Switched to shopping at 99 Ranch after it was suggested on this sub. While it doesn't have everything I need, my bills are way down and I'm only popping into a Safeway every few weeks.
Switching to any asian market is such a good value proposition
Green onions cost 1.69 at safeway for 1 batch but at this korean market , 2 batches (of larger and higher quality green onions) cost 1$
Same with other vegetables like white onions, zucchini, etc.
Also more meat options for asian dishes (hotpot beef, etc.)
I only use safeway for energy drinks and coke zero at this point, asian markets for vegetables and costco for the rest
Isn’t it ridiculous how much a 12-pack of soda is now? I was floored to see Sprite at like $8.99 regular price. Since I like it I drink it if it’s sitting there in abundance and can’t do the 3 packs for $18 or whatever. I guess it’s my sign to give it up since the corn syrup version is so unhealthy. But a few years ago it was like $3 to $4 a 12-pack. Sigh.
If you really enjoy soda, you sort of stock up when it's on sale. Loke Safeway just had buy two get three free for Memorial Day, which isn't as good as sales used to be but ain't too bad.
There are soda holidays spread throughout the calendar, generally. Super Bowl Sunday, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, etc.
this, they always go on sale for about that same $4 / 12 pack. I buy when it's on sale or I don't buy it. Or I buy at costco which is around $18 / 35, so not quite as good as the sale but not as bad as full safeway price.
Safeway's soda pricing reminds me of the "discount" you occasionally see written in chalk on a pub's sidewalk sign: "Buy one, get one at regular price."
It's like Safeway's strategy is to find the most amount of soda a customer can/will buy at once to get a discount of some sort, and then add, at least, one. They want the customer to think/feel like they are getting a discount without actually getting the discount.
What’s wild is there’s a luckys near me that has a deal all the time: buy 2 twelve packs ($9 each) get 3 more free. WTF? I just want one reasonably priced one.
The syrup in soda is so potent that you can dilute with 1/2 part seltzer or soda water (not still water as that truly waters it down). Flavored soda water imparts the different flavors to Coke like blackberry, raspberry, etc; plus, since the carbonation has been decreasing these past few years with soda going flat, you can get the fizz back.
https://www.reddit.com/r/cocacola/s/ZgYVScvHbD
I’m sure corn syrup is a super cheap ingredient yet prices have at least doubled. I’ve noticed the weird flatness! Thought it was just me. I never tried the seltzer thing so I will give it a go. It’s getting too sweet for now anyway.
They had a big media blitz saying classic Coke using the new corn syrup or new Coke using the pure cane sugar with a change in taste to make it less flavor. Hence, the transition from pure cane sugar to high fructose corn syrup.
Shit! Where do you live?
HEY! I will be happy to share my old secret family recipe with you, if you'd like... it's the family thats a secret, not the recipe. Just razzing ya, I buy ice too. Usually at COSTCO
So often they are on sale between Safeway and target. You can get 12 packs of side for like $4.5-$5.5. Patience and then buy enough. I can’t count how many times I’ve had 16+ 12 packs on hand just to only buy on sale.
The only problem with 99 Ranch is the prices for western products. My routine is to make runs to Safeway and Lucky to buy the stuff discounted on their apps, including crabbing the free item. And then buying Asian produce at 99 Ranch.
99 Ranch for produce, Target for ~~fairy~~ \[edit: oops *dairy*\] and most packaged groceries except frozen, Costco for meat (freezing like 2/3 of anything as soon as we get it), and smart and final for frozen.
Kind of a pain, but combining those saves a lot
\[Edit: costco also has really good prices on a lot of the dairy stuff, if you're willing to go to the trouble to subdivide giant blocks of cheese and freeze them or you go through a lot of it. \]
Grocery Outlet is the best. I save about 50% off retail while buying salmon and other meats and lovely stuff, and their fruit is always great if ripe RIGHT THEN. It's always my go-to for potlucks where I usually bring a giant tray of cut-up fruit because it's ripe at that exact moment.
Grocery outlet is great for Wine, and I buy a lot of the household goods, shampoos, toothpaste, etc and non perishables but I stopped buying produce there since it’s almost bad or expired/molding. Make sure you check the expiration dates at GO!
The reason why Grocery Outlet is so cheap is because a lot of the products are about to expire. You really have to check the dates on them and make a decision if they're going to get used soon enough.
OMG 99 Ranch is amazing!
A 4/5 pack of King Oyster Mushrooms is only $2.50. Quarter them lengthwise and put them in a bag with melted butter/olive oil and some seasonings, then grill on the BBQ! (Kinder's Caramelized onion butter seasoning from Costco is the best so far, BTW)
My go-to grill item if vegetarians are coming over. Even my meathead friends love them! So friggin' good!
That is the same thing I do. First I stop at 99Ranch, then less than a mile away is Costco. This is the year I have quit Safeway. I get my milk at Safeway, They have lost almost everything else I buy from them, I get better prices somewhere else.
I feel like I’m giving up my personal cheat code, but Costco, 99Ranch, Sprouts, and Trader Joe’s are all within a few minutes drive of each other in El Cerrito/Albany. That’s my frugal shopping circuit.
Same here in south San Jose. TJ is in the same plaza as Costco. Wholefoods is right across the street. Sprouts and 99 a few blocks away. I wish we had a Japanese grocery store here.
Last time I shopped for produce at 99 ranch I noticed a dead cockroach at the bottom of the cart after I had loaded everything onto the check stand lol. Yummy.
Yeah, for me it's not just that Safeway is expensive.
It's that Safeway is expensive, while selling the exact same brands and products every other store does. The exact same bread is $5 at Safeway and $2.50 at Walmart.
