sweetbaboo Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 I wouldn't say top 50 is good - I can't think of a single major retailer that isn't on that list. Being behind "Food Lion" is not a good thing. Trust me. I can barely believe that Market Basket is so high on the list. Walking into Market Basket is like stepping back in time. Anyone remember Super Duper from the early 80's? It looks worse than the inside of Super Duper! The closest thing I've ever seen recently to a Market Basket was the Mt. Hope Wegmans which they shut down in...2005?
stevewin Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 Piggly Wiggly? The first day I ever lived in S. Fla. I was in my car at a stop light and this lady pulled up next to me and was frantically trying to get my attention. I rolled down my window and she screamed something incomprehensible to me - when I asked her to repeat she kept screaming "Where's the Piggly Wiggly!!! Where's the Piggly Wiggly!!!" I had absolutely no idea what the hell she was talking about - that light couldn't have changed fast enough...
Wacka Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 The grocery store business has changed. My father worked in the warehouse at P. J. Schmidt. One summer, around 1969 they had a college kid working during his summer break. It was Burt Flickinger III, son of the owner of Flickingers. They had a no nepotism policy and the owner stuck to it. The father (Jr) asked Peter J. Schmidt himself if his on could work there to get experience in the industry. My father said that he worked like any new hire unloading trucks and boxcars and stacking items on the pallets and was not shown any favoritism at all.
ajzepp Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 Darn you to heck ... You scooped me there Sparky ... lol
Huuuge Bills Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 Wegmans, not even close. Nothing compares to Wegmans. Try the Hickory smoked cajun turkey breast if you do go, my personal favorite.
The Senator Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 Oh yeah...the Jerk store called and they're running out of you! Hah! That's really funny!!! Such rapier-like wit is rarely seen. You make that up all by yourself?
Nanker Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 Only if you don't count Stew Leonard's as a chain. I think there are only 4 of them. Moo!
Nanker Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 Every time I walk into a Tops, I feel like I need to bathe after I walk out. Plus, they seem to be so poorly run that everything takes longer, from finding what I need, to checking out. Plus, Wegman's seems to have much higher quality produce, seafood, meats, baked good, etc., and their prices on staples are usually cheaper or at least competitive w/Tops. In fact, Wegman's would probably be the best grocery store I know, if only NYS would wake up & let them sell wine here. Wegmans put its first store in NJ in my town. We had moved here about 4 years earlier. We kept telling our friends about what they were in for. They probably thought we were nuts. Hell, I am nuts. But when that store opened it absolutely rocked the area. A few of the bigger chains have come in to compete. Wegmans doesn't dominate like they do in WNY, but they have about 5 stores in NJ now. Oh, and they all sell wine, beer and spirits too. I like Wegmans in Jersey.
stevestojan Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 For day to day shopping I much prefer Tops. Wegmans is set up so terribly for someone who isn't doing a full "every aisle" shopping trip. The store is like a !@#$ing maze and is way too "busy". Tops is a giant square, with normal aisles (Wegmans has weird half-aisles everywhere) and things are in logical places. That said, I would never buy things like steak, fish, or a sub from Tops. Those things I go to Wegmans for.
CherryCoke Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 For day to day shopping I much prefer Tops. Wegmans is set up so terribly for someone who isn't doing a full "every aisle" shopping trip. The store is like a !@#$ing maze and is way too "busy". Tops is a giant square, with normal aisles (Wegmans has weird half-aisles everywhere) and things are in logical places. That said, I would never buy things like steak, fish, or a sub from Tops. Those things I go to Wegmans for. Thats interesting you say that about the steak and fish. Tops has the top grade meats and they have real certified butchers that actaully cut the meat fresh in store. Wegmans, on the other hand, does not! All of their meat is chopped, cut and packaged off site and then distributed to the stores. The meat is packaged with chemicals and sealed then distributed, then the store "butchers" (actaully just associates in white coats), break the meat out and put it in the case The perception that Wegmans has better, fresher meat is a perceputal fallacy. I know this may sound crazy to people, but it is true...
stevestojan Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 Thats interesting you say that about the steak and fish. Tops has the top grade meats and they have real certified butchers that actaully cut the meat fresh in store. Wegmans, on the other hand, does not! All of their meat is chopped, cut and packaged off site and then distributed to the stores. The meat is packaged with chemicals and sealed then distributed, then the store "butchers" (actaully just associates in white coats), break the meat out and put it in the case The perception that Wegmans has better, fresher meat is a perceputal fallacy. I know this may sound crazy to people, but it is true... The "butcher" at the tops where I live (Corner of Niagara Falls Blvd and East Robinson) is a 18 kid who I think is either slow or smokes a sh-- load of weed. I asked him the best way to cook the beef cabobs I bought (whether to grill or broil) and he said "I don't eat most of this stuff"... Forgive me for not holding his "Butcher certification" in the highest regard.
