Interesting WVEC Grocery Comparison Article (Newport News, Hampton: daycare, prices, military)

[Trevor92]

Thought others might enjoy the article I just read on WVEC.com (the local ABC affiliate) here:
Bag the savings at the grocery store | TOP STORIES | WVEC.com | News for Hampton Roads, Virginia (http://www.wvec.com/news/topstories/stories/wvec_local_042808_bargain_hunter_grocery.6254474c. html - broken link)
where they made a shopping list of 10 items and compared the prices at local grocery stores. The brief form with discount cards is:
Wal-Mart $30.49
Food Lion $31.38
Farm Fresh $32.58
Kroger $32.74
Harris Teeter $34.10
K-Mart $34.93
It also has a link to view what was shown over the air.

I thought it was a good piece overall but lacked a few points that would have made sense. One thing that Food Lion/Kroger/Farm Fresh often do is advertise certain brands on a weekly sale. Such as this week Food Lion or Farm Fresh may have specials on certain cereals or fruits, but not on cheerios or bananas which was on the shopping list. Same thing with Charmin or Gain detergent. So you can often find more deals if you're not tied to a particular brand. Whereas Wal-Mart tends to stick to 'Everyday Low Prices' and not run weekly specials in most cases. Another consideration is how far the store is to you (gas prices), and there are a larger number of Food Lions and Farm Freshes than Wal-Marts in the area.

[gallowsCalibrator]

Personally, I'd ray pay more and get great service for my money than to deal with the headache that Wal-Mart brings. The only grocery stores I go to are Kroger and (sometimes) Harris Teeter. I've never had a problem at either store.

[Trevor92]

Originally Posted by Kuharai

Personally, I'd ray pay more and get great service for my money than to deal with the headache that Wal-Mart brings. The only grocery stores I go to are Kroger and (sometimes) Harris Teeter. I've never had a problem at either store.

I completely and totally agree. Another reason I tend to avoid Wal-Mart on a weekly, grocery basis is that the larger crowd there has more dangers than just a headache. At the Wal-Mart on Military Hwy I've been approached 4-5 times trying to leave the store by people wanting rides, cab money, and cash for a check. So I tend to stick to the Food Lion and sometimes Farm Fresh just because they're closest to the house, both very nice stores with decent produce, and less than Wal-Mart on many things, especially the weekly specials.

[Wi_Girl]

I'm glad they did this comparison. Unfortunately, I am one of those Wal-Mart shoppers. I go to the one in York County though, especially to avoid the Newport News Wal-Mart. The York County one usually isnt too bad, and I usually know what time of day is best to go there. I have to watch every penny these days, especially since I use alot of gas driving to work and my daughter to daycare. But its worth having the peace of mind that she is safe with someone I know really well.

[gallowsCalibrator]

If I were to actually go to a Wal-Mart, I would actually use the Newport News one..... It's the Wal-Mart that gives me the best service. Then again, I worked there and became a manager there - so all of the oldtime employees still know me and I still talk to some on a regular basis.