# What are the Grocery Store Chains Near You? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [October 24, 2006, 9:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758 "2006-10-24T21:23:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![gigi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a587f6/32.png) [@gigi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gigi)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/81 "2006-10-25T20:03:54Z")
[QUOTE=Gordon Urquhart] For the health-food-conscious shopper, there’s Whole Foods and Wild Oats. I’ve been in both a couple of times, but I can’t handle being around their clientele a whole lot. [/QUOTE] Tell me about it. I visited my parents in Fort Collins and it was a Friday night. I’m not used to crowds anymore, and it was also Cheese Sampling Night. Their produce was beautiful but it was annoying that the only canned black olives I could find were 3.49 a can! And the people were a snooty bunch. ---
**Author:** ![rjung](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/45deac/32.png) [@rjung](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjung)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/82 "2006-10-25T20:54:33Z")
Just for informative purposes, I’ll mention that Krogers, Ralphs, and Food 4 Less are all the same company (F4L is where Krogers and Ralphs sends their stuff after it’s been on the shelves for a few weeks). Threw me for a loop the first time I went to Vegas and wanted to find a Ralph’s – couldn’t find one anywhere, and was left wondering what this “Kroger’s” place was instead. ---
**Author:** ![Rhiannon8404](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rhiannon8404/32/17929_2.png) [@Rhiannon8404](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhiannon8404)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/83 "2006-10-25T21:03:06Z")
[QUOTE=Governor Quinn] In the Sacramento metropolitan area: Safeway, Raley’s/Bel Air, Albertsons, Whole Foods, CostCo, and one or two others that I can’t remember at this point. My preference is the Bel Air division of Raley’s. [/QUOTE] Let me add Trader Joe’s, Winco, FoodCo, and Sam’s Club. We shop at the Sacramento Natural Foods Co-op which is hardly a chain, but does have 2 locations. We also prefer Bel Air. ---
**Author:** ![Ike\_Witt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ike_witt/32/283_2.png) [@Ike\_Witt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ike_Witt)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/84 "2006-10-25T21:06:09Z")
I live in Austin TX, The main chain is HEB (virtual monoploy from what I see). Of course they did give the world Central Market. The 2 closest Albertsons have closed their doors in the last couple of months. Randalls - one of their nearby locations closed about 8 months ago. Whole Foods - I think they started here. I want to say that 4 out of the 5 closest stores are HEBs. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 9:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/85 "2006-10-25T21:15:22Z")
The SF Bay Area also has Cala/Bell stores, which are owned by Ralphs, which is in turn owned by Kroger. ---
**Author:** ![bouv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bc8723/32.png) [@bouv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bouv)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/86 "2006-10-25T22:33:05Z")
[QUOTE=Eonwe] Aren’t there two Wal-Marts? I thought that one had opened (or maybe it’s “will open” or “wants to open”) in St. Albans, about 20mi north. [/QUOTE] Well, I used there store locater, and while there is none in St.Albans (though I do remember lots of news stories about some new Wal-Mart, so they might be building one there,) there is one in Berlin. So we do have two, amd maybe soon to be three. Damn. ---
**Author:** ![Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c37758/32.png) [@Kilvert\_s\_Pagan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kilvert_s_Pagan)\ **Post date:** [October 25, 2006, 11:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/87 "2006-10-25T23:31:53Z")
[QUOTE=Elza B] Here in NE Ohio, we have Giant Eagle, Acme, Fisher’s (local chain), Marc’s (discount groceries), and Super Wal-Mart. [/QUOTE] Wow - Cleveland still has Fisher’s??? They were Fisher/Fazio/Costa when I was a kid… I thought they were all gone by now. **BrianJedi** , I used to shop at Slone’s (for incidentals) all the time, but they closed their Tates Creek store near my house. I think they’re putting a Whole Foods there instead. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 1:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/88 "2006-10-26T01:57:00Z")
[QUOTE=Bambi Hassenpfeffer] The Oriental Supermarket is at 5132 W Colonial, and the Caribbean Supercenter is right across the street at 5111. They’re between Kirkman and Pine Hills. [/QUOTE] OK, that is very far away from every place I ever go to, but I’ll have to make a special trip some time. Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![lawoot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/35a633/32.png) [@lawoot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lawoot)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 4:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/89 "2006-10-26T04:53:40Z")
Let’s see - Western Puget Sound Region - We have Albertson’s, Safeway, QFC (Kroger owned), Red Apple, Fred Meyers (also Kroger owned), Grocery Outlet. My preferred stores are Safeway and Albertson’s - because they are the closest. Also like Fred Meyers ---
**Author:** ![Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Bambi\_Hassenpfeffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bambi_Hassenpfeffer)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 5:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/90 "2006-10-26T05:27:20Z")
[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] OK, that is very far away from every place I ever go to, but I’ll have to make a special trip some time. Thanks! [/QUOTE] I’ve noticed that everywhere in metro Orlando is very far from everywhere else in metro Orlando. Truly fascinating – maybe the center of Florida has some weird space dilation thing going on. ---
