The 18th & Classen location is quite a bit smaller than most the other Homelands so they'll always be limited in what they can offer there. It will never be like the Britton and May store, for example.


I don't mean to sound melodramatic but I've come to the conclusion that shopping at that establishment makes me feel worse about OKC. It really is that bad and the more I shop there the more I see how truly horrible it is.

It's an embarrassment to our city.

It is a lot smaller. Hadn't thought about that. Unfortunately you are not overstating how bad it is.

Interestingly, Trader Joe's opened a ton of their locations in old grocery stores like that Classen Homeland because it's the perfect size for them.

Starting in the 80's and 90's the chains were all building new locations around 40,000 square feet and leaving behind these 18-20,000 SF spots and TJ's would move right in.

I would almost sell my soul to get TJ's to take over that Homeland location. In fact, almost that exact thing happened when I bought my house in California and Whole Foods (which I've never liked) moved out of an old Safeway to a huge new location and TJ's moved right in.

^Had never been in a Trader Joe's until couple weeks ago - was in DC and spending time in Alexandria and went in one in Olde Town. Really cool and was pretty surprised how reasonable prices were. Lines were long but moved fast. I told a lady in front of me it was my first time in TJ's and she said "I don't know how you live without TJ's!"

Yes, one of the huge draws about Trader Joe's is the prices.

Almost every one of their stores is crazy busy all the time -- and for very good reasons. Great, great operation.

Every time I go to that Wal-Mart NM the produce is horse than Homeland's and the customers around me feel super-sketchy. I don't know what it is precisely, but I really dislike that place.

More sketchy than that Homeland? Some of the people in MP / HH / Gatewood shop there but they are the minority in that place.


Yet another huge gripe about Homeland: They are frequently completely out of things. I've never seen a store so poorly re-stocked. It is easily the worst retail operation I've ever seen; at least in the last 20 years.

I don't mean to sound melodramatic but I've come to the conclusion that shopping at that establishment makes me feel worse about OKC. It really is that bad and the more I shop there the more I see how truly horrible it is.

It's an embarrassment to our city.

I agree and it is the same way for me. After moving back to OKC it took me a long time to get used to the poor quality of grocery stores here and it still bothers me. I really miss Harris Teeter, which is a great grocery store with locations everywhere in Charlotte and almost every location is similar to the N May and Britton Homeland or an Uptown Market. Even the worst Harris Teeters that were a little dated were still kept clean and well-stocked. The 18th and Classen Homeland is awful and it doesn't appear they have any plans to improve it. It wouldn't surprise me if Homeland is just waiting to close that location in a few years after something else opens in the urban core. It's so bad that it only gets business because its the only option for miles. It really is the last of the really bad Homelands in the metro as they have either closed or remodeled the others over the past few years.

It's hard to believe with all the improvements in downtown OKC, that Homeland is still the only grocery store in the immediate urban core. If there isn't enough rooftops to support a downtown grocery store, there should be enough to have something a little further north in the core in the 23rd/Classen or 23rd/Broadway area.

I know that Aldi's is not what most of you would call a quality grocery store but I'm supprised that they have not opened one in the area. They are built on a small foot print but do do a lot of business. I often see a lot of older people as well as young famiies shopping at the Edmond store. Sure they are cheap and not always the top quality products but they do a lot of business. Anyway, they are always cheap on a few things that I go in there to buy. (avacados, pineapples, mangos and some German food items) If they built in the Downtown area, they are ok for some basics.

Aldi (23rd & MacArthur) is my usual go-to because of proximity. Occasionally we go to the Walmart Neighborhood Market at 63rd and MacArthur, which is also quite nice. Not the best produce, but other than that it's a good store, and one of the few non-scummy Walmart locations in the city.

More sketchy than that Homeland?...

Honestly, in my experiences there, yes.

The WMNM on around Britton and Rockwell is worse than the Homeland in the same area. Felt all the pangs that Pete mentioned. Small aisles, depressing people, so on and so forth.

