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There are a few non Klein owned ShopRite stores in other counties in Maryland, but ShopRite in Maryland in general is small in marketshare. ShopRite is not that strong on the PA side of the Philadelphia market esp. in the western suburbs either. Maybe the MD Acme stores will get sold to Wakefern however, which will increase some coverage.
As far as I know, there is no ShopRite in Cecil County, MD. If there was one, ShopRite would have contiguous coverage from NJ through the Baltimore region.
ShopRite also bought quite a few Super Fresh stores in MD. There's one in Silver Spring that's pretty clean, well-stocked and organized. Not too sure why Super Fresh couldn't make it in MD. It's stores and parking lots were always full. Perhaps it was too ordinary for Giant and Safeway loyal customers.
I noticed that many shoppers in the DC area prefer either "upscale" grocers like Wegman's/Harris-Teeter's or specialty grocers like Whole Foods/Trader Joe's and were willing to drive long distances just to shop at those type of grocers. I used to buy organic until I received a seed catalog in the mail one day. I didn't realize how pervasive genetically-modified seeds have become.
ShopRite also bought quite a few Super Fresh stores in MD. There's one in Silver Spring that's pretty clean, well-stocked and organized. Not too sure why Super Fresh couldn't make it in MD. It's stores and parking lots were always full. Perhaps it was too ordinary for Giant and Safeway loyal customers.
I noticed that many shoppers in the DC area prefer either "upscale" grocers like Wegman's/Harris-Teeter's or specialty grocers like Whole Foods/Trader Joe's and were willing to drive long distances just to shop at those type of grocers. I used to buy organic until I received a seed catalog in the mail one day. I didn't realize how pervasive genetically-modified seeds have become.
A study came out saying the health benefits of organic are nearly indistinguishable from "regular" fruits & veggies. So some people are paying for moral superiority, or are just dopey.
ShopRite also bought quite a few Super Fresh stores in MD. There's one in Silver Spring that's pretty clean, well-stocked and organized. Not too sure why Super Fresh couldn't make it in MD. It's stores and parking lots were always full. Perhaps it was too ordinary for Giant and Safeway loyal customers.
I noticed that many shoppers in the DC area prefer either "upscale" grocers like Wegman's/Harris-Teeter's or specialty grocers like Whole Foods/Trader Joe's and were willing to drive long distances just to shop at those type of grocers. I used to buy organic until I received a seed catalog in the mail one day. I didn't realize how pervasive genetically-modified seeds have become.
That's right- forgot about those. A&P pulled out of Baltimore around it's bankruptcy time. Those store were bought by Village Markets (based in NJ) and maybe other co-ops, but not from a MD based co-op that I know. I suppose low market-share and operating costs more far away from the distribution centers, was part of the reason for closure.
It recently closed Superfresh stores in Mercer, Burlington and Camden Counties closer in their primary markets.
By the Jersey shore (So. Ocean-Atlantic-Cape May), there are 3 Superfresh stores and 1 Pathmark left. The store in So. Ocean county is rather old looking and Pathmark in Ventnor City isn't attracting the most upscale crowd. A&P could have moved into the newer Genuardi's buildings (maybe as Pathmark if that's the banner it wants to move forward).
Personally, I liked the America's Choice, Greenway and other private labels better than ShopRite's labels. But for brand items, Superfresh is pricey unless there is a sale. But, not as pricey as Acme, but Acme's store's were atleast newer looking while A&P disinvested in their stores and has small marketshare atleast in So. NJ.
Back in 2006, 6 Clemens stores in PA converted to Superfresh.
In 2007, A&P bought Pathmark.
Then in 2008, some Superfresh stores converted to Pathmark http://articles.philly.com/2008-06-2...s-price-impact
The Super Fresh stores that remain will be targeted toward upscale shoppers with an emphasis on customer service and fresh foods, he said.
"Pathmark stands for price," Metzger said, "Super Fresh and A&P stand for service and perishables."
So, a chain with such small marketshare in Philly decided to keep operating under two store banners for a stupid reason that one is more upscale and the other is more price oriented. But some mid-high income areas with newer Superfresh stores converted to the Pathmark banner, while old dilapidated stores kept the Superfresh banner which seems to have no reason. So much for Superfresh being upscale. Being competitive in pricing should be necessary for all stores. I have no idea what their strategy is for the Philadelphia market now. At this point, I don't know the point of having two banners down here, when collectively A&P is still so small and just getting smaller.
