Author Topic: 24,000 people go grocery shopping  (Read 16561 times)

Fu Mainechu

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24,000 people go grocery shopping
« on: May 25, 2016, 06:50:24 PM »
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« Last Edit: November 05, 2016, 07:22:57 AM by Fu Mainechu »

MsPeacock

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #1 on: May 25, 2016, 07:05:30 PM »
People are crazy about Wegman's in these parts of the woods. Not sure why, personally - but people are. These closest one to me is maybe 12 miles away and I have neighbors going on about going there to shop - there are 3 large grocery stores w/in walking distance, and at least another 20 before you get to Wegmans....

I've been in Wegman's once and thought it was expensive and crowded and sold a lot of expensive impulse items (cheese and date plate - $15). I'm an Aldi's shopper, so presumably not the target audience for Wegman's.

Rustycage

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #2 on: May 25, 2016, 08:02:11 PM »
I think a lot of people get caught up in the emotion.

When Costco and subsequently Aldi first appeared in the southern states of Australia (where I'm from), most people went beserk "OMG NOWS I CAN BUY 2,000,000 TOILET ROLLS IN ONE GO OMG SAVINGS BRO"

syednaeemul

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #3 on: May 25, 2016, 11:24:42 PM »
When Costco and subsequently Aldi first appeared in the southern states of Australia (where I'm from), most people went beserk "OMG NOWS I CAN BUY 2,000,000 TOILET ROLLS IN ONE GO OMG SAVINGS BRO"

That explains the Great Melbourne Teepeeing.

Sjalabais

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #4 on: May 26, 2016, 02:01:37 AM »
Are you guys telling me that people go on pilgrimages to a store designed to look like a church?



Sometimes the simplicity of the human mind makes me want to curl up.

MandalayVA

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #5 on: May 26, 2016, 04:18:34 AM »
I was one of the 24,000.  Here's the deal:

There are a TON of transplanted northeasterners in the Richmond metro area.  You're more likely to hear a New York accent than a Virginia accent around here.

Back in the day there was a small family-run grocery chain in the area called Ukrop's, which like Wegmans was famous for having really good prepared food and decently-priced groceries.  When my brother, who still lives in New Jersey, first came to visit me after we moved here, I took him to Ukrop's.  He looked around and said, "oh, it's like a little Wegmans."  When I came to visit him he took me to the local Wegmans.  Mind.  Blown.  However, I resigned myself to only being able to go when I visited my brother.

As the years passed, Wegmans began creeping south, opening its first store in Virginia in 2004.  In 2009 the Ukrop family sold the stores to the same company who runs Giant supermarkets in the northeast, which renamed the chain Martin's.  The stores immediately went downhill as far as the prepared food went, although groceries were still okay.  Richmonders bemoaned the loss.  That same year, Wegmans opened a store in Fredericksburg, roughly an hour away from Richmond.  I heard of people making regular trips up there, but I limited myself to going there only when I was going up that way anyway.

Then in 2014 came the news that Wegmans was going to open not one, but TWO stores in the Richmond area, and all of us transplants lost our collective shit while natives were like "seriously, you're going this nuts over a GROCERY STORE?"  Our answer was "it's not just a grocery store, it's Wegmans."

So yeah, I was there bright and early on Sunday, but it was so packed we really didn't see much.  I went back on Tuesday and scouted the store for all the things I buy at Martin's.  With the exception of cat food, which was the same price, Wegmans beat Martin's on everything I normally buy.  Add in that I can get stuff I haven't had since I left New Jersey over twenty years ago, and I am STUPIDLY happy.  The second store is opening in August.  I don't think it'll be quite as crazy as this opening, though.

And I know four Virginia natives who knew nothing about Wegmans who went and became instant converts. 

It's not just groceries.  The prepared food is OUTSTANDING.  The wine and beer sections are huge.  The produce section is a thing of beauty.  By all accounts it's a fantastic company to work for.  It's all the best parts of Trader Joe's and Whole Foods but the prices are more reasonable PLUS you can buy your toilet paper and cat food there.  On average, Mr. Mandalay and I have to go to three stores to get everything we need.  Now that Wegmans is here, we only need to go to one.

Go on and hate, but I was as excited as a kid at Christmas standing in line at seven o'clock on Sunday.  :D 



     

ShoulderThingThatGoesUp

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #6 on: May 26, 2016, 04:39:54 AM »
Wegman's is cheaper than the slightly-closer "cheap" grocery chains near me - if you're buying reasonable things. If you're buying organic snack mix or whatever you'll pay out the nose but you shouldn't buy that garbage anyways.

When we were hosting Thanksgiving I got our list, went on Wegman's website to determine their price on everything, then went to Giant, which is close by, figuring I could get probably half the things cheaper there. I gave up a third of the way through the list when nothing was cheaper.

MrsDinero

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #7 on: May 26, 2016, 04:52:04 AM »
I believe it!  Wegman's is awesome!  I miss it.

