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I dont no why so many dont like ingles. Its alot better than publix or kroger. I know that because those are the only places I can go grocery shopping when I'm at college in Atlanta. In my small town Ingles is biulding its grocery store as big as wal-mart. I know that those Ingles in Asheville are run down and have trouble competing with the fresh food stores. Thats why you need a new one. Until then go to the farmers market in the area it has better fruit and vegetables, and is cheaper.
Yes, I agree some Ingles are better than others, but I think that's true of any supermarket chain. I'm satisfied with the Ingles in my neighborhood.
Makes me wonder, if Ingles is sooooooo bad, how come they continue to grow and grow and grow.? A new Ingles (actually replacing a old tiny one) is opening this Saturday on Tunnel Rd, and will fill a need for the downtown and east side.
Isn't it funny that we seem to complain about Ingles not being clean / friendliness / updated / etc but in the same breath we complain about the rising cost of food. If you want the store to be 'perfect' are you willing to pay the associated cost? It's all about priorities.
Makes me wonder, if Ingles is sooooooo bad, how come they continue to grow and grow and grow.? A new Ingles (actually replacing a old tiny one) is opening this Saturday on Tunnel Rd, and will fill a need for the downtown and east side.
I have no doubt that they are filling a need. I just have to shake my head when I find that basic staples are out of stock (which means I have to go to Walmart or a convenience store to get that staple at a higher price or go back to Ingles later in the week.) and I consistantly am paying about $30 more per week (that is an extra $1560 per year after taxes) than I did when I shopped in a town that had three grocery chains.
I have no complaints about the products that I buy at Ingles. What is offered is good quality. My complaint is with price and out of stocks. I have been to Walmart and I just don't like it. But Super Center is always busy, so maybe prices and stocking levels at Ingles will start to be more competitive.
No matter, I am happy here in Asheville. There is much to compensate for a once a week (or twice arghhh) inconvenience of food shopping.
Isn't it funny that we seem to complain about Ingles not being clean / friendliness / updated / etc but in the same breath we complain about the rising cost of food. If you want the store to be 'perfect' are you willing to pay the associated cost? It's all about priorities.
Excuse me... I don't mean to be in your face... but cleanliness amounts to a roll of paper towels, a bottle of Windex or 409, a mop, a little elbow grease, and literally minutes of time... which even the smallest business can easily afford to keep their restrooms decent... and friendliness has always been free.
Excuse me... I don't mean to be in your face... but cleanliness amounts to a roll of paper towels, a bottle of Windex or 409, a mop, a little elbow grease, and literally minutes of time... which even the smallest business can easily afford to keep their restrooms decent... and friendliness has always been free.
No one's talking about "perfect."
No such thing anywhere as perfect. But I do get where you are coming from on the cleanliness part. I do think Ingles does a good job on friendliness. My store is in Oteen. Those kids there are trained to ask how my day is going and did I find everything? (Of course, I tell them my day is great and I found everything. Why burden them with my frustrations with management. hahaha.)
Here is something that I really like about Asheville. No matter where I am, driving down the road or walking on the street, people look me in the eye and say hello (or wave to me). Where I last came from, everyone averted their eyes and pretended that I didn't really exist. (Someone in that town once told me that I didn't really exist because I didn't go to his high school. That explained everything.)
Perspective is so funny some times.
I use to go to Ingles quite a bit, but a lot of people I knew didn't like it because it was the clean, upscale, more expensive store that was open 24 hours and always had at least a couple helpful employees. So I know that some Ingles are kept up real well. When the super-Wal-mart opened up business really slowed down there even though it wasn't as nice because the prices were less.
On a slightly different note, with all the talk of Food Lion, they appear to be incorporating a very interesting new business strategy in many areas to change a number of stores over to either Bottom Dollar (lowest prices and service) or a Bloom (highest prices and service) while 'Food Lion' falls somewhere in between. So with two stores in the same general vicinity (which Food Lion seems to have in most places in NC), they are trying to get a foothold with the people that want to pay less and have a no frills and poor customer service (right down to paying for plastic bags), and the pople that want to pay more for an upscale store with fancy store with decorations, extra staff with butcher, deli, etc..
<re: Food Lion - Bottom Dollar chain> (right down to paying for plastic bags)
Interesting. I did some looking up on that; I know that an initiative has recently been started where FL employees have been given reusable bags to test as a trend toward going green as well as being cost effective. The BD stores offer the nickel bags or free boxes when available. It fits under the heading of keeping the prices down by being really low frill, but it's nothing new. I remember going to an Aldi's-type or warehouse store back in the 70s with my grandmother - a woman subsisting on Social Security . Your groceries were taken from one buggy, rung up, then tipped into another buggy. You wheeled it over to a counter area where you put pennies in a can to buy bags (paper back then) or you used your own bags saved from a previous visit and then bundled your purchases yourself.
Food Lion stores themselves vary from one locale to another, depending on the demographics of the area. I've shopped at one in Mocksville that is very spartan, then visited another several weeks later in Clemmons that was more upscale. I actually walked in, looked around with a frown, walked back out and checked the store sign. I then remarked to Spouse "SOMEONE has been stealing ideas from Lowes Foods. This doesn't look like the usual FL grocery store, it's patterned after the Lowes Market concept."
Excuse me... I don't mean to be in your face... but cleanliness amounts to a roll of paper towels, a bottle of Windex or 409, a mop, a little elbow grease, and literally minutes of time... which even the smallest business can easily afford to keep their restrooms decent... and friendliness has always been free.
No one's talking about "perfect."
Of course flithy restrooms are unacceptable...but I hope you immediately brought up those conditions to the attention of store management. If you did do that, I applaud you and I hope the next time you visited that restroom you were able to confirm that management had indeed fixed this issue to your satisfaction. If you didn't, then you only just endorsed the problem and have no reason to complain. See something, say something.
The Ingle's stores do vary by location, but then I find the same thing with our local Publix stores here in Florida.
I usually shop at the O'teen location when I am staying in Ashevlle, and that is a really nice store - clean, well-stocked, friendly staff, and - well you just can't beat the gorgeous scenery around there.
Asheville Native - I am looking forward to checking out the new Ingle's on Tunnel Road, since that one is right down the street from my neighborhood. I have to say, the old one next door had to be one of the sorriest little grocery stores I have ever been to - dirty, understocked and lots of very weird people in there (and not weird in a good way, if you get my drift! lol)
As far as the "no frills" groceries, aren't there already a couple of them like ALDI, BiLo and Sav-Mor? Asheville really has a ton of choices when it comes to grocery shopping, I really get spoiled up there! When I want a special treat I go to the Fresh Market and get these French fruit tarts - mmmmmm! But Fresh Market is outrageously expensive, best for party shopping.
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. Your groceries were taken from one buggy, rung up, then tipped into another buggy. You wheeled it over to a counter area where you put pennies in a can to buy bags (paper back then) or you used your own bags saved from a previous visit and then bundled your purchases yourself. 
