# Grocery stores of choice



## shoe (Apr 6, 2005)

Whats your grocery store of choice? and why?


Im a pickey eater and find that i like to go to 3 of them now, loblaws sobeys and dominion. certain items I can get anywhere but I like the pre made subs at sobeys the cheap mega box of fruit loops at loblaws and the mamoth hamburger and hot dog buns at dominion.

My mom digs grocery gateway (opperated by longos now), I guess thats good for older folks ( gets them outa the ilses lol)

shoe

ps in the poll I combined what i knew where affiliated except no frills with loblaws cause its in a diff catergory if you ask me


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## ErnstNL (Apr 12, 2003)

In our house with 4 human mouths and 2 feline, I do the grocery shopping. I like to go to Sobey's, Dominion (Loblaw's), Costco and Coleman's (local chain in NL) and find strengths and weaknesses in each. NOT Walmart. 
I shop for groceries 3 - 4 times a week in small batches.
Our fridge is small, 14 cu ft, and I try to keep it filled with fresh fruit and veggies constantly. We have a chest freezer with lots of poultry and roasts in it when the stuff goes on sale.

Hey, I guess I need one of those big honkin' dubl' door water fountain ice making jobs at Sears. Father's day? Hmmm...


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## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

"Other."

I'm hooked on my local farmer's market, independent bakeries, and specialty groceries (especially the larger Italian groceries in Montreal's Little Italy). The more I go to such places, the less I can stand Provigo (which is the dominant supermarket chain here and the main Loblaws brand in Quebec) or Metro.

Not only is this kind of shopping only slightly more expensive than chain supermarkets, you get better quality goods and, in the case of the farmer's market, you often get to meet the producer. (Of course such markets also have imported produce in winter.) And it's just plain fun compared to wandering through rows and rows of canned and frozen foods to a muzak accompaniment.


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## autopilot (Dec 2, 2004)

i prefer loblaws.

there is an iga very close to me and i like the feel of that store, although it is too small and doesn't carry a lot of items i would normally pick up. the lack of pc items (available of course from loblaws) is a factor for me.

there are two dominions within walking distance from me although i hate dominion. go there sometimes due to convnience (on the way home, open 24 hours, etc.) but if i have a choice, i don't go.

sobey's: been there a couple of times. used to use it when they delivered through grocery gateway.

no frills depresses me, and there's none in my area anyway so just as well.

i'll go to loblaws every time when i get my car.


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## PosterBoy (Jan 22, 2002)

There is a chain of grocery stores out here called "Choices." They stock not only name brand stuff, but alternative and organic foods as well. The primary reasons that we shop there though, are that they tend to stock local stuff and organic stuff, but more importantly they don't overcharge for it a la Safeway.

If we need any kind of bulk stuff, a Save-On Foods just opened up the street, too.


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## Pamela (Feb 20, 2003)

Stong's and Costco.


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## gastonbuffet (Sep 23, 2004)

St. Lawrence Market, Whole Foods and Pusateri's are my choice, sometimes Chinatown.

But if i have to eat after payday, i go to all the majors listed ( no walmart, zellers).
Actually, that's like a hobby of mine, i find i need to know all the prices of every place every week and buy accordingly. Therefore, i go to shop at least once a day, sometimes twice. if i'm coming or going, i always stop if i pass by a place and shop.


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## Eukaryotic (Jan 24, 2005)

I used to go to Price Chopper to get canned stuff because it's so much cheaper than Loblaws or Dominion, until a couple of weeks ago when I saw a giant rat making a run for it near the bakery section.


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## Carex (Mar 1, 2004)

One of the big BC suppliers is Save On (loblaws perhaps). We also have Safeway, Superstore and the like. 

Our choice for shopping is Thifty's, an island owned and operated grocery 'chain'. 

Our fruits and veggies are delivered to our door by another service. 

Our market choice in Vancouver was better, spending great amounts of time at Granville Market and Capers (I think that's right).


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## PosterBoy (Jan 22, 2002)

Carex, do you get SPUD deliveries, or is it another company on the Island?


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## Carex (Mar 1, 2004)

Spud. Having been doing it since last September and we absolutely love it. Harvest box every Thursday. Plus we can order other groceries as well. I had heard complaints from people about produce quality, but in my experience it has been excellent. I think the produce quality issues were from the early days of Spud when they were just getting going and didn't have quite the supplier network they have now.


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## enaj (Aug 26, 2004)

Our house shops at No Frills because it is in walking distance (I prefer Loblaws).

But, we get all of our produce from a place called front door organics.http://frontdoororganics.com We order for every two weeks and get a huge box full of fresh organic fruit and vegetables. It's great to have it delivered to you - and it makes us eat healthy.