**Author:** ![Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ccd318/32.png) [@Paul\_in\_Qatar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Paul_in_Qatar)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2006, 5:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/91 "2006-10-26T05:39:34Z")
The usual, Panda Danube Sawary Super Store We will be getting a French hypermarket Carreflour at some point in the future. We really need a Marks & Spencer Food Court in my opinion. ---
**Author:** ![Tibby](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tibby/32/17030_2.png) [@Tibby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tibby)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/92 "2006-12-09T13:56:58Z")
I’m not sure how big the chain is (was) but I’ve patronized one or two Hoggly Woggly stores (somewhere between a convenience store and a grocery store) in rural north Florida. If your town’s got a Hoggly Woggly and a Piggly Wiggly—that’s big-time. Growing up in New Jersey: Acme, A&P, Pantry Pride, Shope Rite, Pathmark… ---
**Author:** ![brendon\_small](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/brendon_small/32/17101_2.png) [@brendon\_small](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brendon_small)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 2:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/93 "2006-12-09T14:20:34Z")
In Portsmouth, Ohio (Where I live now), we have Krogers, Save-a-lot, and Aldi. I (mostly) grew up in McArthur, Ohio, where we have a Super Value, and we had a Krogers but it was closed when I was in elementary school. My family also owns a farm in a tiny town near Mansfield, Ohio, where there is an IGA/Super Value (not sure what it is named now though). Brendon ---
**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:** [December 9, 2006, 2:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/94 "2006-12-09T14:49:16Z")
[QUOTE=myskepticsight] When I lived in north St. Louis, we had Aldi, Shop n Save, Schnucks, Dierbergs and Save a Lot to choose from. They were all within 10 minutes of my childhood home. My parents usually went to **Schnucks**. [/QUOTE] (bolding mine) My father-in-law, when my in-laws came to visit us in St. Louis, always mispoke and called it Schmuks. Funniest damn thing he ever said. 😛 ---
**Author:** ![HeyHomie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/heyhomie/32/207_2.png) [@HeyHomie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HeyHomie)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/95 "2006-12-09T15:29:59Z")
Springfield, Illinois: Aldi, Schnuck’s, Shop & Save, Cub Foods, a recently-opened County Market, a Wal-Mart Supercenter, one IGA (in the ghetto) and some place called GFS Foods or something, which is small (by grocery store standards), never advertises, and is in a part of town surrounded by electronics and hardware stores. ---
**Author:** ![BrandonR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@BrandonR](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrandonR)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/96 "2006-12-09T16:12:04Z")
Dallas, TX: Albertons, Kroger, Tom Thumb, and Minyards were all the big ones (with Minyards seeming to be fading fast) ---
**Author:** ![MrFloppy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/43a26b/32.png) [@MrFloppy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MrFloppy)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/97 "2006-12-09T16:38:00Z")
Harford Co. MD Weiss Kleins Giant Superfresh Mars Drive 30 mins and we have a Wegmans which is good for getting Brit staples like Heinz Curried Beans, Cadbury Chocolate, Crumpets and PG Tips. When In Virgina a long time ago, I saw a Food Lion and Food King. I always thought it would be funny if they merged and became Lion King. ---
**Author:** ![Lambo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecc23a/32.png) [@Lambo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lambo)\ **Post date:** [December 9, 2006, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/98 "2006-12-09T17:36:17Z")
Morris, MN: Let’s see, there’s Willie’s SuperValu, locally owned (they used to be affiliated with Red Owl). That’s THE supermarket in town-in its third location, and “Remember, we love you at Willie’s!”. We also have a [Coborn’s](http://www.coborns.com/), which was a Holiday supermarket when I started college. Pro: They were open 24 hours a day. Cons: It smelled funky, and the freezers/coolers always seemed to be on the fritz. But, when I lived there for college, I ended up going there most often, due to it being open at 1:00 am. We also have the [Pomme de Terre Food Co-op](http://www.pdtfoods.org/), which is especially good for items in bulk (spices, flour, beans, etc). They also carry my preferred brand of shade grown fair trade coffee. ---
**Author:** ![Stinkum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/439d5e/32.png) [@Stinkum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stinkum)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 3:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/99 "2006-12-10T03:12:32Z")
[QUOTE=Avarie537] Indianapolis, IN: snip Safeway (I think there’s still one on the east side) [/QUOTE] Yep, I live near it. I don’t shop there because it smells bad. Wal-Mart also has their Fresh Markets, or Neighborhood Market stores in Indy. Not as massive as the Super Wallys. We are getting a Whole Foods Market on the north side next year. ---
**Author:** ![Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/eyebrows_0f_doom/32/3119_2.png) [@Eyebrows\_0f\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eyebrows_0f_Doom)\ **Post date:** [December 10, 2006, 7:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758/100 "2006-12-10T07:39:09Z")
Back where I lived on Long Island we have King Kullen, Waldbaum’s and Stop & Shop. Now I’m in Manhattan and the main ones near me are Food Emporium, Whole Foods, Gristede’s & D’Agostino, plus hundreds of smaller shops & fancy upscale markets. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-the-grocery-store-chains-near-you/377758.md?page=4)