A study came out saying the health benefits of organic are nearly indistinguishable from "regular" fruits & veggies. So some people are paying for moral superiority, or are just dopey.
There are less pesticides typically with organic fruits and veggies.
Supermarkets in North Jersey:
Shop Rite: probably the best chain we have up here. They offer good variety and affordability. A lot of the stores are dated though and their lay-outs can be confusing and unorganized. A lot of locations have bakeries to die for!!
Whole Foods/Kings: Fresh produce and meats, excellent customer service. Stores are beautiful. Pricey though. They are not within reach for the average consumer.
Pathmark: Not as bad as people say it is. At least most of their buildings are modern with a nice lay-out. They beat most Shop Rites in that aspect. Food-wise, they are average
Food Basic: Not too many out there (4-5 in North Jersey). Prices are excellent, but amenities are very minimal as a result. A lot of products are close to their expiration dates as well.
Aldi's/Trader Joe's: Good for select items, but impossible to shop for all your grocery needs at these locations alone. You're forced to go to major supermarket either way.
C-Town: Meats are priced at awesome prices. That's about it. Certain products (shampoos, juices, brand-name cookies) can be ridiculously expensive here surprisingly. Amenities are appalling at best. Usually found in ghetto areas.
Stop N' Shop, A&P, Fairway: Don't have much experience with these, so I can't comment.
king gives you a lot of fluff so the store will be cleaner and the isles more open but the price will be more... after the hour you spend in the store does it matter ??
king gives you a lot of fluff so the store will be cleaner and the isles more open but the price will be more... after the hour you spend in the store does it matter ??
You pay more for the "experience." But the dumpiness of Pathmarks reminds me of how crummy most Grand Unions were. They simply don't care much about the look of their stores or the cleanliness.
Supermarkets in North Jersey:
Shop Rite: probably the best chain we have up here. They offer good variety and affordability. A lot of the stores are dated though and their lay-outs can be confusing and unorganized. A lot of locations have bakeries to die for!!
Whole Foods/Kings: Fresh produce and meats, excellent customer service. Stores are beautiful. Pricey though. They are not within reach for the average consumer.
Pathmark: Not as bad as people say it is. At least most of their buildings are modern with a nice lay-out. They beat most Shop Rites in that aspect. Food-wise, they are average
Food Basic: Not too many out there (4-5 in North Jersey). Prices are excellent, but amenities are very minimal as a result. A lot of products are close to their expiration dates as well.
Aldi's/Trader Joe's: Good for select items, but impossible to shop for all your grocery needs at these locations alone. You're forced to go to major supermarket either way.
C-Town: Meats are priced at awesome prices. That's about it. Certain products (shampoos, juices, brand-name cookies) can be ridiculously expensive here surprisingly. Amenities are appalling at best. Usually found in ghetto areas.
Stop N' Shop, A&P, Fairway: Don't have much experience with these, so I can't comment.
Fairway, at least the two here in NJ, are on par with Whole Foods and Kings.
Stop N' Shop is hit or miss depending on the location. In general though, they tend to be a bit pricier than Shop Rite or Pathmark.
A&P in my opinion is a step up from Pathmark. They're owned by the same company which also includes Food Emporium in NYC, and you will find the same store brands there.
A study came out saying the health benefits of organic are nearly indistinguishable from "regular" fruits & veggies. So some people are paying for moral superiority, or are just dopey.
There are frequently studies going one way and then the other on a variety of things. Sometimes, if you look deeply enough you find some sort of collusion. We know that the organic market is preferring the small local farmer to the large factory farms. The megaliths are certainly going to fight back, and what's better than a 'scientific' study?
You pay more for the "experience." But the dumpiness of Pathmarks reminds me of how crummy most Grand Unions were. They simply don't care much about the look of their stores or the cleanliness.
I have not had experience with a lot of stores but the few Shop Rites that I've been to give rain checks whenever they are out of something and usually give me a time when they expect the product back in. I think they have much better customer service.
At PathMark their advertised specials were often out of stock and when I went to Customer Service they said I could not have a rain check until Friday. They also could not say when the new shipment was coming in and advised me to return every day to see if the item was in. Needless to say, I never returned.
Other than the cashers, who have boring repetitious jobs, the human face of a store is its Customer Service people. If they are pleasant and friendly and efficient I leave with a good impression, even if I did not get my item. If they are surly and abrupt and seem to just want to get rid of me, I leave the store with a whole other impression of them.
It used to be that Shop Rite had better meat than Stop and Shop. That may have changed.
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