Quality grocery stores in OKC

[ctchandler]

MWCGuy,
Isn't bread the responsibility of the bread vendor? That's the way it used to work, I don't think stores keep bread in their warehouses. I believe it's delivered and the older bread is removed a couple of times a week. I have been out of the grocery business for a while, so something may have changed.
C. T.

I also have issues with their breads. Most of the bread is stale when we get it. Crest on the other hand is almost always light and fluffy. The Reno Crest has the best bread stock in my opinion.

[SoonerDave]

The reality that seems to be escaping a great many here is that no one store has an absolute claim to the lowest prices. Each store/company has its own revenue and pricing models and sales strategies that, on any given week, might make a few things cheaper at X rather than Y. It comes down to knowing their pricing cycles and which items are penned as loss leaders for each store to get people in the building. You have to know your prices, and be willing to make a few trips here and there if you really want to capitalize on the best deals - but even that rapidly becomes a trade-off for the "hassle factor" (not to mention gas expense) of going from store to store. I will say, for us, that Homeland is a rare visit as, in general, we have found their prices to be predictably higher on most things most times - such that the exception is so rare there's not much point in validating it each time.

The other thing to keep in mind is that no one has really been able to nail down this term "quality" in any substantive way. "Better" selection, "better" bakery, a "better" experience...all nice terms, but not concrete, and all subjective from person to person.

We again have to caution ourselves on the snob appeal factor when it comes to places like Aldi's, because, whether we want to admit it or not, a great many of those exact same items are on the shelves at "regular" stores for 50%, 100% more only because they pour them into a different box or put a different label on them at the end of the production line.

(re Wehba's et al) Those stores did well until the oil bust hit...

True, but I have a vague recollection of Wehba's having its own internal financial issues outside the oil bust that were at least a part of their failure.

[bchris02]

Dave, I think it comes down to preference. Some people will always shop for the lowest price no matter what. As far as quality, while different people have different standards as to what that is, there is a definite segment of people who will pay a little bit more for a better product or better shopping experience, whatever that entails for them. Look at it from the perspective of variety stores Target vs Wal-Mart. Target is more expensive than Wal-Mart and is overall a cut above by most metrics. It's the same with groceries. Stores like Kroger, Harris Teeter, Publix, H-E-B are a cut above Wal-Mart and there is definitely a market out there who will pay a little bit more for what those stores provide. All people are saying is that OKC should have those options and is probably the only major city in the country that does not.

For a comparison to variety stores, most of OKC's regular grocery stores are like Big Lots or Dollar General. They are alternatives to Wal-Mart but not really an upgrade like Target is.

[SoonerDave]

Dave, I think it comes down to preference. Some people will always shop for the lowest price no matter what. As far as quality, while different people have different standards as to what that is, there is a definite segment of people who will pay a little bit more for a better product or better shopping experience, whatever that entails for them....

For a comparison to variety stores, most of OKC's regular grocery stores are like Big Lots or Dollar General. They are alternatives to Wal-Mart but not really an upgrade like Target is.

I would peg the alternatives as higher than Big Lots/DG, but I see the point.

I think one way WM has, in fact, miscalculated the OKC market (in spite of their apparent success) is in their selection. The Neighborhood Markets have perpetually offered an annoyingly limited selection of, perhaps, only two, maybe three varieties of a particular kind of product. We'd ask a manager about that, and he'd say "well, we're only a neighborhood grocery store." I think that, in no small measure, is precisely why Crest is enjoying their success and why the NM's have, the last year or so, had to (albeit slightly) rethink themselves a bit. We rarely visit the NM's anymore.

[BlackmoreRulz]

If nothing else, I figure somebody would have started online orders and drive thru pickup. I think many people would pay for delivery or pickup if it meant they could avoid 30 minutes to an hour of gathering what they needed and standing in line at the checkout.

Uptown Grocery has online ordering.

[Jim Kyle]

We rarely visit the NM's anymore.

The only reason that I go to a Neighborhood Market is for pharmaceuticals. Walgreens, where I get my prescriptions, has dropped many name-brand OTC products in favor of their house brands, but they are still available at the NM a half-block away. For groceries, my main store is Crest -- but the brand of bread that I prefer is no longer carried there, so I go to Homeland to get it. By far the widest range of products is at the BuyFor Less at NW Hiway and the Parkway, but that's too far away for regular visits...l

[jdcf]

The Buy for Less on NW Expressway just feels like Dollar General to me, much less some of the other locations. I do like some of the extra selection though for some items.

[bchris02]

The Buy for Less on NW Expressway just feels like Dollar General to me, much less some of the other locations. I do like some of the extra selection though for some items.

Buy for Less on NW Expressway isn't bad. It's about as good as it gets in OKC. I agree their store appearance could use some updating but as far as selection and quality there aren't very many places around here that are better. I usually shop there rather than Wal-Mart.

