I'm in Northern/Western Michigan, one county in from The Lake.

In my entire county we have four independent grocery stores. Mine is Houseman's, we also have Bill's, Gene's and Ed's. We have one Plumb's, which is a local chain and the Evil Empire Walmart. That's it.

They're all about the same price, none of them have cards, Walmart is usually the most expensive. They will "price match" everyone but you have to know the item, the price and the store, and have the same brand. It's a PIA. I never go to WalMart anyway, I'd rather give my business to my neighbors.

Others here have remarked how cheap my groceries are, so I guess they're relatively inexpensive. However, they are also small and don't have a very big selection. No King Arthur flour, for instance. The only cocoa I can get here is Hershey's. Land O Lakes butter and the store brand, that's it. I've never seen an artichoke, fresh fennel or shallots in my grocery, or a fresh fig. We do have avocados periodically.

Annie

Whole Foods -- way expensive
TJ's -- not expensive, limited choices of every day stuff
Super Fresh (former A&P) -- somewhere in the middle
Wegman's -- haven't been there yet

Acme, Safeway, Giant, Genuardi's (bought by Safeway?)-- more chains, all the same as far as I can tell

Pathmark -- less expensive chain.

Never found one I love. There's a Super Fresh a few blocks from me so I go there. I like the people who work there. It's very small as grocery stores go and has a smaller selection.

Whole Foods - Whole Paycheck, as it's often called. Nearest stores are an hour away so I only go if I'm in the area.

Wegman's - Depends on what you're buying. House brands are often a good buy, prepared foods are expensive, but high quality. Love their produce.

TJ's - Nearest one is an hour away so I rarely go.

Kings- small, very expensive/high end store. Has hard-to-find items that even Wegman's doesn't carry.

ShopRite - pretty much "owns" my area and is trying to rival Wegmans. Great sales.

A&P - Local store is struggling due to a new ShopRite just up the road. Prices are dropping and they seem to be trying to bring in higher end items. I personally hope they stay open because it's easy to get in and out. They recently restructured as a result of bankruptcy so it will be interesting to see what happens.

One independent store that I never go to because it's inconvenient.

I try to go to as many small local stores as possible and find that they often have much better prices. As for the chains, I go to the following:

Trader Joe's - inexpensive, small but innovative selection
Ralphs - average price, try to avoid when possible - too generic and not good service
Gelson's - great selection, some items expensive and some cheaper than other places - great for sushi and fish, plus there is a Viktor Benes Belgian bakery inside
Mitsuwa - great selection of Japanese products, best place for sashimi and sushi rice
99 Ranch - have only been there once and will avoid their "assorted herb" aisle in the future - best selection of Chinese black vinegar
Bristol Farms - a bit expensive, but great selections on deli items and great service
Whole Foods - don't really shop there even though they are fairly close, but I might start going there.

Our local vegetable/fruit market is going out of business, and I am very sad. They have a great selection of Middle Eastern items, especially the Sadaf brand, but also the Goya brand for Hispanic foods. After they close, I will have to go to Culver City, Palms, or Mar Vista for a vegetable/fruit market. There is one in Palms that I really like, but I don't like to have to go that far. I will probably start visiting the local farmers' markets more, or get Kevin to go to the one in Culver City on his lunch break. Otherwise, we will have to go to Santa Monica or Hollywood on the week-end and deal with traffic/parking.

Lars

When you live out in the middle of nowhere these are our choices. I go to Dillons (Kroger associated) and Wal-Mart weekly, Aldi twice a month, and that's IT for stores. There is a Farmers Market set up in the hardware store parking lot for 5-months every Saturday morning, but with my own garden, they really don't factor into where the food budget gets distributed ($125/month).

-Grainlady

In the Twin Cities of MN we have lots of choices.

Lunds -- expensive. I don't shop there.
Byerlys --expensive. I don't shop there.
Whole Foods -- expensive. I don't shop there.
Mississippi Market -- natural and organic food/coop.
Expensive but not as much as Whole Foods. I shop there
a lot.
TJs -- Middle of the road? I don't shop there much so I
don't know. I like their cut flowers.
Rainbow -- standard grocery store
Cub -- standard grocery store. I shop here for some things.
SuperTarget -- I shop here sometimes.
Aldi -- I shop here for a few items 2-3 times/month.

