# Supermarket Names **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 23, 2015, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930 "2015-07-23T05:10:06Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![MmeRose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee7513/32.png) [@MmeRose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MmeRose)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 5:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/1 "2015-07-23T05:10:06Z")
I just read in another thread that there is a supermarket called “Food Lion”. For some reason, I find that very amusing. If we had one here, I would shop there always. I used to shop at one caled “Foodland”. I visited the Land of Food, frequently. Do you have any good food store names? And, a couple of off-topics: Someone told me that all supermarkets in Britain have a “s” in their names, eg Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys, Marks & Spencer. Is this true? Is there a relationship between Walmart and Walgreens? Are they branches of the same company? Apologies if these topics have been discussed before. ---
**Author:** ![lalaith](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/96bed5/32.png) [@lalaith](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lalaith)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 5:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/2 "2015-07-23T05:58:49Z")
> [@MmeRose](#): > > I just read in another thread that there is a supermarket called “Food Lion”. For some reason, I find that very amusing. If we had one here, I would shop there always. There’s also a Food Tiger. Though my favorite (as far as names are concerned) is Piggly Wiggly. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 6:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/3 "2015-07-23T06:24:52Z")
> [@MmeRose](#): > > Someone told me that all supermarkets in Britain have a “s” in their names, eg Asda, Tesco, Sainsburys, Marks & Spencer. Is this true? No, it’s not. Morri **ss** on **s** , Budgen **s** and Waitro **s** e are missing from your list, but so are: Co-Operative Lidl Aldi Iceland ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 6:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/4 "2015-07-23T06:29:30Z")
There was a spoof news article that Aldi was to rebrand itself as ‘Value Bastard’. I would definitely shop there more. > **[Aldi to rebrand as ‘ValueBastard’](https://newsthump.com/2015/02/11/aldi-to-rebrand-as-valuebastard/)** > > Discount supermarket Aldi is to rebrand as ‘ValueBastard’ in a move designed to appeal to its core customer base. ---
**Author:** ![Monty](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/monty/32/47_2.png) [@Monty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Monty)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/5 "2015-07-23T06:36:20Z")
My favorite supermarket name is one used by an outfit in the United Arab Emirates: _Safest Way_. ---
**Author:** ![movingfinger](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@movingfinger](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/movingfinger)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 6:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/6 "2015-07-23T06:46:04Z")
I saw stores in Stockholm by the rather forthright name of Konsum. Which means just what it sounds like, I suppose. In Nanaimo, British Colombia, I saw one with the odd name of Overwaitea’s. ---
**Author:** ![JerrySTL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e274bd/32.png) [@JerrySTL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JerrySTL)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/7 "2015-07-23T12:17:04Z")
There’s over 600 Piggly Wiggly’s around the USA. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/8 "2015-07-23T12:23:15Z")
When I lived in Philadelphia I sometimes shopped at Acme (pronounced Ac-A-Me). Then again, many called the city Filthadelphia and I drove every day on the SureKill Expressway. What a town. I currently shop at Giant Eagle. So don’t fuck with me, cause, you know, Giant Eagle. ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/9 "2015-07-23T12:33:06Z")
Walgreens was founded in 1901 in Chicago by Charles Walgreen. Walmart was founded in 1962 in Arkansas by Sam Walton. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_stainless_steel_rat/32/5727_2.png) [@The\_Stainless\_Steel\_Rat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Stainless_Steel_Rat)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 12:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/10 "2015-07-23T12:33:35Z")