When I lived in MD, I was so excited when a Wegman's was built in my area.  I hated cooking back then (I'm still not too fond of it) so I would hit up Wegman's prepared food section a few times a week.  However when it first opened it was crazy busy so I avoided it the first month and waited out the craziness.  They actually have really good prices that would most times beat what I found at Giant.

meg_shannon

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #8 on: May 26, 2016, 05:47:17 AM »
I get all my staples from Wegmans. Their family/club pack pricing is fantastic, on par with Sam's Club/Costco but the packages are a more reasonable size. Every holiday season the baking goods go on sale (.99/5 lb flour, chocolate, sugar, etc.) and I stock up. The same when the big cans of whole tomatoes are $.50. Currently strawberries are $4/2 lb!

I meal plan by the month, and am able to pick up all my pantry, freezer, will last a month foods and household supplies in under an hour. Their prepared food was great when we were moving back to NJ from Germany. My husband's employer was providing per diem, so we made some extra cash by eating from Wegmans/Trader Joe's than going to a restaurant.

The produce at the Asian market down the street is cheaper, but not as high quality. That's okay because I can bike there.

MandalayVA

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #9 on: May 26, 2016, 07:16:01 AM »
I will never understand.  To me, grocery shopping is far from the highlight of my week.  I do it because I have to, like using the bathroom.  I looked at pictures of the inside of this place and Trader Joe's, and they give me anxiety.  I'd take an Aldi or my small hometown grocery store over any of them - get in, buy the stuff I need to buy, and get out.

On my end I'll never understand why people salivate over Aldi.  Yes, it's cheap, but there's little variety, the meat is gross and the produce section is disgusting.  And I've been to five Aldis on the chance it was just one particular store.  Also, foodies like myself tend to really like grocery shopping, and Wegmans is basically Supermarket Disney World for foodies.  If you're not into food, yeah, places like Wegmans are lost on you.

misshathaway

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #10 on: May 26, 2016, 07:20:33 AM »
Wegman's is cheaper than the slightly-closer "cheap" grocery chains near me - if you're buying reasonable things. If you're buying organic snack mix or whatever you'll pay out the nose but you shouldn't buy that garbage anyways.

When we were hosting Thanksgiving I got our list, went on Wegman's website to determine their price on everything, then went to Giant, which is close by, figuring I could get probably half the things cheaper there. I gave up a third of the way through the list when nothing was cheaper.

In Burlington, MA we have cheapster grocery heaven - a MarketBasket ON_THE_WAY to Wegmans. They are about 1 mile apart. So you can make your grocery list in the Wegmans app, which includes current price for each item, then go to MarketBasket first, get what's cheaper there, and head to Wegmans. It's a pretty even split for the things I buy, and it's really per item. It's not like MB is across the board cheaper on drugstore items or meat, just some of them. AND who cares if one store is out of something, which happens all the time. Now I can just get it at the other one.

Magilla

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #11 on: May 26, 2016, 08:14:10 AM »
While 24000 people showing up for a store opening is ridiculous, I can vouch for Wegmans being the best grocery storey by far of any grocery store I've ever visited.  They have Sam's/Costco like prices for their bulk foods, fantastic quality store brand products, huge selection of organics (if that's your thing), fresh produce, largish selection of international and exotic ingredients (for a supermarket -- I still have to go to Asian and Indian stores sometimes to stock up on more exotic ones), great selection and prices of wine, beer and liquor, etc etc.

Over the years I've lived in this part of NJ I've tried shopping at other stores but I always come back to Wegmans.  We usually do our grocery shopping in a loop hitting a few stores to get the hard to find or cheaper items then go to Wegmans and get everything else.

Chris22

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #12 on: May 26, 2016, 08:20:34 AM »
Go on and hate, but I was as excited as a kid at Christmas standing in line at seven o'clock on Sunday.  :D 
I will never understand.  To me, grocery shopping is far from the highlight of my week.  I do it because I have to, like using the bathroom.  I looked at pictures of the inside of this place and Trader Joe's, and they give me anxiety.  I'd take an Aldi or my small hometown grocery store over any of them - get in, buy the stuff I need to buy, and get out.

My wife insists on using Peapod now, and I actually miss my weekly grocery trip to Mariano's.  I like picking out a steak, I like checking for little treats on sale (look, a sale on shrimp, we're grilling it next to the steak!), I like groping my produce before I buy it, ec. 

And count me among those that find Aldi nasty and depressing, plus I HATE not being able to buy all my stuff in one stop; I need food but I might also need sandwich bags or toilet paper or toothpaste or razor blades or dishwasher soap or what have you, and I don't want to go to two stores to do it.

TVRodriguez

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #13 on: May 26, 2016, 08:25:57 AM »
So a new Publix opened up in our neighborhood this month, and it was the talk of the parents at my kids' school (it's on the same block as the school--you can imagine the convenience!).  People in Florida love Publix ("where shopping is a pleasure").  Now, it wasn't 24,000 people, but lots of us went on the first day.