I buy organic for meats and fish and the "dirty dozen" produce. I get most of this at Mississippi Market and some at Cub (they have a small organic section). Other standard items are bought at Cub or Target, and a few things at Aldi. I've found that Aldi has great prices and good quality on things like salsa, mustard, coffee, spices, some produce like bagged onions, cheese, chocolate, and paper products like paper towels, garbage bags, etc. They also carry Fage Greek yogurt which I eat daily and therefore need to buy frequently. We also have lots of Farmer's Markets in my urban area: I can walk to the fabulous one downtown St. Paul and two other smaller ones in the area.

Used to have 3 in my area.

Super Fresh has been gone for over a year. Was probably one I went to most often because they ALWAYS had lots of meat/poultry seriously marked down 2-3 days before sell-by date and always had an area with less than perfect LOOKING produce that was seriously cheap. Building has signs on it that a "Bottom Dollar" is moving in soon... a no-frills, bring your own bags, bag your own stuff place. Have been in one before and looking forward to it opening.

ACME is closest, but the most expensive.

Shop Rite is least convenient to get to, but not far away.

TJ's, Whole Foods, & Wegman's not TOO far away but rarely "on the way" for normal food shopping.

I am one of those amazed at mid-western prices. I understand that everything is relative but still...

We have 2 grocery stores here in Mystic, CT.

1. McQuades is a family owned store. This is where we do most of our local shopping. McQuades has an excellent butcher & deli but the store is small. They cater to the boater's needs because that's a large niche market here & also because McQuades is located very close to West Marine. McQuades is about 3 miles from the house but during the boating/tourist season difficult to get to because we have to drive right through the Seaport & Aquarium areas to reach them (huge traffic back-ups). In the winter, traffic isn't an issue. We do enjoy shopping there though 'cause they're friendly greeting us by first name, asking about the kids, etc. That's nice.

2. Big Y World Class Market. They are close to our house (less than a mile) but we seldom shop there because of quality issues. This store was previously owned by S&P but Big Y bought all of S&P's CT stores through BK. At first I was excited to hear they were remodeling the Mystic store & we were getting one of their upper end "World Class Markets". Bah humbug. :( Selection, quality, & service are all lacking. They also cater to the boaters with frequent sales on soft drinks, chips, crackers, etc. but their produce & meat departments are awful. It's a typical superstore. Not our favorite by any means.

3. We have 2 fishmongers in Mystic. One, Grossman's is pretty good. I like them 'cause they call me when they've gotten something in they know I'll like. Nice service. They are located over by Beebe Cove in West Mystic though (west side of the Mystic River) which means we have to go over the drawbridge to reach them. Another PITA for the past 2 years because of the "Mystic Beautification Project" - a 3 year re-do of downtown's sidewalks, street lights, benches, & a major restoration of the bascule bridge. Traffic through downtown is down to one lane for another year. :(

4. There is a Walmart located on the far side of Groton but we've never been in the store. It's 10 miles from home, inconvenient, & we are not Walmart shoppers.

5. Most of our shopping (about 80%) is at Whole Foods. Our most convenient store is in Cranston, Rhode Island about an hour from home (maybe, a bit less). For the past few years, we've been trying to shop mostly organic & locally grown. We make a monthly junket.

6. We also shop at local farms like Terra Firma Farm & support our local organic farmer's market (Dennison's Homestead).

7. Since King Arthur is a New England company we have no trouble locating their products & we make a semi-annual trip to their retail location in Norwich, Vermont for what isn't available in Mystic.

One doesn't live in Mystic because grocery shopping is convenient with a multitude of choices. Businesses in our area are mostly small & family owned. For instance, the only fast food is McD's over by I-95. For us, that's great. Now, if what you need is rode, bottom paint, a new windless, teak oil, or a canvass maker - Mystic has a wide variety of shopping choices. We moved to Mystic because we are boaters, love the sea, & it's a great place to garden. A Whole Foods and/or Trader Joe's would sure be nice though. Maybe, someday.

/tricia

In my town we have a single grocery store; Tops. It is mediocre at best. Limited selection of everything, but occasionally surprises me in a good way.

Wegman's is about seven miles away and worth the trip. Great food, competitive prices and always friendly and helpful staff.

For those of you from the south, a good Wegmans is like a good Publix.

jo

We have in NY a great selection of stores of all kinds, three TJ's within 15 minutes for instance, and many small local stores.

But the most important thing is to shop carefully.

For instance, Elephant garlic is $3.00 a bulb in Stop&Shop, $0.50 in local stores. Razor clams $10.00 a lb in Eataly, $5.00 a lb in Chinese stores.

dcarch

Canada has some stores country-wide and some that are unique to the West and in the East.