> [@MmeRose](#): > > Is there a relationship between Walmart and Walgreens? Are they branches of the same company? I had always assumed that was the case, but your question made me do a bit of reseach and apparently they are not releated. Per this site: [Walgreens - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walgreens) > [@](#): > > Walgreens began in 1901, with a drug store on the corner of Bowen Ave and Cottage Grove in Chicago, owned by Galesburg native Charles R. Walgreen, Sr.[9] By 1913, Walgreens had grown to four stores on Chicago’s South Side. It opened its fifth in 1915, and four more in 1916. By 1919, there were 20 stores in the chain. So well before Sam Walton, there was Charles Walgreen. As for grocery store names, I shop at Kroger and Publix (not a mis-spell). When I lived in Abu Dhabi, I shopped a lot a Spinney’s and Carrefour. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 12:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/11 "2015-07-23T12:34:34Z")
Back in the 60’s, Wisconsin had grocery stores named Krambo and Food Queen. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/12 "2015-07-23T12:38:41Z")
Yes, Walgreens is not a subsidiary of Walmart, but there are a lot of people who believe that it is. ---
**Author:** ![Hypno-Toad](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b2d939/32.png) [@Hypno-Toad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hypno-Toad)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/13 "2015-07-23T12:44:38Z")
I worked for Harris-Teeter for way too long. Got some nice stock out of it, eventually. But then Kroger bought them out and it was, “Here. Have a check for your stocks. Enjoy paying all those taxes, ha ha.” ---
**Author:** ![Acsenray](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/acsenray/32/4519_2.png) [@Acsenray](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Acsenray)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 12:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/14 "2015-07-23T12:53:04Z")
In my life I’ve shopped at: Kroger Lofino’s Fazio’s Fulmer’s IGA United Dairy Farmers Cub Foods Meijer Giant Eagle Big Bear Giant Safeway Harris-Teeter Bread and Circus Fresh Fields Whole Foods Food Lion Food Star Walmart Target ---
**Author:** ![ThelmaLou](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thelmalou/32/390_2.png) [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 1:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/15 "2015-07-23T13:02:26Z")
We used to have Piggly Wiggly here. H-E-B is a (really great) Texas chain-- initials of the founder, Howard E. Butt. The joke was that if they merged, they would be called “Wiggly Butt.” ---
**Author:** ![Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/earl_snake-hips_tucker/32/3269_2.png) [@Earl\_Snake-Hips\_Tucker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Earl_Snake-Hips_Tucker)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 1:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/16 "2015-07-23T13:13:36Z")
There used to be a grocery store in Charlotte NC called ‘Giant Genie.’ ---
**Author:** ![Annie-Xmas](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecc23a/32.png) [@Annie-Xmas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Annie-Xmas)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 1:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/17 "2015-07-23T13:25:45Z")
There was a chain in Minnesota called John’s (or whoever’s) Super Market. The locals called them “Super John’s.” ---
**Author:** ![Lsura](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7993a0/32.png) [@Lsura](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lsura)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 1:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/18 "2015-07-23T13:29:55Z")
Thinking about the places I’ve shopped over the years in the various places I’ve lived, in no order other than how I remembered the names: [Red Food](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Food) (Bought out and became [Bi-Lo](https://www.bi-lo.com)in the mid 1990s. Harris Teeter HG Hills [Marc’s](http://www.marcs.com/) (Youngstown, OH) [Rulli Brothers](http://www.rullibrothers.com/) IGA [Jitney Jungle](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jitney_Jungle) Publix Kroger [Your Dekalb Farmer’s marke](http://www.dekalbfarmersmarket.com/)t Giant Eagle Albertsons Ingles [Sprouts](https://www.sprouts.com/) Wild Oats (bought out by Whole Foods) Trader Joe’s Fresh Market I know there are more, but that’s what I can think of at the moment. ---
**Author:** ![Aquadementia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aquadementia/32/555_2.png) [@Aquadementia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Aquadementia)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/19 "2015-07-23T13:31:29Z")
I’ve shopped at a Red Owl, Super Value and a Food Queen, although some of them may have been grocery stores. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [July 23, 2015, 1:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/20 "2015-07-23T13:36:00Z")
> [@movingfinger](#): > > I saw stores in Stockholm by the rather forthright name of Konsum. Which means just what it sounds like, I suppose. Spain has both a Consum and an Eroski Consum. Spar is found in many countries; it is originally German, I believe. In German, _spar_ means “savings” or “cheap”. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930.md?page=2)