Responding the salvo fired by Elle, Giant Eagle is NOT superior to Kroger. At least not in my neck of the woods. I'll give you that our local Giant Eagles are a bit nicer looking, a bit softer around the edges. But with rare exception, Kroger kicks the ass of GE's prices on almost all products. It has reached the point where GE practically GIVES away "fuelperks"* for shopping there as opposed to shopping at Kroger, Meijer, the dreaded Wal-Mart, or any other grocery store. You'll spend no more than $1.50 on an 8 oz. brick of cheese at Kroger. You'll likely spend no less than $2 on the same brick of store-brand cheese at GE. The same discrepancy with other dairy - sour cream, $1.25 vs. $2.50; milk, $1/half gallon vs. $2. Perhaps it is because GE makes it so much easier to rip them off through the self check-out lines. GE's shrink makes for higher prices.
This is not to say that I love everything about Kroger. 1) They're carts aren't the right size. They have small and large, neither of which suits me. 2) Their produce is not as nice as GE's produce. Or Whole Foods or Fresh Market for sure. 3) The deli folk are mean sometimes. HOWEVER, Kroger has Starbucks, Donato's Pizza, Boston Market, and other external food products available. Making a Donato's classic trio in your own home is something of a dream to me (460 degrees exactly for 17 minutes).
Really, to find the store I love best, one has to travel South...to the glorious land of Harris Teeter. I heart the ol' HT. It has a good layout, good products, and best of all, GREAT giveaways. Shop 10 of the 12 weeks before Thanksgiving and spend $40/week, you get a small turkey, stuffing, 5 lb of potatoes, gravy, a vegetable, and a pie. For free. I can spend $40 twice a week at the store practically. Not turkey season, you say? Shop around Memorial Day and get a minigrill, fabulous grill tools, and an apron. Along with hot dogs, buns, and chips. FREE. Harris Teeter rules. Raise the roof to HT.
But I can't regularly shop at the HT. Which saddens me. Please, HT execs, expand to Ohio. We're a market ripe for the taking. Give us your giveaways. If you build it, we will shop.
*You earn fuelperks at GE for each $ you spend - you get $.10 off a gallon of gas for every 50 fuelperks.
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3 comments:
omg, how i love the harris teeter. whilst living in the extreme northwest corner of DC, i regularly drove to arlington, VA just to visit HT. i am shocked that my boyfriend, who lives near baltimore, has not made the trip to VA just to shop.
i fell in lurve with harris teeter while in boone, NC. it was open 24 hours and only did not sell booze between 2 and 5AM. much better than stoopid wisc, where no alcohol can be purchased after 9PM any day of the week.
The reference to shrink is only speculation...if you can find documentation that GE's shrink is greater than Kroger, I will buy you lunch. From Kroger.
Ahhh, the grocery store wars. I used to work for Food Lion's ad agency (who also did giveaways, which I helped to coordinate for the season), but vehemently refused to shop there. I am a Publix girl. And a Whole Foods girl when I can afford to be. And Harry's Farmer's (Fresh) Market.
I only shop at Kroger when I'm running late or heading in a particular direction in town where it is the store on my way. I'm anti-Kroger, too. I'll have to side with Elle, dear. :)
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