Hubby lived in NC and TX for a number of years. He came back to Canada in 2001 and we met in 2002. He LOVED Albertson's and Winn Dixie and Food Lion. He also liked Harris Teeter. He didn't find much price difference among the stores.

We go shopping and I shop flyers and go from store to store. He didn't see the value of that *at first* till we did some comparisons.

Zehrs/Loblaws/Superstore are all owned by the Weston family and is expensive.

Sobey's/Metro is from the east, and here in Ontario, and is more expensive than Zehrs.

No Frills is a discount chain of Zehrs/Loblaws
Freshco is a discount chain owned by Sobey's, as is Food Basics.

Tricia, I'd love a place that had limited fast food places. I do like a good selection of grocery stores, though.

I live in a metroplex with a great selection of grocery stores, yet a very, very poor selection. It's great because there's several different stores, but most of them have been diminishing in quality.

Tom Thumb, Safeway owned in a round about way, as it's Randalls, which is Safeway owned, I think. It's the most convenient to me, but also among the most expensive, if not the most expensive. Their prices rival Whole Foods, but the service isn't nearly as good as WF. Quality no better than the cheap places. In fact, their organic produce looks like it's come from Whole Food's dumpster. I swear that's where they get it. It's not uncommon to find expired items on the shelf. I've gotten in the habit to always check dates.

Fiesta, a locally owned Hispanic market, and there are counless other Hispanic markets in my area. I rarely shop at them, but I do occasionally go to Fiesta for tortillas. I went there fairly frequently when they first opened, but their quality has diminished, and the store is usually very crowded. It's convenient to go to, though.

Walmart and Walmart Marketplace, the small grocery store version of Walmart. I'll occasionally go into the Walmart Marketplace store, but rarely the big Walmart, at least, not here in my Garland neighborhood. I'll go to the Walmart in Tahelquah because there's limited choices there. But that's another paragraph. I hate Walmart.

Krogers. I don't like Krogers, either. They are expensive, poorly organized, not convenient to me, and very limited in organic selections. There regular produce isn't too good, either.

That's it for the stores that are close to me.

Albertsons. I rarely shop there, either. Many of their stores have gone out of business. The ones that remain are fairly far away, and their quality and prices aren't any better than the other stores. Well, their prices are a bit lower than Tom Thumb and Krogers, but the quality isn't all that good. Another store you really have to check dates, as expired foods are commonly left on the shelves.

I shop at Super Target every other week, when I do my volunteer work at the cat adoption place in Pet Smart. They are in the same shopping center. They closed the Target close to me, so it's a long drive to get to even the closest one. Their prices are probably the best over all of the stores. They are better than Walmart for sure, but their selection isn't as good. I love shopping there, anyway, because their store is clean, well lit, and the people are pleasant. I go there knowing I won't find everything I need. They're the best place to get staples. I like their house brand, also.

I make trips to Whole Foods and Central Market to get the things I can't get anywhere else. Central Market is sort of locally owned, as it's a Texas company, originating in South Texas. It's part of the HEB chain. It's an upscale, gourmet store with a wonderful selection of quality produce, cheese, bread, beer and wine, and other things regular grocery stores don't carry. They have a bulk foods section to rival Whole Foods. I would only shop there and not go to WF if they weren't designed in a claustrophobic pattern. It's organized in a maze pattern, so you have to snake your way through the store. However, their prices are surprisingly good on some things, like flour and chocolate. They have the best prices on King Arthur flour in town. Other things are way expensive, though. The people that work there are nice and know their stuff, so that's helpful if you have questions. Whole Foods is, well, Whole Foods - expensive, we all know that, but quality products and great customer service. I've mentioned a couple of stores that you have to check dates on. Well, one time I was at WF, and wanted to get Brown Cow yogurt, which is one of the things I go there for. All their non fat Brown Cow yogurt was due to expire that day. So, I chose a different brand, a Greek Yogurt, which was a more expensive choice. I mentioned it to the employee there, also, so he'd know. Anyway, when I was checking out, the cashier asked me if I found everything I wanted, and I told her about the Brown Cow situation. Well, she gave me the Greek yogurt for free, since I didn't get what I really wanted. I know they can afford that, but it was a nice gesture, anyway.