I wish Albertson's would have stayed in the market. They somewhat filled the niche that is now lacking here. It has been said their stores here were inferior to other markets, but I am sure they would have stepped up their game with the arrival of Whole Foods, Sprouts, and the new Crest. Albertson's has deeper pockets and would have been more likely to invest in their stores than Homeland.

[Plutonic Panda]

I heart Native Roots. Still my favorite store in OKC. We buy all of our groceries there (feeding 5).

yeah, forgot about them. They are much more local than Sprouts, I just don't want to drive from Edmond to DD, but I have occasionally. Are they doing well?

[bradh]

Walmart is great if you feeding an army. However, it's not that cheap if your feeding a family of four or less. I do most of my grocery shopping at Crest and only pickup a few things at Walmart on occasion.

Walmart has also cut back on the variety of products. They have a few national brands and they are flooding the shelves with their private label goods. I think if their private label takes off you can pretty much guarantee they will go the Aldi route (only carry their brands). I also have issues with their breads. Most of the bread is stale when we get it. Crest on the other hand is almost always light and fluffy. The Reno Crest has the best bread stock in my opinion.

Guess who makes most of your private label stuff? The same company who makes the national brand equivalent.

[Pete]

Not a high-end grocery chain but one that could be coming to OKC:

http://www.okctalk.com/general-civic...tml#post674414

[bchris02]

That is far from the type of grocer OKC needs (looks more like the low-end Buy For Less stores) but nonetheless it should shake up the market. What will be interesting is how many locations there ends up being and how the existing grocers in the market respond.

I also don't consider the kind of grocer most of us here wish OKC had to be high end. Stores like H-E-B (not Central Market), Kroger, Harris Teeter, Reasor's, etc are all middle of the road. Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Flagship Randall's, H-E-B Central Market, The Fresh Market, etc are high end.

[bradh]

is Trader Joe's really "high end?" i don't consider them so, just hipster-ish

What is The Fresh Market? Never heard of them.

There are plenty of HEB's in Texas that are not Central Markets that are what I'd consider high end. Both HEB's in Katy are amazing.

[Video Expert]

That is far from the type of grocer OKC needs (looks more like the low-end Buy For Less stores) but nonetheless it should shake up the market. What will be interesting is how many locations there ends up being and how the existing grocers in the market respond.

I also don't consider the kind of grocer most of us here wish OKC had to be high end. Stores like H-E-B (not Central Market), Kroger, Harris Teeter, Reasor's, etc are all middle of the road. Whole Foods, Trader Joe's, Flagship Randall's, H-E-B Central Market, The Fresh Market, etc are high end.

I agree it's not "high end", which in my opinion means extra amenities but usually overpriced for the most part. It's also not a "low-end Buy for Less." As I mentioned in the "Big Retailer Eyeing OKC and Tulsa" thread, I was in a WinCo for several days last week in California and it is far superior to Wal-Mart in just about every respect. It is a huge, clean, bright, well organized store with a giant selection of brand name items. The aisles are very wide with plenty of room for customers to shop without frustration, and the bakery and meat dept. is top notch. What it doesn't have is a pharmacy, bank, hair salon, fast food, hot food buffet, cheese bar, coffee shop, or other retail inside it. They only take cash or debit cards, but have a ton of registers and self checkout lanes. Their prices overall are less than Wal-Mart's, and they don't require any bulk purchases like Sam's or Costco to save money. But they do have many bulk items available that save you even more money if you choose to do so. They also do not have the "flyer" mentality where they bring the customers in on select advertised super cheap items they put on sale...and then have other basic grocery items priced 30% higher like the Homeland's and Buy For Lesses do. They also don't rely on gimmicks like double or triple coupons, requiring the customer to work like hell to save money on their groceries.

I'm not saying it's the greatest supermarket ever, but I think it will really challenge Wal Mart for market share if my sources are correct and they are indeed the retailer looking at expanding to OKC and Tulsa. I will also say that "hipsters" won't find this an attractive destination for their grocery shopping either for obvious reasons I won't delve into. WinCo has only publicly announced two new locations in McKinney and Ft. Worth here in the next few months, which are the first of many stores they plan on opening in the region. We'll see what happens after that...

[bchris02]

I agree it's not "high end", which in my opinion means extra amenities but usually overpriced for the most part. It's also not a "low-end Buy for Less." As I mentioned in the "Big Retailer Eyeing OKC and Tulsa" thread, I was in a WinCo for several days last week in California and it is far superior to Wal-Mart in just about every respect. It is a huge, clean, bright, well organized store with a giant selection of brand name items. The aisles are very wide with plenty of room for customers to shop without frustration, and the bakery and meat dept. is top notch. What it doesn't have is a pharmacy, bank, hair salon, fast food, hot food buffet, cheese bar, coffee shop, or other retail inside it. They only take cash or debit cards, but have a ton of registers and self checkout lanes. Their prices overall are less than Wal-Mart's, and they don't require any bulk purchases like Sam's or Costco to save money. They also do not have the "flyer" mentality where they bring the customers in on select advertised super cheap items they put on sale...and then have other basic grocery items priced 30% higher like the Homeland's and Buy For Lesses do. They also don't rely on gimmicks like double or triple coupons, requiring the customer to work like hell to save money on their groceries.

