This is all so interesting! Gelsons, which is a small, local chain, which used to be very upscale, is not what it was. You used to be able to get anything at Gelsons and the quality of their produce and meats was legendary. Then you couldn't get just anything there, but they'd order it for you. Then they'd only order it if their distributors had it and they had many fewer offerings on the shelves. They also seemed to have joined that thing where brands can rent shelf space because there bloomed whole shelves of cheap strawberry and grape jam for PBJs and all the lovely selections of different jams was no more. Finally, the produce started to be meh, and the meat was no longer top tier. It used to be that at Gelson's you didn't really have to look at the produce. Pick up one from the top, it's pretty, put it in the bag. Pick up the next one, it's pretty, take it home. No more. They now have wrinkly peppers! That might not sound shocking to everyone, but it's horrifying in a place like Gelson's. And the last straw was when the meats turned tough. I'll still stop in if I'm parked nearby, but I do most of my shopping at Trader Joe's (great prices and good quality) or Whole Foods (great variety and top to near top quality, though not sorted for perfection like the old Gelson's). Whole Foods, however, has taken to having more and more of only their house brands and less variety. I know they need to make a buck, but they're relying too much on computer models. A recurring pattern is I find a product I like and then have to order it direct from the maker or on Amazon because they don't carry it any more. It's like they swallowed a Trader Joe's pill and only want their name on stuff. :) At least with the branded products, you can get them on Amazon. You have to beg for canned tomato puree. It'll be on the shelf for awhile, then disappear. The only people who use it are people who cook, so it doesn't have a big sell through and they don't reorder until someone complains. And it's not the kind of thing TJ's has at all. :) Plus, if you order meats for a party form the butcher at Whole Foods, they might or might not have it when you come to pick it up. So you see, I'm currently on a hate of most grocery stores. The only things I buy at the big chains are paper goods, and a very few national brand staples. Every single Trader Joe's parking lot is crazy. They also are far more likely to have packaged goods which have gone off. Even one of their freezer tote bags had a smell problem. They give refunds cheerfully, though, and always make good. And everyone is so nice there (it's company policy) and they empty your cart. So even though they don't have everything (they were founded as an accessible gourmet store for people with educated palates on teachers' salaries), and the parking is crazy-making, it's my current favorite. Yeah, they only have some favorites during specific times of year and others disappear, but they don't nix whole categories and shelves. Can't get a rutabaga there though. :)

FOAS, it's funny that you wouldn't let someone pick you a cauliflower from Whole Foods, where they're all lovely, but would take blind boxes of Imperfect Produce. :) I'm picky about my veg too, but if I'm pushed to order in groceries I'm more grateful to have something decent than to worry about whether there was a better one I'd have chosen if I were there. Re bricks and mortar vs. online, many years ago I was in e-commerce. We started around the same time as Amazon, but we didn't want to be Amazon. I learned a lot. My prediction at the time, which has been coming true faster than I expected (this applies specifically to places with a certain level of population density)--Indistinguishable products will mostly be sold by big box stores and large online retailers. Interesting, unique, and unusual products will be sold in boutiques. They make be in town centers rather than malls, but shopping neighborhoods will create a draw for these seeking these lower sell through, higher ticket items. In fact, there is now a company that specializes in creating false towns rather than traditional shopping malls, that are comforting destinations for adult shoppers, with higher end dining and entertainment, mixed with some chain boutiques and some smaller local stores. Parking lots, yes, but not the traditional anchor stores of the late 20th C. shopping malls. As to delivery, everything old is new again. When I was small the milkman came into the kitchen to put away the milk and dairy products. There was a bakery van that came around daily, and a vegetable man. The laundry man came to pick up and deliver the linens. The water man brought the bottles and changed the one on the water cooler. The Fuller Brush man came regularly to sell mops and combs and all. Many ladies made their side money selling Avon or Mary Kay cosmetics in the home. The laundry man still does pick up and deliver. Nowadays, we're not home as much, and there are jumbo stores like Amazon which will deliver milk, tortillas, nuts, water, mops and lipstick in one box, but it's not really new.

I took advantage of an offer of the $45 membership, with a free rotisserie chicken every month. I was curious if it would be to any advantage -- I had been in a couple of times for specific bulk items on a day pass. Now that I have been in at least monthly and taken the time to look at prices, I would say it is not worth it. Keep in mind that I have Kroger, Meijer, Giant Eagle (which I don't ever go to), Aldi, Trader Joe's, Marc's. Fresh Thyme, and Lucky all within a few miles to shop at, nearly all of which regularly offer sales on most of the same items. The produce at Sam's Club has never been a bargain -- I can get the same or likely, better prices at several stores, especially with sales. Same for meats, dairy and seafood. Most staple grocery items that I would buy I feel are also no bargain. Tea, for example, is more expensive there than at Marc's, and about the same as Kroger. Canned soup and peanut butter also. Likewise some cereals, if I compare sale prices at other stores. The very large quantity items such as rice, sugar, flour etc are not useful to me so I haven't really compared pricing on them. Now, the store stocks LOTS of what I consider junky food -- snacks and highly processed stuff, packaged in large quantities, at attractive prices. Things like granola bars, candy, cookies and so forth. I haven't shopped the goods section all that much. Found better prices on the TVs I was interested in at several other stores, which surprised me. I did buy some towels at a good price and nice quality. I bought a special package of LED bulbs which are all failing after a year of use. I just picked up a little lightweight hoodie, time will tell if it falls apart. I also got a down jacket last fall, but again, once I looked around, the price wasn't any better - the advantage was I didn't have to wait for a sale, the disadvantage was that if waited to price compare, the jacket would be sold out. Good prices I think on underclothes and sock, especially when they are offering "special savings". Some prices/packages of things like shampoo, body wash, detergent, supplements are at least competitive if not cheaper. Pharmacy and optometrist might make it worthwhile if you have the need. Oh, and I was VERY disappointed in the toilet tissue (Scott 1000 brand) that I bought there - much worse quality than the supposedly same item from the grocery, and no cheaper than that either. So, it all depends on whether the bulk packaging meets a need; and whether you have done your homework and know what comparable prices are for the items you are interested in.

For me, the grocery budget is one area where it is possible to economize when necessary. Most other budget categories for me are pretty fixed (utilities, mortgage, etc). So, we do use mainly store brands and I shop at a variety of stores. It's interesting that while I often find Kroger owned stores more expensive, they sometimes beat Wal-Mart by a significant margin on non sale items. The most recent example was the Simple Truth brand of tart cherry juice was one dollar cheaper for a bottle than the equivalent great value one at Wal-Mart. The one place I am probably pickiest on brand is Jimmy Dean breakfast sausage. The seasoning is absolute perfection to me and I have not found a comparable lower priced brand. Now I stock up and freeze that one when on sale.