This month we’re talking about all the different ways we grocery shop now, including the story of a guy who shops online to protect his mental health, secret tips for Costco shoppers, and the definitive guide to bagging your own groceries.Check out the complete series here.
最常见的人们whi问自己的问题le grocery shopping (aside from “where is that damn bathroom?”) has got to be “Could I get this cheaper somewhere else?”
Most stores offer the exact same products, from the same brands, but rarely for the same price. It’s crazy-making. So we decided to compare prices by creating a virtual grocery bag with some of the most frequently bought staples. Then we shopped for them at five stores with a national presence:Whole Foods,Trader Joe’s,Costco, astandard supermarket, and anonline grocery delivery company.
To level the playing field, we chose store-label products whenever possible. We also didn’t consider any sale prices. And since the size of some products varied from store to store (especially at Costco), we list two total prices. One is the out-of- pocket cost to buy that particular bag of groceries. The other is the equivalent cost based on calculating the price per ounce on items that varied in size from our sample set.
Here’s how they stacked up. (All prices, aside from Peapod, based on stores in Portland, Oregon.)
What’s in each bag:
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 pound wild salmon
- 1 gallon 2% milk
- 1 dozen cage-free large eggs
- 1 (10-ounce) bag power greens (spinach, baby kale, etc.)
- 1 (12-ounce) bag broccoli florets
- 1 ½ pounds seedless green grapes
- 1 (24-ounce) loaf whole wheat sandwich bread
- 2 pounds brown rice
- 1 (14.5-ounce) can diced tomatoes
- 1 liter (33.8 ounces) olive oil
- 1 pint super-premium vanilla ice cream
Whole Foods
When sustainability-minded Whole Foodssold itself to mega-corp Amazonlast summer, it felt a little like a Faustian bargain. But what we lost in warm-fuzzies we gained insomewhat cheaper prices. Even so, a bag of groceries here still costs quite a bit more than the other chains. One could argue you get what you pay for, as Whole Foods is stillcommitted to stocking only good-for- the-planet stuff——非转基因有机、公平贸易、环保、和responsibly farmed. This makes it easy to shop with a conscience without having to study every label. Plus, there’s usually a decent amount of shelf space dedicated to products from local artisans (though some say that seems to be dwindling). The boutique-y stores tend to be lovely places to shop, and the employees get higher than average wages. If you’re looking to save money, reach for the 365 store brand. Like Costco’s Kirkland, it garners great reviews and sells for super-low prices.