The WMNM on around Britton and Rockwell is worse than the Homeland in the same area. Felt all the pangs that Pete mentioned. Small aisles, depressing people, so on and so forth.

The one at SW 59th and Penn is a total dump, and the parking lot is terrifying.

I've never had a bad experience in a Walmart Neighborhood Market, but that's probably a question of the ones I've been to. Since I used to live right by the brand new one in NW Norman I went to it a lot, and I've been to the one at 23rd & Penn a few times since my move and it (while not as good as the Norman one) is decent enough.

That's why I would absolutely love to get one of those urban Neighborhood Markets in the downtown area, I think it would serve the city very well.

The paradoxical nature of the same chain having 18th & Classen and then May & Britton is beyond my comprehension. The former is bad and apparently getting worse. The latter is like a model grocery store showcase. They are constantly keeping things new and fresh. It's bright and cherry and as aesthetically pleasing as any grocery store anywhere. 18th & Classen sounds like the complete opposite. It was bad last time I was in there, from what Pete says it sounds like its even worse now. I just fail to comprehend the strange paradox of these two stores being the same company.

The paradoxical nature of the same chain having 18th & Classen and then May & Britton is beyond my comprehension. The former is bad and apparently getting worse. The latter is like a model grocery store showcase. They are constantly keeping things new and fresh. It's bright and cherry and as aesthetically pleasing as any grocery store anywhere. 18th & Classen sounds like the complete opposite. It was bad last time I was in there, from what Pete says it sounds like its even worse now. I just fail to comprehend the strange paradox of these two stores being the same company.

FWIW, this can happen to any store, even one of the best.

When I first moved to the Austin area, I paid my first visit to an HEB. I quickly swore that it was my last. Friends convinced me that that particular one was known to be crap and not a good representation of the brand, so I tried another, and it was heaven. Another, heaven. Another, heaven. I honestly believe to the very core of my being HEB needs to knock the crappy one down before it gives anyone else the wrong impression. Now being back in OKC I miss HEB terribly, but not that first one I tried. That store can go straight to the deepest, smelliest bowels of hell. In fact, I think it already did so years ago. When Albertsons left the area, HEB bought several of their stores and converted them to HEB. Even those converted stores are better than the first one I tried.

The paradoxical nature of the same chain having 18th & Classen and then May & Britton is beyond my comprehension. The former is bad and apparently getting worse. The latter is like a model grocery store showcase. They are constantly keeping things new and fresh. It's bright and cherry and as aesthetically pleasing as any grocery store anywhere. 18th & Classen sounds like the complete opposite. It was bad last time I was in there, from what Pete says it sounds like its even worse now. I just fail to comprehend the strange paradox of these two stores being the same company.

I used to work in the grocery industry and oversaw multiple stores across a city. This was very common across the company. Stores in nicer areas generally have customers that don't trash the stores, and have employees who care more about the store that is probably a part of their neighborhood. No matter how hard we tried to clean up certain stores, it would always revert back to the "bad" store of the district. Not quite sure how off the Classen Homeland is compared to other stores, so this may be an exception. But in general, stores in a crappy area were never taken care of as much as the stores in nicer neighborhoods.

I don't think any of these examples apply to Homeland. I think we have a company who just doesn't care. Even their "nice" stores are still crappy compared to grocery stores in Dallas and Los Angeles. Even Kroger has a few bad stored, but they are nothing compared to the crappy homelands. Get this, I've never been in the 18th and Classen one, and that seems to be the worst one.

The 18th and Classen Homeland isn't as bad as Whitaker's, which is probably the worst grocery store in OKC. It's still bad and evidence of a grocery chain that doesn't care. 18th and Classen isn't in a bad area. In fact, it's at the doorstep of the nicest neighborhood in the urban core. Homeland knows they have no competition in the urban core and they aren't going to invest in that store until they have to. Or they may just close it like they've done several of the other bad locations over the past few years once a better store opens up.