I'm not saying it's the greatest supermarket ever, but I think it will really challenge Wal Mart for market share if my sources are correct and they are indeed the retailer looking at expanding to OKC and Tulsa. I will also say that "hipsters" won't find this an attractive destination for their grocery shopping either for obvious reasons I won't delve into. WinCo has only publicly announced two new locations in McKinney and Ft. Worth here in the next few months, which are the first of many stores they plan on opening in the region. We'll see what happens after that...

Good points. In my opinion anything that challenges Wal-Mart's dominance is a step in the right direction and this chain looks to do just that. As much as I would love a Kroger or H-E-B, this is really what OKC needs at this point in time. A lower Wal-Mart marketshare should also help make the market more attractive to the higher end chains if/when the liquor laws are changed.

[bluedogok]

True, but I have a vague recollection of Wehba's having its own internal financial issues outside the oil bust that were at least a part of their failure.

That might have been the case, I was more familiar with McCartney's since it was on the northside and its closing seems to coincide with the bust. Events like the bust can expose an already tenuous financial situation.

The Buy for Less on NW Expressway just feels like Dollar General to me, much less some of the other locations. I do like some of the extra selection though for some items.

Don't go to the one at NW 36th & MacArthur then....I did prefer the NW Expressway store when it was Baker's but since I lived in the area and it was close it was where I went the most.

Buy for Less on NW Expressway isn't bad. It's about as good as it gets in OKC. I agree their store appearance could use some updating but as far as selection and quality there aren't very many places around here that are better. I usually shop there rather than Wal-Mart.

I wish Albertson's would have stayed in the market. They somewhat filled the niche that is now lacking here. It has been said their stores here were inferior to other markets, but I am sure they would have stepped up their game with the arrival of Whole Foods, Sprouts, and the new Crest. Albertson's has deeper pockets and would have been more likely to invest in their stores than Homeland.

I don't think Albertson's has as deep of pockets as others, they ran into financial issues, thus the reason why they left the OKC, Austin and other markets. There are only like 8-10 of them left here in the whole Denver metro area and you can find plenty of their old buildings around. Two of the WMNM that we drive by are former Albertson's stores.

[gamecock]

Not a high-end grocery chain but one that could be coming to OKC:

http://www.okctalk.com/general-civic...tml#post674414

If this is true, it is an enormous disappointment. Yet another "no frills" lowest price store. Seriously, how many low budget options do we need in the metro? I went to one of these stores in Boise, Idaho this year. It was awful. Please, can't we just get another Whole Foods or two? I'm giving up on anything else...

[bradh]

More Whole Foods? Does your wallet enjoy that raping?

[bchris02]

If this is true, it is an enormous disappointment. Yet another "no frills" lowest price store. Seriously, how many low budget options do we need in the metro? I went to one of these stores in Boise, Idaho this year. It was awful. Please, can't we just get another Whole Foods or two? I'm giving up on anything else...

I agree. It should give Wal-Mart some competition but is not a game changer by any means. I was hoping it would at least be a Safeway or something.

[zachj7]

More Whole Foods? Does your wallet enjoy that raping?

I'd much rather have my wallet raped. There are already plenty of low budget options around the metro. Lets diversify it... please...

[bradh]

I agree. It should give Wal-Mart some competition but is not a game changer by any means. I was hoping it would at least be a Safeway or something.

Safeway is just another Homeland. Safeway has sucked everywhere I've been

[bchris02]

Safeway is just another Homeland. Safeway has sucked everywhere I've been

By what standard? I do know Homeland was Safeway years ago, but the newer ones I've seen have been pretty decent. When your standard is the Homeland at 18th and Classen, what may be a ho-hum offering in other markets could be top notch here.

[RadicalModerate]

Anyone who doesn't think Homeland can be a "Quality Grocery Store" has never shopped the one at May and Britton.
(and i am a fairly picky "hobby cook")

[bradh]

By what standard? I do know Homeland was Safeway years ago, but the newer ones I've seen have been pretty decent. When your standard is the Homeland at 18th and Classen, what may be a ho-hum offering in other markets could be top notch here.

From my memories of Safeway (granted it was years ago) in Houston, and then when I lived in Phoenix in the mid 2000's.

Kroger Signature stores (which is pretty much what all of them are these days), or something like the Dillon's on Central & Rock in Wichita are what I'd consider top notch grocery stores.

[MWCGuy]

Homeland became a watered down version of Safeway the day they arrived in Oklahoma. As a kid I remember Safeway had the best donuts, cakes, cookies, pies and who could forget Cragmont Soda. My parents started shopping the one that was at 89th and Penn the day it opened until Homeland took over. The day Homeland arrived, it all went away. Then to top it off the prices went up and my parents switched from there to Buchanans.