Brodheadsville, your new Shop Rite is coming! (Harrisburg, Carlisle: coupon, pharmacy)

[MatildaLoo]

I stopped in at the Shop-Rite today. I went in expecting to be underwhelmed. Palmerton's Country Harvest just went through renovations this past year and still has the same sucky selection, so I thought they'd be on par with that.

Boy was I wrong! I was pleasantly, PLEASANTLY surprised with this store! They have an awesome selection: deli, seafood, a cafe, a coffee beanery, a sushi bar... I was truly blown away.

Better yet, the aisles were wide and despite the store being fairly busy, I a.) did not get run down in the parking lot or want to scream bloody murder because people were driving like fools, or b.) did not get run down by anyone's shopping cart.

The store reminded me of the Giant I used to shop at in Camp Hill when I lived in Harrisburg, which I usually use as an example whenever I write a letter of complaint to the manager of the Lehighton Giant. (Which is a lot, because they are awful and I am sick of it)

The only two things that I could see wrong with this store is that they did not have stuffed grape leaves in their Mediterranean bar (boo!!!) and that their self-checkouts are short like Giant, instead of the belt kind at Weis, which gets annoying if you have more than two bags of groceries.

Other than that, I was VERY IMPRESSED!!!!!! Weis should be very afraid. They're going to lose a ton of business to Kinsley's.

[Gettingouttahere]

Now when is the Stroudsburg ShopRite gonna get a new store? I have to shop there as B'ville is almost an hour from me, and I am sick to deal of traffic jams in the aisles and limited selection. Unfortunately, their sales are still better than Weis and their coupons double, so I continue to suffer. Sigh.

[MatildaLoo]

ShopRite's individually owned and operated so it's likely up to the owners. I don't think ShopRite had anything to do with Kinsley's remodel, although I could be wrong.

[Gettingouttahere]

No, I know, MatildaLoo, there's no relevance and Wakefern had nothing to do with the B'ville remodel. Just wanted to whine

[karen_s]

Isn't it awesome? Finally got in there the other day and, I too was pleasantly surprised! (except for one obnoxious patron who did manage to run over my foot because she hadn't mastered cart driving 101 apparently LOL) - so wear your steel-toed boots if you have sensitive toes! There appeared to be plenty of helpful staff in the prepared foods section and everything was very well stocked. It reminded me of Wegman's actually.

If you want to visit an underwhelming Giant, try the one in Wind Gap. It is an "extra small" one and they are always out of stock of the few things they are supposed to carry.

When I used to go to the Stroudsburg Shop-Rite or the "old" Kinsley's with the limited aisles, I would have my teenager wait at the end of an aisle out of the way with a cart, and I would dash in, fill my arms with items, dash to the end, empty my arms, and repeat. Even if this method required wearing a 35-pound toddler on my back in a pack...

Country Harvest did literally a cosmetic redo only. Be sure to check expiration dates on things as well when you are forced to shop there. I actually get fresher & better things at the little discount outlet place down the street across from the park (and much better service, the guys are always offering to carry my box to the car, etc). The only saving grace is that the owner of Country Harvest is very supportive of the local food bank (CACPAC) and their efforts to feed the hungry, so I'll cut him some slack for that.

[MatildaLoo]

Originally Posted by karen_s

Isn't it awesome? Finally got in there the other day and, I too was pleasantly surprised! (except for one obnoxious patron who did manage to run over my foot because she hadn't mastered cart driving 101 apparently LOL) - so wear your steel-toed boots if you have sensitive toes! There appeared to be plenty of helpful staff in the prepared foods section and everything was very well stocked. It reminded me of Wegman's actually.

If you want to visit an underwhelming Giant, try the one in Wind Gap. It is an "extra small" one and they are always out of stock of the few things they are supposed to carry.

When I used to go to the Stroudsburg Shop-Rite or the "old" Kinsley's with the limited aisles, I would have my teenager wait at the end of an aisle out of the way with a cart, and I would dash in, fill my arms with items, dash to the end, empty my arms, and repeat. Even if this method required wearing a 35-pound toddler on my back in a pack...

Country Harvest did literally a cosmetic redo only. Be sure to check expiration dates on things as well when you are forced to shop there. I actually get fresher & better things at the little discount outlet place down the street across from the park (and much better service, the guys are always offering to carry my box to the car, etc). The only saving grace is that the owner of Country Harvest is very supportive of the local food bank (CACPAC) and their efforts to feed the hungry, so I'll cut him some slack for that.

I know the Giant you mean, but I don't think I've ever been in it. My boyfriend and I employ the same quick-grab technique at the end of the aisles

Yesterday I said to him "I can't believe that Country Harvest spent all that money on a new chandelier and yet didn't make the produce department any better."

I'm sad that Kinsley's isn't open 24-7 though, but they do have pretty decent operating hours.

[MatildaLoo]

I know this is old, but I wanted to report that today I used Kinsley's ShopRite's Shop from Home service. I wanted to see how it worked and if it was worth the $10 surcharge to do it. My grocery order actually came out $10 below what it averages at Giant each week, even with the surcharge, plus I didn't have to fight my way aisle by aisle to find what I wanted.

As an added bonus, the woman who checked me out was SO NICE!! She even gave me a complimentary bouquet of flowers when I mentioned I was a first time Shop from Home customer. My experience has been that the people who work at that ShopRite are always very friendly and helpful, which puts it miles above Weis or Lehighton's Giant in my book.

Not sure if I will shop that way again, but if you live in the area I definitely recommend giving it a try.

[Gerania]

Did you order produce or items which many people like to scrutinize, squeeze, smell?

[MatildaLoo]

Originally Posted by Gerania

Did you order produce or items which many people like to scrutinize, squeeze, smell?

I did not, and that is something that I would want to go to the store for. We've been buying ours at the Allentown Farmer's Market lately though, so by the time grocery day rolls around we usually have a lot on hand and don't need to replenish.

[charmed hour]

Originally Posted by MatildaLoo

I stopped in at the Shop-Rite today. I went in expecting to be underwhelmed. Palmerton's Country Harvest just went through renovations this past year and still has the same sucky selection, so I thought they'd be on par with that.

Boy was I wrong! I was pleasantly, PLEASANTLY surprised with this store! They have an awesome selection: deli, seafood, a cafe, a coffee beanery, a sushi bar... I was truly blown away.

Better yet, the aisles were wide and despite the store being fairly busy, I a.) did not get run down in the parking lot or want to scream bloody murder because people were driving like fools, or b.) did not get run down by anyone's shopping cart.

The store reminded me of the Giant I used to shop at in Camp Hill when I lived in Harrisburg, which I usually use as an example whenever I write a letter of complaint to the manager of the Lehighton Giant. (Which is a lot, because they are awful and I am sick of it)

The only two things that I could see wrong with this store is that they did not have stuffed grape leaves in their Mediterranean bar (boo!!!) and that their self-checkouts are short like Giant, instead of the belt kind at Weis, which gets annoying if you have more than two bags of groceries.

Other than that, I was VERY IMPRESSED!!!!!! Weis should be very afraid. They're going to lose a ton of business to Kinsley's.

I'm new to the Jim Thorpe area and have shopped the Lehighton Giant twice so far. I actually love it. I find their prices are bit above what I was previously paying in NYC. However, I found the store clean, well organized, quite large and spacious with friendly staff. I will say though, I shopped a Pathmark in the Bronx for years so I can just be a little over enthusiastic at a clean store. LOL