Quality grocery stores in OKC

[bchris02]

I was in the Homeland at NW 122nd and Rockwell today for the first time since they started the remodel. It's obvious the remodel isn't completed yet, but it was almost like an entirely new store. The rank smell that used to take me back every time I walked in is gone. They are putting some real money into that place. My guess they are doing it because of Sprouts coming to 122nd and MacArthur.

[TheTravellers]

Was at the Homeland on 2nd St. in Edmond yesterday, tried to get some fresh thyme, they were out. The produce person (who was horribly hard to find, finally saw someone in back behind some doors, otherwise the store was deserted of employees and pretty much customers too) said they were out, I said "Really, you're a grocery store and you're out of thyme", she said "Yeah, sorry", I said "That's exactly why I don't shop here" (we forgot to get it at another store and this was on the way home, otherwise I don't ever go to Homeland), she had no reply, we were going to buy some redskin potatoes, but they were all sitting in water (WTF, potatoes should *never* be in water), so we left without buying anything. And sadly, the same thing happened at Sprouts on 63rd/May today - no fresh thyme at all. Seriously, how can you consider yourself even a half-ass grocery store if you don't have fresh spices. Homeland being out didn't really surprise me, but Sprouts did. Seriously hope all the new stores going in either kill Homeland or make them step up their game to a reasonable level.

[Jim Kyle]

Yep, it's been better every time I've been there in the past two weeks. I particularly like the "cooler" kiosks over in what used to be a rather rank produce section. The available selections also seem to be getting quite a bit more numerous, and the sliding doors are a huge improvement over the old swinging ones.

They still have a long way to go to reach the level of the Britton and May store, but the improvement so far is so great that I'm hopeful they may eventually get near that point. One huge help is replacing all the tile with a cushioned commercial carpet! This has only been going on for about three weeks now, according to the folk in the deli. And it appears that the checkout staff has been almost totally replaced...

[bchris02]

They still have a long way to go to reach the level of the Britton and May store, but the improvement so far is so great that I'm hopeful they may eventually get near that point. One huge help is replacing all the tile with a cushioned commercial carpet! This has only been going on for about three weeks now, according to the folk in the deli. And it appears that the checkout staff has been almost totally replaced...

I agree. And honestly they don't have to be as nice as the Britton and May store to be a respectable grocery store.

[foodiefan]

[QUOTE=TheTravellers;799025] Seriously, how can you consider yourself even a half-ass grocery store if you don't have fresh spices.] Probably will get flamed for this, but . . . grow your own!! So many herbs (not spices) are easy to grow. . .even if it is only a pot in a window sill. Even if you don't want to grow, you can go to a garden center or even the big box stores and get a pot of herbs and cut from that cheaper than you can buy the plastic containers in the grocery store.

[TheTravellers]

[QUOTE=foodiefan;799034]

Seriously, how can you consider yourself even a half-ass grocery store if you don't have fresh spices.] Probably will get flamed for this, but . . . grow your own!! So many herbs (not spices) are easy to grow. . .even if it is only a pot in a window sill. Even if you don't want to grow, you can go to a garden center or even the big box stores and get a pot of herbs and cut from that cheaper than you can buy the plastic containers in the grocery store.

No flaming from me, and yeah, that is an option for most folks, but there's only 2 of us and we only cook about once a week (if even that) due to our schedules being not the same with each other, so that's not a great option since they'd be overgrown or die of neglect before we used them. Didn't think about Lowe's, though, thanks, we've got one just down May Ave from us, and Sprouts was out of even the potted thyme.

[bchris02]

Walmart And Whole Foods Are Slowly Killing Traditional Supermarkets

This article pretty much states what has been obvious in OKC for the better part of a decade now. Personally I blame Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets for the disappearance of the traditional grocery stores more than Supercenters.

[Plutonic Panda]

Just a question, are there any Tom Thumb's outside of Texas? I'm wondering because it would be really nice to have some here. I would also like to see Tulsa based Reasors come here.

What would you are our top grocers in terms of quality.

I would say like this:

1. Whole Foods
2. Native Roots
3. Uptown Grocery
4. Natural Grocers
5. Sprouts
6. Crest
7. Aldi's
8. Walmart
9. Homeland

Does that sound right to anyone?

I emailed HEB and they told me they have no plans to expand outside of Texas or Mexico which really makes me mad. Jokes on them because I refuse to shop and franchise their stores until they open up one here. Ok, I lied. I go to Central Market all the time, but they really should open up one here and one in Tulsa for my aunt.

[hfry]

I place Natural grocers way ahead of both Walmart and Homeland.

[bchris02]

I would say its like this.

-Whole Foods
-Uptown Grocery
-Sprouts
-Homeland (remodeled locations)
-Crest
-Buy For Less
-Wal-Mart
-Homeland (old locations)

Native Roots doesn't offer a full line of groceries so its difficult to compare to the others. I'm looking forward to Fresh Market and WinCo entering the market.

[Plutonic Panda]

I place Natural grocers way ahead of both Walmart and Homeland.