The store at 122nd and Rockwell was awful until rumors of Sprouts started going around. That's when they decided to upgrade it and now it's decent. I think even now, if Homeland wants to survive longterm they need to rebrand their better stores, to shed the stigma that the Homeland name carries with it.

What OKC needs is either Crest and/or Uptown Market to become more aggressive in their expansion, and target Homeland the way OnCue is targeting 7/11. Homeland will either need to up their game or fold. My guess is that in almost any other city, a grocer couldn't operate like Homeland and be successful at all. The competition would just be too stiff.

A couple of years ago, Homeland completely pulled out of Tulsa.

It is interesting how different the Homeland's can be. The Britton store and far south OKC stores are great. Pretty much all the others are questionable at best. I feel like even the good stores have issues with quality control though.

The thing most surprising to me was how quickly a former Albertson's store I used to go to slid back when they became Homeland. I'm convinced the entire company must have management issues.

Albertson's pulling out of OKC was a pretty big blow to OKC's grocery market, mostly because they were the last of the national chains aside from Wal-Mart to operate here.

Of course, at the time Albertson's didn't operate their OKC stores to the same standard as they did their stores in other markets. However, I have a feeling the increased competition from Whole Foods, Sprouts, and locals like Uptown Market and Sprouts would have propelled Albertson's to up their game and bring their stores here on the level with their other stores, had they remained in the market. It also wouldn't surprise me if they would have opened up a Tom Thumb or two here in response to Whole Foods entering the market. If anybody has been to Tom Thumb in Dallas, they are beautiful stores and they are the flagship brand of Albertson's. They certainly wouldn't have let once-nice stores like NW Expressway and MacArthur deteriorate the way Homeland did.

They are a corporation with deep pockets and would have been a lot more likely to do invest in their stores than Homeland. Homeland, from the way its run, seems like a company that is teetering on the edge. I am not sure of their financial health, but it doesn't seem run like a prosperous business.

That blow however was minuscule compared to Safeway spinning off their stores, which is what Homeland is. Safeway in other markets are great stores.

Bottom line is OKC has had bad luck. There's no other way to explain why grocery stores are so bad here.

-Safeway spun off into Homeland, which has since become one of the worst run grocery operations in the country
-Every regional grocer who has attempted to enter the market has had financial problems soon after and subsequently pulled out
-Albertson's pulled out due to corporate financial problems in the mid 2000s, giving their stores to Homeland
-OKC is Wal-Mart's test market for their saturation strategy. Sprawl and lots of open space makes it easy for them to do this and it makes it more difficult for competing grocers to choose a location
-National mainline grocers in 2015 aren't expanding into new markets
-OK liquor laws result in very thin profit margins for grocers, making it difficult for a local operation like Uptown Market or Crest to expand aggressively

This may have been covered already but the Crest at NW 164th & Santa Fe has done a slight remodel and installed a cheese counter and an olive bar. The cheese counter has been there a few weeks but I haven't taken a close look at it. My impression was that it is substantially smaller than Uptown Grocer's cheese counter. We saw the olive bar for the first time yesterday but for some reason, the deli/bakery were closed (the day after Christmas and the weekend of a coming ice/snow event....go figure) so it was empty.

This may have been covered already but the Crest at NW 164th & Santa Fe has done a slight remodel and installed a cheese counter and an olive bar. The cheese counter has been there a few weeks but I haven't taken a close look at it. My impression was that it is substantially smaller than Uptown Grocer's cheese counter. We saw the olive bar for the first time yesterday but for some reason, the deli/bakery were closed (the day after Christmas and the weekend of a coming ice/snow event....go figure) so it was empty.

