The new Crest

[old okie]

While I posted on the other thread about when the Crest is to open, I thought I'd start this thread for people to comment as they visit the new store.

We went to the pre-opening celebration today. Store is a "WOW" on the inside. So many who were attending the pre-opening expressed a wish to be able to shop, but we were limited to "looking" only.

Cox Communications & Subway are the only two shops identified as going in on the north side of the store at this point, although there was speculation that a nail salon and/or a hair salon were also going in there.

As you visit the store, share your comments!

[PennyQuilts]

Open on the 24th? Is that right? Can't wait!

[Martin]

opens the 23rd @ 10am. -M

[Thunder]

Want to know something very strange? There is no "Grand Opening" sale for all of the stores. Delayed? Dunno. Give it one more week to see what happens.

[SoonerDave]

Bring it on! Too bad I have to work and miss all the Grand Opening fun. Only been watching them build the place on a daily basis as I drive by it, then realize everyone ELSE is gonna get to enjoy the open. (whine mode off).

Seriously, its awesome that we have a new grocery option in S. OKC! I think I may have a portion of my paycheck just direct-deposited there

[SkyWestOKC]

Went in about half an hour ago on my way home. WOW. That's all I can say.

[Dustin]

Post pics people!!

[JerzeeGrlinOKC]

Bring it on! Too bad I have to work and miss all the Grand Opening fun. Only been watching them build the place on a daily basis as I drive by it, then realize everyone ELSE is gonna get to enjoy the open. (whine mode off).

Seriously, its awesome that we have a new grocery option in S. OKC! I think I may have a portion of my paycheck just direct-deposited there

Darn work, I'd rather be shopping too! Too bad you guys don't have too many days off, I wish a certain coworker of yours could spend more vacation days ;-) (another whine for another day...)

I hope that it doesn't just look good, but that they have a diverse and top-quality product offering. Crest seems to be highly variable with it, very neighborhood dependent, which is why I'm assuming they'll get it right in this part of town ;-) Can't wait to check it out!

[old okie]

We went back this morning about 10:40; it was beyond crowded! So we left and went back after lunch. The crowd had thinned--there actually were some empty parking spots in the lot!

As for the selections, we are very impressed; quantity and quality of brands; only found three items that I'm used to buying that they don't carry, which isn't bad at all.

As for prices, they are spot on in being competitive with Walmart, but the main difference is that Crest really HAS the items in stock on the shelves!

SO nice to have enough checkers working--although that was the only place where we had a rather long wait.

[realtorchris]

Beautiful store!!!!

[gamecock]

The store is really nice. It's large, and the aisles are very wide. The selection is great, but not exceptional. Given that they have so much space, we expected to see more speciality products that couldn't be find in other stores. We also hoped that they would have more fresh foods, but it looks like we'll have to wait for Whole Foods. This store reminded me of the nicer Albertson's stores we had before Homeland took them over, but we still need better options.

[SoonerQueen]

I wish Crest would build one of the nicer stores in NW OKC. We do have a Crest on NW 23rd, and then another one on Rockwell, but they are smaller stores.

[Firefly831]

How are the prices?
I know Walmart prices tend to be true to all stores (give or take a lil) while homelands vary greatly depending on the neighborhood.
Ive only sever shopped one Crest (the eastern store in Moore) so I don't know if it varies depending on location. Given its "rich" zip code I was concerned the prices would be much higher.

[Larry OKC]

Firefly, this is years ago so it may have changed but when Crest opened the store in North Edmond, their prices were definitely higher than the main Crest over in Midwest City. From what I saw, the Crest on 23rd & Meridian is higher than the Wal-Mart Neighborhood Market at 23rd & MacArthur.

[Jettmiester]

Hope Crest and everyone else puts Homeland out of business.

[soonerfan_in_okc]

Hope Crest and everyone else puts Homeland out of business.

lol why the hate for homeland?

[andimthomas]

Wow. The store looked great.

[old okie]

How are the prices?
I know Walmart prices tend to be true to all stores (give or take a lil) while homelands vary greatly depending on the neighborhood.
Ive only sever shopped one Crest (the eastern store in Moore) so I don't know if it varies depending on location. Given its "rich" zip code I was concerned the prices would be much higher.

We comparison shopped a number of items with which we were totally familiar w/Walmart Super Center & Neighborhood Walmart market prices. Neighborhood Walmart Market is almost always higher than a super center, but it was interesting about Crest. Example: one item was .29 [Parkay sticks] higher than the Neighborhood store, but on Windex [clear], Crest was .29 lower than the Super Center. So...looks like it rather balances out overall. One difference: Crest had both items in stock; Neighborhood Walmart had been out of the Parkay when I went to buy. Hmm.

Will we continue to shop Walmart Super Center? Yes. Crest doesn't carry all the items we like to buy; we just won't go to the Super Center as often now.

Since we've never shopped other Crest stores, I cannot address the comparison, but one of our neighbors does shop the eastern Moore location and said the new Crest prices are the same on the items she checked.

[Thunder]

Crest is generally cheapest on the overall purchases. Walmart may have something lower than Crest, but Crest have more products lower than Walmart. Prices go up and down. Crest change prices more frequently than Walmart.

Right now, Homeland have the Home Pride bread on sale for $1.19 while Crest have it on sale for $0.99. The sales rotate on all the products weekly. Still, Crest is the winner when it comes to meat quality and always beat Walmart. I don't know about meat qualty for Homeland.

[Larry OKC]

Sure, with weekly sales, prices go up and down. Matter if it is on sale when you are looking to buy. Knowing that, I try to wait until there is a really good sale on something and then buy enough of it to last until the next sale rotation.

Told this story before but took Homeland's BOGO ad to Crest and on every item but one that Crest carried, Crest's regular price was cheaper than Homeland's BOGO price. The one item was a penny cheaper.

This was years ago and maybe it has changed, but you avoided meat and produce at Crest as things were often close to going bad. Have to watch that at Buy for Less too. Have never had that problem with Wal-Mart or even Homeland.

[Thunder]

Produce at Crest is fantastic. Bananas for example, is always so yellow, turning brown at walmart while its fresh green turning yellow at Crest.

[bombermwc]

I'm always sad by the quality of produce at any store in town except Target or Sam's.

[Jettmiester]

Homeland RAISES the price before a BOGO sale.

My Hate for Homeland? I Don't hate, I dislike or don't respect is all. I worked for a company that was bought out by them (our Homelands are actually H.A.C. owned by A.W G. in Oklahoma, who bought our Oklahoma Homelands in 2002), they treat their people horribly. I've moved on. Homeland is just so awful in more ways than one. Oh and H.A.C. was a name created by AWG when they bought the Homelands and stands for Homeland Aquisition Company . A.W.G. stands for Associated Wholesale Grocer.

[gamecock]

I have no association with Homeland whatsoever other than as a shopper. My wife and I just really felt like Albertson's did a much better job keeping the stores clean. At Albertson's the bakery and deli departments were also much better. Things went down hill once Homeland took over.

[dedndcrusr]

The main reason I choose crest over wal-mart, regardless or price, is because I never have to stand in line for 20 minutes, and the stores are much cleaner.