One of the dads at the school got to the new Publix extra early on "opening day" to make sure he was the very first customer.  He even got the manager to sign his receipt and framed it!  (I went opening day to get the free insulated grocery bags they were handing out.)

MgoSam

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #14 on: May 26, 2016, 08:37:47 AM »
I've heard great things about Wegmanns, and know a friend from college that had Wegmanns near his home who mentioned that a few of his friends worked there, that they took great care of their employees. I liked hearing that.

MandalayVA

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #15 on: May 26, 2016, 08:43:12 AM »
So a new Publix opened up in our neighborhood this month, and it was the talk of the parents at my kids' school (it's on the same block as the school--you can imagine the convenience!).  People in Florida love Publix ("where shopping is a pleasure").  Now, it wasn't 24,000 people, but lots of us went on the first day.

Publix is also opening a store in Richmond in 2018, but a heavy rumor is circulating that they might be buying the Martin's stores as well.  Martin's got bought again by the same company that owns Food Lion, and because of monopoly laws Martin's is on the auction block.  Publix tends to be expensive, but its fried chicken is TREMENDOUS.

MgoSam

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #16 on: May 26, 2016, 09:39:31 AM »
I will never understand.  To me, grocery shopping is far from the highlight of my week.  I do it because I have to, like using the bathroom.  I looked at pictures of the inside of this place and Trader Joe's, and they give me anxiety.  I'd take an Aldi or my small hometown grocery store over any of them - get in, buy the stuff I need to buy, and get out.

On my end I'll never understand why people salivate over Aldi.  Yes, it's cheap, but there's little variety, the meat is gross and the produce section is disgusting.  And I've been to five Aldis on the chance it was just one particular store.  Also, foodies like myself tend to really like grocery shopping, and Wegmans is basically Supermarket Disney World for foodies.  If you're not into food, yeah, places like Wegmans are lost on you.

Ah yes, a foodie.

Like how places like Wegmans are lost on me, a foodie could never appreciate the simplicity of something like an Aldi, where you don't have to sift through 40 varieties of free-range, grass-fed oatmeal to get to the plain old oatmeal.

The Aldi I've been in was fine.  It had good meat.  The produce was hit or miss, but you can't go wrong with $0.49 avocados.  You'd die if you went into my local Foodliner though.  It doesn't even have vaulted ceilings!

I agree. The avocados are amazing, and I'll even splurge and get the 4 pack of organic ones for $3, whereas they are over a buck a piece at my grocery store (non-organic), and some other things. There are some things I won't touch there, like their almond milk is absolute shit.

ringer707

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #17 on: May 26, 2016, 10:21:04 AM »
I was one of the 24,000.  Here's the deal:

There are a TON of transplanted northeasterners in the Richmond metro area.  You're more likely to hear a New York accent than a Virginia accent around here.

Back in the day there was a small family-run grocery chain in the area called Ukrop's, which like Wegmans was famous for having really good prepared food and decently-priced groceries.  When my brother, who still lives in New Jersey, first came to visit me after we moved here, I took him to Ukrop's.  He looked around and said, "oh, it's like a little Wegmans."  When I came to visit him he took me to the local Wegmans.  Mind.  Blown.  However, I resigned myself to only being able to go when I visited my brother.

As the years passed, Wegmans began creeping south, opening its first store in Virginia in 2004.  In 2009 the Ukrop family sold the stores to the same company who runs Giant supermarkets in the northeast, which renamed the chain Martin's.  The stores immediately went downhill as far as the prepared food went, although groceries were still okay.  Richmonders bemoaned the loss.  That same year, Wegmans opened a store in Fredericksburg, roughly an hour away from Richmond.  I heard of people making regular trips up there, but I limited myself to going there only when I was going up that way anyway.

Then in 2014 came the news that Wegmans was going to open not one, but TWO stores in the Richmond area, and all of us transplants lost our collective shit while natives were like "seriously, you're going this nuts over a GROCERY STORE?"  Our answer was "it's not just a grocery store, it's Wegmans."

So yeah, I was there bright and early on Sunday, but it was so packed we really didn't see much.  I went back on Tuesday and scouted the store for all the things I buy at Martin's.  With the exception of cat food, which was the same price, Wegmans beat Martin's on everything I normally buy.  Add in that I can get stuff I haven't had since I left New Jersey over twenty years ago, and I am STUPIDLY happy.  The second store is opening in August.  I don't think it'll be quite as crazy as this opening, though.

And I know four Virginia natives who knew nothing about Wegmans who went and became instant converts. 

It's not just groceries.  The prepared food is OUTSTANDING.  The wine and beer sections are huge.  The produce section is a thing of beauty.  By all accounts it's a fantastic company to work for.  It's all the best parts of Trader Joe's and Whole Foods but the prices are more reasonable PLUS you can buy your toilet paper and cat food there.  On average, Mr. Mandalay and I have to go to three stores to get everything we need.  Now that Wegmans is here, we only need to go to one.