Cheese counter is nice, nowhere near the selection of Whole Foods (haven't been to Uptown yet, so can't compare), but still nice - picked up some Manchego and some ultra sharp cheddar (Tillamook, I believe, which is nice to see easily available here now). They also have a new deli meat case, but since the brand they carry is low-end (Dietz and something), we only get one thing there when they have it (Wilson pit ham). Olive counter is also nice to see, but small, about 1/2 the size of Whole Foods' olive counter.

We wish they'd upgrade the quality of their produce instead of adding fancy new things - they have some of the crappiest produce we've seen in a grocery store...

The Sprouts at 63rd & May recently expanded their deli and although I didn't look closely, seemed to have a good cheese selection.

That is really a great store and I would love to get one downtown.

Jiminy Christmas! How much more can be said about our grocery stores? And Bchris, you really need to go back and look at the book you have written in this thread. It is all a repetition of the last, over and over. You don't need to constantly repeat your analysis of the Oklahoma City grocery store scene. I'm sorry, but...what else can be said? 18th & Classen is a horrible Homeland, but this city isn't lacking for grocery options! See Pete's last post as an example. Sprouts is a great store! It just seems we are constantly in need of everything that isn't here.

Jiminy Christmas! How much more can be said about our grocery stores? And Bchris, you really need to go back and look at the book you have written in this thread. It is all a repetition of the last, over and over. You don't need to constantly repeat your analysis of the Oklahoma City grocery store scene. I'm sorry, but...what else can be said? 18th & Classen is a horrible Homeland, but this city isn't lacking for grocery options! See Pete's last post as an example. Sprouts is a great store! It just seems we are constantly in need of everything that isn't here.

I maybe don't need to keep repeating it but everything in my analysis is true. Sure, there are a few decent grocery stores in the metro, but none of the current ones are convenient to those living in the urban core. I don't consider anything on NW 63rd or farther north to be convenient from downtown. This is a deficiency in OKC that is more evident to someone who has lived in other cities where quality options are everywhere.

Bring a Sprouts and something like an Uptown Market somewhere in the urban core and the complaints about the grocery stores here will stop, at least from me.

I'm glad to see I'm not alone in truly despising shopping at Homeland. I live near the Lindsey location in Norman and I feel miserable every time I'm in there. The employees, store, and entire experience are just dreadful, and expensive to boot.

I know this is a total pipedream, but I'd love to see Wegman's in OKC. I went once in NJ and was blown away by the store. Maybe one day...

http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr01/2013/8/16/17/enhanced-buzz-24823-1376690304-9.jpg

http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/wrvo/files/201404/Wegmans_-_Robyn_Lee_flickr.jpg

http://www.wordsinspace.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/wegmans.jpg

I'm glad to see I'm not alone in truly despising shopping at Homeland. I live near the Lindsey location in Norman and I feel miserable every time I'm in there. The employees, store, and entire experience are just dreadful, and expensive to boot.

I know this is a total pipedream, but I'd love to see Wegman's in OKC. I went once in NJ and was blown away by the store. Maybe one day...

http://ak-hdl.buzzfed.com/static/enhanced/webdr01/2013/8/16/17/enhanced-buzz-24823-1376690304-9.jpg

http://mediad.publicbroadcasting.net/p/wrvo/files/201404/Wegmans_-_Robyn_Lee_flickr.jpg

http://www.wordsinspace.net/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2015/05/wegmans.jpg

HOLY S*)# I want that!

^^^^^
Reminds me a bit of the food halls at Harrod's. What an experience...

Check THIS out: https://www.google.com/search?q=harrods+food+halls&rlz=1C9BKJA_enUS590US590&hl=en-US&biw=1024&bih=653&prmd=insv&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiowsG31P7JAhVS7mMKHcKRBo0Q_AUIBigB#imgr c=_

Homeland in Edmond at 33rd and Broadway is no different on the customer service front. I was there yesterday to get groceries since we have been out of town all week and you'd think I was holding the cashier's dog hostage with all the friendliness he showed.

