Every week I am faced with the same ordeal — grocery shopping. Over the last couple of months the grocery prices have noticeably gone up. I have been a loyal customer to Publix, our local supermarket chain, for as long as I lived here, which is over 16 years. These stores are practically everywhere in Florida, they have their own line of organic foods and the bagger will even help bring and load groceries into the car… Despite all these wonderful services, our escalating food bill made me look for alternatives.
So for the past couple of weeks I have been doing my grocery shopping at Wal-Mart. I did notice a smaller grocery bill, but I haven’t been able to really compare apples to apples to find out the actual difference. So on October 27 I decided to do just that. I did my regular grocery shopping at Wal-Mart and since I had to go to Publix to pick up couple of other things, I checked out their prices for the same groceries I bought at Wal-Mart.
Some of the pluses of shopping at Wal-Mart are obviously the prices and the convenience of not having to make a trip to a different store for house-cleaning supplies, baby clothes, photo frames, etc. I can get everything I need in one place. Some of the minuses are that they have big and bulky shopping carts that are not as easily maneuverable as the ones at the grocery stores. They also don’t stock organic items we’re used to buying at Publix, like the juices or breads. They started to carry some organic vegetables at the fresh produce area, but the prices are still high. Publix though, does have its own organic line that offers a variety of things, like juices, cereals, milk, meats. As of now, Publix’s organic selection definitely beats Wal-Mart’s. Besides that I am really impressed with Wal-Mart’s food selection.
So far I decided that I will be doing majority of my grocery shopping at Wal-Mart, but still make a separate trip to Publix to stock up on some organic foods that Wal-Mart doesn’t carry.
Check out my comparison sheet:
on Nov 16th, 2008 at 11:13 am
Malika, so take money out of our stock. I see how it goes. Publix certainly is more expensive, but it also sort of a yuppie store. Some people are willing to pay more for the service, cleanliness, seletion, bakery selections, etc. But for boxed items straight from the manufacturer, then you can certainly save at Wally, no question.
on Nov 16th, 2008 at 12:23 pm
Yea, I feel your pain about the stock, but you got to realize three of us are living on one income right now.
Actually, I was at Publix couple of days ago and they started running some really good specials on certain items. I mean, they even outdid Wal-Mart. But again it was only on selected items. And guess what, I took the bait. I bought some things that were on sale. I am actually willing to give Publix another chance now.
on Nov 17th, 2008 at 11:01 pm
Your one income is well over twice as much as our combined income. Soon it will be over 4 times as high as ours but we will continue to shop at Publix. Not because of our ties to the company, but because there are other ways to get a better bang for your buck.
I save at least 10-20 dollars a week shopping at Publix due to their BOGOs and other sales. Planning ahead and hitting the discounts on necessary items saves tons in the long run. Especially when you spend a dollar on a Sunday paper and clip the coupons to double up with sales. You can’t beat it! On top of everything else, you can use competitor coupons at any Publix.
Why did Dave buy an Acura TL? Most likely it was because he was willing to pay extra for the added features and quality of the car. The same goes for Publix. You will have knowledgeable staff willing to go out of their way to fill your special requests, help with your groceries, super clean stores, and a large selection of high quality private label foods.
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 12:27 am
Actually, we’ve got 2 people, and 4.5 animals living off half the income that you guys bring in and we still shop at Publix.
Publix does run sales, BOGOs, etc. The everyday low price thing at wal-mart prevents sales from running. Furthermore, the store brand items are of much higher quality when compared side by side.
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 7:04 am
Yep, Publix runs specials on SELECTIVE items, so to save money I’d have to buy those exact items. They basically dictate what am I to eat to save… Or I have to look for coupons? I never did well with the whole coupon deal. It doesn’t work for me, this is America, the land of competition! I like to buy what I want, when I want and get a good deal too! As far as brands, I did compare the exact same items from Publix and Wal-Mart and Wal-Mart was cheaper! I do agree, there is a definite difference in convenience factor, but dragging a heavy cart around Wal-Mart is a good exercise!
Don’t worry, we still shop at Publix for other stuff, so we’re still contributing to your stock.
on Nov 18th, 2008 at 8:53 am
Fa shizzle. That’s my response.
We should nominate Joanna as the official online spokesperson for Publix. She does a good job.