Go on and hate, but I was as excited as a kid at Christmas standing in line at seven o'clock on Sunday.  :D 



   


This. All of this.

I haven't made it to Wegman's yet, but I'm looking forward to it. I grew up on Ukrop's and almost cried when I heard they were closing. Martin's is pitiful by my standards. I switched to Kroger. I've heard people in other parts of the country say they don't like Kroger, but I think the stores around here made a conscious effort to step up their customer service when Ukrop's sold. And at least I can still buy White House Rolls at Kroger.

I am also not impressed with Aldi. I can get everything at Kroger either the same price or cheaper, or Aldi is mere pennies cheaper. Not worth it.

russianswinga

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #18 on: May 26, 2016, 10:28:09 AM »
California native here... (Well, Russian native, 24 yr California resident)...
I have never heard of Wegmans or Ukrops before. And I've traveled the US a LOT (all west of New Mexico though)
I've also spent some travel time in Boston and in Miami, and again, never even heard this place mentioned.

dougules

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #19 on: May 26, 2016, 10:33:51 AM »
Clearly not many Italians here.  What's more exciting than good food? Maybe the birth of your first-born, but beyond that...

Apples

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #20 on: May 26, 2016, 12:13:10 PM »
Wegman's is fancy.  It's possible that it's better on price for your staple foods than other grocery stores, but you have to stay away from all the Fancy.  My DH does our grocery shopping, and he cannot resist Fancy-so we don't regularly shop there.  However, their produce section is glorious.  They have very high standards (though they do fall victim to supply and demand, so you may be paying high prices for their high standards, or they could still have sub-par fruit because supply was low).

About 10 years ago, when the Honeycrisp apple had just come on the market in a big way, Wegman's bought some Honeycrisp from our packinghouse that came from our farm.  The nearest Wegman's is 45 minutes away (for reference, the nearest grocery store is 30 mins away anyway).  My parents drove there and spent a Thursday night standing near their Honeycrip in a big display for a very high price, looking very proud.  They couldn't believe people were willing to buy them, but were so excited every time someone did.  Wegman's still sends out their apple buyer to personally check on all the Honeycrisp orchards in the area before they buy any.  As in, they come out and see the crew picking the apples, not just the fruit.

partgypsy

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #21 on: May 26, 2016, 12:20:15 PM »
Never been to a Wegmans (from the Midwest now in southeast). I agree Aldi's is depressing. Many years ago was in there and they had chili dogs wrapped up, discounted 2 times, and part of the chilidog was green. There was a mouse running along the aisle trying to hide, and an old lady kept commanding my husband to "step on it. Just step on it." Never went back.


golden1

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #22 on: May 26, 2016, 12:38:49 PM »
Wegmans can be as fancy as you want it to be or super cheap.  The family packs for meats are a great buy.  Their store brand is good quality and cheap.  The produce is fantastic and decently priced.  Just stay away from the pre-prepared stuff most of the time.  It's good but expensive.  I cave once in awhile. 

Quote
In Burlington, MA we have cheapster grocery heaven - a MarketBasket ON_THE_WAY to Wegmans. They are about 1 mile apart. So you can make your grocery list in the Wegmans app, which includes current price for each item, then go to MarketBasket first, get what's cheaper there, and head to Wegmans. It's a pretty even split for the things I buy, and it's really per item. It's not like MB is across the board cheaper on drugstore items or meat, just some of them. AND who cares if one store is out of something, which happens all the time. Now I can just get it at the other one.

Holy moley - that's where I live!  /wave  I also like visiting Trader Joe's once every few weeks for certain treats, particularly coffee. 

I agree that MB was the place to go before Wegmans opened, and still has amazing prices on the stuff Wegmans doesn't carry.  The worst part about MB is how crowded it is. I shopped there exclusively when I was a SAHM because it was fine during the day.  On weekends it's a zoo. 

MandalayVA

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #23 on: May 26, 2016, 12:43:13 PM »

Ah yes, a foodie.

Like how places like Wegmans are lost on me, a foodie could never appreciate the simplicity of something like an Aldi, where you don't have to sift through 40 varieties of free-range, grass-fed oatmeal to get to the plain old oatmeal.

The Aldi I've been in was fine.  It had good meat.  The produce was hit or miss, but you can't go wrong with $0.49 avocados.  You'd die if you went into my local Foodliner though.  It doesn't even have vaulted ceilings!

