Misc Grocery Shopping

 

There has been so much rhetoric about Wal-Mart vs. other stores I just
decided to try something. Over the past 4 weeks I purchased a few basic
items at 3 stores, W-M, a local small grocery, and the typical “snob
 grocery”. No produce, frozen, or meat items were included. Items included
tissue, detergent, bread, canned food, milk, coffee, coffee creamer. I
purchased the exact brand/size of items at each location. The results:
1. Snob Grocery $33.17
2. Small local  $31.62
3. Wal-Mart  $25.32
Milk pricing per gallon was nutty. W-M $2.74, local $3.79, snob $3.91.
Coffee creamer about the same, W-M $2.53, local $3.59, snob $4.09.
Since all brand/sizes were identical quality is not a variable.
One disturbing item was the milk at the local. The expiration dates on most
jugs had passed and when I called it to the attention of one of the
employees I was told “Somebody will buy it”.
Each one of us has to make our own decision as to shopping. I would not rule
out W-M for all items but I may be selective as to purchases.

 



I take all my local (other store) ads in to WalMart and they will
match sales prices on identical product.  One stop shopping for me!

 


Please shop the same list at your local big chain supermkt and let us
know the results.  I did this once with my two major chains and the
total came out the same, to the penny.  That was in the preWM days,
however.

 

Twice Retired wrote:

Whats a "snob grocery"?

I don't find anything like that here. There are a large regional chain
and a large family owned Italian market where we buy our groceries. I
have compared a number of times with wally and I don't see any
difference to write home about. Plus I don't care for adulterated or
poor quality meat products. Walmart meats are pumped up with
preservatives and water. I can buy fresh real meat at great prices at
the other places. If I want say sausage Walmart offers total garbage
like that Hillshire stuff. I can but freshly made good quality sausage
at the other place at a similar price instead.

 




I know all about snob markets.  It's a place in an affluent town where
no one looks at prices, lots of fancy cocktail party items, good wine
selection, imported cheeses,  nothing but BMWs in the lot, plenty of
kids to schlep to your car, and you can run a monthly tab and get
billed later. .I used to shop at one strictly for convenience.  It was
an independent store, owned by a family, and catered to the
wellheeled.  But, their meat was top notch and the produce decent.I
was sorry to see them close, but the big chains won in the end.

When I was  kid, we could drop a list of nonperishables  at a local
grocer, and pick it up in a cart later in  the day.  Talk about
service.   Don't get me started on the milk delivery, the fish truck
which ran around on Friday, a converted schoolbus which delivered
produce throught the streets, the bakeries who came to the house with
a basket of pastries and breads.........had an egg man who delivered
fresh from the farm - you almost didn't have to leave the house except
for canned goods and meat.