I'm a Trader Joe's fan who shopped at Wegmans for the first time, and I was shocked by its sheer size and variety
Talia Lakritz
- Both Wegmans and Trader Joes are grocery stores with cult followings.
- I was surprised by the sheer size and variety of Wegmans, and the plethora of prepared food.
Wegmans opened its Brooklyn location in 2019. I found it difficult to access via public transportation.
The only Wegmans in New York City is located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, which is nearly three-quarters of a mile from the subway in an area full of dead-end streets and bridge ramps that cut through sidewalks. I couldn't do any actual grocery shopping on this trip since I'd have to haul whatever I bought back on the almost 20-minute walk back to the train, but I was still interested to see what the store had to offer, especially because it's known to have a cult following.
With several locations around Manhattan, Trader Joe's is much more accessible to me.
In the parking lot, Wegmans advertised delivery to Manhattan.
Getting Wegmans items delivered would be a more feasible option for me coming from upper Manhattan.
The location does have its perks, like an outdoor seating area off the parking lot to enjoy one's newly purchased food.
The seating area was well-maintained and beautifully decorated, with flowers lining the fence surrounding it.
Walking into the store for the first time, I was shocked at its sheer size.
I was reminded of the giant grocery stores I grew up with in the Midwest, and I couldn't believe a supermarket of this size existed in New York City. The industrial lighting and decor gave the building an upscale feel that reminded me of Whole Foods.
Like Trader Joe's, Wegmans featured a vibrant flower section at the entrance.
Some of the more ornate orchid arrangements came with a $99 price tag, but there were also smaller flowers for $19.99 — the same price as an orchid at Trader Joe's.
Where the decor at Trader Joe's features handwritten chalkboard signs and nautical wood displays, Wegmans went for elegant string lights and umbrellas.
In my opinion, the themed decor at Trader Joe's has more personality.
I also noticed sections where customers could order coffee, pizza, and burgers - options Trader Joe's doesn't offer.
The plethora of prepared-food options made the store feel like a food hall.
The sushi counter looked delicious, with made-to-order rolls and poke bowls.
There was also a salad bar, a wings station, and a huge bakery with bagels and pastries.
The produce section was huge, with fruits and vegetables arranged according to their order in the rainbow.
The produce section included pre-cut fruits and vegetables in addition to raw ones, all looking fresh and juicy. It also featured "family pack" deals for products like peppers and cucumbers.
The prices were steeper than Trader Joe's — for example, a Wegmans pack of organic red, orange, and yellow peppers cost $6.89 compared to $4.99 at Trader Joe's.
The frozen section also seemingly stretched for miles.
The freezers differed from Trader Joe's open chest-style frozen displays.
The prices of frozen items were comparable to Trader Joe's but a tad more expensive. A 16-ounce bag of frozen broccoli that costs $1.69 at Trader Joe's cost $1.79 at Wegmans.
Wegmans stocks name-brand toiletries like toothpaste and contact solution that Trader Joe's doesn't have.
Like many larger grocery store chains, Wegmans also doubles as a drugstore, with aisles devoted to toiletries, medicine, and other necessities.
As I ventured further in, I noticed boxes stored above stocked shelves.
The top layer of boxes reminded me of a bulk wholesale store like Costco.
The supply chain crisis appears to have hit the shelves of Wegmans.
A sign apologized to customers for the absence of frozen Wegmans potato products due to "supply challenges."
Wegmans featured a few small kosher sections, but a personal pet peeve of mine is when a store sells challah, a traditional Jewish bread, that is not certified kosher.
The challah at Trader Joe's may not be freshly baked at an in-house bakery, but it is certified kosher, meaning it is prepared in accordance with dietary laws that observant Jews follow and bears a symbol indicating its kosher status. The Wegmans challah did not have a kosher symbol.
I found the autumn-themed offerings at this Wegmans location to be lacking in comparison to Trader Joe's.
Trader Joe's offers dozens of fall-themed items every year, from pumpkin-flavored cookies to butternut-squash bisque. Wegmans had a few small displays with apple cider doughnuts and pumpkins, as well as bottles of apple cider, but it was nothing compared to the festive fall offerings I can expect from Trader Joe's.
However, I was delighted to find my favorite brand of feta cheese that Trader Joe's stopped stocking a few years ago.
One downside of Trader Joe's is that you can't get too attached to any one product because they swap them out so frequently to make room for new ones. Wegmans seemed like a more standard grocery store with more consistency.
I noticed a sizable number of Instacart shoppers picking up items for users of the grocery delivery app.
Instacart shoppers wore bright green shirts, which I found confusing since I assumed they were Wegmans employees at first glance. I find Trader Joe's employees more identifiable in their trademark floral shirts.
Unfortunately, Trader Joe's is not partnered with Instacart, so the only way to shop there is to go to the physical store.
The self-checkout at Wegmans was a huge plus.
In my experience, the lines at Trader Joe's are notoriously long, even with their clever bell system and multiple cashiers. I appreciated having a self-checkout option.
I wouldn't make the trek to shop in person at Wegmans again, but I would definitely place orders on Instacart for delivery.
Trader Joe's remains my favorite grocery store to shop in with its unique products and atmosphere, as well as lower prices. To me, Wegmans was indistinguishable from a place like Whole Foods. But I would definitely order some of its "family pack" house brand items in bulk for delivery.
READ MORE ARTICLES ON
Popular Right Now
Advertisement