I completely forgot about Sprouts and Natural Grocers. I'll update my list. I also added Aldi's. If I'm forgetting anymore, please advise.

[warreng88]

Reasor's is very Crest-like so I would put them right next to each other.

I remember there being a proposal for one a year or so ago in Edmond but there was outrage with the possible increased traffic it would cause.

Josh Reasor, grandson to the founder Larry Reasor, was a good friend of mine but we have since lost touch. I asked him several years ago at a party if they were planning on coming in to OKC and he said they were considering it, but had to find the right location not overrun with other grocery stores with people who would shop there.

[Soonerman]

Just a question, are there any Tom Thumb's outside of Texas? I'm wondering because it would be really nice to have some here. I would also like to see Tulsa based Reasors come here.

What would you are our top grocers in terms of quality.

I would say like this:

1. Whole Foods
2. Native Roots
3. Uptown Grocery
4. Natural Grocers
5. Sprouts
6. Crest
7. Aldi's
8. Walmart
9. Homeland

Does that sound right to anyone?

I emailed HEB and they told me they have no plans to expand outside of Texas or Mexico which really makes me mad. Jokes on them because I refuse to shop and franchise their stores until they open up one here. Ok, I lied. I go to Central Market all the time, but they really should open up one here and one in Tulsa for my aunt.

No there are no Tom Thumb store outside of Texas, Fun fact though, Tom Thumb is owned by Safeway.

[bchris02]

Reasor's is very Crest-like so I would put them right next to each other.

I remember there being a proposal for one a year or so ago in Edmond but there was outrage with the possible increased traffic it would cause.

It was supposed to be in an addition to the Spring Creek shopping center but the people in the neighborhood threw a fit and after a few years of continued lawsuits to try to prevent it, they just said forget it.

As for where I would place them, they are about on the level of a newer Crest or the N May Homeland. I would place them well above the older Crest stores and most Homelands. They are what you would expect from a mid-level grocer in 2014.

Josh Reasor, grandson to the founder Larry Reasor, was a good friend of mine but we have since lost touch. I asked him several years ago at a party if they were planning on coming in to OKC and he said they were considering it, but had to find the right location not overrun with other grocery stores with people who would shop there.

I would like to see them either buy up Homeland or enter the market with stores in select locations with a strategy of running Homeland completely out.

[bluedogok]

Just a question, are there any Tom Thumb's outside of Texas? I'm wondering because it would be really nice to have some here. I would also like to see Tulsa based Reasors come here.

What would you are our top grocers in terms of quality.

I would say like this:

1. Whole Foods
2. Native Roots
3. Uptown Grocery
4. Natural Grocers
5. Sprouts
6. Crest
7. Aldi's
8. Walmart
9. Homeland

Does that sound right to anyone?

I emailed HEB and they told me they have no plans to expand outside of Texas or Mexico which really makes me mad. Jokes on them because I refuse to shop and franchise their stores until they open up one here. Ok, I lied. I go to Central Market all the time, but they really should open up one here and one in Tulsa for my aunt.

No there are no Tom Thumb store outside of Texas, Fun fact though, Tom Thumb is owned by Safeway.

...which is now merged with the group who bought Albertson's out of their last bankruptcy.

Tom Thumb is the DFW area name, they are called Randall's, they are based in Houston and that is the name the stores in Austin and San Antonio go by. Randall's bought Tom Thumb (and their higher end stores in Dallas, Simon David) not too long after I moved back to OKC. Randall's ended up switching the Simon David stores (I think there were two of them at the time) to Tom Thumb stores. I shopped at the Simon David at Skillman & Audelia when I lived in Dallas. Later Safeway bought Randall's.

[LocoAko]

I would say its like this.

-Whole Foods
-Uptown Grocery
-Sprouts
-Homeland (remodeled locations)
-Crest
-Buy For Less
-Wal-Mart
-Homeland (old locations)

Native Roots doesn't offer a full line of groceries so its difficult to compare to the others. I'm looking forward to Fresh Market and WinCo entering the market.

Things must be different in Norman... Walmart (even the "yucky" East Side one) is way ahead of the Buy For Less in town... one of the most depressing supermarkets I've ever been in, along with some of the Homelands in town. Similarly, I really, really like the new Crest we have, and would place it above the remodeled Homelands and maybe even Sprouts.

[bchris02]

Things must be different in Norman... Walmart (even the "yucky" East Side one) is way ahead of the Buy For Less in town... one of the most depressing supermarkets I've ever been in, along with some of the Homelands in town. Similarly, I really, really like the new Crest we have, and would place it above the remodeled Homelands and maybe even Sprouts.

I am judging Buy for Less off the NW Expressway location and the NW 23rd St location. The NW Expressway location is pretty nice by OKC standards. It's not uptown grocery but it is quite a bit better than the average supermarket here. The NW 23rd St location is not as nice but its not terrible. I haven't been to any of the other locations.

The most depressing supermarket I know of is the Homeland at 122nd and N May.