VABills Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 Thats interesting you say that about the steak and fish. Tops has the top grade meats and they have real certified butchers that actaully cut the meat fresh in store. Wegmans, on the other hand, does not! All of their meat is chopped, cut and packaged off site and then distributed to the stores. The meat is packaged with chemicals and sealed then distributed, then the store "butchers" (actaully just associates in white coats), break the meat out and put it in the case The perception that Wegmans has better, fresher meat is a perceputal fallacy. I know this may sound crazy to people, but it is true... Only certain specialty ones, like the Kobe they have. At the Fairfax store it's all cut and butchered there in store. In fact you can see them doing it.
ExiledInIllinois Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 wegmans has a card too...actaully what grocery store doenst have a card? except aldi or walmart Jewel-Osco here in Chicago was probably one of the first... I still have my card from 1992! Of course held together with "paid" stickers...
ExiledInIllinois Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 Every time I walk into a Tops, I feel like I need to bathe after I walk out. Plus, they seem to be so poorly run that everything takes longer, from finding what I need, to checking out. Plus, Wegman's seems to have much higher quality produce, seafood, meats, baked good, etc., and their prices on staples are usually cheaper or at least competitive w/Tops. In fact, Wegman's would probably be the best grocery store I know, if only NYS would wake up & let them sell wine here. Wow! How times have changed... You always here this argument about "cleaniness"... I am not diputing it is important... BUT, do you remember the old stores? My God! What is it this whole hermetically sealed argument!
ExiledInIllinois Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 The "butcher" at the tops where I live (Corner of Niagara Falls Blvd and East Robinson) is a 18 kid who I think is either slow or smokes a sh-- load of weed. I asked him the best way to cook the beef cabobs I bought (whether to grill or broil) and he said "I don't eat most of this stuff"... Forgive me for not holding his "Butcher certification" in the highest regard. Are you kidding me Steve? You really expect people to serve you like the old days? Our society has created this service orientated beast and you expect more than a 18 year old butcher, if you can ven call him that. Meat comes pre-packed in a box processed in Hillary's Arkansas or similar places... The dude in the white smock just puts the crap out.
Gordio Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 Thats interesting you say that about the steak and fish. Tops has the top grade meats and they have real certified butchers that actaully cut the meat fresh in store. Wegmans, on the other hand, does not! All of their meat is chopped, cut and packaged off site and then distributed to the stores. The meat is packaged with chemicals and sealed then distributed, then the store "butchers" (actaully just associates in white coats), break the meat out and put it in the case The perception that Wegmans has better, fresher meat is a perceputal fallacy. I know this may sound crazy to people, but it is true... You must be the fuggin owner of Tops. If you are I just want to say "you were a real prick for firing me back in 1994 just for punching in 45 minutes late. BTW, Wegmans blows Tops out of the water. It is not even close.
Gordio Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 The "butcher" at the tops where I live (Corner of Niagara Falls Blvd and East Robinson) is a 18 kid who I think is either slow or smokes a sh-- load of weed. I asked him the best way to cook the beef cabobs I bought (whether to grill or broil) and he said "I don't eat most of this stuff"... Forgive me for not holding his "Butcher certification" in the highest regard. Actually when I worked at Tops in college they hired me to be one of the butchers. I told them I had no experience doing this but they did not care. The third day I was there I almost got my managers hand cutoff by accidently turning on this machine that he was in the process of cleaning. After that incident, they quickly moved me to produce.
Pete Posted May 16, 2008 Posted May 16, 2008 It's worth the trip. Where are the rest of the CT/Westchester people? Moose? Pete? Stew Leonards is a good time and definitely worth a visit. Did you happen to catch the Boston Post Road special on History Channel last year? They did a special on Route 1 in every state. For CT they did Stew Leonards. Wegmans and Dillon's are the two best supermarket chains I have ever been. My college buddy got married in Buffalo in July a few years ago and maybe 20 of my college buddies made the trip from New Hampshire and Massachusets(Pats fans). Well they were blown away went they went into a Wegman's. No one there ever saw a supermarket that nice. And they were very impressed at the drive into Buffalo when they could see all the Bill's signs in back of peoples houss from the highway- "this house belongs to a Buffalo Bills fan" and other signs of that sort
In-A-Gadda-Levitre Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 in WNY, the answer is Wegmans, hands down. I'll admit Tops has invested in it's stores, mostly emulating Wegman's model and they're pretty good, but not in the same class as Wegmans. I also think you almost always pay more at a superstore like Wegmans than you do at a small store with less frills, specialty items and overall choice. Probably because your're paying for all that extra stuff. In New England, Super Stop & Shop is close to Wegmans. Market Basket is yes, like going back in time, but it's way cheaper. Out west, Safeway totally rocks, they're the best grocery store I've ever been in.
EndZoneCrew Posted May 17, 2008 Posted May 17, 2008 You make that up all by yourself? no....but I did stay at a Holiday Express last night
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