Are your Krogers as expensive vs. the competition as they are here where I live? The only stores they are cheaper than are the hipster stores that you would find DUmmies buying 'organic' goods.
We've pretty much stopped going there, except for one or two things, and only when they go on sale.
I started grocery shopping at Walmart about 2 years ago, because Kroger's was sooooo expensive!
Partly because of little competition. Basically we have Kroger's, Food City - which is really expensive, a couple of Ingles - none near me, Walmart/Sam's, Target(higher than Kroger), Fresh Market - which is wonderful for meat and deli, but very expensive, Earth Fare - been in it once - organic type stuff, ridiculously expensive. And a few "neighborhood" type small grocers scattered about. There's a small Aldi's about 25 minutes from me, I've been in it a couple of times, and wasn't impressed. There's a new one being built on my side of town, that's supposed to be pretty large, I suppose it will open before the holidays.
The last 3-4 months, I have been hitting Kroger about once or twice a month, out of convenience, and less people in it than Walmart. I think their prices have come down - at least on stuff I routinely buy and know about what they cost. And I have noticed that several things that I always buy at Walmart, have gone up in price.
Health and beauty stuff seems to be less most of the time at Walmart, as opposed to Kroger. The cat food (Iams) keeps going down in price at Walmart too, it's was down last week almost $2.50 a bag from what it was back in early winter, and wasn't on sale.
A 12 pack of pop is $4 something at Walmart, yet a 24 pack has been $5, but went up to $5.99 last week. Kroger has 12 packs on sale about every other week, buy 3 for $12 and get the 4th free. Kroger's doing a lot of the "10 for $10" sales....it's staple stuff, but it's usually a good deal, if you have the room to store the stuff, and it's stuff you would buy anyway.
If I'm buying any type of beef roasts, steaks or tenderloin, I prefer to buy them at Walmart/Sam's. It's better than what Kroger has. Doesn't seem to be much difference in chicken and pork, though pork tenderloins are cheaper at Walmart or Sam's - same brand. I like Sam's for lamb chops and they have the best tenderloin, of anyone in town, unless I want to rob a bank and buy it at the Fresh Market, where it's at least double in price!
I guess I should try a month at Kroger and see if my total is more or less than Walmart.
We're supposedly getting a Publix...but I've heard that for several years. I know they were cheaper in Florida than Kroger's here. I was in one over in the Nashville area last year right before New Year's and they seemed less than Walmart on most things.
We need competition here! Maybe it will bring everyone's prices down.
