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I guess some people might call me a whining transplant that ought to go back home if I don't like things they way they are and always have been, but here are my thoughts from my experience (3 weeks living here).
I like the town, I like where I live and I like most of the people that I have come into contact with here. That includes native Carolinians and other transplants. I plan on staying here even if I have to frequent 5 or 10 grocery stores to get my weekly provisions.
Ingles (in Oteen) isn't as bad as others have claimed about produce and other things in other Ingles stores. I will continue to shop there dispite that they drive me crazy in how they do business. (As Rosannarosanadana always said...if it isn't one thing it is another ((or something like that.))). This week I couldn't find Trisket crackers. They have every possible sickening flavor of Triskets except the original Triskets. Last week it was another staple that I couldn't find. And besides that, crackers and cookies are all mixed together in that one aisle. Cookies dominate there.
My other pet peeve, is when you question something like this, there are no knowledgeable adults present.
Bottom line: The negative side of Asheville is food costs a lot more money here than most other places I have been. I don't know why Ingles doesn't have more competition here, but I do know they do need it desperately. (or we do, at any rate).
I am sure Mister Ingles is a swell guy, but he is raking in a ton of money or he is running a very inefficient operation. I don't know which.
So, I am not really whining. I'll buy the things at Ingle's that are cheaper (and in stock) than anywhere else. I'll just have to spend more time than I am accustomed to and visit 3 or 4 other stores to get what I want economically.
Since food shopping is not my passion, I'll welcome Pubix, Wegemans, Piggly Wiggly, Trader Joe's or any other chain that can deliver the goods economically and conveniently. Some of us may call that progress. Others might say it is just a continuation of the downward spiral.
I guess some people might call me a whining transplant that ought to go back home if I don't like things they way they are and always have been, but here are my thoughts from my experience (3 weeks living here).
I like the town, I like where I live and I like most of the people that I have come into contact with here. That includes native Carolinians and other transplants. I plan on staying here even if I have to frequent 5 or 10 grocery stores to get my weekly provisions.
Ingles (in Oteen) isn't as bad as others have claimed about produce and other things in other Ingles stores. I will continue to shop there dispite that they drive me crazy in how they do business. (As Rosannarosanadana always said...if it isn't one thing it is another ((or something like that.))). This week I couldn't find Trisket crackers. They have every possible sickening flavor of Triskets except the original Triskets. Last week it was another staple that I couldn't find. And besides that, crackers and cookies are all mixed together in that one aisle. Cookies dominate there.
My other pet peeve, is when you question something like this, there are no knowledgeable adults present.
Bottom line: The negative side of Asheville is food costs a lot more money here than most other places I have been. I don't know why Ingles doesn't have more competition here, but I do know they do need it desperately. (or we do, at any rate).
I am sure Mister Ingles is a swell guy, but he is raking in a ton of money or he is running a very inefficient operation. I don't know which.
So, I am not really whining. I'll buy the things at Ingle's that are cheaper (and in stock) than anywhere else. I'll just have to spend more time than I am accustomed to and visit 3 or 4 other stores to get what I want economically.
Since food shopping is not my passion, I'll welcome Pubix, Wegemans, Piggly Wiggly, Trader Joe's or any other chain that can deliver the goods economically and conveniently. Some of us may call that progress. Others might say it is just a continuation of the downward spiral.
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Hey there, I agree with your whole post. Since we don't live there full time right now, the food shopping isn't as critical - while I do appreciate all the marvelous choices, I too, noticed how much higher the food costs are up there almost everywhere. When I am staying in Asheville I also shop at O'teen Ingles - I think that is one of the nicest ones. But because of the high costs, I also do some shopping at the ........(gulp!) Super Walmart! Which actually is the nicest Walmart I have EVER been to, and where it is actually not a bad experience to shop there - and it has GREAT deals, too, even on produce sometimes. Since I am only shopping for one or two people, I don't feel like going to 5 stores to get what I want.
I have never had a Trader Joe's available for shopping, but have heard a lot of great things about them. I do think they would be a welcome addition to the Asheville scene. From what I understand, they are NOT really a full grocery store, rather they have specialty items at great prices, so they wouldn't really be in total direct competition with Ingles, anyway.
