's ending up shutting down over the next decade or so either, with another chain, with more of a "discount" orientation, taking over their share of the market.

[Rob98LS1]

Check this out. In the Roseville, Rocklin area you have: Safeway x 6 Walmart x 2 Bel Air Raley's Whole Foods Winco Nugget Savemart x 2 grocery outlet trader joe's cost-co Sam's club and that's off the top of my head. I'm sure the population would be doing fine with half of that. I can drive to all of these in less than 15 minutes, may be a little excessive.

[cb73]

I live near both a Bel Air and a Raley's and their prices are just way too high. I noticed the Raley's recently totally remodeled with this beautiful high-gloss flooring that even wearing Reboks is totally slippery.

I don't think the big chains are totally competing with the WalMart type stores. Chains like Raley's are looking for the high-end shoppers, with their in-store coffee stands and already-prepared dinners.

People that I know that routinely shop at Raley's won't step through the door of a WalMart. So the question of whether WalMart would put them out of business is really whether their current customers can continue to afford to shop there.

[Rob98LS1]

[quote=cb73;11587601]I live near both a Bel Air and a Raley's and their prices are just way too high. quote]


Recently I found this price comparison. At a safeway or bel air I forget (same market) the price for 12pk of stella artois was like 19$. Over at total wine the same 12pk was 12$. Operating cost difference eh?

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by jbclown

My favorite grocery store is Publix, where I live in FL. I have never had any problems with them at all. Albertsons' was probably one of my least favorites, after the last 2 Albertsons' in my area closed about 3 months ago, I knew I wasn't going to miss those ugly, dark, dingy stores. I wasn't aware that people even shopped there anymore.

{Publix is one of the best chains around, along with Giant in the VA/MD area and Tom Thumb in Texas, but they don't have them in California. As for Alberstons they are in many states. The ones in CA as well as NM and a few other places are far from dark and dingy..

Nita

[looking4home]

Originally Posted by nmnita

{As for Alberstons they are in many states. The ones in CA as well as NM and a few other places are far from dark and dingy..

I don't know about that. I live in Roseville and the one near me which closed down, was fairly new, built in the mid-1990's, but looked dingy, and always smelled bad. They used to blame it on the fish dept. which was located at the back of the store. Other stores have fish departments don't smell that way!

[Rob98LS1]

Originally Posted by looking4home

I don't know about that. I live in Roseville and the one near me which closed down, was fairly new, built in the mid-1990's, but looked dingy, and always smelled bad. They used to blame it on the fish dept. which was located at the back of the store. Other stores have fish departments don't smell that way!

definitely something fishy going on there!! Or should I say was...

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by looking4home

I don't know about that. I live in Roseville and the one near me which closed down, was fairly new, built in the mid-1990's, but looked dingy, and always smelled bad. They used to blame it on the fish dept. which was located at the back of the store. Other stores have fish departments don't smell that way!

Like all chains it depends on where you live I guess. I generally shop pretty much exclusively at specialty stores but I have shopped at Albetsons in Ca as well as NM. In fact in NM we have almost no choice as most chains are pretty much gone and Krogers (Smiths) are awful. This is true with most Krogers I have been in, but the one near my daughters in Texas is spotless.

I still maintain and I know most of you think I am off my rocker, the days of large chain grocery stores is coming to an end. More people are doing the warehouse bulk shopping, Farmers Markets and special stores like T. Joe's etc. I feel the same about large indoor malls. I think those days are fading.

Oh well, just an opinion and Lord knows I have been wrong before. ( not often you understand. )

NIta

[Curmudgeon]

Originally Posted by nmnita

Like all chains it depends on where you live I guess. I generally shop pretty much exclusively at specialty stores but I have shopped at Albetsons in Ca as well as NM. In fact in NM we have almost no choice as most chains are pretty much gone and Krogers (Smiths) are awful. This is true with most Krogers I have been in, but the one near my daughters in Texas is spotless.

I still maintain and I know most of you think I am off my rocker, the days of large chain grocery stores is coming to an end. More people are doing the warehouse bulk shopping, Farmers Markets and special stores like T. Joe's etc. I feel the same about large indoor malls. I think those days are fading.

Oh well, just an opinion and Lord knows I have been wrong before. ( not often you understand. )

NIta

I hope this is one of those times you're wrong. One of my daughters (age 25) is a full store manager for Safeway. Not bad for a youngster who started with them while attending high school.

We primarily shopped at the Safeway at R Street (my office was just three blocks away and my daughter was an assistant manager there) but also Trader Joe's, an Italian deli, SaveMart, etc. With only two of us to feed, big box stores didn't make sense and I'd rather assume room temperature than shop Wal Mart!

Now about Piggly Wiggly...