- Grocery stores can spark joy, and those that do are often rewarded with customer loyalty.
- Gelson's Markets, a southern California chain, was the first grocery chain to sell the Impossible Burger and was also voted "Best in the West" in a 2019 Consumer Reports poll.
- I visited a Gelson's store in Los Angeles to see what all the fuss was about, but my experience was disappointing rather than joyful. Here's why.
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There are certain grocery stores, like objects, that spark joy.
Wegmans' devoted following inspired me to journey to Brooklyn Navy Yard to check out its first New York City location. I was an instant convert. Others eschew the wonder of Wegmans for Southern grocery chain Publix. Some people even get married at Costco or smuggle Trader Joe's products across international borders.
Gelson's Markets, a regional chain based in southern California, was rated "Best in the West" by Consumer Reports this year and ranked fourth in the nation among 96 grocery store chains. Impossible Foods also chose Gelson's to be the first grocery store to sell its plant-based burger.
In order to see what made Gelson's so special, I paid a visit to a store location in Hollywood, California.