[warreng88]

As for where I would place them, they are about on the level of a newer Crest or the N May Homeland. I would place them well above the older Crest stores and most Homelands. They are what you would expect from a mid-level grocer in 2014.

I should have been more specific and said they are very much like the new Crest's, not the old ones. Although, the original Reasor's in Tahlequah very much resembled the old Crest on 23rd and Meridian. The newer ones are much more like the new Crest on SW 104th and May and the like.

[zachj7]

Just placing some out of state grocery stores in here just to get a sense of where OKC is at... Out of state markets and In OKC Markets.... Would those that have been to these grocery stores/markets agree with me?

Central Market
Wegmans
Trader Joes
Whole Foods
--gap--
Native Roots
Signature Kroeger - main grocery store in many cities
Uptown Grocery
Natural Grocers
Sprouts
Safeway - Main grocery store in many cities
HEB
Crest
Aldi's
--big gap--
Walmart
Homeland

[bchris02]

I don't think you can really rank Trader Joe's being that there is nothing else like them. It's also hard to use them exclusively so they are really more of a specialty store. That's why many people who have lived in OKC their entire life and then checked out Trader Joe's in other cities don't understand what all the fuss is about. Once they come here though and people learn to shop there they will be addicted. It would be great to have them in OKC if they ever do come.

I would rank H-E-B up with Signature Kroger. Homeland and Crest are both difficult to rank. The Crest locations in Norman and on SW 104th and May are almost on the level of H-E-B or Signature Kroger. The remainder of the locations though are near the bottom. Homeland has a few decent locations as well but the worst of them are below Wal-Mart even. The best thing that could happen to OKC's grocery market is for an out of state grocer to come in and buy up Homeland. Chances of that happening are very slim but it would likely be the easiest and quickest way to fix the situation here.

[Plutonic Panda]

Good news!

Oklahoma City has multiple grocery stores either under construction or in the development stages, and even more grocers are looking to expand into the market.

Idaho-based Winco Foods has plans to build a new grocery store in Midwest City as well as plans for up to three additional stores in the metro area.

North Carolina-based The Fresh Market and Costco are both said to be eyeing their first Oklahoma City location after expanding into Tulsa, although neither company has confirmed its plans. In addition to those names, Missouri-based Save-A-Lot is hunting for space in Oklahoma City and at least one additional “significant grocer” has property under contract to enter the market, said Mark Inman, senior vice president and retail broker at CB Richard Ellis-Oklahoma.

“They’re looking for new markets to enter into and grow sales volume and see Oklahoma as a new opportunity,” Inman said.

Colorado-based Natural Grocers just opened its third Oklahoma City metro location this week at 7001 N May Ave. and has a fourth location under construction at 2120 SW 89.

Natural Grocers does not sell products with artificial colors or flavoring and its meat and dairy products are raised without additional hormones and antibiotics.

“We look for communities to go to that are health-conscious and also conscious of value, but that are in our minds under-served because they might not have enough options for high-quality food,” said Merredith Branscombe, a spokeswoman for Natural Grocers.

Interesting line

Walmart has an estimated 65 percent market share of Oklahoma City’s grocery business, Inman said.

So we're looking at

WinCo(actually announced)
Trader Joes
Costco
Fresh Market
Save-A-Lot(which I know nothing about)

aaaannnnd

at least one additional “significant grocer” has property under contract to enter the market

so if that isn't any of the above, what could it be? Krogers may reenter? HEB maybe? I emailed them awhile back and they said they had no interest in expanding outside of Texas or Mexico, but Pappadeaux said the same to me when I asked them if they were going to enter the OKC market and they said they have no plans and not even two months later they file to build. I suppose Reasor's could technically be one, but tbh, I'm not extremely impressed with Reasor's and that wouldn't excite me, although it nice to have more options.

[bchris02]

It wouldn't surprise me if "significant grocer" is Trader Joe's being that it wasn't mentioned in the article by name. Both Steve and Pete have agreed for a long time that Trader Joe's announcement was imminent but for one reason or another it was being held up. Reasor's are similar to the nicer Crests and well above Homeland. It's not a huge deal but would still be a step up for OKC if they were to come. Save-a-lot is a bottom of the market store already in the market with locations on the Southside. I don't see H-E-B entering the OKC market being that they have stated they aren't interested in expanding outside of Texas or Mexico and they don't yet have a huge presence in DFW.

It will be great to see the Wal-Mart monopoly broken up in OKC and hopefully these stores, Winco especially, can do it. That can only mean good things for OKC's retail scene.

I think the loser in all this will be Homeland if they don't up their game.

[NWOKCGuy]

Yeah - I'm wondering if the 'significant grocer' that is under contract is TJ. It would seem if they were under contract already one of the sleuths on here could find it.

[Bobby821]

Where is 2120 SW 89th located? What is currently on that property ?

[oklip955]

Years ago I would go to visit a friend in the Pauls Valley area, there was a Sav -a-Lot down there. Due to a limited choice of grocery stores, we would go in there for a few items. I've stepped into the one on the south side once. With that in mind, I would rate them a few steps lower then your bottom listed grocery stores.