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## PosterBoy (Jan 22, 2002)

Carex we've been getting SPUD deliveries for about 3 years now, and the quality has been mostly good. There has been the odd occasion where our eggs show up cracked to hell, or our apples are all bruised and mushy, but a quick call usually gets us a credit towards our next delivery.

We've been very happy with SPUD.


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## SomeNSome (Sep 24, 2002)

My wife goes to Loblaws whenever she gets into her car. It hurts my right butt cheek but my tummy feels good, the house looks good, she looks good...


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## Carex (Mar 1, 2004)

PB, yes we have been very happy with the quality, as mentioned, and with the response by the customer service people (I think we had some bad shallots once). We enjoy the breads they have available here and some of the other grocery products as well (7th Generation). Even ordered a frozen chicken once.


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## PosterBoy (Jan 22, 2002)

What breads are you getting? I like the buttermilk and honey bread they have. It's >i>great</i>.

If I recall, we ordered two of our last three Christmas Turkeys from SPUD, and they were good.


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## The Doug (Jun 14, 2003)

Mixed bag here; we spread our business around. We frequent two local family-run IGA stores for most things; both have great in-store bakeries and good butcher sections. We go to a local Métro (this is a store chain, not the MTL subway system!) for other consumables because it's a terrific, very well-run store (the manager is a great guy too), and Provigo as they carry most of the President's Choice line. Spring, Summer, and Fall, a small local family-run store gets all our fruit & vegetable business because they have a great selection, all the produce they sell is top-notch and mostly from local growers, and the store is immaculate. Too bad they're closed over the Winter.


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## Carex (Mar 1, 2004)

PB, we are partial to the Portofino bakery stuff as well as Bond Bond's. I don't know if you have the same local bakery choices on your route in the LM. 

Not to derail too much, we also have another small chain here called Quality foods. Not the warehouse sized big box superstore type; small, intimate, cozy.


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Carex said:


> PB, we are partial to the Portofino bakery stuff as well as Bond Bond's. I don't know if you have the same local bakery choices on your route in the LM.
> 
> Not to derail too much, we also have another small chain here called Quality foods. Not the warehouse sized big box superstore type; small, intimate, cozy.


Which of course, is where we pick up our pudding, mice and foam, or isn't it?


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## Carex (Mar 1, 2004)

You hit the nail on the head Sinc. Of course, the mice are at their freshest on Tuesday morning after they are delivered!!


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## SINC (Feb 16, 2001)

Carex said:


> You hit the nail on the head Sinc. Of course, the mice are at their freshest on Tuesday morning after they are delivered!!


Thanks for that info Carex, but don't look for moi to be standing in line to get some any Tuesday soon.


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## Pamela (Feb 20, 2003)

aahhhh Carex! I missed Thrify's so much when I was in Vancouver! Food is SO expensive in Vancouver as well (compared to Victoria prices).

- LOVE Bond Bond's.
- Cascadia is fantastic for foccacia bread and muffins (esp. the espresso chocolate chip and pumpkin one with some sort of little white round seeds...can't remember what they are called right now.)
- There's a place to get AWESOME samosas on broad street...can't remember the name...star something...
- also try QV's on goverment across from the Chinatown gates to get excellent goodies like peanut butter squares etc...
- BEST bagels in the world are Mount Royal Bagels. To DIE for.

(I worked at a coffee shop at UVic during my undergrad and we used to bring this stuff in). 

I'm going to try that SPUD service once we get a permanent residence. Also, do you know of any good farmer's markets? it's been so long since I've been to one here that I don't remember where they all are now. I missed these too when I was in Van.


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## Carex (Mar 1, 2004)

I think the best farmers markets down your way up up towards Saanich and on the ferry highway. A lot of them are waiting to get the produce rolling right now so are not open often (the true farm markets anyway). 

Mount Royal are very good bagels. I dare say you will get many an (unwinable) argument from folks back east about good, authentic bagels. My favorites back in the Vancouver days were 1) Seigels and 2) Benny's. There used to be a Benny's Bagels in Victoria I understand.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Hmmm should have made the poll allow two choices. I do Loblaws and Longos - all the rest suck in my estimation.

Sobey's in Ontario is an embarrassment.
Dominion makes me ill going in. 

Longos does a superb job, fresh, friendly, responsive to requests, and even have an effective online order system that works.

Loblaws looks good, prices are a tad high but selection is good especially in the Superstore versions.


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## ArtistSeries (Nov 8, 2004)

MacDoc said:


> Hmmm should have made the poll allow two choices. I do Loblaws and Longos - all the rest suck in my estimation.


A little Ontario-centric, no?



MacDoc said:


> Loblaws looks good, prices are a tad high but selection is good especially in the Superstore versions.


I avoid Loblaws like I avoid Walmarts.
Around Montreal, Loblaws came in, offered good seletion in the beginning then upped their prices and removed choice.

