Who’s winning the grocery wars in Houston? (wages, price)

[RampageInAZ]

Originally Posted by Dopo

La Michoacana and Aldi's are missing on that list

Because a statistically insignificant amount of people shop there, and they both have really small selections.

[RampageInAZ]

HEB wins in a landslide. Where do I start? First thing, no stupid card! Its just a principle thing for me, I shouldn't have to have a card or jump through hoops to get a low price. Just mark it low and let me buy it. HEB has been on a building spree the last few years, so many of their stores are very new, big, super nice and will have lots of cool stuff around the store. You can get fresh homemade tortillas, samples everywhere. They just opened the store on League City Parkway which is right down the street from the apartment I am moving to next month, Very stoked to be near a new HEB. Oh and they aren't shy about telling you they are a Texas company, headquartered here, employing Texans.

Kroger.

Biggest drawback is the card, I hate that with a passion. I currently live near their store on Highway 6 and 529. This store needs to be closed down, it is so small. Not enough parking because of the Studio Movie 6 at the end of the shopping center. Small selection here. I really can't believe no one has built another grocery store in the area. Surely they could have built a new store a way down West road toward jack rabbit before all the apartments were built. Next closest store is wal mart on 529. That store is a nightmare to get to because of traffic. The 529/Highway 6 intersection sucks! Back to Kroger, the new one on Barker Cypress near the LoneStar college is very nice and HUGE. By far the biggest and nicest Kroger I have ever been to. I have yet to make it into the League City Parkway Kroger, but it looks newer and nicer from the outside so I'll check it out when I move down there.

Wal Mart.

Always super crowded with the dregs of society/welfare crowd. Employees are rude and slow. Never enough checkouts open. Poor selection outside of the basics. Only positive here is the prices, but thats not enough to deal with all the negatives.

Randalls.

Haven't been to one in years. I grew up near the one on Jones and West Road, but it finally closed awhile back and was remodeled and turned into a nice, but small HEB. Has always been very expensive and they always have oddball deals with their card, which i refuse to get. Closest one is Barker Cypress/290. Too far and if I am that far I might as well go to the HEB next door.

Food Town.

Haven't been into one in probably 10-15 years.(I take that back, i occasionally went into the one on EL dorado and Highway 3 when I lived in webster about 5 years ago) Last one i went to was Jones and West. Dirty, poor selection, scared to buy anything that expires. Seems like a place that would sell questionable meat and produce. No habla english there. .

Sellers Bros.

Worse than food town. Only see them in bad neighborhoods No thanks. .

[Rip808]

HEB is winning hands down. For them to almost catch up to the largest grocery store in America (Kroger) and be neck and neck with the largest retail store in the World (Wal-Mart) they are making great strides. Great Texas based company with great principles and values. While I worked there in college, I was awarded a 4-year scholarship to attend the college of my choice (it was only $2500/year) but hey everything helps! Very flexible with my school schedule and they always gave me hours when I came home for the holidays. Nothing but good things to say about HEB.

[14Bricks]

Originally Posted by Rip808

HEB is winning hands down. For them to almost catch up to the largest grocery store in America (Kroger) and be neck and neck with the largest retail store in the World (Wal-Mart) they are making great strides. Great Texas based company with great principles and values. While I worked there in college, I was awarded a 4-year scholarship to attend the college of my choice (it was only $2500/year) but hey everything helps! Very flexible with my school schedule and they always gave me hours when I came home for the holidays. Nothing but good things to say about HEB.

That was as pretty cool for HEB to help pay for some of your college. 2500 should be enough to help pay for those overpriced books that college professors like to make you buy.

[llmrkc07]

I love me some HEB, especially the newer ones. Been going there since I was a kid, like the prices and the service!

[natefg2]

Originally Posted by RampageInAZ

HEB wins in a landslide. Where do I start? First thing, no stupid card! Its just a principle thing for me, I shouldn't have to have a card or jump through hoops to get a low price. Just mark it low and let me buy it. HEB has been on a building spree the last few years, so many of their stores are very new, big, super nice and will have lots of cool stuff around the store. You can get fresh homemade tortillas, samples everywhere. They just opened the store on League City Parkway which is right down the street from the apartment I am moving to next month, Very stoked to be near a new HEB. Oh and they aren't shy about telling you they are a Texas company, headquartered here, employing Texans.

Kroger.

Biggest drawback is the card, I hate that with a passion. I currently live near their store on Highway 6 and 529. This store needs to be closed down, it is so small. Not enough parking because of the Studio Movie 6 at the end of the shopping center. Small selection here. I really can't believe no one has built another grocery store in the area. Surely they could have built a new store a way down West road toward jack rabbit before all the apartments were built. Next closest store is wal mart on 529. That store is a nightmare to get to because of traffic. The 529/Highway 6 intersection sucks! Back to Kroger, the new one on Barker Cypress near the LoneStar college is very nice and HUGE. By far the biggest and nicest Kroger I have ever been to. I have yet to make it into the League City Parkway Kroger, but it looks newer and nicer from the outside so I'll check it out when I move down there.