There's a couple of TJ's that are supposed to be opening up in Dallas, but alas, they are going to be in the trendy neighborhoods that are a drive for me, just like Central Market and Whole Foods. So, I'll go there when I'm making a trek to that part of town, like I do when I go to the other stores I just mentioned. WF and Central Market are the only stores in the Dallas area that have consistent good quality food, so they are worth the drive, but I only do it once or twice a month.

Oh, speaking of treks, there's a great independent Italian store in Dallas, not far from one of the WF, called Jimmy's. It has the best price for Parm. Reg. in town. They are a great fun, little funky store to shop at if you want true Italian products. They have a wonderful selection of wine ranging from dirt cheap to way expensive. Their deli is remarkable.

Finally, there are other ethnic stores besides Hispanic stores in the Metroplex. There's quite a few Asian stores, which I feel I need a guide to explain the different items to me. They are fascinating, and their prices are usually much better than other stores, but I don't know what many of the items are. There's a Russian store near me which I've never been to. I should go just to check it out some time. It's quite small - convenience store size.

In Tahlequah there's a couple of independent stores, IGA and Reasor's, that I try to shop at the most, but there's also Walmart, which we tend to frequent more than we do here in Garland. Reasor's has a good selection of stuff, even organic produce, for a small town store.

I guess you're sorry you asked. I did say Dallas has a lot of grocery stores.

Sally

I love the names of the stores in the South and TX. Piggly Wiggly, Winn Dixie, Harris Teeter, Tom Thumb. Cute.

I'm in a small city in SC. Here we have Kroger, Publix, Winn Dixie, Walmart, Bi-Lo, Food Lion, Reid's.

Food Lion and Reid's are both part of the same company (based in NC) and their prices seem to be slightly lower than the rest. Publix, based in Florida, is probably the best, but it also is slightly pricier than the others, as is Kroger.

We don't have any granola-cruncher stores like Whole Foods or Earth Fare. Nearest TJ's is 2 hours away.

We have Ingles, Bi-Lo, Wal Mart and Aldi. I shop all for sales, if they have something I want, but buy the bulk of things from Wal Mart. It's a nice store and I see everyone there.
Our Bilo, Wal Mart and Aldi's are all in a half mile strip so it's convenient to hit them all.
Ingles is 4 more miles down the road so I need a reason to go there.

I do stock up at sales; Ingles had BOGO this week on eight o'clock coffee beans (Colombian), which we drink daily and I bought 18 bags and had a stack of coupons for a dollar off two bags so it was a good price.

We have a wonderful tiny store that sells a huge variety of baking supplies: all kinds of whole grains and seeds, raw milks, organic beef, 50 pound bags of wheat, etc. and this is only a few minutes from my house. I keep hoping they don't go out of business but my small sack of flour every month won't keep them going. They have chia seeds, bulk yeast, ....

This is GREAT - my list is getting longer by the minute! I forgot our area has Albertsons and TJ's, too. Just an oversight on my part.

As I said on a different thread, we're planning to do more cooking in hotel rooms and in parks, so grocery stores will be part of our trip. That's kind of fun in itself, as you see what other area's stores are like.

Donna

I'm in the Piedmont (middle of the state) here in North Carolina. From least expensive to most expensive, here is what is available here:

1. Aldi - I don't shop here often, the cart issue is just a pain

2. some cheap store near my office, haven't been in the latest reincarnation

3. Just Save - parent company is Lowe's Foods, a NC company; I like Just Save, especially their meat packages of 5 for $20, it's about the furthest distance from me

4. Food Lion - three locations that I can easily get to, NC-based company, one store on my way home from work is usually crowded but the one I frequent the most, often out of items, sometimes not the cleanest store

5. Steve's Garden Market - local, very small store, good produce and meat and good prices, which is why I go there

6. Wal-Mart - or "the dreaded Wal-Mart" as I call it; too big, too crowded, I only go there if I can't find it anywhere else

7. Lowe's Foods - near where my mom lives, we both love this store, full service deli, clean, great folks, great selection, but more high-end

8. Harris Teeter - the most upscale store in my town, good selection, nice folks, NC-based company.

I still haven't been to Trader Joes's in Chapel Hill. There is a Whole Foods there also and I've heard that Greensboro has a WF now too. Earth Fare is in G'boro, but it might well be a paycheck-and-a-half, so I do not go there. We have a BJ's now too and I go there every few months.

Teresa

Like Dedtired, I love the names of some of the stores!

Piggly-Wiggly hasn't been mentioned. Are they still around?
Now that is the cutest name!!