I'm not a millennial so none of those apply to me.  I rarely buy organic, I don't have an Instagram and I can count on the fingers of one hand the number of times I've eaten at a restaurant this year (and not expensive ones either).  Your attitude can be summed up thusly:



I have friends in the Boston area so I also enjoy Market Basket, but that's one chain I know will never come down here.  In the meantime, I shall continue to enjoy Wegmans despite you.  If the Aldis I visited looked clean and the produce and meat didn't look like it would go bad between the store and my refrigerator, I'd reconsider.  :D


golden1

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #24 on: May 26, 2016, 12:58:01 PM »
I think some people just don't like food very much.  Seriously.  They eat to live, not live to eat.  In that case, anything spent above a sustenance level is wasted money.  These are the people soylent was made for.  Even better a DIY soylent. 

mm1970

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #25 on: May 26, 2016, 01:08:30 PM »
Wegman's is fancy.  It's possible that it's better on price for your staple foods than other grocery stores, but you have to stay away from all the Fancy.  My DH does our grocery shopping, and he cannot resist Fancy-so we don't regularly shop there.  However, their produce section is glorious.  They have very high standards (though they do fall victim to supply and demand, so you may be paying high prices for their high standards, or they could still have sub-par fruit because supply was low).

About 10 years ago, when the Honeycrisp apple had just come on the market in a big way, Wegman's bought some Honeycrisp from our packinghouse that came from our farm.  The nearest Wegman's is 45 minutes away (for reference, the nearest grocery store is 30 mins away anyway).  My parents drove there and spent a Thursday night standing near their Honeycrip in a big display for a very high price, looking very proud.  They couldn't believe people were willing to buy them, but were so excited every time someone did.  Wegman's still sends out their apple buyer to personally check on all the Honeycrisp orchards in the area before they buy any.  As in, they come out and see the crew picking the apples, not just the fruit.
I've only been to Wegman's once when I was visiting family (nearest one is 1.5 hours away).  It was nice, but you know, sort of a bigger version of Trader Joe's, Whole foods, etc.

I am a "foodie" in that I appreciate quality food (particularly produce).  So in that respect Wegman's sounds like Whole Foods.  I get most of my produce locally (from a CSA or produce box delivery).  I fill in with grocery store and frozen produce.  I'm picky about some things though.  I'm picky about apples, avocados, and strawberries.  There are only a few places where I will buy them and I'm willing to pay more for them.

But I have to stay away from Whole Foods because of "the fancy".  My own personal kryptonite is the hot bar (prepared foods).  It's expensive, and I cannot help myself if they have samosas.

I've never been to an Aldi, there aren't any here.  I do occasionally get produce at the 99 cent only store. It's hit or miss, but you just have to look at the food first.  Much of the produce is in season and local, but not all of it.  But, you have to pay attention, because some of it is pretty close to going bad.

ormaybemidgets

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #26 on: May 26, 2016, 01:34:00 PM »
So a new Publix opened up in our neighborhood this month, and it was the talk of the parents at my kids' school (it's on the same block as the school--you can imagine the convenience!).  People in Florida love Publix ("where shopping is a pleasure").  Now, it wasn't 24,000 people, but lots of us went on the first day.

Publix is also opening a store in Richmond in 2018, but a heavy rumor is circulating that they might be buying the Martin's stores as well.  Martin's got bought again by the same company that owns Food Lion, and because of monopoly laws Martin's is on the auction block.  Publix tends to be expensive, but its fried chicken is TREMENDOUS.

Careful - Publix in Florida is a thing of absolute glory. Their out of state stores are much worse. They recently came to Tennessee and it's been nothing but disappointment: cashiers aren't friendly, no one asks if you need help (which is supposed to be the signature Publix move), unreliable produce, and way, WAY out of date pre-packaged products. I bought a trail mix that had a sell-by date nearly six months prior.

MgoSam

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #27 on: May 26, 2016, 02:13:26 PM »

Ah yes, a foodie.

Like how places like Wegmans are lost on me, a foodie could never appreciate the simplicity of something like an Aldi, where you don't have to sift through 40 varieties of free-range, grass-fed oatmeal to get to the plain old oatmeal.

The Aldi I've been in was fine.  It had good meat.  The produce was hit or miss, but you can't go wrong with $0.49 avocados.  You'd die if you went into my local Foodliner though.  It doesn't even have vaulted ceilings!

I'm not a millennial so none of those apply to me.

What does millennials have to do with any of this? You're the only one that's brought up the M word.

Scandium

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #28 on: May 26, 2016, 03:01:03 PM »
I believe it!  Wegman's is awesome!  I miss it.

When I lived in MD, I was so excited when a Wegman's was built in my area.  I hated cooking back then (I'm still not too fond of it) so I would hit up Wegman's prepared food section a few times a week.  However when it first opened it was crazy busy so I avoided it the first month and waited out the craziness.  They actually have really good prices that would most times beat what I found at Giant.
If you're talking about the Columbia one it's still insanely busy on Sundays. A friking zoo. We don't go. It's nice, and not very expensive. Not like it's wh.. But it's inefficiently laid out, takes much longer to get everything.

MrsPete

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #29 on: May 26, 2016, 03:31:30 PM »
We just got a new grocery store last year, and they were PACKED on opening day.  We went because they gave away loads of coupons, had drawings for gift cards, and offered so many samples that we literally "grazed" our dinner that night.  Yes, it was crowded, but we had fun. 

