# 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:** 5
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 4:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/81 "2015-07-25T04:17:47Z")
> [@Annie-Xmas](#): > > All NJ offers is ShopRite, Stop & Shop, and PathMart. what are you talking about? Within a mile of my house we also have a Kings, an A&P, and a Trader Joes. Not much farther away are Wegman’s, Whole Foods, Aldi, and a slew of others. And id we’re going to include places like Walmart and Target, we should certainly incluse Costco, BJs, and Sam’s Club. > [@Shagnasty](#): > > Piggly Wiggly invented the supermarket concept and most of the things we associate with it including self-service aisles, price marking by item, checkout lanes and shopping carts. It is hard to imagine but those concepts did not exist not all that long ago. They also went all in with a novelty name that established a precedent for other chains later. > > [Piggly Wiggly - Wikipedia](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piggly_Wiggly) sorry, but it was King Kullen… Wikipedia isn’t always right. ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/82 "2015-07-25T05:17:26Z")
When I was a kid in New Zealand in the 70s, there were only two grocer brands spread across the region - _A-1_ and _4 Square_, represented by a bee and [a little man in a shop apron](http://www.mrfoursquare.co.nz/images/mr4stickersize1.jpg), respectively. I lived in a tiny rural village so they were fairly typically dusty old wooden-shelved stores, like it was only slightly more advanced than the Waltons. Eventually they were superseded by proper large-scale supermarkets, a new experience for we bumpkins, starting with _New World_, then _Countdown_, and another one I can’t remember. _Pak n Save_, too, I think. They’re [all](https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-45.873121,170.505866,3a,75y,158.89h,90.37t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sugjWHkWSgFHBFwszrOPFeg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1) [still](https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-45.871491,170.508405,3a,75y,331.11h,83.44t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s3psQX2OhDgKb7qlwq8JjRQ!2e0!7i13312!8i6656!6m1!1e1) [around](https://www.google.com.au/maps/@-45.892561,170.499939,3a,75y,287.89h,90.52t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s6DR7Ns6-nIPTEC62uTaQKQ!2e0!7i3328!8i1664!6m1!1e1). ---
**Author:** ![Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/5daacb/32.png) [@Ellis\_Aponte\_Jr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ellis_Aponte_Jr)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/83 "2015-07-25T05:38:45Z")
If your town had both a Grand Union and a Winn-Dixie you were forced to choose sides and it was brother against brother. ---
**Author:** ![cmyk](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmyk/32/3353_2.png) [@cmyk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmyk)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/84 "2015-07-25T13:18:32Z")
> [@lalaith](#): > > There’s also a Food Tiger. > > Though my favorite (as far as names are concerned) is Piggly Wiggly. I wonder who would win in a fight, Food Tiger or Food Lion? If only someone could provide some data and cites. ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 1:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/85 "2015-07-25T13:34:35Z")
> [@Soylent\_Juicy](#): > > We have “No Frills” here but I call it “No Thrills”. I call it The Yellow Store. I suppose, to make a useful contribution to the thread, I could mention [Alpha Beta](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alpha_Beta) (defunct), [Henry’s](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry%27s_Farmers_Market) (also defunct), and [Nester’s](http://www.nestersmarket.com/) (funct). ---
**Author:** ![Green\_Bean](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/green_bean/32/1760_2.png) [@Green\_Bean](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Green_Bean)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/86 "2015-07-25T16:07:26Z")
> [@cmyk](#): > > I wonder who would win in a fight, Food Tiger or Food Lion? > > If only someone could provide some data and cites. It depends on whether the Giant Eagle gets involved. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/87 "2015-07-25T16:14:18Z")
> [@Green\_Bean](#): > > It depends on whether the Giant Eagle gets involved. Let the Iggle soar! [![]( " - YouTube") ](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbU9BZYcg1Y) ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/88 "2015-07-25T17:07:05Z")
> [@Dorjan](#): > > In Cleveland, we had “Pick-N-Pay” and “Stop-N-Shop”. Grocery store names with built-in instructions! > [@Acsenray](#): > > Pick N Save Many moons ago Letterman suggested the name “Lick N Buy.” ---
**Author:** ![Ignatz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/3be4f8/32.png) [@Ignatz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignatz)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/89 "2015-07-25T22:22:46Z")
> [@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. > > 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. Food Lion is Belgian-owned: > **[Food Lion](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_Lion)** > > Food Lion is an American regional supermarket chain headquartered in Salisbury, North Carolina, that operates over 1,000 supermarkets in 10 states: (Delaware, Georgia, Kentucky, Maryland, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia and West Virginia). The chain employs over 82,000 people. It was founded in 1957 as Food Town, a single grocery store in Salisbury. It later expanded to many locations across North Carolina. It was independently operated until it was a Food L... ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 10:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/90 "2015-07-25T22:47:40Z")
Yep, we had Foodland (are they even around anymore?) Giant Eagle Shop and Save (the teenagers who worked there always called it “Slop and Slave”) Kuhns And when I was in high school, I worked at a family owned place called “Shopper’s Choice”. (Sadly they closed down a few years ago.) ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/91 "2015-07-25T22:53:17Z")
> [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](#): > > There’s the Food Clown in Faber, near Faber College. 😃 Larry Kroger shops there, though he sometimes shops are Krogers. 🙂 The first supermarket I remember is the long-gone Bohack’s. Others were A&P Grand Union P&C Albany Public Markets Price Chopper Shop Rite Great American Super Shop and Save/Hannaford ---
