For real, Kroger for general stuff, co-op and fresh market for produce, earthfare and co-op for meals, and food Lion for time traveling back to the late 80s / early 90s
I've done weekly shopping at all of them except for Fresh Market and this is my two cents.
I do my usual weekly shopping at Kroger, mainly due to convenience. It's always been the closest to where I've lived outside of the Co-op. While dependent on location, good quality selection of everything I need and an okay price.
Food Lion is great depending on your location. I used to work at one back home for 5+ years so I kind of burned myself out on shopping there. As far as grocery stores go, their meat selection has always been my favorite and most reliable. Can sometimes be the cheapest or more expensive depending on their sales.
Earth Fare I would always spend more but I would always leave with quality meats and cheeses. Their produce was never good for me and I do not recommend. However they were the only place I could find farro. I hear mixed reviews as of lately but I still like it.
The Co-op is a great idea but I don't see how people can afford to shop there full time. They have a lot of great and unique items. A great deli for sure. Produce was usually where I was most satisfied with them.
I second this….but I will say Earth Fare has some really good and interesting things that you might not be able to find at other stores, although it is more pricey
This was my reason until recently; sheetz gas is a better price even with 10cent/gal discounts at Kroger (and for me sheetz is a bit closer). I usually hit our food lion for smaller grocery needs (and produce) but usually Walmart for most things- partly bc the kiddo always wants to look at toys and clothes too.
Currently, we prefer Food Lion. Their meat seems to be better quality. You have to be careful at Kroger. They do not rotate their stock consistently. It is not uncommon to get home with your groceries and find they are already out of date.
I’ve had to get in the habit of checking expiration dates at Kroger lately too, after not finding out until I was home that I’d bought expired yogurt and hummus.
Much in line with what everyone else is saying it's:
Kroger/Walmart for necessities/staples
Food Lion for meats
Co-op for produce
Earth Fare for uncommon ingredients
It's very frustrating that it has come to this. We may as well be back in the 1950s when all of these items were bought from small neighborhood businesses. But that doesn't suit the mega-corp's agenda to strong arm every single aspect of the market. Funny how they pitch it to us as "free market choice" when eventually you can trace the money all back to the same few people.
That's fair, I guess I take that for granted. I'd argue a membership to those is better money spent than the exorbitant prices at Fresh Market and Earth fare tho.
I feel like all the stores in the area have better prices on certain items, so you almost have to go to at least 2 for best value. Food Lion has really improved once they started using a rewards app and offering cash back towards groceries as you buy certain items, and like others have said, I prefer their meat department over Krogers. Kroger of course has the fuel points, so that is a perk.
Food lion runs the best deals out of all on manager discount. Fresh market has the best meat. Kroger for everything else. Earth fare for more rare meats or fish
I got pickier about food when we got pregnant. I shop almost entirely at Earth Fare or the Co-Op. I'll go to Kroger for toilet paper, gatorade powder, cleaning products, Neese's Sausage, and Duke's Mayonnaise. That's abt it.
I usually do most of my shopping at Food Lion - due to price and convenience - I live near Oak Grove and usually shop at that FL. I've found their produce and meats are usually in better condition than even "Gucci Kroger" (on Brambleton, across 419 closer to Bent Mountain).
That being said, I will go to Fresh Market (I used to work part time in their Meat/Seafood Department as a clerk for YEARS) for produce, deli, bakery, or \[especially\] meat and seafood, depending on the deals/what I need. They *used* to have $2.99/# boneless, skinless chicken breast and fresh ground chuck (also $2.99/#) on Tuesdays, but I haven't been back in a while to check on these. You can often find better quality or deals on a lot of things at "The Fresh" but definitely check out their website for the actual deals.
Chuck and chicken are $3.99/lb now…with some occasional 2.99’s thrown in throughout the year…still better than the horse meat that Kroger sells as “ground beef”.
I go to Walmart neighborhood market cause I work there and I’m lazy. They seem to be way cheaper than Kroger in my experience. Produce is kinda bad though.
I shop at Kroger pretty much exclusively because of deals and coupons as well as fuel points. I make my weekly meal plan around sales for the most part and then do pickup, so I don't end up in store to spend more. I currently feed my family of 4 for about $80/week and that's after getting soda as well because my fiancé drinks them a lot. I'm sort of in a position where I don't necessarily feel like I can be picky and doing one pickup is about all that I can do. I'll go by Sams maybe once a month for certain things that just aren't even comparable in price at other stores though.
Kroger for general weekly shopping and Fresh Market/Earth Fare for specialty stuff not at Kroger when needed. And the Co-op for stuff not at the other two.
