Favorite Grocery

[mediamongrel]

I really wish grocery stores would stop adding all this crap. I go to the grocery store for food. I don't need wine, flowers, or cigars at the grocery store. I also wish they would cut down on all the toiletries and make up. Harris Teeter has a larger selection in that department than CVS and that makes no sense to me. I would rather see a larger selection of food items, maybe organics for example.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

They are adding it because someone does buy it. The wine sales are quite substantial at SOME of the HTs. But I agree though that the words "South Charlotte" and "HT" are synonymous. In the next few years though, Wal Mart might start to make a slight dent in HTs market. They will probably keep opening up supercenters in South Charlotte to counter HT.

[f0xym0p]

They are adding it because someone does buy it.  The wine sales are quite substantial at SOME of the HTs.  But I agree though that the words "South Charlotte" and "HT" are synonymous.  In the next few years though, Wal Mart might start to make a slight dent in HTs market.  They will probably keep opening up supercenters in South Charlotte to counter HT.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah I know someone is buying it, but not me! People want to get everything in one place--they don't want to have to go to a wine store and the grocery store. This is why SuperWalmart and SuperTarget are doing so well.

I like being able to go in a get a few things and get out of there. I don't want to traverse a big store and wait in line forever.

[mediamongrel]

Yeah I know someone is buying it, but not me! People want to get everything in one place--they don't want to have to go to a wine store and the grocery store. This is why SuperWalmart and SuperTarget are doing so well.

I like being able to go in a get a few things and get out of there. I don't want to traverse a big store and wait in line forever.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

The days of small grocery stores are gone...I wish they weren't though. The last "small" scale grocery stores in Charlotte as far as square footage is concerned were the Reid's on Providence Rd. (closed two years ago), Piper Glen HT (closed this year), the Midtown Square HT (closed about 7 years ago), and the old South Park Mall HT (closed about 7 years ago as well).

[MZT]

The closest store to me is Food Lion, but I simply will not shop there. I hate the bright fluorescent lights... makes me feel like I'm in a super-sized 7-11 or Circle K.

Yes HT is kinda pricey. But I eat out a lot and I just look at it as "cheaper than prepared food."

The Bi-Lo on Tryon is not bad, it's a large clean new store. But it's also competing with the Super Wal-Mart in the same shopping center and I wonder how long it will last.

I guess that's one drawback to living in Starmount. 5 miles to Bi-Lo, 6 miles to Talley's, 8 miles to Earth Faire.

So I end do end up at HT a lot.

[Gastonite]

By the way...my favorites is lowe's followed closely by the teeter. There's also a very nice Bi-Lo store in Gastonia that is on par with any teeter or lowe's.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Yeah, that Bi-Lo on Redbud is super nice, much nicer than other Bi-Los I have been in. My pick for favorite grocery store would have been Hannaford (if they would've stayed down here ), but seeing how that is ancient history, I would vote for Wal-Mart. I know, I know, everybody runs from Wal-Mart , but you cant beat them on price, especially if you're trying to save some money.

Now as for appearence, Wal-Mart would be dead last for me and Lowes or Bi-Lo would be at the top of the list. I see Harris Teeter is tops in this poll, but I find that they are a bit on the pricey side of things.

[mediamongrel]

Kinda funny that the poll shows Harris Teeter as the "favorite" grocer, but if you read some of these posts it isn't. To me it seems like people are saying Harris Teeter stores are nice to look at and are clean but no one wants to shop there because of the prices. I really have to agree with that. Who wants to shop somewhere that resembles a palace when the prices are so high? So we can all just admire the decor and extravagance of an HT store from the outside, but you have to enjoy a comfortable salary to be able to go in and shop. I say Food Lion and Bi-L0 are my picks. Half the Winn-Dixie's are becoming Bi-Lo soon, so that's why I am saying Bi-Lo.

[skysdalimit]

Actually, I rarely shop anywhere else other than Harris Teeter. The prices aren't bad IMO and it is very clean and nice. I HATE Food Lion, I always feel dirty when I shop there.

[MZT]

I don't mind HT's marketing strategy. It's kinda like the Target vs Wal-Mart debate or Express Bus versus regular stops. Give people a little better product and presentation for a little more money. Some shoppers will bite, some won't.

But I don't like how HT is such a gorilla, claiming every major corner and driving out competition.

[mediamongrel]

But I don't like how HT is such a gorilla, claiming every major corner and driving out competition.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Don't worry about that. In the future, say 10-20 years from now, they wont be able to drive out Wal Mart. Infact with how good Harris Teeter is doing here in Charlotte, I can see someone like a Wal Mart or Target or other giant conglomerate purchasing the chain from Ruddick.

[NCMike1981]

HT doesn't seem as strong in the Triangle as you describe them being in Charlotte. I'm still not going to shop there simply b/c of the atmosphere, I guess my mom instilled too many "get the most for your money" values in me. They are pretty stores, just too damn expensive to do a massive grocery trip. I have relatively new Food Lion across the street from me, and yes it's sanitary, and cheaper then the HT that's right next door....

btw in the Triangle we have Food Lion, Kroger, Harris Teeter, Lowes Foods, Aldi, Super Targets, Super Wal-Marts, Super K-Marts, Whole Foods and a handful of IGA's (yes they are still tucked away here and there, u just have to look for them).

[monsoon]

They are adding it because someone does buy it.  The wine sales are quite substantial at SOME of the HTs.  But I agree though that the words "South Charlotte" and "HT" are synonymous.  In the next few years though, Wal Mart might start to make a slight dent in HTs market.  They will probably keep opening up supercenters in South Charlotte to counter HT.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Agreed. Get out of the S. Charlotte wasteland and HT is much less predominate (and people could care much less also) though as mentioned above, they are starting to over infest other parts of the metro.

