What grocery stores are in your area

In My Humble Opinion
1

I was reading [url=http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=299543] this thread, and came across this quote

. I realized that I’ve lived in the Midwest my entire life and never been to any of those stores. Granted, everyone’s definition of the Midwest is a bit different, but I thought it was interesting. I hear a lot of people reference Kroger, Safeway, and Albertson’s as the big grocery stores, but I’ve never seen one.

When I lived in eastern Iowa, the grocery stores I remember are Jewel-Osco (the one we usually went to), Eagles, and one more low-end called Food Bonanza. Oh, and Aldi’s, which is the cheapest of them all.

We moved to Madison, Wisconsin. Jewel-Oscos were no longer to be found (though I found out they’ve been bought out by Albertsons in 1999), which made me sad because I loved their store brand granola cereal. Neither were Eagles or Food Bonanza. What was around was Cub Foods, Copps, Whole Foods, a local chain called Woodmans, Sentry Foods and Pick 'N Sav. Kohl’s used to have a separate grocery store, but that got sold off to someone else. Also Aldi’s.

I know live in Minneapolis. There are still Cub Foods, Whole Foods, and Aldi’s. New to me are Rainbow Foods (which I think was bought by some larger corporation), and two more upscale grocery stores, Lund’s and Byerleys. The last 2 are owned by a local group.

Now, I’m not including small markets, co-ops, ethnic grocery stores, or big stores (Target, Wal-Mart) that sell groceries in “superstores”.

2

Where I am now? There’s nthing for over 100 miles. Mind you, most dopers don’t post from the Persian Gulf.

When I go home to Texas, we mostly have HEB and Randalls. We also have Central Market. I worship at their door.

3

Here in central Arkansas:

Kroger’s, Sexton Foods (which used to be Piggly Wiggly), and the occasional Harvest Foods (which used to be Safeway). In south Arkansas I can still find a Mad Butcher, in Dumas, I think. Specific to my immediate area is a small chain called Knight’s which covers only a few towns in a couple of counties.

4

Here in southwestern Louisiana, we have Kroger, Albertson’s, and Market Basket. We also have some non-chain grocery stores like Abe’s and Misse’s. When I lived in southeastern Pennsylvania, the main grocery stores were Acme, Super Fresh, Genuardi’s, and Clemens, but I don’t know what is there now.

5

I live in Dallas, TX. We have Tom Thumb (Safeway), Kroger, and Albertsons as our main grocers. We also have Sack N Save and Super Walmart.

6

In St. Louis, the main grocery stores are the Schnucks and Dierbergs chains, both locally owned and operated. We also have Shop and Save, Sav-A-Lot and Aldi for discounts, as well as Whole Foods Market, World Market, Trader Joe’s and a local chain called Straub’s for the upscale market. Plus Wal-Mart Supercenters all over the freakin’ place. (I haven’t seen a Super Target yet, though.)

7

Within ten miles I’ve got 2 Kroger, 2 Meijer, Farmer Jack (used to be A&P which used to be Great Scot) and at least five varieties of the bag-your-own cheaper stores.

8

Youngstown, Ohio

Giant Eagle (I’m beginning to do some serious hating of that place), Aldi, NemenzIGA. There’s apparently a Marc’s around somewhere, but I don’t know where.

Super WalMart…closest to where I live is in Salem, OH. There’s a Sam’s club, but I don’t know if it counts, not being just a grocery store. There’s also a Tops up in Niles or Warren (for you East TN dopers (and other states), it’s under the same ownership as Bi-Lo, and I really wish there was one close to me - I liked Bi-Lo back home in TN).

9

Kroger, Publix, Food Lion, Piggly Wiggly, and Super Wally World.

10

Here in the Boston area we have: Star Markets, Shaws Supermarkets (bought by Albertsons), Stop & Shop, Victory, Bread & Circus (Whole Foods), Trader Joe’s, and Market Basket as chains.

11

Here in the Big Bend, we have Publix, Albertson’s, Super Wal Mart and a less-prestigious chain called Harvey’s, which it seems is in the process of replacing the Food Lion stores.

12

Here in Colorado Springs, we have King Soopers (owned by Kroger, where I usually shop), Safeway, Albertson’s, Whole Foods, and Grocery Warehouse. There was a Cub Foods around when I first moved here, but it closed down.

Back in Champaign, IL I used to shop at Meijer or Schnuck’s.

13

Orlando (and most of Florida) is full of Publix and Winn-Dixie stores. Publix is generally considered a “nice” supermarket, and the stores are usually impeccably clean and neat and orderly, with the best deli, bakery, and prepared foods. Winn-Dixies are generally older stores, cheaper, and considered “lower class.” This is all relative, as I’ve been in some shiny new Winn-Dixies and some really trashy Publixes. Once you get out of Miami, where I lived most of my life, you also have several Albertsons stores, which I consider the “best of both worlds.” Generally nice and clean, often cheaper than Publix, and as a major benefit that neither other offers, they are open 24 hours.

14

East Texas has Brookshire’s and their discount/“warehouse” store Super One; Albertson’s; Kroger; and Super Walmart. There’s also a Piggly Wiggly in Sulphur Springs that I love shopping at because it’s in a 1950s A-frame with glass front (entire front, not just windows) and has original early-'70s signage inside.
The upper Hudson Valley has Grand Union, Price Chopper, Shop and Save, and Hannaford. The Shop and Saves are getting rarer.

15

Another Orlando(ish) here. We used to have Goodings, which could give Publix a run for their money, but I think they’ve fallen by the wayside. There are some Albertson’s around, and we have a Kash & Karry and a Super Target near us.

I’ve seen Food Lions, but although I still think they’re in South Carolina I haven’t seen them around here much in the past few years.

And I would clean Publix’s parking lot with my tongue before I stepped foot in a Winn Dixie. I haven’t found a one yet that didn’t seem dirty.

16

Oh, I forgot. Ivylad generally shops at Sam’s.

17

Baltimore, Maryland.

Giant (where I usually shop), Safeway (for beef!), Food Lion, Mars (local chain), Save-A-Lot (discount chain), Aldi (where I have never been), Whole Foods, and Trader Joe’s.

I like the Giant, but I sure do miss the Superstore in Calgary, Alberta, and the Loblaws in Kingston, Ontario.

18

Here in Macon, within 5 miles of our house there are three Kroger stores, Publix, at least two Foodmax stores, Super Wal-Mart, and a small corner grocer called CJ’s.

Where I grew up on the East side of Atlanta, there is an Ingles (my first job), Kroger, Publix, Super Wal-Mart, Super Target, and a neat discount store called Jordan’s.

19

Oops, sorry, I forgot to mention Winn-Dixie! I don’t know how I could have forgotten it, as I have to pass one to get to my house every day!

20

Vienna (Northern Virginia): Giant, Safeway, McGrueders (sp), Shoppers, Harris Teeter, Trader Joe’s, Albertson’s, Costco’s

I shop only at Harris Teeter, upon pain of starvation.