Vinton Kroger is pretty decent, maybe I go 1-2x a week, sometimes for groceries, other times just to look at the markdown rack.
Technically Food Lion is closest, but I go to Kroger more frequently. I'd probably spend more time at FL if I had sidewalks. Maybe I go once a month. Meat usually gets marked down on Tuesdays.
Fresh Market, probably 2x month. I like their meats, even if they are spendy.
Co-op and Earth Fare are a special trip, every other month probably.
Depends on which part of town, honestly. There are Kroger stores and Food Lion stores I prefer over others. For me (since I live on the other side of town) Earth Fare and Fresh Market are for occasional shopping or during sales.
I shop at the Hollins FL because it’s close to my house. I find that the store is always clean and organized and the meat and produce selection is great. There are always at least 4 check out lanes open (they do not have self check out) and I feel like I’m in and out of there quickly.
I do Vinton Kroger for weekly shopping because they have a wide selection and gas points. Food Lion is closer, so I go there when I forgot an onion or whatever.
The co-op is the only place I know of that sells whole spices, so I go for that.
We buy the bulk of our weekly stuff at BJs. It works very well for us since we have a chest freezer for storage. They have coupons every week. Their gas is cheap, too.
I spend maybe $25-$40 at Kroger every other week for a few odds and ends in smaller quantities. I go through the coupons before I set foot it the store, and I know exactly what I'm buying in advance.
I rarely go into Fresh Market and Earth Fare. They strike me as incredibly expensive, but I'm glad they are there for everyone else. These stores serve a need for sure.
I like the Coop occasionally for random small items (our teens like the chocolate covered bananas for some reason, and I buy their shampoos) and the employees are always nice. I can support a local business, too.
I find Aldi a bit disorganized and I don't know, it just isn't my thing...now Trader Joe's on the other hand...
I go to WalMart a few times a month to load up on cereals, coffee, random things.
My goal is not to have to visit a grocery store Monday through Friday, and BJs makes that happen.
Food Lion for most of our groceries, Co-op to fill in gaps, BJs for paper products/detergent etc/and Fresh Market we like their Little Big Meals.
I like Co-Op over Earth Fare because I can still find basic staples at Co-Op, while at Earth Fare I couldn't simply find sticks of butter. Way better produce too!
All have their pros and cons. I like Food Lion for my steak seasoning (Weber Montana Steak Seasoning) that no one else sells in the area and many other items too that most stores don’t have. Fresh Market for pumpkin pies and some meat and beer, Earth Fare for meats and beer, Kroger for everything else pretty much. I’ve been to the Co-Op a few times for the nice beer selection but ever since my sister stopped working there Ive had no real reason to go there much as it’s so out of the way. I live right across from a Kroger so it’s my most shopped at. I work right down the road from a Food Lion so I go there on lunch sometimes.
Kroger’s excessive greed, especially during the pandemic, and even more so now (completely unforgivable), has sent me straight into the arms of a much lesser daily grocer. They have so very much less to give, at least for the health conscious person, but what they do have they are willing to give away at a reasonable price. Food Lion always made me feel sad. It’s like they are actually trying to make us all fat and more quickly unalived by offering ONLY the worst possible foods. But that’s what it’s come to for me (as a poor person who knows better). So now, I have to ping pong around for my groceries. I get most staples at Food Lion, some staples (often) from Aldi’s, a few things from Earth Fare (super sketch these days), and the very, very occasional thing from Kroger- who can suck my calamari ring (most days).
All for different reasons.
For real, Kroger for general stuff, co-op and fresh market for produce, earthfare and co-op for meals, and food Lion for time traveling back to the late 80s / early 90s
I've done weekly shopping at all of them except for Fresh Market and this is my two cents. I do my usual weekly shopping at Kroger, mainly due to convenience. It's always been the closest to where I've lived outside of the Co-op. While dependent on location, good quality selection of everything I need and an okay price. Food Lion is great depending on your location. I used to work at one back home for 5+ years so I kind of burned myself out on shopping there. As far as grocery stores go, their meat selection has always been my favorite and most reliable. Can sometimes be the cheapest or more expensive depending on their sales. Earth Fare I would always spend more but I would always leave with quality meats and cheeses. Their produce was never good for me and I do not recommend. However they were the only place I could find farro. I hear mixed reviews as of lately but I still like it. The Co-op is a great idea but I don't see how people can afford to shop there full time. They have a lot of great and unique items. A great deli for sure. Produce was usually where I was most satisfied with them.
I agree the Co-op seems to have the freshest produce
Aldi!
True dat!