They opened on the first of the month, and they offered some sort of special every day that month.  We went back a couple times for some of those freebies. 

Since that first month, I haven't been back.  They're extremely high priced -- but I don't regret going to the opening.

Warlord1986

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #30 on: May 26, 2016, 03:56:23 PM »
Never been in a Wegeman's, but we had Publix open across the street from my apartment. Good gravy, you'd have thought it was a theme park. People were lined up all the way down the sidewalk, grocery bags in hand, the newspaper did a feature on it, Facebook became 'All Publix, all the time.'

I'm not a big fan of crowds, so I avoided it until someone mentioned that they have sushi.

"Sushi?" I said, my ears pricking up and my nose twitching.

"Sushi," they confirmed. "It's really good. And they have Publix Premium ice cream. That stuff is heaven."

And that was my downfall. I try to get my produce and basics from Aldi's, because they're great, but every so often sushi calls my name. On the plus side, I also have gotten some recipes from their cooking demonstrations, and I really appreciate those! And I can bike there. 

MandalayVA

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #31 on: May 26, 2016, 04:41:45 PM »
I'm not a millennial so none of those apply to me.

What does millennials have to do with any of this? You're the only one that's brought up the M word.

I figure she was implying that millennials have a monopoly on the douchebaggery described in the foodies article as sort of a knee-jerk "that can't possibly describe me!" kind of reaction.  That article may have hit a little too close to home.  And for that, I halfheartedly apologize.  The other half is giggling like a schoolgirl, though that might be a side effect of the substandard Aldi food I've apparently been eating.

You wish.  :D

Your attitude can be summed up thusly:



I don't see it that way at all.  I agreed with you that Wegmans is lost on me, and pointed out why Aldi is lost on you.  Nowhere in this thread have I said that Wegmans is bad, or that people are wrong for wanting to go there, but you have continually bashed Aldi's products for whatever reason.  I just pointed out that I think it's silly to line up overnight to go to a grocery store.  And you're the one who called yourself a foodie, not me - I just provided some clarity on what us non-foodies hear when you say that.  If anything, it's your roots that are showing, not mine. 

But since you seem to prefer the personal to talking about the absurdity of lining up at stores, let's go there, girlfriend:  I thought Richmond kept all the "foodies" and other folks with your kind of attitude in Short Pump, not Midlothian.  Did you drive that far to line up for a grocery store, or have they started to escape?  ;)

Sorry, but I live in the actual city, not the 'burbs.  Stores get built in Short Pump and Midlothian because there's room.  It takes about twenty minutes to get to either from my place in Church Hill.  People drive farther for less.  There were people at Wegmans on Sunday from Roanoke (roughly three hours away), Charlottesville (an hour, but it'll be getting its own Wegmans in November), and Charlotte, North Carolina (five hours).  All transplants.  We normally shop in either Short Pump or Midlothian so it's not like we were going hugely out of our way.

gmp029

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #32 on: May 26, 2016, 08:07:09 PM »
I worked at Wegmans for 7 years during hs and college. Great place to work, and I received their college scholarship. I will only grocery shop at Wegmans!
I'm not sure how they do it, but their store brand products are often less expensive and of equal or superior quality compared to national brands.
As others have mentioned, produce and meat are superior.
You can make your shopping trip as simple or as fancy as you like. Staple items are reasonably priced to me, especially for their club packs. That being said, I haven't rigorously compared their prices to the other stores lately. Wegmans seems to focus on consistent pricing, rather than eye catching BOGO sales.

Sent from my Nexus 6 using Tapatalk


joleran

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #33 on: May 27, 2016, 08:27:24 AM »
A very fancy Mariano's store opened in Chicago the other year in the Ravenswood neighborhood.  It has 3 different full-service bars and they encourage you to grab a beer or wine while you shop.  It has 6 different restaurant type places, including daily real-smoked BBQ, a sushi joint, fresh seafood with a oyster specialty, pizza joint, sandwich shop, and a coffee shop that have little sit-down areas, and they will also deliver to the bars.  That's in addition to the normal hot/cold deli section.  Fresh squeezed OJ every day.  Live bands often play at one of the bars, but there's always at least a piano player in the evenings.  When they first opened, they gave out some crazy samples like full-sized ice cream bars, and they brought in some ringers for world class customer service (that have since moved on leaving more normal customer service).

MgoSam

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #34 on: May 27, 2016, 08:41:14 AM »
Joleran,

I've always wondered how such stores survive....there is an upscale grocery chain near me that has a coffee shop inside of it and I just can't imagine needing to spend $3+ for coffee while shopping for grocery.

But then I realize that not everyone is like me, and people tend to be a lot less careful with their finances. I can understand paying more for your groceries if you value quality (especially meats and seafoods), but I just don't understand buying beer for your grocery trip.

joleran

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #35 on: May 27, 2016, 09:02:12 AM »
I've always wondered how such stores survive....there is an upscale grocery chain near me that has a coffee shop inside of it and I just can't imagine needing to spend $3+ for coffee while shopping for grocery.