I grew up in Chicago but equate Piggly-Wiggly with Wisconsin where we used to vacation. As kids we thought the name was hysterical! I don't know if they are still there--I haven't seen one in years. There's a wiki on Piggly-Wiggly which is interesting: it is the first self-service grocery store and first to use grocery carts, and it originated in Memphis.

I used to see Piggly-Wiggly stores in South Carolina on the way to the beach and in towns on the SC coast. Many years ago that was about the only choice for groceries at the beach!

If anyone plans to travel to the NC mountains, Ingles is the main choice up there - lots and lots o' Ingles!

Teresa

Yes, Piggly Wiggly is alive and kickin'. Some years back they had a cute bumper sticker with a smiling pig face, a little paper hat on it, with the caption "I'm stickin' with the PIG!"

T shirts were also available. It was common to see a woman wear such a t-shirt while accompanied by her spouse. Further comment would be superfluous.

One of the weirder names for a supermarket was one I saw while growing up in the south: 'Jitney Jungle'. No longer in existence, though.

We vacation at Myrtle Beach each winter and one of the newest, upscalish shopping/destination areas near us has a Piggly Wiggly as its magnet grocery store. It's nice! And I love the name too, we lost our Winn Dixie a few years ago and I miss it.

I'll have to agree with sally2, Dallas has an enormous variety of grocery stores. It's easy to shop 2 or 3 in a mile radious. I'm in east Texas, and we have Brookshires which is a little expensive but they still have butchers and a decent selection of produce. But, we do go to Kroger's in Rockwall (90 miles) frequently for their wine selection (east Tx is dry).

I'm a little southeast of Brenda and 'The Pig' is alive and well in both local towns. It is low end here and veggies can be an issue, but I have heard that people around here appreciate their meats. They took over a Lowes that left town. Lowes has regular and super stores. The super is nice. I agree that Harris Teeter is the upscale chain although similar to the super Lowe's. Of course there is WF in Chapel Hill, but I think of them as a specialty store. The new Trader Joes there is what TJ is. If you don't have one, it is a fun place to go but you will find that you can easily do without unless you need Two Buck Chuck.

I suppose I am just jaded but I have had TJ back in the SF bay area where I came from, for years. THE upscale independant store was Dragers which catered to the very upscale communities of Atherton (which did not allow commercial districts), and Los Altos Hills. Otherwise back there it was all Safeways all over.

In Maine, (and NH/VT too) we have some small locally owned grocers in some towns, and two chains statewide, Shaws and Hannaford. Hannaford began as a Maine company, but sold early on and has expanded regionally. Shaws is similar. Both can be found all over the state. As can the Evil Empire, which has awful produce.

In general I prefer Hannaford. They have a good selection, including a slowly improving selection of ethnic foods, and I find their produce better than Shaws or any other small grocer.

There are also some great local specialty stores in some areas, such as Micucci's Italian Market in Portland, Fiore Artisan Olive Oil in Bar Harbor, the Sausage Man in Lisbon. Fun and delicious.

In summer, I strongly recommend you be on the lookout for farmstands and farmers markets, where you will find excellent, high quality, locally grown produce and meats at very competitive prices, and they are fun, too. I'll link to a site below where you can search for them. Near where I live we have a year round Farmer's Market, held inside during the winter months. It is like a street festival, with good live music, great food, friendly faces, and you always see people you know. I love, love, love it.

I am also lucky my husband teaches on the coast, so we have access to wild caught fish and seafood right off the boat. Amazing scallops, Maine shrimp, lobster, haddock, cod. I am so lucky and believe me I know it! We buy as much as we can and freeze it.

I go out of my way to purchase directly from the fisherman/farmer/produce when I can, to keep my food dollars circulating locally.

Here is a link that might be useful: Maine Farmstand search site

Central FL and all of Florida are dominated by Publix. Good stores with good produce/seafood/meat. That's usually where I shop. There is a superTarget about 4 miles beyond the big Publix. Staples are cheaper there so if we need paper goods, that's the place to go. We also have Wally, Save-a-lot, Aldi, and Winn Dixie. Don't go to any of these. We do have a funky little Asia store where the people are friendly. Those ingredients aren't available at Publix so that's a twice or three times a year visit.

We have three local fresh fish markets, and I routinely go to one or two of them. The third isn't clean enough. Almost every week includes a trip to the local Saturday farmers market where veggies and fruit are cheap and excellent. This fall, BJ's will open here and that's going to be great! We need more variety since we aren't big enough or affluent enough for Whole Foods and similar stores.