**Author:** ![MsKaren](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a183cd/32.png) [@MsKaren](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MsKaren)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2015, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/92 "2015-07-25T23:29:34Z")
In Ohio we shopped at the A&P or Buckeye’s. In New Orleans it was Schwegmann’s. They had open coolers of Dixie beer on ice so you could sip some suds while shopping. The always interesting grocery bags were printed with something to cut and color appropriate to the season like Christmas projects, Mardi Gras masks, back-to-school book covers, and, one sad year, 'Aints sad face bags to wear to the games you were embarassed to seen at. In Florida it’s Publix or the Winn-Dixie. The latter has a swipe card that, for money spent on groceries, gives you per gallon discounts on gas at cooperating stations. Last month I had company and also laid in some hurricane supplies so we ended up filling both cars for $1.27/gal. ---
**Author:** ![Catamount](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/catamount/32/2840_2.png) [@Catamount](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Catamount)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 1:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/93 "2015-07-26T01:19:30Z")
There’s a local deep discount chain in my neck of the woods called GO Grocery Outlet. It’s well known for selling products that are about six seconds away from expiring. ---
**Author:** ![BundleOfStix](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ed8c4c/32.png) [@BundleOfStix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BundleOfStix)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 3:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/94 "2015-07-26T03:13:49Z")
I always thought the Here Everything’s Better (HEB) chain was so oddly named. And so Texan. But the Denver King Soopers is not far behind! ---
**Author:** ![MmeRose](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/ee7513/32.png) [@MmeRose](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MmeRose)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 11:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/95 "2015-07-26T11:13:10Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Larry Kroger shops there, though he sometimes shops are Krogers. 🙂 > > The first supermarket I remember is the long-gone Bohack’s. > Others were > A&P > Grand Union > P&C > Albany Public Markets > Price Chopper > Shop Rite > Great American > Super Shop and Save/Hannaford Chuck, even without Albany Public Markets, I can see that you live(d) near me. Price Chopper is in the process of changing its name, with great fanfare (good name for a supermarket) to something that is supposed to sound more high-end. I was trying to remember the name P & C - it’s now a Tops. Shop Rite had an irritating little song: “Shop Rite and always SAVE!”. So many of the stores use incorrect spellings (I assume they meant “shop right” and not “shop rite”, at least I hope so), why does that make the store more attractive? By the way, the Foodland I mentioned was in the West Indies and there was also a Foodfair. When I lived in England, my very least favorite store was Bejam, at least partly because of the name. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 2:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/96 "2015-07-26T14:16:44Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > Bangkok has several Foodlands. We often shop at a Tops Supermarket or Gourmet Market, sometimes a Villa Market. > > MaxValu is a Japanese chain that operates here. And while I’m at it, from my time in Honolulu I remember Foodland there but was never sure if they were related to the Foodlands here in Thailand. But most students shopped at one of the two near campus – Star Market, between King and Beretania streets (I’ve heard that Times Supermarkets, another Hawaiian chain, has since bought up all the Star Markets); or Safeway in Manoa Marketplace shopping center up in the Manoa Valley. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/97 "2015-07-26T14:30:37Z")
> [@chizzuk](#): > > There’s a Food Lion about a mile down the street from my new apartment. I do most of my shopping at Giant and that’s where I have a loyalty card, so I hadn’t gone there before. I tried it last week and was pretty disappointed. The interior was shabby and depressing, and the produce section was horrible. The only thing I really needed was a box of strawberries and I left without them because the selection was so poor and everything seemed about to go bad. And the prices weren’t any better than other stores. I went back to Giant the following day and gained new appreciation for a produce section that’s twice as big and not full of goods beginning to rot. Not going back to Food Lion, that’s for sure. Whenever I hear about Food Lion, I think of the hidden camera investigative report from a national news organization some years back. A supermarket employee was caught advising other worker(s) “Sell the bad stuff first”. I shop at the Giant Predatory Bird supermarket. ---
**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:** [July 26, 2015, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/98 "2015-07-26T14:38:26Z")
We don’t have any with good names. Wegman’s and Tops. When I was a kid in the 90s, there was a Super Duper but those are long gone now. ---
**Author:** ![IvoryTowerDenizen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ivorytowerdenizen/32/17937_2.png) [@IvoryTowerDenizen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/IvoryTowerDenizen)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 2:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/99 "2015-07-26T14:39:58Z")
> [@Omega\_Glory](#): > > We don’t have any with good names. Wegman’s and Tops. When I was a kid in the 90s, there was a Super Duper but those are long gone now. I think you grew up near where I did. We had wea gmail came later but we had Tops, Super Duper, Bells, and Park Edge ---
**Author:** ![blackpug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb9ed0/32.png) [@blackpug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blackpug)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2015, 3:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930/100 "2015-07-26T15:25:41Z")
as a kid I insisted on That place… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/supermarket-names/725930.md?page=6)