The beer is super cheap craft beer at $3 a glass when most bars nearby would run $8 a glass and a typical six-pack in the area runs $12.  I don't live near there anymore, but I would often get a beer because their selection changed often and I enjoyed trying new beers.  It makes sense for the grocery store too for obvious reasons.

dougules

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #36 on: May 27, 2016, 09:08:50 AM »
I think some people just don't like food very much.  Seriously.  They eat to live, not live to eat.  In that case, anything spent above a sustenance level is wasted money.  These are the people soylent was made for.  Even better a DIY soylent.

I think you're right.  I recognize that on an academic level, but it's completely a foreign concept to me.  On some level it seems kind of sad, but maybe I should be jealous given my grocery bills. 

meadow lark

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #37 on: May 27, 2016, 09:31:27 AM »
I come from a 500,000 year lineage of successful hunter gatherers who got a hit of dopamine every time they procured food.  It is not odd that I enjoy/also get a dopamine hit from procuring food (from a grocery store, from a cherry tree, from whatever.)

P.S.  I am distinctly not a millennial. 

Magilla

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #38 on: May 27, 2016, 10:15:47 AM »
I think some people just don't like food very much.  Seriously.  They eat to live, not live to eat.  In that case, anything spent above a sustenance level is wasted money.  These are the people soylent was made for.  Even better a DIY soylent.

I think you're right.  I recognize that on an academic level, but it's completely a foreign concept to me.  On some level it seems kind of sad, but maybe I should be jealous given my grocery bills.

Hehe, this baffles me too, but I've learned to accept it.  The annoying thing is that while I've come to accept that not everyone values good food, most of the people I've met that don't are so f**king annoyingly opinionated about not liking "fancy" food. 

I get it buddy, you can't tell the difference between Hershey's and Belgian chocolate and you think I'm a dumbass for paying twice as much for it.  Well I can and I would much rather spend double and really enjoy it than spend less and be left feeling like it was not worth it.

MgoSam

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #39 on: May 27, 2016, 10:35:56 AM »
I've always wondered how such stores survive....there is an upscale grocery chain near me that has a coffee shop inside of it and I just can't imagine needing to spend $3+ for coffee while shopping for grocery.

The beer is super cheap craft beer at $3 a glass when most bars nearby would run $8 a glass and a typical six-pack in the area runs $12.  I don't live near there anymore, but I would often get a beer because their selection changed often and I enjoyed trying new beers.  It makes sense for the grocery store too for obvious reasons.

In that case, I"m in! I haven't drank beer in a while (trying to get my high school body back), but that's a great price, I was thinking that they would be bar-level prices, but I imagine that they would also have good prices on wine.

I realize that my post was overly critical, I would need to take a look at it. It may be that they are providing a premium service and though their prices might be marked up as a result, it may be a good value for their customer base.

misshathaway

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #40 on: May 27, 2016, 11:45:23 AM »

Holy moley - that's where I live!

I agree that MB was the place to go before Wegmans opened, and still has amazing prices on the stuff Wegmans doesn't carry.  The worst part about MB is how crowded it is. I shopped there exclusively when I was a SAHM because it was fine during the day.  On weekends it's a zoo.

Howdy neighbor! You probably already know this and think it's crazy but MB actually opens well before the stated 7AM opening on Saturday - 6:45 sometimes earlier. One can race around a pretty empty store and be wheeling their full cart out all smug at 7AM when the hoardes start pulling in. Added bonus - they can't be out of anything unless they didn't stock it in the first place.

Davids

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #41 on: May 27, 2016, 12:47:28 PM »
Wegmans is awesome, basically I do my grocery shopping at either Aldi or Wegmans. Wegmans also has a great beer selection. The main thing though I would avoid at Wegmans are the buffet foods that are $8.99/lb, that is a ripoff.

dougules

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #42 on: May 27, 2016, 02:11:13 PM »
I think some people just don't like food very much.  Seriously.  They eat to live, not live to eat.  In that case, anything spent above a sustenance level is wasted money.  These are the people soylent was made for.  Even better a DIY soylent.

I think you're right.  I recognize that on an academic level, but it's completely a foreign concept to me.  On some level it seems kind of sad, but maybe I should be jealous given my grocery bills.

Hehe, this baffles me too, but I've learned to accept it.  The annoying thing is that while I've come to accept that not everyone values good food, most of the people I've met that don't are so f**king annoyingly opinionated about not liking "fancy" food. 

I get it buddy, you can't tell the difference between Hershey's and Belgian chocolate and you think I'm a dumbass for paying twice as much for it.  Well I can and I would much rather spend double and really enjoy it than spend less and be left feeling like it was not worth it.