I think the best scenario OKC could ever hope for is for Homeland to be bought out by somebody like Kroger. Imagine all the Homelands becoming Krogers. Not only would it provide a much more pleasant shopping experience, but if they invested in their older locations, it would breathe life into aging shopping centers and also improve the desirability of their surrounding neighborhoods.

Now the possibility of that ever happening is probably nothing more than a pipe dream, but it would be the best case. I would not want to see Homeland fold and leave a bunch of empty storefronts around the metro that would sit vacant for years or become Goodwill donation centers.

Homeland in Edmond at 33rd and Broadway is no different on the customer service front. I was there yesterday to get groceries since we have been out of town all week and you'd think I was holding the cashier's dog hostage with all the friendliness he showed.

It's hard to find unfriendly people in Oklahoma and Homeland seems to have the market cornered.

Wow..that new Jersey store pictured above makes Oklahoma look like a third world supermarket country!

Uptown Market in Edmond isn't too shabby:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zSNKg6xkmaw/T0-0hjUlOgI/AAAAAAAACuU/t3BhRZDAX4c/s1600/IMG_0165.JPG

Very true Pete, I have not been in that store :)

The Uptown at Britton and May should be equally impressive.


BTW, I really need to try Aldi. It's the one store in the local market I've yet to shop.

Uptown Market is the grocer that I really hope eventually ends up downtown or at least somewhere in the urban core that is convenient to get to from downtown. The stores are nice and modern and enjoyable to shop at with a much wider selection than a store like Sprouts.

Hopefully after the new one on May and Britton opens, they will continue their expansion in the metro.

Bring a Sprouts and something like an Uptown Market somewhere in the urban core and the complaints about the grocery stores here will stop, at least from me.

Somehow, I doubt it. :wink:

The Sprouts at 63rd & May recently expanded their deli and although I didn't look closely, seemed to have a good cheese selection.

That is really a great store and I would love to get one downtown.

Sprouts, like at 63rd and May, would be a great scale for downtown. It is not a large store, but has a good selection. The meats and produce is high quality, and you have organic and cheaper non-organic. it appeals to hipsters and non-hipsters (organic, gluten free, etc., and traditional products as well). It has a nice quality small deli and a few take-home and eat packaged meals. It is not so large that real estate is a problem...it could find many suitable locations. On in Midtown or along Automobile Alley would kill it.

Pete, Aldi's is great for seniors or large families on a tight budget. If you are looking for a great selection, its not it. It does have its nich. Alot of items I wouldn't buy but there are those that I think are excellent for the money. Basically I buy avacodos, mangos, pineapples, grapes, afew other vegtables that are on sale. There nonfat Greek yugart is my favorite. They get some German products in that are not bad. I would skip the meat, canned goods and most packaged foods. (bulk pasta is not bad) They do have a bread from Chicago that no one else carries in Oklahoma. I guess if someone wanted a place to grab basics, bread, eggs, milk, sugar etc that would be fine too. They are just not an upper end grocery store. They have their place in the grocery market.

I could see an Aldi's moving into Midtown. Maybe not what most of you would want but far better then the Homeland. I've not been in that store in 20 yrs, 20yrs ago it was that bad. So I cannot believe its still open.

Uptown Market in Edmond isn't too shabby:

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-zSNKg6xkmaw/T0-0hjUlOgI/AAAAAAAACuU/t3BhRZDAX4c/s1600/IMG_0165.JPG

We love going to Uptown Grocery!! The section of the store that is to your left as you enter (shown in Pete's photo) is a fantastic place to just shop and pick up impulse items. The bakery is good and their "Gourmet Grill" has been excellent the times we've tried it. In the corner where the the cooler shelves and the deli meet, they often have 4-variety cheese samplers that are excellent. The rest of the store is fun as well and has a lot of items that we don't generally see in other stores. They carry milk in glass bottles (deposit required) that is just delicious. We get the non-homogenized because it's the only milk my wife can tolerate but we also tried the orange flavored milk and it was like drinking a liquid dreamsicle.

