We compared the grocery-shopping experience at 6 major chains in 2018, and this one impressed us the most
When we shopped at a Target store in Jersey City, New Jersey, we found the grocery section underwhelming. The prices were relatively low, but the produce didn't seem very fresh ...
... and there were a lot of empty shelves throughout the grocery department.
The deals were great, but the aisles were narrow, and there wasn't a huge product selection.
Groceries at the Walmart we visited in Secaucus, New Jersey, were less expensive than at Target, and there was a bigger selection of products throughout the grocery department.
It also offered a pleasant shopping experience, with wide aisles and very clear labeling.
But there weren't very many healthy options besides produce.
This Stop & Shop store in Tarrytown, New York, offered a very similar shopping experience to Walmart ...
... but it was more expensive to shop at. Most products cost $2 or $3 more than at other grocery stores we visited.
Groceries at the ShopRite we visited in Scarsdale, New York, were less expensive than at Stop & Shop.
But it didn't have quite as big of a product selection when we visited, and it was very stressful to shop at because of the narrow aisles and poor layout.
Still, the prices were low enough that it was worth the hassle.
Trader Joe's was even less expensive than ShopRite was. There was a long wait at check-out at this location in Brooklyn, New York, but there were a lot of perks to shopping there.
One perk was the free samples.
Another was the inexpensive private-label products. By selling mostly private-label, Trader Joe's is able to keep its prices low.
But the best grocery store we visited this year was Whole Foods 365.
In addition to the grocery store, this Whole Foods 365 location in Brooklyn has a bakery, juice bar, vegan burger joint, and other vendors. There was also a big seating area to hang out in. No other grocery store we visited had something similar.
The groceries were similarly priced to Walmart, ShopRite, and Trader Joe's, and there was a huge selection of products.
It also was a nice store to shop in — there were wide aisles, short lines at the register, and a lot of sales and savings opportunities.
- Read more in our Retailer of the Year series:
- We visited dozens of stores this year, and these were the messiest by far
- We visited a lot of department stores in 2018. Here's which one was the best to shop at.
- Abercrombie removed its shirtless models and turned up the lights in stores, leading to the biggest retail comeback of the year
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