I keep a pretty close eye on food prices and noticed that when Kroger purchased Harris Teeter (a Southeastern chain in my area) their prices jumped bigtime. Whole Foods is actually much f'ing cheaper now. Ticks me off because I can walk to HT. Count me as also against this merger.
Never liked Alberstons, they were always higher on prices. The 2 Krogers we have in Nacogdoches are the best grocery stores in a 30 mile radius here. Every time Im in Houston, I see the Krogers getting more run down. HEB has a pretty strong grip in the Texas market, but the one about 15 mins from me in Lufkin is a **** hole.
Central Market and Mi tienda are very good to excellent, especially Central Market products at HEB. I wish they carried more. The Westgate Central Market in Austin that's south and a bit west is a place I shop at a lot. My significant other is a vegetarian, but I'm not. They have a really good meat department. Great fresh veggies. Not cheap, but a little cheaper than Whole Foods, which has changed a great deal, and not for the better, in my opinion. This is coming from a guy that back in the day shopped at the little grocery on North Lamar when staying in Austin visiting friends.
Going to Kroger or Randall's is almost as scary as going outside the loop. And a Kroger or Randall's located outside the loop is basically a haunted house. Albertson? I haven't seen one in 50 years. Built to Spill mentions it in a song. GOOD LUCK.
I have a Randall’s blocks from my house and I always drive 10 minutes further to go to H-E-B. H-E-B just has stuff that Randall’s doesn’t. Randalls is pretty nice and very convenient when I need something quickly but they’re understaffed. Fortunately self checkout is a thing.
Not sure about Randall's. I bought groceries there a few weeks ago. When I got home, my eggs were broken, there was bleach in the same bag as my ground chuck and the bread was underneath a gallon of milk. I'll never use their self checkout ever again.
I always wanted to like the Randall's in north Austin off Jollyville but it's like the refused to properly staff the cashiers. The last time I went there I was literally walking around trying to find anyone in the store who could check me out and I couldn't find anyone. It was one of the most ridiculous situations I've ever been in lol. Eventually I just left everything at the register and went to HEB.
I don't think I've ever lived anywhere that had an Albertson's. Never been to one Randall's and Safeway are both trash stores Kroeger is fine Usually go to TJs or Sprouts