We took my sister there a couple of years ago (she lives in Ponca) and she was ready to pack up and move to OKC for that kind of shopping experience.

I could see an Aldi's somewhere on Classen between 23rd and 36th but not in Midtown. First, I can't see a super low-end grocery store being a part of a major development in Midtown, and they also usually build standalone stores and not to urban standards. I guess it could happen but it doesn't seem like a likely good fit. It does have its niche though as you said.

I still think part of our problem is the value shopper mentality that I brought up in another thread and got hammered on. Just seems like a whole lot of value, a little bit of true upscale, and almost no middle of the road survives here. I'm really glad Natural Grocer is here, I consider it in that middle space but I figure it is probably holding its own because it is sort of overlapped into a more health-centric space as well.

Wegmans are awesome and are a big deal on the east coast. I've been in stores like this here in this region... Just not here in this state. Would love to someday have something like this here... Concerned that the current oil bust has just ruled that out for the next ten years though.

I'm glad to see I'm not alone in truly despising shopping at Homeland. I live near the Lindsey location in Norman and I feel miserable every time I'm in there. The employees, store, and entire experience are just dreadful, and expensive to boot.

I know this is a total pipedream, but I'd love to see Wegman's in OKC. I went once in NJ and was blown away by the store. Maybe one day...



I grew in Eastern Pennsylvania with two Wegmans close by my parent's house. Everytime I go home to PA I go to it and think how Wegmans would well in OKC.

I was driving home the other day and had to pick a few groceries. My only options were Walmart and Homeland and was sad.

I still think part of our problem is the value shopper mentality that I brought up in another thread and got hammered on. Just seems like a whole lot of value, a little bit of true upscale, and almost no middle of the road survives here. I'm really glad Natural Grocer is here, I consider it in that middle space but I figure it is probably holding its own because it is sort of overlapped into a more health-centric space as well.

I am not going to deny that OKC is a value-conscious market and that is part of the equation, but when has OKC ever had a strong midrange grocery chain? What has entered the market that closed because of lack of support from this market? As far as I know, everything that has failed has done so because of financial problems at the corporate level. Oklahoma grocery stores are always going to be less profitable than other markets because in this state, grocers can't sell their most profitable product. Unfortunately that means when large grocery chains hit tough financial times, they are going to pull out of Oklahoma before they would pull out of somewhere like Texas or Missouri.

The local grocers that have failed due to Wal-Mart were mostly very low-end stores and not the typical grocery store you find in other cities. I am thinking of stores like Price Chopper and IGA, both which offer an experience that is below a Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market yet are usually more expensive.

As far as I know, OKC residents have never been given the opportunity to shop at the modern, nicer grocers people take for granted in other cities. The few that have opened over the past five years, as far as I know, have been wildly successful.



Wegmans are awesome and are a big deal on the east coast. I've been in stores like this here in this region... Just not here in this state. Would love to someday have something like this here... Concerned that the current oil bust has just ruled that out for the next ten years though.

Wegman's are great stores. They really remind me of some of the nicer Harris Teeters in Charlotte. I don't see Wegman's ever coming to OKC but the reason is this isn't in their region. That doesn't mean OKC could never get a grocery chain that's on par with it, but it likely won't be Wegman's.

I doubt oil prices would have much to do with the grocery market here.

I've said this before but the mid-range chains are note expanding. They are getting pummeled from both sides: the deep discounters and the quality, specialty stores.

Homeland was our mid-range chain and they stink; just bad luck on our part.

It maybe my perception, but to me the Okc metro area has less middle class then most midsized metro areas. With that said, there still needs to be high, midrange as well as value level grocery shopping. I blame this lack of a midrange market on Walmart. Yah, I wish the laws would allow high point beer/wine to be sold in grocery stores. If some of the smaller towns/counties want to keep it out, that's fine but the Oklahoma City and Tulsa metro's should be allowed. My two cents from my jarred awake brain this morning.