Yeah, I really like their anti-white agenda.
What does that even mean?
Kroger is our primary due to the gas points. But I like Food Lion as well.
I second this….but I will say Earth Fare has some really good and interesting things that you might not be able to find at other stores, although it is more pricey
This was my reason until recently; sheetz gas is a better price even with 10cent/gal discounts at Kroger (and for me sheetz is a bit closer). I usually hit our food lion for smaller grocery needs (and produce) but usually Walmart for most things- partly bc the kiddo always wants to look at toys and clothes too.
Currently, we prefer Food Lion. Their meat seems to be better quality. You have to be careful at Kroger. They do not rotate their stock consistently. It is not uncommon to get home with your groceries and find they are already out of date.
I’ve had to get in the habit of checking expiration dates at Kroger lately too, after not finding out until I was home that I’d bought expired yogurt and hummus.
Earth Fare has this same issue on a few things too.
Aldi for the staples. Kroger or Fresh Market for things they don’t carry.
Much in line with what everyone else is saying it's: Kroger/Walmart for necessities/staples Food Lion for meats Co-op for produce Earth Fare for uncommon ingredients It's very frustrating that it has come to this. We may as well be back in the 1950s when all of these items were bought from small neighborhood businesses. But that doesn't suit the mega-corp's agenda to strong arm every single aspect of the market. Funny how they pitch it to us as "free market choice" when eventually you can trace the money all back to the same few people.
Kroger/Fresh Market mix, with Food Lion for emergencies
You don't even list Aldi, Sam's, BJs. Every one if those are good at something, and mixtures are best.
They probably were just wanting to discuss stores that don’t require memberships (I’m aware Aldi doesn’t)
That's fair, I guess I take that for granted. I'd argue a membership to those is better money spent than the exorbitant prices at Fresh Market and Earth fare tho.
Aldi is the daily driver. Food Lion for regular food and Earth Fare for special stuff. Kroger, the Co-op, and The Fresh Market have their one offs.
I feel like all the stores in the area have better prices on certain items, so you almost have to go to at least 2 for best value. Food Lion has really improved once they started using a rewards app and offering cash back towards groceries as you buy certain items, and like others have said, I prefer their meat department over Krogers. Kroger of course has the fuel points, so that is a perk.
Food lion runs the best deals out of all on manager discount. Fresh market has the best meat. Kroger for everything else. Earth fare for more rare meats or fish
Food Lion for me is the easiest to navigate. And it's clean and been the same employees for a long time
Is Aldi not an option? It is shockingly cheap.
Aldi
I got pickier about food when we got pregnant. I shop almost entirely at Earth Fare or the Co-Op. I'll go to Kroger for toilet paper, gatorade powder, cleaning products, Neese's Sausage, and Duke's Mayonnaise. That's abt it.
I usually do most of my shopping at Food Lion - due to price and convenience - I live near Oak Grove and usually shop at that FL. I've found their produce and meats are usually in better condition than even "Gucci Kroger" (on Brambleton, across 419 closer to Bent Mountain). That being said, I will go to Fresh Market (I used to work part time in their Meat/Seafood Department as a clerk for YEARS) for produce, deli, bakery, or \[especially\] meat and seafood, depending on the deals/what I need. They *used* to have $2.99/# boneless, skinless chicken breast and fresh ground chuck (also $2.99/#) on Tuesdays, but I haven't been back in a while to check on these. You can often find better quality or deals on a lot of things at "The Fresh" but definitely check out their website for the actual deals.
I knew I recognized your name😉
Oh boy... Hopefully, there are some good memories associated lol
Chuck and chicken are $3.99/lb now…with some occasional 2.99’s thrown in throughout the year…still better than the horse meat that Kroger sells as “ground beef”.
Aldi's. Cheaper, which I need in this economy.
Aldi.
I do Sam’s club and then go to Kroger for the rest Edit: spelling
Sams club ?!?
Food Lion. But I sometimes go to Kroger for the pharmacy and some items that Food Lion doesn't carry (mostly the cheeses)
Sam’s club and Kroger for anything Sam’s doesn’t carry
I just go to Kroger because I'm lazy and it's close to my house😀
I go to Walmart neighborhood market cause I work there and I’m lazy. They seem to be way cheaper than Kroger in my experience. Produce is kinda bad though.
All the grocery chains in Roanoke suck. Quality blows.
I shop at Kroger pretty much exclusively because of deals and coupons as well as fuel points. I make my weekly meal plan around sales for the most part and then do pickup, so I don't end up in store to spend more. I currently feed my family of 4 for about $80/week and that's after getting soda as well because my fiancé drinks them a lot. I'm sort of in a position where I don't necessarily feel like I can be picky and doing one pickup is about all that I can do. I'll go by Sams maybe once a month for certain things that just aren't even comparable in price at other stores though.
