what are the grocery stores in your area?

[Chris_]

Fry's, Safeway, Bashas, AJ's, Trader Joe's, Walmart Neighborhood Market, Sprouts

I hit up Fry's and Trader Joe's mostly.

There's a Walmart Neighborhood Market really close to me so I'll stop in when I need an item or two.

[The Village Idiot]

DFW grocery biz used to be dominated by a local company called Minyards. They owned Minyards, Sak n Save and Carnival stores all over the place. Recently this family owned business sold out to Affiliated I think. Now there are just a few Minyards around. The Carnivals were hispanic-themed and apparently got sold out to Fiesta, another hispanic-themed grocer.
Kroger's, Albertson's, Tom Thumb, Cost-Plus, Wal-Mart (of course) and some independents like Terry's El Mariachhi (was open on Christmas) are around as well as the few Minyards.

Before Wal-Mart whacked the grocery business, the DFW area had the most hottest contested market in the nation and the lowest profit margin because of it.

[Flame]

Hmm...Food Lion, Martin's and Weis, plus Walmart are it for me around here.   

I miss Safeway and King Soopers from Colorado!

[BEG]

Not counting the mom-and-pop operations; the big chains.

I grew up with Safeway, IGA, and Jack 'n Jill, all of which seemed to have vanished from both the prairies and the Sandhills of Nebraska a long time ago.

Around here, on the eastern slope of the Sandhills, the major grocery distributor is Affiliated Foods, but the owners of the individual stores name their stores anything they wish to name them.

The "big names" in Nebraska used to be Safeway and Hinky-Dinky.  Hinky-Dinky no longer exists, and Safeway has but one solitary store in the state, in Scottsbluff, clear over near the border with Wyoming.

In Omaha and Lincoln, the "big names" are Hy-Vee, Baker's, Russ's, and Food4Less; there may still be some Albertson's around, but I dunno.

I suppose Hy-Vee is generally the "biggest" chain in Nebraska, given the number of locations.

My brother Mark used to work for Bakers when he was a teen.  I believe it was on 72nd street but I can't remember for sure.  I miss my brother.  

We have a Ralph's (which is Kroger), Albertsons (which there is a rather nice one but it is a few miles from where I live), Costco, Sams, Savon and Stater Bros as well as a few others.  I only have shopped at Ralph's which I find expensive but it is the closest, Albertsons which I like the best but the one I like is about 4 miles away and Costco on occasion, my husband has gone to Stater Bro's and didn't really like it.  I tried to go once to Stater Bros with my oldest daughter and there were homeless people hanging all around it and I have to admit, it made me uncomfortable so we drove right on by.  There are no Super Walmarts or Super Targets anywhere that I have found.  The Target and Walmart's have a few food items but not a full grocery store like we had in Dallas that were everywhere.  

So does anyone know why they change brand names?  Like Hellmann's is known as Best Foods out here on the west coast?  Also Ralph's is Kroger in Dallas?  I have noticed several other brand name changes as well.  What is the point?  

[Splashdown]

A & P turned into Superfresh, at least here in the Northeast.

Acme is our store of choice locally.

[catsmtrods]

We have just about everything within 20 miles. My son works at a great hometown market, Adams. So I go there when I cant get it from woods,waters or my garden but thats rare, For other non food items I go to Walmart. Another one we got is Aldi its great for German stuff! Good German imports cheep. Chocolate!

[The Village Idiot]

BEG- ?? I thought Best Foods was a "generic" brand?

[BEG]

BEG- ?? I thought Best Foods was a "generic" brand?

Nope, it's Hellmann's. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellmann's_and_Best_Foods

Edited to add: I found out why they have different names.  Hellmann's and Best Foods had different recipes and found a great following before Best Foods bought Hallmann's so they kept both recipes.  But that still doesn't explain why other items have different names in different regions (or why Ralph's is Kroger in other locations). 

[Ralph Wiggum]

Here in Des Moines its just HyVee. and a few Wallmarts. HyVee has a near complete monopoly.