I've said this before but the mid-range chains are note expanding. They are getting pummeled from both sides: the deep discounters and the quality, specialty stores.

Homeland was our mid-range chain and they stink; just bad luck on our part.

Isn't Sprouts really a mid-range? They seem to be doing really well.

I feel the market place will dictate long term what OKC will support? It seems people are adamant about getting better grocery options, however, the big question is are there enough deep pockets ready to pay for "quality" versus quantity in the market place? I guess time will tell?

I feel the market place will dictate long term what OKC will support? It seems people are adamant about getting better grocery options, however, the big question is are there enough deep pockets ready to pay for "quality" versus quantity in the market place? I guess time will tell?

If Whole Foods is any indicator, then absolutely yes.

I feel the market place will dictate long term what OKC will support? It seems people are adamant about getting better grocery options, however, the big question is are there enough deep pockets ready to pay for "quality" versus quantity in the market place? I guess time will tell?

In Oklahoma City, there has always been a huge gulf between what kind of retail people will support and what national corporations think the market can support based on perceptions, stereotypes, and demographic formulas.

Sprouts is upscale to people use to Walmart. I would put them as a midrange Natural grocer. I would place Wholefoods as upscale.

Wow..that new Jersey store pictured above makes Oklahoma look like a third world supermarket country!

Nothing personal, 5alive; just need to use your statement bolded above for perspective.

The grocery stores in Oklahoma City now would be welcomed by many countries.

You would think we have people starving in the streets with all this bitching about grocery stores!

When I think about how many grocery stores are here (Buy4Less, Whole Foods, Uptown Market, Sprouts, Homeland, Crest, Walmart Neighborhood Markets, regular WalMart stores, Super Cao Nguyen, Aldi, Target stores, Natural Grocers, WinCo on the way, etc.) it's an insult to those who barely have enough food to live.

So, if the NJ store makes OKC "look like a third-world supermarket country," then you could also say our supermarkets look like heaven on earth to people all over the globe. Or even in Gotebo, Oklahoma.

All the choices we have and they are apparently not "nice enough" to shop in to get our groceries.

I hear a lot of spoiled people who have no thanks for the bounty, only bitching for more, or nicer, or classier, or "tier one."

Please. Just think about it and how silly this all is.

Nothing personal, 5alive; just need to use your statement bolded above for perspective.

The grocery stores in Oklahoma City now would be welcomed by many countries.

You would think we have people starving in the streets with all this bitching about grocery stores!

When I think about how many grocery stores are here (Buy4Less, Whole Foods, Uptown Market, Sprouts, Homeland, Crest, Walmart Neighborhood Markets, regular WalMart stores, Super Cao Nguyen, Target stores, Natural Grocers, WinCo, etc.) it's an insult to those who barely have enough food to live.

So, if the NJ store makes OKC "look like a third-world supermarket country," then you could also say our supermarkets look like heaven on earth to people all over the globe. Or even in Gotebo, Oklahoma.

All the choices we have and they are not "nice enough" to shop in to get our food.

I hear a lot of spoiled people who have no thanks for the bounty, only bitching for more, or nicer, or classier, or "tier one." Please. Just think about it.Zookeeper, I do agree with you in the sense of we should be thankful, but that doesn't mean just because there are 3rd world countries out there with people starving we can't want better for ourselves.

There are several things about Oklahoma City I don't understand. High airfare prices, the fact people here don't understand how to use the on ramps to accelerate to the posted speed limit, extreme rubberknecking, and why the grocery stores here suck ass. I mean Oklahoma City has to hands down have the worst grocery stores of any city over half a million people I've ever been to. Even Las Cruses, NM has a better grocer scene than we do. Little Rock, Kansas City, Lewisville, etc.... Hell, even the resort towns in Lake Tahoe along with Reno have better grocery stores than the average one in OKC. It's just bad man.