Wal Mart.

Always super crowded with the dregs of society/welfare crowd. Employees are rude and slow. Never enough checkouts open. Poor selection outside of the basics. Only positive here is the prices, but thats not enough to deal with all the negatives.

Randalls.

Haven't been to one in years. I grew up near the one on Jones and West Road, but it finally closed awhile back and was remodeled and turned into a nice, but small HEB. Has always been very expensive and they always have oddball deals with their card, which i refuse to get. Closest one is Barker Cypress/290. Too far and if I am that far I might as well go to the HEB next door.

Food Town.

Haven't been into one in probably 10-15 years.(I take that back, i occasionally went into the one on EL dorado and Highway 3 when I lived in webster about 5 years ago) Last one i went to was Jones and West. Dirty, poor selection, scared to buy anything that expires. Seems like a place that would sell questionable meat and produce. No habla english there. .

Sellers Bros.

Worse than food town. Only see them in bad neighborhoods No thanks. .

That kroger on 6 and west is old!! Yeah it is small and dingy. That whole shopping center needs help. There's nothing worth while in there. I agree on food town. No way I grocery shop at walmart with those lines. I used to work at the one on 529 and 6 back in 05-06. I can tell by walking in the quality of employees as gone down. They used to care about items scanned per minute back then so lines moved quicker. Now it feels like your lucky if your cashier isn't drooling all over the register.

[v2four]

in my area of Richmond/Katy, we have four kroger stores, two HEB, randalls, Aldi, Target, Whole Foods, Sprouts, Walmart, Fiesta, Sams, and Costco locations within close driving distance.

I think a lot of couponers drive the market also..notice when a good sale is going on, come Wednesday afternoon at various stores when the new week starts, certain sale items are gone and you cant find them anywhere, especially at kroger when they have their 10 for $10 sale or if you can stack a store coupon with a manufacturer one.

from my viewpoint, the two HEB's, at Fry Rd/99 and Mason/Highland Knolls are always PACKED. HEB has good deals and their hill country fare line is just as good as name brands.....people seem to love the deli in HEB's all around, willing to pay $2.00 a pound for sliced turkey and cheese.....

Im glad the new sams opened at bellaire/GP now so I dont have to go all the way to fry/I-10...Im a big sams shoppers, more so than costco, but I use them both.

I mentioned Krogers earlier, which is my preferred store of choice....the kroger card actually has its benefits as kroger will send you a boatload of free items and you can also get discounted savings on national brands. Spend enough money during the course of a month and you can get up to a .50 discount on your gas, and even $1.00 a gallon during specials.

the Kroger at 99/mason, which is a signature store, the previously had furniture, but they have switched out to clothing now. FM 1093 and Spring Green, Mason/Westheimer Parkway and Grand Parkway/BayHill are all about the same and normally keep a good stock of product, unless coupon mom/dad clean the shelves.

Randalls is the quietest of the bunch and I find them to be the most expensive, even with the Randalls card..but, Randalls does allow you to stack coupons(store and manufacturer) and I only go there to get money saving deals where I can save a ton...

Aldi has the cheapest option on milk ($1.99) and eggs (1.29) and some of their brands are hit and miss...their cost on fruit and vegetables are way below market and makes them very competitive, and their 24 pack of water is only $2.49 compared to nearly $3.99 at most stores.

Sprouts is great on fresh fruit and veggies, and have a nice meat market. they also have hot food selection and great organic section, which is just as costly as whole foods, who are way overpriced in my opinion.

when I first moved out in that area, I wondered why there was a fiesta, considering they are normally in more minority based areas, but I know why now.....a lot of businesses have closed on that lower part of mason (even the kroger that was there) and fiesta is the only grocery store in that area, even though I bet the majority head up mason toward heb/randalls,

finally wallys....what can you say that hasnt already been said? I do shop at walmart because for product selection and convenience, you cant beat those clowns...but I agree with most posters, walmart is normally packed, and it seems they dont open mutliple lanes like they used to, forcing you to wait in long lines......this seems to be a walmart staple at every one of their locations.

[Gunion Powder]

Originally Posted by RampageInAZ

Wal Mart.

Always super crowded with the dregs of society.

You mean Middle America suburban dwellers who gripe about the irrelevant distinctions between large supermarket chains that are largely the exact same place? Yeah, can't stand those guys

[Thila]

I love my HEB at Gessner and Hammerly. They use real people to check out your groceries instead of those ridiculous do it yourself machines that drive me NUTS! I refuse to shop at my local Kroger's because that it what they direct you to for express. No, I want a REAL person.

[zeee]

I hate Walmart with passion. When it comes to grocery, it's Korger for me. I mean, I love their produce and their PRIVATE SELECTION brand is very impressive!