I'm not sure what is worse. A single superTarget or Walmart or 10 HTs saturating an area. If I had my choice, I would take the single behemoth as the prices are cheaper, the selection is much better, and you contain the bad development to just one location.

HTs in CLT are nice and flashy, but I don't need to go to a place that does wine tastings like the one here in Huntersville, to buy Diet Rite and frozen pizza. I'd rather go to Walmart or Lowes.

[mediamongrel]

Agreed.  Get out of the S. Charlotte wasteland and HT is much less predominate (and people could care much less also) though as mentioned above, they are starting to over infest other parts of the metro. 

I'm not sure what is worse.  A single superTarget or Walmart or 10 HTs saturating an area.  If I had my choice, I would take the single behemoth as the prices are cheaper, the selection is much better, and you contain the bad development to just one location.

HTs in CLT are nice and flashy, but I don't need to go to a place that does wine tastings like the one here in Huntersville, to buy Diet Rite and frozen pizza.  I'd rather go to Walmart or Lowes.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Here's a quandry; at Harris Teeter, HT Gallon Milk = $3.99 / Hunter Farms $4.19

HT owns Hunter Farms, but if you go to local gas stations or Eckerd's, you can sometimes find Hunter Farms Milk Gallons for $2.99

Harris Teeter is raising prices by 39% on their gallon milk just because you have the tendency to buy it anyway when you shop there. I bet if the local media did a story on this, a lot of people might realize how there getting screwed. I mean that's not just 10 cents, it's a whole dollar! But God for bid the local media does a story containing anything critical on HT.

[peaceloveunderstanding]

I only buy milk at Sam's Club, it's much less (how much I don't know). HT is not a bad deal for most of the other food products though, a few cents don't really matter. HT is what is most convenient to me and what has an environment in which I feel comfortable (which is a plus)

[monsoon]

Bovine Lactose

[mediamongrel]

I only buy milk at Sam's Club, it's much less (how much I don't know). HT is not a bad deal for most of the other food products though, a few cents don't really matter. HT is what is most convenient to me and what has an environment in which I feel comfortable (which is a plus)

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I don't consider Sam's Club a "grocery store" only becauseif you shop there you basically need at least $100 in your pocket, and a lot of people on a budget can only afford $30-$40 at one time for weekly groceries. I wish I had $200 lying around so I could go to Costco or Sam's and stock up.

[f0xym0p]

I don't consider Sam's Club a "grocery store" only becauseif you shop there you basically need at least $100 in your pocket, and a lot of people on a budget can only afford $30-$40 at one time for weekly groceries.  I wish I had $200 lying around so I could go to Costco or Sam's and stock up.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

You can really save a lot of money shopping at warehouse stores if you have the storage space and can budget that much ahead. I shop at BJ's and one of the biggest discounts is on fresh chicken breast. At BJ's it is $2.69/lb but at HT it is $4.99. Yeah, when I go I spend about $100, but then I don't have to buy those things again for a month or more. Unfortunately they don't carry nearly everything that I need, so I'm still at HT frequently.

[turboedge]

Think Harris Teeter is that great!! Try working there!

[DigitalSky]

^what's it like working there?

[peaceloveunderstanding]

one of my friends used to work at the smallest Harris Teeter on Park up by Freedom Park and he thought it was great. Other people I know who worked at Harris Teeter hated it, but they seemed to be more lazy people.

[mediamongrel]

one of my friends used to work at the smallest Harris Teeter on Park up by Freedom Park and he thought it was great. Other people I know who worked at Harris Teeter hated it, but they seemed to be more lazy people.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Lazy people hate working? There's a revelation.

[NCMike1981]

Retail isn't exactly fun...most people hate it because alot of people go into stores with issues and have complexes...like "I want to complain" complexes...instead of simply leaving and not coming back.....alot of it has to do with the mindset of the person when they enter the store, but the associates are the faceless people that have to deal with the person who is having a fit. because, let's say, the store is out of stock of a certain brand of ketchup that a customer wants. Retail is a very annoying and underpaid area to work in unless you are a manager....

[DigitalSky]

Retail isn't exactly fun...most people hate it because alot of people go into stores with issues and have complexes...like "I want to complain" complexes...instead of simply leaving and not coming back.....alot of it has to do with the mindset of the person when they enter the store, but the associates are the faceless people that have to deal with the person who is having a fit. because, let's say, the store is out of stock of a certain brand of ketchup that a customer wants. Retail is a very annoying and underpaid area to work in unless you are a manager....

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I guess that makes sense..

[Skyybutter]

I shop at Bloom in Harrisburg and I LOVE LOVE LOVE it. The stores arent so huge like most markets. It has more of a neighborhood market feel. The store is clean. One thing I really like is not having to have some type of card just to get the sale items. I get them automatically. They have great wine selecions and Im not sure if other markets around Charlotte have the 'personal shopper". Its where you scan your items as you shop. It keeps a running toatl..etc.etc....I really think thats a great perk. When you get to the counter you hand the cashier the scanner and all you have to do is pay and bag. Saves lots of time.

[DigitalSky]

I really liked Bloom when i saw the one on Sugar Creek. It's simple and not overwhelming yet nicely done

[Rickydavisfan21]

As far as basic grocery stores go, and as a savannah resident, I would say Publix is far beyond everyone of these. As for as products and services, cleanliness and prices, there is no better, in my opinion, than publix. Also I am I oft-frequenter of Fresh Market, a lil expensive, but some of the best quality produce out there. You can order USDA prime Venison there, did you know that?

But when it comes to charlotte, HT is above the rest, I also liked hannaford over at park road when it was in existance, I loved it, I went to a hannafords in poukepsie, NY (spelling) and one in Lynchburg, VA, and they were both very nice grocery stores.