I agree with "The Doug": IGA has the better meat and bread - Ile Perrot one is where we go..


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## kloan (Feb 22, 2002)

Whole Foods. Great for organics. A bit on the pricey side, but my health is worth it.


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## MacDoc (Nov 3, 2001)

Ontario -centric ??/ Yep - been to them all - stand by my comment. No question Loblaws is $$ - okay by me...like the choice.

Now Provigos seems okay - only been in once or twice. IGA not in forever - don't know if they are still really independent grocers or not.

Any place with Ace Bakery products catches my attention. Like a lot of the smaller Italian speciality stores too.


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## MacNutt (Jan 16, 2002)

I buy my meat from my neighbor, who raises Black Angus cattle in the field next to mine. I grow most of my own veggies. Organically. I catch a lot of my own fish and I gather oysters and dungeness crabs on the local beaches. I don't eat much bread, but Barb's Buns in downtown Ganges makes some truly fine (and totally organic) loaves.

The rest of what I buy (not much) comes from Ganges Village Market. Thrifty's is over here on Salt Spring, but their prices are totally obscene, and you can't park anywhere near the place.

Especially since all of those wealthy refugees from the frozen and badly polluted eastern part of Canada have moved here. We are knee-deep in fancy SUV's these days, here on the Rock.


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## Pamela (Feb 20, 2003)

I LOVE Whole Foods!!!


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## iMatt (Dec 3, 2004)

MacDoc said:


> Now Provigos seems okay - only been in once or twice.


Provigo is Loblaws. There are a handful of Loblaws-branded stores in Quebec, but mostly they're under the Provigo banner. To me the only tangible difference between a typical Provigo and a typical Loblaws in Ontario is that Provigo has beer and (awful) wine. The awful wine isn't their fault, though; it's that the SAQ has an iron grip on what wines can be sold in what kind of store, and grocery stores get the bottom of the barrel.


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## Boomcha (Jan 29, 2004)

I'm on a special diet that needs as low fat and cholesterol as possible (nutritionist and doctor recommended).

I have to say that for my 2 person home its a combination effort. Most of the times its Dominion (Front Street in Toronto) for canned stuff and things like soy milk, low fat hummus and whole grain Pita Break pitas. I also like going to St. Lawrence Market for fish (hmm tuna steaks), the best place in town to get fresh fruit produce I find its Kensington Market which luckely we have are in walking distance to. I also really like European meats in Kensington for certain things (souvlaki meat sticks) but again St. Lawrence Market rocks in the meat department.

I prefer purchasing things at the local markets instead of big chains but sometimes you have to due to lack of choice and convenience.

Jorge


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## Carex (Mar 1, 2004)

All right Boomcha, your post got me thinking. "Low fat hummus"??? Is there high fat hummus. It's made with chick peas, olive oil and tahini. How can it be high fat in the first place??

Reminds me of the "0% cholesterol" on some foods. In most cases the foods never had cholesterol in the first place, its just advertising.


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## Nyxks (Apr 18, 2005)

The only reason I use noFrills is becuase its down the street from where we live, thus its easer to get to then Lawblaws, or any other grocery shop that I'll use given a choice and unlimited funds.


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## autopilot (Dec 2, 2004)

Carex said:


> All right Boomcha, your post got me thinking. "Low fat hummus"??? Is there high fat hummus. It's made with chick peas, olive oil and tahini. How can it be high fat in the first place??


i think it's like how avocado is considered fatty. but good fat, stuff you need. it can exist in vegetables, though i can't remember the scientific categorization...


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## Mrs. Furley (Sep 1, 2004)

autopilot said:


> i think it's like how avocado is considered fatty. but good fat, stuff you need. it can exist in vegetables, though i can't remember the scientific categorization...


Hummus doesn't even need olive oil in it, but if you put olive oil, then there's your fat content. However, as autopilot says, you need good fat (in moderation) and olive oil is good fat. Chickpeas have a bit of fat but not much...and they are SO good for you!!


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## Carex (Mar 1, 2004)

Saturated fat - meat, dairy and tropical oils - not so good
Polyunsaturated fats - plants and omega 3 fatty acids - very good
Monounsaturated fat - olive oil, avocado - good cooking oil, good for you
Trans fats - conversion of unsaturated fat to saturated fat through hydrogenation - not very good for you. French fry oil, lots of crackers and grocery store items.


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## autopilot (Dec 2, 2004)

Carex said:


> Saturated fat - meat, dairy and tropical oils - not so good
> Polyunsaturated fats - plants and omega 3 fatty acids - very good
> Monounsaturated fat - olive oil, avocado - good cooking oil, good for you
> Trans fats - conversion of unsaturated fat to saturated fat through hydrogenation - not very good for you. French fry oil, lots of crackers and grocery store items.


yeah, that's what i was talking about


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