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> 1. Whole Foods sucks. They have poor quality items (especially produce), are often out of stock of common things, they don't have name brand items, and the pr
by qudat 8y ago
> 1. Whole Foods sucks. They have poor quality items (especially produce), are often out of stock of common things, they don't have name brand items, and the prices aren't great.
As someone who shops at both Kroger and WF, there is a big difference in some produce items (WF is better). There is most definitely a difference in their meat/fish (WF is better), it's no competition.
The overall experience between the two stores is one of the biggest reasons why I go to WF. My fiance and I will sit at the bar and drink a glass of wine before shopping. It's a relatively laid back bar where you don't have to tip and the prices are cheap. On some days it's $4 for a glass. Then we will grab a shopping cart (brand new at the WF we go to) and stroll around well-lit and spacious isles to get everything we need. No one is bumping into us, hardly anyone is in our way. All of the produce/meat/cheese stations always have friendly staff ready to help with rarely a long line. Checking out can be hit or miss but we rarely wait longer than 10 minutes from start of checkout to walking out the door. The experience really is excellent compared to Kroger.
At Kroger everyone working there seems miserable, no one is friendly, the stations are hit-or-miss on whether someone will be available to help. I wouldn't want to spend an extra minute at Kroger, while I can and regularly do take my time at WF because of how nice it is to be there.
Mind you, these two stores I go to are within a half mile of each other. They are in the same "neighborhood" so-to-speak.
So when I read things like this I'm very confused. My guess is that someone's WF is different than the one I go to.
- gamblor956 8y agoI shop at a Kroger (Ralphs Fresh Fare, one of their higher-end locations) and at a Whole Foods, also about a half-mile apart from each other. The produce is significantly better at the Ralphs. More types of produce, more produce in stock, and cheaper prices. The only reason to even go to WF for produce is for the occasional odd-ball seasonal specialty fruit that Ralphs doesn't carry. The meat section isn't even remotely comparable. Ralphs>Whole Foods. More types of meat, more cuts, better quality, and lower prices, for both prepackaged meat and butchered meat. Ralphs even has better connections to meat suppliers if you need a custom order. The difference is so large that it would be laughable to compare the two if not for the fact that other WFs in the LA area (like Venice) actually seem to have passable meat sections. The bar at the Ralphs is smaller, and they have no meaningful selection to speak of (4 beers, 2 types of wine), but they're dirt cheap--the cheapest you can get in the area, and easily about 1/2 the price for the same-size booze at WF. And I've never waited 10 minutes to pay at Ralphs. What sort of bullshit is that? At the Ralphs, the manager personally apologizes to people if they have to wait more than 5 minutes in line and mans a checkout himself/herself if necessary.
- fastball 8y agoRalph's =/= Kroger. Ralph's is owned by Kroger, but it is not the same as a normal Kroger store. That would be like saying HEB's Central Market is comparable to a normal HEB store. The two things are wildly different as far as levels of quality are concerned. I doubt there is a Ralph's in GP's area. Nobody is claiming that Whole Foods is the best grocery in the nation -- for many people it's just the best in their area.
- jacques_chester 8y ago> No one is bumping into us, hardly anyone is in our way ... My guess is that someone's WF is different than the one I go to. I'm not sure how I can shop at Whole Foods Shangri-La, but my nearest is on the Upper West Side and it is crowded at all times of day.