"Cheapest" Grocery Store? (Alexandria, Reston: home, purchases, zip code)

[ny2dc]

ChristineVA thanks, you are so sweet, my husband is right people are nice here, not like NYC, lol. Flamingo are suggestion is very interesting thanks also

[ransomedbyfire]

I read something yesterday on this thread about someone who was supposed to do comparison shopping to settle the question of which store is cheaper. Well, I am particularly interested in Peapod (Giant) vs. Safeway. So, I checked the online prices for items I usually buy for both stores. Overall, I've found that, between the two:

- Giant has cheaper "pantry" items (tea, oil, sugar, cereal, boxed side dishes, etc.)
- Safeway has cheaper dairy products.
- Safeway has cheaper frozen vegetables.
- Safeway has cheaper meat.
- Giant has cheaper "non-foods" (paper goods, etc. I'm not 100% sure about detergents.)
- Overall, based on the way I shop, Safeway comes out cheaper. (I think this is because their meat prices tend to be lower.)

DISCLAIMER: Results may be skewed by current sale item prices. Also, I noticed that sometimes one store had a store brand product whereas the other didn't. But I tried to keep the comparison items as close to each other as possible in size. Most items listed are generic except for a few things I am picky about and some things that were not available as generics.

[michgc]

I agree that Safeway is overall cheaper and has better sales. Giant has a better deli counter, though - Boars Head meats - and I go there just for that.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by michgc

I agree that Safeway is overall cheaper and has better sales. Giant has a better deli counter, though - Boars Head meats - and I go there just for that.

True indeed! I also think that the quality of the meat at Giant seems better than what Safeway offers. Any type of beef I buy seems to have a better flavor/texture than the Safeway meat. I know that only ground beef was compared and it was cheaper at Safeway; however, on things like steaks, roast, Giant sells Choice quality meats while Safeway sells Choice and "Rancher's Reserve" which is a step lower than choice and is cheaper per pound. If you compare their Choice prices to Giant's Choice prices they are about the same.

[normie]

Originally Posted by bmwguydc

I do sometimes get some from Wegman's, too, including a free bag like normie got (from the bag thread) -- though I have the purple one.

Those Wegman's bags are nice. By the way, if you love the Weggie's coupons like I do, be sure to watch for the newest set. I just used them and found out some of the coupons are good for more than they say. For example, the coupon for a free loaf of white bread is actually good for the whole wheat bread, too.

I'm still chuckling at the idea of Wegman's being a dump.
LOL, that's about as likely as claiming Tiffany's sells costume jewelry.

[stpickrell]

Originally Posted by bmwguydc

I've never thought the Ashburn Wegman's to be dumpy. In fact, since everything else has opened in the parking area, it improved my opinion of the shopping center because it felt less like being in a desolate area.

From what I understand, the Fairfax store is the aberration, owing to the smaller site, but Wegman's wanted to build closer-in; hence, the compromises in terms of space and layout. It's a good store, though. I have been to other Wegman's in MD, NY, and NJ, and they all seem to be pretty much the same in terms of quality of store, cleanliness, and offerings -- which is commendable, since I could not say the same about other general grocery stores that do have glaring issues between stores in the chain.

Wait ... the FAIRFAX Wegman's is the bad one? There are temples of consumption ... better than that one?

Wegmans Dulles has a Sterling mailing address. According to their site, they want to open one at the corner of Telegraph and Beulah.

I guess there's no sites big enough in Vienna/McLean ... unless they could go three stories, I suppose.

[normie]

Originally Posted by stpickrell

Wegmans Dulles has a Sterling mailing address.

I don't know where they get their mail delivered, but the store is on the western side of Route 28, which means it is in Ashburn. By the way, I'll bet that Wegman's sees quite a boom in their "take out" foods such as the sub sandwiches once the minor league stadium opens just down the road. My guess is they'll eventually redo that part of the store and add more employees, since that's a big money maker for them.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by stpickrell

Wait ... the FAIRFAX Wegman's is the bad one? There are temples of consumption ... better than that one?

Wegmans Dulles has a Sterling mailing address. According to their site, they want to open one at the corner of Telegraph and Beulah.

Yep, the Wegman's in Fairfax is the "worst" one. Mainly due to congested parking areas and they probably have the smallest space although you'd never really notice it.

I always considered the Sterling Wegman's to be the Sterling Wegman's and not the Ashburn Wegman's. The Sterling Wegman's was the first I had ever been to and I went shortly after it opened. There wasn't much of an "Ashburn" then so it was definitely the Sterling Wegman's.

[normie]

LOL, well it's ok by me if you want to think it's in Sterling... as long as that doesn't keep us from getting one here! I'd like a Lowes Island Weggie's less than a mile from my house, please.

[ChristineVA]

Originally Posted by normie

LOL, well it's ok by me if you want to think it's in Sterling... as long as that doesn't keep us from getting one here! I'd like a Lowes Island Weggie's less than a mile from my house, please.

Well, I'm not very familiar with that area AT ALL. The only time I've been out there was to visit that Wegman's (this is the one near/off of Waxpool Road, correct?) and it was deemed to be Sterling at that time. Ashburn didn't have much of a "name" then. The next time I was out there, I was driving by trying to get to the Leesburg Premium Outlets, and the third time was last month when I had to go to the National Conference Center. Boy oh boy did things look different! The exits/area to get to the Wegman's don't even look the same anymore.