Apparently you haven't noticed a Dahl's Grocery Store yet.  There are at least a dozen in the Des Moines area.

[Ladywinter]

Wow, that freaked me out for minute.  I was reading your post and saw Woolworth's and wondered what year you were posting from. Woolworths were a big 5 and dime  chain many years ago in the US. Totally different from the UK and Aussie version.

I remember F.W. Woolworth too - big chain here in California.  I was just a kid but I used to shop there with my Mom.  There was also another dime store called J.J. Newberry (back in the day).

Here in my local area we have:  Bel Air, Albertsons, Sav-Mor, Walmart, K-Mart and Target has a pretty good sized food section, also.

[SilverOrchid]

Save Mart
Food Maxx
Vons (owned by Safeway)
Sam's
Food Co.

[BEG]

I remember F.W. Woolworth too - big chain here in California.  I was just a kid but I used to shop there with my Mom.  There was also another dime store called J.J. Newberry (back in the day).

Here in my local area we have:  Bel Air, Alberstons, Sav-Mor, Walmart, K-Mart and Target has a pretty good sized food section, also.

There was a Ben Franklin right up the block from where I lived as a kid in Omaha.  We called it the dime store and they had bins and bins of candy.  I remember getting the wax lips that had fangs during Halloween and some piece of candy that was round like a life saver and you blew into it and it blew like a whistle (I think it was actually gum but I can't remember for sure).  There was a Woolworth in the Crossroads mall too in Omaha.  There was a long aisle of candy there and I remember getting those wax "coke" bottles that are filled with fruit flavored liquid and come packaged like a 6 pack of coke in glass bottles came.  It was glorious.  

[Crazy Horse]

Piggly Wiggley
Food Lion
Harris teeter
Lowes Food
Winn Dixie
Wal Mart
Sams

[SVPete]

Lucky, Nob Hill (owned by Raley's, a regional chain; as is Bel Air), Safeway, Target, Lunardi's (local chain), Whole Paycheck, Trader Joe's, Costco. Walmart is a couple of cities away.

[catsmtrods]

I remember F.W. Woolworth too - big chain here in California.  I was just a kid but I used to shop there with my Mom.  There was also another dime store called J.J. Newberry (back in the day).

Here in my local area we have:  Bel Air, Albertsons, Sav-Mor, Walmart, K-Mart and Target has a pretty good sized food section, also.

Wow lady showing your age? Back in the day we had a J.J. Newberrys and Woolworth. The Woolworth had a soda fountain/snack bar with the little juke boxes at the tables.

[SOFTBALL#4GRAMA]

Kroger, Walmart, Community Market (locallly owned) in my town, and Aldi's...15 miles away we have Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Target, Meijers, Giant Eagle, Buehlers (Ohio Chain).

I remember A&P, Woolworths, Ben Franklin (my favorite craft store) IGA, and many others long gone....

[Ladywinter]

There was a Ben Franklin right up the block from where I lived as a kid in Omaha.  We called it the dime store and they had bins and bins of candy.  I remember getting the wax lips that had fangs during Halloween and some piece of candy that was round like a life saver and you blew into it and it blew like a whistle (I think it was actually gum but I can't remember for sure).  There was a Woolworth in the Crossroads mall too in Omaha.  There was a long aisle of candy there and I remember getting those wax "coke" bottles that are filled with fruit flavored liquid and come packaged like a 6 pack of coke in glass bottles came.  It was glorious.  

Oh, I remember all that you mention!  The wax lips, the "coke" bottles...Lol.  Yep, those were the days.  We even used to buy the "candy cigarettes".  Remember those?  Little peppermint sticks with red painted on the tips.  I guess that wouldn't be PC now.  

And...although 7-11's are still around (although most are old and rundown), they used to carry the best sour apple bubble gum!  Yum.  Big fat green pieces of apple gum.

[Ladywinter]

Wow lady showing your age? Back in the day we had a J.J. Newberrys and Woolworth. The Woolworth had a soda fountain/snack bar with the little juke boxes at the tables.