Here's to more grocery choices! I say the more the better.
Y'all DO know that grocery chains buy their produce from essentially the same sources?
Produce is produce is produce UNLESS you get to a higher end store and then of course you are paying more so I would hope it is better...
As to transplants,we have more than our fair share here and of course they have changed the place considerably,oddly enough they are the ones complaining about growth.
Of course it was perfectly okay when it was THEM personally moving down here, the complaints are about everybody AFTER they arrived...
I am not a native of this area(or even of this nation) but have lived here in the (s)lowcountry for half my life and have seen the changes made to accomodate the newcomers....and with every change they complain about how it isn't the same little town.
In MY opinion, a new neighbor doesn't come to an area and complain how it needs to change to suit them,they are the newly arrived and should adapt, NOT the area.
When in Rome, do as the Romans do.
I guess the modern version is When in Rome, Make the Romans change to fit your desires.
Some thing to think about,have y'all thought WHY the natives of a region feel the way they do???
there might just be a good reason for the bumper sticker "We don't CARE how you did it up north"...
Aw come on. This attitude is everywhere and always has been.
In Arizona, the bumper stickers say "Welcome to Arizona, now go home." or "So many Snowbirds, so little birdshot."
The problem is that our population is growing and mobility is greater than ever before. Change is inevitable - more so than death or taxes, even. So if you don't like things as they are, you can try to change them. But always, always some complain, some call names, and few actually do anything...
Go home? That is like telling blacks to go back to Africa or the Irish to Ireland. Don't be ridiculous. People come to NC for every reason EXCEPT a grocery store chain!
That should be the question asked by those newly arrived.
I think this might be the problem with some,they feel THEY should dictate how things should be in their new home,especially when their numbers increase.
On some forums I visit there are people who move to the country and then complain about the very 'country-ness'(my new word) of the place-the dirt roads,the smells, the animals, and of course the farming.
That is quite bizarre to me but somehow these people feel that the area should conform to them.
Modern society and most of it's members have become VERY selfish and it is the person that comes first and everyone else can change to suit them.
Would people move to a unspoiled tropical paradise that is totally different from their home and then complain??
Well actually I think the answer would be YES they would.
Oh and the other sticker is "If it's tourist season why can't we shoot them?"....
Hey there, I agree with your whole post. Since we don't live there full time right now, the food shopping isn't as critical - while I do appreciate all the marvelous choices, I too, noticed how much higher the food costs are up there almost everywhere. When I am staying in Asheville I also shop at O'teen Ingles - I think that is one of the nicest ones. But because of the high costs, I also do some shopping at the ........(gulp!) Super Walmart! Which actually is the nicest Walmart I have EVER been to, and where it is actually not a bad experience to shop there - and it has GREAT deals, too, even on produce sometimes. Since I am only shopping for one or two people, I don't feel like going to 5 stores to get what I want.
I have never had a Trader Joe's available for shopping, but have heard a lot of great things about them. I do think they would be a welcome addition to the Asheville scene. From what I understand, they are NOT really a full grocery store, rather they have specialty items at great prices, so they wouldn't really be in total direct competition with Ingles, anyway.
Here's to more grocery choices! I say the more the better.
We have always avoided Walmart but on our last visit up there we needed a few things and were very impressed. We will do most of our shopping there and also Lowes our Realtor suggested. We didn't understand the tax system though since on our receipt some items had two diferent tax rates.
We didn't understand the tax system though since on our receipt some items had two diferent tax rates.
Taxation of food in NC is a bit complicated, but generally the state government doesn't tax unprepared food, but your local government does. It basically comes down to the actual item and how it's sold.
silveray (the op), Earth Fare is not strictly organic (this is a big misconception). They are a natural foods store. I would say that ess then 1/3 of what they carry is organic. y carry a lot of conventional local produce. And place like EF do not use the same distributors/vendors as the traditional grocers; it just wouldn't make sense. EF uses Unfi and Midi and a couple of others. Anyone can get food directly from Unfi as a co-op.
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