County Market vs. Walmart

[Terry]

First, let me say that I dislike shopping at Walmart and, for years, have avoided it as best I could.  However, with grocery prices increasing so much over the last year, I decided to conduct a survey to see how County Market prices compared to the evil giant.  There was nothing scientific about the survey, just eleven items that I tend to buy on a weekly or monthly basis.  Included in the survey was bread, milk, coffee, bacon, tide, napkins, charmin, dog food, dog treats, ice tea and butter.
The total cost of these items at County Market was $74.72 compared to Walmart's cost of $67.61, or a 10.5% difference.  Eight items were cheaper at Walmart and three were more expensive including milk, bacon, and dog treats.  The biggest difference was in the price of coffee.  County Market was $11.99 and Walmart was $8.98, a $3.01 difference.
Certainly, this is not an ad for Walmart as there are many disadvantages of shopping there including things like parking, customer service, items spread all over the store, etc.  But, if you're like me, it may be worth your while to pay them a visit from time to time.

[DejaVu]

That's actually quite interesting and informative Terry. I live in the Oakwood area and we shop at the IGA for some stuff. I mostly buy meat because I think it's way better quality and they have good weekly deals. I only go to Walmart when it can't be avoided. Someone was telling me that the Dollar General stores are actually doing better in sales than W-mart! 

[Terry]

We buy very little red meat (Besides the cost, we feel it's not good for you). Mostly frozen chicken breast. Bacon is out.( I don't live to eat I just eat to live.) Cannot see paying the high price for Tide. Buy all our laundry supplies (Xtra brand liquid 160 loads for $8.50, dry bleach, fabric softener, etc at Dollar General. Next it's on to Aldis where we buy cereal, milk, bread, skillet dinners, etc. Finish up at Walmart. (We buy enough of everything to last a month. Less trips to the store.) Milk at Walmart here in Florida is $3.49 a gallon. Aldi is $2.89. We use a little less than a gallon a week. We use 2% which is the same price as whole milk. We buy 2 gallons whole milk, freeze one gallon (along with our bread to last a month) and cut one gallon with water thereby making 2 gallons that last two weeks then I thaw out the one in the freezer and that lasts another two weeks. After reading that coffee is on it's way up by at least 10% we decided to give Walmart brand a try. We were paying $10.98 for Folgers and are now paying $6 for store brand that we find not bad at all. (Bought a small can first to try then bought 5 large cans.) One can lasts us one month and 4 days. We used to buy a lot of snacks, cakes, candy bars, ice cream, etc but completely cut them out. (Clothes fit better too. LOL.)
I pinch penny's wherever  I can.
Not sure I understand the complaint about parking at  Walmart.

WALMART AKA as the land of the flying bas carts.

[Pretender]

I just purchased some 1 lb. packages of ground chuck at county market. Checked the receipt when I got home and found that the ground chuck was like a $1 a lb. more than what I had paid a few weeks ago. $2.89/lb now. I asked a cashier yesterday if there had perhaps been an error on labeling and she told me there hadn't and that the store had raised the price.

[buzorro]

I buy my few needed groceries at Aldi's, Big Lots, Kmart.  I only eat turkey meat now because of madcow disease in beef and oil + radiation in fish.  Ground turkey is about $1/lb cheaper at Aldi's than CountyMarket.

I only went to Walmart once in the past ten years and that was because they had a few of the last tube TV's on sale, mine had just pooped out (got it at the Gold Rush several years previous).  Many have purposely boycotted WalMart for ideological reasons.  I stay away because of my secret fear of clowns:  http://www.peopleofwalmart.com/?page_id=9798

My latest concern is that I need the battery in my watch replaced and the only referrals that I've gotten is WallyWorld.  Egad!

[kdi307]

try the jewelry shop accross from fischer i thinks its called roysters jewelry.

[Terry]

Coffee prices compared as of 6/5/2011:

County Market = $11.99
Walmart             =  $8.98
Walgreens        =  $6.49   

Same brand and weight.

[DejaVu]

Wow...interesting stuff here you guys!   

[Bingo]

We buy produce at Aldis until the Farmer's Markets are running full tilt. Peppers, cukes, cantaloupes, zucchini, onions, etc.  We use hardly any potatoes, bread, rice or noodles. We don't buy soda or bottled water. I buy paper goods at discount stores on sale. Don't remember last time I went to Walmart. I think I was price shopping and decided the things I was buying weren't significantly cheaper there so I didn't spend any money at that nasty place.  Trying to get healthier and lose weight has been a challenge on a budget but I have used a lot of coupons and freezers and cabinets are full, for the entire summer we will need to shop for only fresh produce, milk, eggs, bread, and cottage cheese.

[music man]

 My wife & I have shopped County Mkt. for years. Not so much anymore.I no longer find the good buys I once did. Part of the reason is I believe they donate foods soon to expire to the food bank.No doubt a good cause,nor am I against it, but I use to keep the freezer full with deals like"Oscar Meyer"smoked turkey for 50 cents a pound. I'd buy 30 or 40 of them. Same with the beef franks,$1.00 a pound.It was those kind of deals that kept me going there 3-4 times a week.

 I never knew just what unadvertised deals I would run into.A lot of the food I'd give away to family members who we knew could use it.Now they are like shopping at the ritz! Beef has went thru the roof at Cty.Mkt.We now shop more at "Aldi & save a lot"For many years Cty.Mkt.did have some great buys,but not so much anymore.