I am showing my age!  Lol. 

Cats, my very first job was at J.J. Newberry (I was 15 years old - looking back I can't believe they hired me at 15?? but they did).  I worked behind the food counter.  You remember the long food counter with the round "orange" swivel seats.  Back in those days (here I go again dating myself) the cash registers didn't tell you how much to give back in change.  You used to have to count in your head and make sure you gave back the right amount.  Kids today have registers that tell them how much to give back!!

[Oceander]

Gristedes
Associated
Pathmark
D'Agostinos
C-Town
Whole Foods
Trader Joes

[Lord Undies]

There was a Ben Franklin right up the block from where I lived as a kid in Omaha.  We called it the dime store and they had bins and bins of candy.  I remember getting the wax lips that had fangs during Halloween and some piece of candy that was round like a life saver and you blew into it and it blew like a whistle (I think it was actually gum but I can't remember for sure).  There was a Woolworth in the Crossroads mall too in Omaha.  There was a long aisle of candy there and I remember getting those wax "coke" bottles that are filled with fruit flavored liquid and come packaged like a 6 pack of coke in glass bottles came.  It was glorious.  

You can still buy those things at the state fair.  Even the candy cigarettes. 

[SOFTBALL#4GRAMA]

You can still buy those things at the state fair.  Even the candy cigarettes. 

Forgive me for getting off topic, but is it tomorrow you go in for your surgery???

God will have his hands around the surgeon's hands, and both will bring you through it in great shape..Keep the faith...

[Lord Undies]

Forgive me for getting off topic, but is it tomorrow you go in for your surgery???

God will have his hands around the surgeon's hands, and both will bring you through it in great shape..Keep the faith...

Thank you.  The surgery is Tuesday morning.

[debk]

The stores in my immediate area are Kroger, Publix, Harris Teeter, and Wal Mart.  There's also a Wild Oats off the next interstate exit if that's your thing.

Depending on what part of town you're in, you can go shopping at Aldi's, Albertsons, WinnDixie, and Dollar General.

How can you have so many of the good ones and we don't? 

We have Kroger's, Food City, WalMart, Super Target, Sam's, a few Ingles still, Fresh Market (very expensive)Dollar General, and Big Lots. There are a few small independents - like a neighborhood store...Butler and Bailey is up the street from us....meat is good but very expensive, rest of stuff is just a bit higher than Kroger. I only go there for stuff I forgot, quickie trips for a couple of things,  or milk.

[crockspot]

Not too many choices around here. Price Chopper has a near monopoly. There is a Hannafords about a half hour drive in one direction. Wal Mart about 45 min  in another direction. Costco about an hour in yet another direction. There's an IGA across the border in Quebec that isn't too far, but that is only worth going to during the late fall pork purge, when they kill off all the pigs and sell every cut you can think of for about 99 cents Canadian a pound. Otherwise food in Canada is a pretty poor deal. There is Shaw's and probably a few other store chains down toward Burlington to compete with Price Chopper. We used to have a Save-A-Lot that had great deals on groceries, but Price Chopper bought the store and shut it down. There are some Dollar Generals scattered around as well.

[IassaFTots]

DFW grocery biz used to be dominated by a local company called Minyards. They owned Minyards, Sak n Save and Carnival stores all over the place. Recently this family owned business sold out to Affiliated I think. Now there are just a few Minyards around. The Carnivals were hispanic-themed and apparently got sold out to Fiesta, another hispanic-themed grocer.
Kroger's, Albertson's, Tom Thumb, Cost-Plus, Wal-Mart (of course) and some independents like Terry's El Mariachhi (was open on Christmas) are around as well as the few Minyards.

Before Wal-Mart whacked the grocery business, the DFW area had the most hottest contested market in the nation and the lowest profit margin because of it.

Do you remember Skaggs Alpha Beta??? 

All the dang grocery stores seem to be disappearing.  I have my choice of a Fiesta, Terry's Mariachi, two Krogers, and a very lackluster Albertsons.  I go to the Tom Thumb for my beer.