Wal-Mart, Save-a-Lot, Aldi, County Market (IGA) & Copps, a small locally owned chain that was bought out by Roundy's, a small regional chain, affiliated somehow with IGA.

I shop at Wal-Mart, Save-a-Lot (best meat) & Aldi. Copps is nearest to me but I only go there for single items when I'm tired & desperate. Most expensive store in town, lousy meat & produce. County Market has reasonably good meat but it's way on the other side of town so I don't get there very often.

Also several Asian stores (large Hmong population in the area) & very small Hispanic store w/ very limited selection. And a natural foods store. Farmers' Mkt. downtown (inconvenient one way streets & parking cop nazis) during the summer. Produce seems expensive there; I can often find better deals on locally grown produce in the regular grocery stores.

I would so love to live in an area where grocery shopping was an adventure. Adventure in a good way.

A bit OT, but gotta ask-- Everytime I see FOOD LION's name, I can't help to think about the Primetime Live story from a few years ago where they exposed deceitful and deceptive business practices. As I recall, they were selling expired and redated foods.
Have they changed their game?

The Twin Cities has a lot of options I guess. When I think about it and marita40 reminded me of a couple. There's also Festival and County Market. Lunds & Byerlys were separate upscale chains and then Byerlys bought out Lunds so they're the same now.

I don't really consider the stores like Aldi, any of the "clubco" stores, Trader Joe's or the like as a grocery store since you can't really get everything you need there.

We used to have a chain called Country Club that I really liked. They were a small, family owed operation with good prices and weren't too big. In a lot of neighborhoods so they truly were "local" and older folks appreciated them but the unions conned the employees into playing games and the owner said forget it, and shut them down. He paid more than other places, had better benefits and greed lost a lot of people their very good jobs. Really sad.

Basically the two big dogs in the area are Cub (owned by SuperValu) and Rainbow (owned by Roundy's). Each has their benefits and shortcomings.

The SuperTargets are the only Targets with a grocery department that you could use for most all your needs. The "P-fresh" stores are mostly convenience items, and the same with most K-marts and small Walmarts. The bigger versions have a more "full" grocery department.

So yes we have a lot of options but I don't think we have a lot of good options! LOL You really need to go to several stores to fill out a normal shopping list and that's sad. That said I still like Aldi as a savings option.

Perhaps Food Lion has redeemed itself in the eyes of the public. Their low prices and good locations bring in the customers. The only problem I have had with FL has been with their potatoes which seem to me to go bad way too soon in storage. So, I just don't buy potatoes there anymore.

I will not buy ground beef at the dreaded Wal-Mart because of experiences with small bone chips in with the meat. But then, I don't buy much in the way of groceries at WM anyway.

And I forgot to mention our new Company Shops Market, a food co-op that opened last year. I do like to buy organic produce, including potatoes, there and I shop their bulk bins often. This market is only about a mile from my house.

Teresa

You're right cynic. I'm shopping today and have about 10 items on my list and need to go to 4 stores to get them! Luckily the stores are all within a 1/2 mile range, but it is still a PITA.

In the Boston Ma. area we have.

Stop & Shop... average prices, good selection.Sometimes I shop there depending on whats on sale.

Shaws Markets... somewwhat on par with the above, poor selection of meats IMO..rarely frequent this store.

Roche Bros. Markets..love this store have been a customer for decades. Clean, great selections, smaller than the big chains and is a family owned store.

Whole Foods...expensive yes but so worth it. Love the whole shopping experience there.

Market Basket..huge chain of stores with extremely great pricing. Occassionaly shop there only because they are not within 10 mins. of my home. If I had a MB closer to me I would shop there often.

We have a Food Lion here but I always think "bleached meat" when I think of it!
The store is not super conveniently located so I wouldn't go anyway.

I live in a northern suburb of Atlanta and have a wealth of stores from which to choose. My favorites include Fresh Market, Publix, Whole Foods, TJ, and Krogers. Numerous locations within 20 minutes. We also have Costco,which has great meat Sams and BJ's. They are all box stores but different. In addition we have 2 Asian markets which are huge and very interesting. In addition Aldi's has several locations, however I have not been in one. My choices are great and my purchases are limited only by my husband's taste buds. We also have some Farmer's markets but they are not as wonderful as the ones in the midwest, particularly some in Michigan with their immense selection of beautiful fresh produce and fun home cradted items.