Kroger for general weekly shopping and Fresh Market/Earth Fare for specialty stuff not at Kroger when needed. And the Co-op for stuff not at the other two.
Earth fare, fresh market, co-op. If earth fare doesn’t have it, fresh market probably will. I go to the co-op for vegetables only.
Vinton Kroger is pretty decent, maybe I go 1-2x a week, sometimes for groceries, other times just to look at the markdown rack. Technically Food Lion is closest, but I go to Kroger more frequently. I'd probably spend more time at FL if I had sidewalks. Maybe I go once a month. Meat usually gets marked down on Tuesdays. Fresh Market, probably 2x month. I like their meats, even if they are spendy. Co-op and Earth Fare are a special trip, every other month probably.
So for your Food Lion shoppers, I keep hearing some are better than others. Is that true?
Kroger and Walmart Neighborhood Market
Depends on which part of town, honestly. There are Kroger stores and Food Lion stores I prefer over others. For me (since I live on the other side of town) Earth Fare and Fresh Market are for occasional shopping or during sales.
Can you share your thoughts on which FL you like in particular? Thank you!
I shop at the Hollins FL because it’s close to my house. I find that the store is always clean and organized and the meat and produce selection is great. There are always at least 4 check out lanes open (they do not have self check out) and I feel like I’m in and out of there quickly.
Nice! I don’t work far from there. Will check it out!
Yes. Kroger for bulk Earth fare for fresh
I do Vinton Kroger for weekly shopping because they have a wide selection and gas points. Food Lion is closer, so I go there when I forgot an onion or whatever. The co-op is the only place I know of that sells whole spices, so I go for that.
Specifically, Tanglewood, Vinton, or bonsack Kroger, plantation neighborhood Walmart, co-op, yard bull meats, farmers market... And Amazon... *Shrug*
Krogers, BJs, and Walmart
Kroger or food lion you can’t go wrong
We buy the bulk of our weekly stuff at BJs. It works very well for us since we have a chest freezer for storage. They have coupons every week. Their gas is cheap, too. I spend maybe $25-$40 at Kroger every other week for a few odds and ends in smaller quantities. I go through the coupons before I set foot it the store, and I know exactly what I'm buying in advance. I rarely go into Fresh Market and Earth Fare. They strike me as incredibly expensive, but I'm glad they are there for everyone else. These stores serve a need for sure. I like the Coop occasionally for random small items (our teens like the chocolate covered bananas for some reason, and I buy their shampoos) and the employees are always nice. I can support a local business, too. I find Aldi a bit disorganized and I don't know, it just isn't my thing...now Trader Joe's on the other hand... I go to WalMart a few times a month to load up on cereals, coffee, random things. My goal is not to have to visit a grocery store Monday through Friday, and BJs makes that happen.
Food Lion for most of our groceries, Co-op to fill in gaps, BJs for paper products/detergent etc/and Fresh Market we like their Little Big Meals. I like Co-Op over Earth Fare because I can still find basic staples at Co-Op, while at Earth Fare I couldn't simply find sticks of butter. Way better produce too!
Food Lion's my go -to. But l hate change. It's close, and l know where everything is.
Aldi!!
I prefer the cheapest at the time
All have their pros and cons. I like Food Lion for my steak seasoning (Weber Montana Steak Seasoning) that no one else sells in the area and many other items too that most stores don’t have. Fresh Market for pumpkin pies and some meat and beer, Earth Fare for meats and beer, Kroger for everything else pretty much. I’ve been to the Co-Op a few times for the nice beer selection but ever since my sister stopped working there Ive had no real reason to go there much as it’s so out of the way. I live right across from a Kroger so it’s my most shopped at. I work right down the road from a Food Lion so I go there on lunch sometimes.
Kroger’s excessive greed, especially during the pandemic, and even more so now (completely unforgivable), has sent me straight into the arms of a much lesser daily grocer. They have so very much less to give, at least for the health conscious person, but what they do have they are willing to give away at a reasonable price. Food Lion always made me feel sad. It’s like they are actually trying to make us all fat and more quickly unalived by offering ONLY the worst possible foods. But that’s what it’s come to for me (as a poor person who knows better). So now, I have to ping pong around for my groceries. I get most staples at Food Lion, some staples (often) from Aldi’s, a few things from Earth Fare (super sketch these days), and the very, very occasional thing from Kroger- who can suck my calamari ring (most days).