I also feel that it goes beyond OKC being a cash saver market, which seems not be true with the success stories of all these high-end retailers who have recorded some of their best openings and overall performances nationwide. I really feel Homeland has screwed up the game along with Walmart that seems to want to make OKC their test market for over-saturating a city with Walmart stores.

Let me say, I'm not against Walmart entirely by any means. Hell, I actually miss them in L.A. because if you're in West L.A., it's nearly an hour drive to the nearest one. Also, the Walmart stores in L.A. are much nicer than the ones in Oklahoma with exception of the new Edmond SuperCenter on I-35 which I hope is the standard they build their new ones in Norman and Southwest OKC to.

I've said this before but the mid-range chains are note expanding. They are getting pummeled from both sides: the deep discounters and the quality, specialty stores.

Homeland was our mid-range chain and they stink; just bad luck on our part.

Yep. This is not just an OKC issue. In DFW, Albertsons has shuttered the vast majority of its stores. Tom Thumb was bleeding money and was purchased by Safeway... it remains to be seen if it will avoid Albertsons's fate. There really is no mid level stores being built here... just Whole Foods and Market Street (upscale) and Aldi and Wal Mart (downscale).

Zookeeper, I do agree with you in the sense of we should be thankful, but that doesn't mean just because there are 3rd world countries out there with people starving we can't want better for ourselves.

There are several things about Oklahoma City I don't understand. High airfare prices, the fact people here don't understand how to use the on ramps to accelerate to the posted speed limit, extreme rubberknecking, and why the grocery stores here suck ass. I mean Oklahoma City has to hands down have the worst grocery stores of any city over half a million people I've ever been to. Even Las Cruses, NM has a better grocer scene than we do. Little Rock, Kansas City, Lewisville, etc.... Hell, even the resort towns in Lake Tahoe along with Reno have better grocery stores than the average one in OKC. It's just bad man.

I also feel that it goes beyond OKC being a cash saver market, which seems not be true with the success stories of all these high-end retailers who have recorded some of their best openings and overall performances nationwide. I really feel Homeland has screwed up the game along with Walmart that seems to want to make OKC their test market for over-saturating a city with Walmart stores.

Let me say, I'm not against Walmart entirely by any means. Hell, I actually miss them in L.A. because if you're in West L.A., it's nearly an hour drive to the nearest one. Also, the Walmart stores in L.A. are much nicer than the ones in Oklahoma with exception of the new Edmond SuperCenter on I-35 which I hope is the standard they build their new ones in Norman and Southwest OKC to.


But let's get real. What is "better" than some of those I posted when it comes to shopping for groceries? Do fancy wall hangings, fountains, chandeliers, really make for "better" groceries? We don't live in these places, we go there for groceries! I agree that just because some have nothing doesn't mean we can't want, but it adds a perspective to those who act like they are really destroyed because they don't have (whatever) at their grocery store. I guess I just don't get it. It reeks of snobbery and lack of gratitude that we already have many places to shop. Notice I said places - not palaces. To me, it's just more of the grass is always greener syndrome. It's always better if it's not here. Hyperbole is the theme of this thread and "suck ass" is hardly how I would describe most of the grocery stores I've been shopping in lately. Maybe this is a generational thing. I don't see a lot of us over 55 worrying about this.

Yep. This is not just an OKC issue. In DFW, Albertsons has shuttered the vast majority of its stores. Tom Thumb was bleeding money and was purchased by Safeway... it remains to be seen if it will avoid Albertsons's fate. There really is no mid level stores being built here... just Whole Foods and Market Street (upscale) and Aldi and Wal Mart (downscale).Why do we divide the grocery scene into high, medium, low rate stores? Homeland is more expensive than Tom Thumb, yet it sucks. So are we going to say that Homeland is a high-end grocer because Tom Thumb certainly could foot that bill?

Tom Thumb was bleeding money and was purchased by Safeway... it remains to be seen if it will avoid Albertsons's fate.

Tom Thumb was actually purchased by Albertson's, not Safeway.