Here in rural Oregon I have several choices, the closest being 5 miles away and the most variety at least 20 miles.

Rays (west coast chain owned by CK Markets):
Closest, prices are higher than in Eugene, decent but not great produce, good sales once in awhile, convenient for a quick stop or last minute need.

WalMart: Yuck. 'Nuff said.

Fred Meyer (Kroger owned now, was a local chain):
Expensive. Good selection and I shop there mostly due to convenient location. They have a decent organic produce section and bulk foods.

Albertson's:
Hate the store layout, expensive. Don't really shop there unless they have an extraordinary sale on something I want to stock up on (rare).

Safeway:
No longer have a location that is convenient and don't see much in their ad that I'm willing to drive clear across town for.

Winco (local, employee owned):
Best prices, good selection of produce, but limited on some other things. I shop there maybe once a month.

BiMart (west coast discount drug store chain, DH's employer):
I shop here a LOT! They are all over and since my hubby works there we have a discount. All paper products, household items like toothpaste, soap, etc. are purchased here. Also many of my pantry basics; condiments, white flour, crackers, chips, beer, wine are purchased here in addition to pharmacy stuff.

We have several small asian stores, a TJ's and abundant farmer's markets in the summer.

I grow much of our food and we buy pork and beef from friends so I really don't buy a lot in the store.
Mostly dairy products and fresh veggies in the winter (basics like carrots, onions, celery) to supplement what I've canned or frozen all summer.

Deanna

Here in eastern North Dakota we have four options in my order of preference:

1. Cashwise - very good selections, really good organic produce and largest produce section, least expensive in the area, I don't mind at all bagging my own groceries. I use my own reusable bags and boxes.

2. Hornbachers - some of the locations have excellent cheese selections but not all. Great products usually but more expensive than Cashwise. More limited organic produce.

3. Sunmart - I just don't go there because the stores are old and tired and produce is often past prime.

4. Walmart - hate it - worst selection ever and not necessarily cheaper. I pick up a few things at Sam's club, but will never shop at Walmart grocery.

Central California here.

Raley's (Nob Hill and Bel Air in other cities) - full service regional chain with high quality meats and produce with a nod to organics and health foods. The prices are fair but not cheap.

Safeway - close to me but I don't shop there often. I will drop in if it's the easiest store in my path and I need a few things. Prices tend to be high for general shopping. They do carry a few things I haven't seen other places.

Walmart - they opened a small store close to me. I shop there some because of convenience. Selection overall is limited unless you want processed frozen foods and they have LOTS of that. I don't even walk down the frozen aisles. I rarely buy meat there. The prices aren't any better than anyplace else.

O'Brien's - high end local small chain. If I want it and it's unusual I can usually find it there. They have an amazing cheese counter and a good wine department and meat counter. The best store is way out of my way for normal shopping and the one close to me lacks the cheese counter and specialties.

Target - they now sell groceries and the store is a mere two blocks from the house so I do buy some things there. Most of the grocery stock is frozen and packaged goods, much like Walmart. The prices are quite reasonable. The meats I have purchased there have been good. I make an effort to buy some fresh produce so they will keep stocking it. It's a very basic selection.

Trader Joe's - not close to me and not one of the bigger stores. They have things other places do not that I like to buy. It is also an 8 mile round trip by bicycle so I can shop and get in my daily bike ride as well. I am there once a week perhaps.

Savemart - a local chain that has several stores around town and in nearby towns. I rarely shop there as none are in my neighborhood nor do they have anything I can't get elsewhere.

Sunflower Market - a regional chain new to California. They are not a normal full service store and there are lots of things I can't get there. They focus on organic food and "natural" meats. So I can get wild caught fish there and meats that aren't injected with salt solution and organic produce. The prices are good and they are close to home. Produce is very nice.

Greens - a newish and small gourmet store/deli with a nice selection of local specialities. Good cheeses. Not close, though.

Food Maxx - a bag it yourself store I never use so I can't comment.

Winco - another bag it yourself store. If I am stocking up this is a good place to do it. Produce selection is very good. Prices are the cheapest for doing a big general stock up shopping trip.

Fresh & Easy - I have friends who like it but I have never been there.

Costco - my first choice for meats. I have let my membership lapse as I now live alone.

There are numerous outlet stores and dollar stores that sell groceries. Sometimes I will drop in. Selection is unpredictable and close to expiration date as a rule.

