# a question for NY state dopers **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 30, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-ny-state-dopers/306129 "2005-05-30T20:27:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![hathaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@hathaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hathaway)\ **Post date:** [May 30, 2005, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-ny-state-dopers/306129/1 "2005-05-30T20:27:43Z")
I am going to be in the Buffalo-Niagara Falls area and I would like to check out the prices in the grocery stores while I’m there. I thought I’d ask here if anyone can recommend a particularly affordable grocery store chain there, and where I might find these stores. I’m looking for staples–canned goods, bread, milk, eggs, etc. I have a friend who makes it sound like groceries are a lot cheaper in America, and since I have to be in NYS anyway, I thought I’d have a looksie. Thank you everybody! ---
**Author:** ![anson2995](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c77e96/32.png) [@anson2995](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anson2995)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-ny-state-dopers/306129/2 "2005-05-31T01:13:11Z")
> [@hathaway](#): > > I thought I’d ask here if anyone can recommend a particularly affordable grocery store chain there, and where I might find these stores. [Tops](http://www.topsmarkets.com/) and [Wegmans](http://wegmans.com) are the two major grocery store chains. Between the two, I’d guess they have twenty-five stores in the Buffalo area. You can find specific locations from the websites linked above. ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-ny-state-dopers/306129/3 "2005-05-31T02:42:08Z")
Tops will have the best loss-leaders, including staple items, in most cases. Wegmans will always have the cheapest milk, though. Wegmans will also have a more varied and upscale collection of items available. However, please note that **the loss leaders will only applt to you if you have a Shopper’s Club Card or Bonus Card.** You will have to exchange personal information, which is used for msarketing purposes, in order to get a discount at either store. If this is so galling to you that you can’t just suck it up, and then later exchange cards with friends in order to mess up the company’s market research (and I don’t even think that works, but it makes you feel better), then you should probably go to Tops, and buy the store brands, which are cheaper than Wegmans,’ although of poorer quality. You won’t mind making this trad-off when you remember that it was Wgmans who introduced the discount membership card to the area. ---
**Author:** ![percypercy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8baadc/32.png) [@percypercy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/percypercy)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-ny-state-dopers/306129/4 "2005-05-31T03:11:59Z")
If the Tops card is anything like the Kroger card, you can always give them false information when you fill out the application. It won’t affect your ability to get the discounts, and you’ll remain safely hidden from the grocery store overlords. -Lil ---
**Author:** ![saoirse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5daacb/32.png) [@saoirse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/saoirse)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 3:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-ny-state-dopers/306129/5 "2005-05-31T03:40:32Z")
Well, you can tell them that you’re an F-16 fighter pilot with an MD and $12,500 a year in income, sure. But they’ll still need a good name and address, at least if you want to use the official, permanent card. Once you start using it, they track every item you purchase and create a profile on you. Incidentally, if they find out that I’m telling you this, I’ll wind up as an unnervingly content-looking stock clerk wandering the aisles at Wegmans. You’ll see them when you go. ---
**Author:** ![xash](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/c6cbf5/32.png) [@xash](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xash)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 5:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-ny-state-dopers/306129/6 "2005-05-31T05:32:58Z")
Moved to IMHO. - **xash** General Questions Moderator ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 12:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-ny-state-dopers/306129/7 "2005-05-31T12:07:58Z")
Or, you could just borrow the card of the person behind you everytime you when possible. I end up doing this a lot because I don’t always remember to bring the card along. Yes, I did get the key tag, but never put them on the ring. The cheapest place of all would probably be Super Walmart, but there’s only one in the Buffalo area, and it might not be near where you’re staying. ---
**Author:** ![GilaB](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8e7dd6/32.png) [@GilaB](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GilaB)\ **Post date:** [May 31, 2005, 11:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-ny-state-dopers/306129/8 "2005-05-31T23:33:59Z")
I gave a nonexistent address as well as fake rest-of-info. (OK, the gender was accurate, but only because I didn’t think I’d get away with lying about that one.) I guess it depends on whether they give you the card then and there (Pathmark and Stop & Shop both do) or mail it to you later. ---
**Author:** ![Omega\_Glory](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/7c8e57/32.png) [@Omega\_Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Omega_Glory)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 12:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-ny-state-dopers/306129/9 "2005-06-01T00:31:44Z")
Wegmans is a mailer (you do get a temporary card though), and tops gives you the cards up front IIRC. ---
**Author:** ![OtakuLoki](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@OtakuLoki](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/OtakuLoki)\ **Post date:** [June 1, 2005, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-ny-state-dopers/306129/10 "2005-06-01T15:29:12Z")
Not only will people in line offer you the use of their Shopper’s Club card at Wegmans, but the cashiers have a ‘generic’ Shopper’s Club code for the registers, so you can simply say you lost your SC if the idea of giving out personal information is a real problem. Tops and Wegmans are the two main supermarket chains in the region, though some family stores still exist. ---
**Author:** ![hathaway](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/8e8cbc/32.png) [@hathaway](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hathaway)\ **Post date:** [June 2, 2005, 9:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-question-for-ny-state-dopers/306129/11 "2005-06-02T21:09:45Z")
Thank you to everyone who responded. Great information! 🙂 I’m looking forward to checking things out. I’m hoping it’s cheaper enough (if the Canadian dollar holds, anyway) that this can become a regular thing because I enjoy visiting the States, anyway.