Just keep in mind that the inverse is also true.  To someone who is content with Hershey's, I'm sure being preached at about why Belgian chocolate is so much better is probably pretty annoying.

Personally, I think you're both suckers.  German dark chocolate is where it's at, and Aldi has a pretty decent brand called Moser Roth that lets you pay Hershey's prices for quality German chocolate.  :p

+1,000.  I have a stack of Moser Roth in my cabinet. It makes good hot chocolate, too. 

That being said, I don't think there are cacao trees in Belgium, Germany, or Pennsylvania...

BlueHouse

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #43 on: May 27, 2016, 05:29:46 PM »
LOL, I went to the opening of the Wegman's here a few years back.  My sister and her husband dragged me.  They have great prepared section, and good prices, but it's just groceries.  I'm just not that into shopping.

MgoSam

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #44 on: May 27, 2016, 11:22:04 PM »
I think some people just don't like food very much.  Seriously.  They eat to live, not live to eat.  In that case, anything spent above a sustenance level is wasted money.  These are the people soylent was made for.  Even better a DIY soylent.

I think you're right.  I recognize that on an academic level, but it's completely a foreign concept to me.  On some level it seems kind of sad, but maybe I should be jealous given my grocery bills.

Hehe, this baffles me too, but I've learned to accept it.  The annoying thing is that while I've come to accept that not everyone values good food, most of the people I've met that don't are so f**king annoyingly opinionated about not liking "fancy" food. 

I get it buddy, you can't tell the difference between Hershey's and Belgian chocolate and you think I'm a dumbass for paying twice as much for it.  Well I can and I would much rather spend double and really enjoy it than spend less and be left feeling like it was not worth it.

Just keep in mind that the inverse is also true.  To someone who is content with Hershey's, I'm sure being preached at about why Belgian chocolate is so much better is probably pretty annoying.

Personally, I think you're both suckers.  German dark chocolate is where it's at, and Aldi has a pretty decent brand called Moser Roth that lets you pay Hershey's prices for quality German chocolate.  :p

+1,000.  I have a stack of Moser Roth in my cabinet. It makes good hot chocolate, too. 

That being said, I don't think there are cacao trees in Belgium, Germany, or Pennsylvania...

That's a good point, I tend to refer to Budweiser (or "America") as piss, so I should probably back off on the beer elitism.

UnleashHell

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #45 on: May 28, 2016, 05:44:32 AM »

 Budweiser (or "America")

I think thats an awesome name for a Belgium company to give their beer.

A Definite Beta Guy

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #46 on: May 28, 2016, 06:26:21 PM »
A very fancy Mariano's store opened in Chicago the other year in the Ravenswood neighborhood.  It has 3 different full-service bars and they encourage you to grab a beer or wine while you shop.  It has 6 different restaurant type places, including daily real-smoked BBQ, a sushi joint, fresh seafood with a oyster specialty, pizza joint, sandwich shop, and a coffee shop that have little sit-down areas, and they will also deliver to the bars.  That's in addition to the normal hot/cold deli section.  Fresh squeezed OJ every day.  Live bands often play at one of the bars, but there's always at least a piano player in the evenings.  When they first opened, they gave out some crazy samples like full-sized ice cream bars, and they brought in some ringers for world class customer service (that have since moved on leaving more normal customer service).
I have to say, I visited the Mariano's up by Gregg's Landing and was quite impressed. One of the few stores that "felt" right to me.

Did you do any other shopping there? How did you like it?

MoneyCat

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #47 on: May 30, 2016, 01:50:44 PM »
To me "organic" is completely meaningless, "grass-fed" means nothing, "fair trade" who cares, and "artisan" WTF. I buy my groceries either in bulk for non-perishables at the warehouse store or in small amounts for produce/meats/dairy at the grocery store that's close enough to ride to on my bicycle. People going wild over "elite" grocery stores are a complete mystery to me. It's like people buying Starbucks so they can be seen carrying a Starbucks cup. I like my money to stay in my wallet or bank account unless I absolutely have to spend it on something. That's how I live an amazingly great lifestyle on a much smaller budget than other people in my neighborhood.

gimp

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #48 on: May 30, 2016, 04:48:02 PM »
It was explained to me that Wegman's is a lifestyle, not a store. I knew this article would be about Wegman's when I saw the title.

With that said, I've never been. Why? It's just a store...

golden1

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Re: 24,000 people go grocery shopping
« Reply #49 on: May 31, 2016, 07:45:18 AM »
Quote
It was explained to me that Wegman's is a lifestyle, not a store.

Sure, it could be that, if you let it.  The Wegmans near me has a big seating area and a full service buffet, sub and pizza shop, a coffee bar, a sushi bar and free wifi.  I have seen people just sitting in the store with their laptops and hanging out.  There have been times where I have to stop and get something at the grocery store, and we just stop and eat dinner there because it is extremely convenient.  They have an outdoor seating area with a fireplace.  They really do work very hard to make it a pleasant place to shop.