Cost Plus - out of my way but a great source for gourmet packaged goods and wine.

There are numerous small ethnic stores - Asian, Greek, Fijian, Indian, Mexican, Middle Eastern, Eastern European and probably a few others I haven't seen. The Greek market is two blocks from me so I go there often. Lovely feta selection. And I really like the owner. He thinks my cannolis are great.

And there are the stores that cater to restaurants but also sell to the public. I go in those now and then for certain things.

I occasionally go to the farmer's market but I do it for a morning outing that includes live music and perhaps a pastry after a bike ride and maybe a chance to run into friends. The prices tend to be high but not always. I saw artichokes for 3 bucks a piece at the market. They were 99 cents at TJ's. But the beets were lovely and the greens (my favorite part) were crisp and fresh. Two bucks a bunch. A tiny bunch of organic chard was 3 bucks. I usually buy honey and raw almonds at the farmer's market when I need those things. Sciabica olive oil has a stand at one of the farmer's markets. No bargains, though. :)

If I plan to do any canning, salsa and such, I will go to the farm stands out in the country. I have a favorite and I buy cases of whatever I want at a very good price.

I think that about covers it for my town. I left out Kmart. I don't shop there ever.

Eileen

I am 40 miles north of the Twin Cities between two small towns each about 10-12 miles away. Here we have a County Market and a Cub Foods which is where I do most of my shopping just because I have so few other choices. There is a Super Wal-Mart, but I refuse to grocery shop ther if I can avoid it. Mostly because I hate their meats and they only offer plastic bags, which, aside from them being made from petroleum, an unrenewable resource, always leave me with groceries rolling around the back of my car by the time I get home.

We have a local co-op, City Center Market, of which I am a member. I do try to shop there whenever possible, but the selection is limited and even though organic, the prices are very high.

If I drive 20 miles or so there are Aldis, Rainbow, Coborn's, Jubilee Foods, Super Target, and Festval Foods. A little further in the town of White Bear Lake where my son lives is a great, altbeit expensive store called Kowalskis. Love it, and I can find pretty much anything I could possibly want, but better bring your deep pockets!

If I care to drive another 20 miles I can shop at Trader Joes, Byerly's, many ethnic markets, or the Minneapolis or St Paul Farmers Markets. I enjoy them, but it's a bit of a trek.

So depending on how full my gas tank is and how fat my wallet is I can get whatever I need or want.

Linda

I'm in Panama City, FL - Publix is the top of the food chain here. For baked goods and produce, they can't be beat. However, that being said, I will NOT buy meat from them. It's outrageously expensive and I've bought more than one or two inedible pieces of beef from them.

There's Winn-Dixie, and the evil Wal-Mart - but we have 2 independent "Grocery Outlets" (none of my co-workers will go in them, they call them the Ghetto Outlet). Hands down, the BEST meat in town. I buy all of the groceries I can from them and go to Publix for specialty items. I also browse the Publix weekly ad every Wednesday for the BOGO free items and if there's anything I want, I stock up.

Well, since we moved up to the D.C. area from Orlando we've been very happy with the groceries up here. The first time we went into a Wegman's, we spent 2 hours just looking and didn't buy a thing!

Wegman's - Our favorite, but expensive. IMHO, it's wayyyyy better than any Publix we went to in Fla.

Harris Teeter - More like Publix, average prices, good produce. Meat selection is hit-or-miss. We probably go there the most.

Shoppers - Reminds me of Albertson's...oh how I miss Albertson's BOGO specials. Shopper's has a great selection of pork.

Bloom/Food Lion - I wasn't impressed with Food Lion in Fla, but it's a little less ghetto up here. We don't go there often.

Giant - I've not been there, but will be soon. We're buying a house out in the boonies and that's the only grocery near by!

Whole Foods - Surprisingly, haven't been there yet up here, but they're not conveniently close.

Trader Joe's - Specialty items, but not close to us. We only go there 2 or 3 times a year.

Acme, Walmart - I don't like them
Genuardi's - Mid priced and has alot of sales, know many employees by name
Bottom Dollar - My goto store, very inexpensive but limited selection
Costco - Great meat and where I get canned, frozen, preserved stuff
Wegmans - My favorite, Fantastic greens, specialty items,great seafood and meat, and just great in general. A bit more expensive,but their own brand has good prices
Aldi - kinda far away, but fantastic prices, I get chips and frozen food here
Shoprite - Not Great but the only place I can get my favorite pierogies