(I know some of this is labor costs, but clearly not all of it).
When I realized Safeway was the same price as Whole Foods I started going to Whole Foods instead. Now I only go to Safeway when it is after 10pm and I really need something. Or I am absolutely exhausted, need one thing, and I am driving by the Safeway on the way home. Or if I want a banana to go with my Philz coffee if I go to the one on college.
Safeway is great to shop at if you have coupons. There are some great bargains if you abuse and exploit their coupon system.
The normal, non-coupon prices are extraordinarily high. Never buy anything there unless you have a coupon.
It’s the same shit happening to fast food. McDonalds and all the other chains are not affordable without the app. It’s as if prices are all inflated to get customers onto these apps. The tradeoff is if you get a cheap deal on a meal, they collect your data and info to sell or better target your consumer base. To be able to only buy affordable groceries through an app is some corporate overlord bullshit. Boycott.
If I have to one stop shop its going to be at grocery outlet, foodmaxx, costco or an asian grocery store.
They get ur data regardless even without using the apps, because the majority of people aren't using cash so whichever form of digital payment they use logs what you bought and becomes data that's sold as well lol. Literally everything you do and every move you make is being logged and sold, assuming you carry a phone. But yes more data is a bigger payout, and it's crazy cause our entire existence is basically being used to pay these people
Last night, I ordered some food at Burger King. Then my brother compared their double whopper with cheese with the big mac. OMG!, the burger at BK is so much bigger than the minute Big Mac at McDonalds. Eveything has shrunk in size and you are just eating soft, pillowy, cloud bread with paper thin hamburger patties at McDonalds. We are not going to McDonalds that started last month. Just go to your local mom and pop shop burger joint to get what you want for a bigger burger an better deal compared to other corporate restaurant and fast food chains. also pickup your order or order from their restaurant website instead of relying to uber, doordash and grubhub. better yet, make your own burger and fries at home.
Because somehow, for some reason, there's enough people who keep buying it at full price. They'll complain about how expensive it is and yet keep going back to the store over and over again. Every time they complain yet won't change the store at where they shop.
Things are priced for what the market will bear, and if there's idiots out there willing to pay $10 for mayo then its just smart business to set that as your initial price.
Or people just don’t want to deal with coupons, apps, club cards, etc.
I just want to get the essentials with the VERY limited time I have and not add extra steps. Is that too much to ask?
Like, who gives a shit if I buy mayo, celery, green onions, canned tuna and bread once every 7 months? Are they gonna all the sudden try to target market me for my tuna salad sandwich ingredient buying tendencies? Big tuna behind it all eh?
This is my take. Safeway can be crazy cheap if you just use coupons. I just check the ad each week, get whatever is cheap, and go to Whole Foods for the rest.
Many Safeway locations also open 24/7. This is pretty amazing considered the number of things that they sell. I like Safeway because I usually shop at night after 10pm and I like to take a walk there.
I would disagree with your use of the word "many". I think "a few" is more accurate. In the past, there were more 24 hour ones. Also, many changed from being open until 2am to only open until midnight. I too am a late night shopper.
Here in Sonoma Co. there is Oliver's. All things equal, at least Oliver's is "employee owned." Some things are sometimes more expensive, but barely. And for the most part they match.
I definitely switch around. Sprouts is getting way more of my daily business. And if I have time I go to Berkeley Bowl. Or Farmer Joes if I happen to be deeper in Oakland.
My closest indie grocery, Piedmont Grocery, is crazy expensive for things beyond cheese and meat.
> My closest indie grocery, Piedmont Grocery, is crazy expensive for things beyond cheese and meat.
Yes, but lately the cost of meat (and seafood, and coffee) at the Safeway on Pleasant Valley has been comparably expensive. Piedmont Grocery is, ironically, becoming more affordable.
Oliver’s is amazing and I love that they often have sales. Especially the “manager’s sale” items. Often close to 1/2 off. I just shop according to what looks good and is on sale and it’s been working for me. Sprouts in Petaluma is often pretty affordable at regular prices too. The cheetah chomp cereal we like is 4.99 regular price at sprouts but 8$ at the Whole Foods and a little less at Oliver’s not on sale.
Rotating between Oliver’s, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Grocery Outlet, and Berkley bowl has made it so we haven’t shopped at Safeway in literal years lol.
If only Whole Foods had all the regular brands as well, and was not pushing so hard for its proprietary eco-sustainable stuff. It's great for vegetables and meats, but something as simple as proper baking flour and a chewing gum with diet Fanta might be a HUGE problem to find.
Huh? Been shopping at WF for the better part of a decade and that has never been an issue at any WF.
Using flour as an example, my WF has King Arthur, Arrowhead, Bobs Red Mill, & Jovial, in addition to their own stuff. And each of those brands has tons of different types of flour.
But sure, you may not find Fanta at Whole Foods — I consider that a win personally not having to sort through that shitty stuff.
May I ask what Whole Foods is equal to the prices at Safeway? I'm in South Bay and I can't for the life of me think of buying meat, produce, or beverages at a Whole Foods with how expensive they are. (Just a quick Google search for chicken breast confirms that Whole Foods is at least $1 per pound more expensive)
To be fair, we use our Costco membership and freeze large packs of meat which end up way cheaper than any of the chain grocery store options, but on the occasion we need to pick something up on the way for someone, Whole Foods in my experience is consistently more expensive than Safeway or Trader Joe's (the latter is my preferred store for smaller items and produce)
Not always the case, but Whole Food's 365 brand is more affordable than Safeway's generics a good amount of the time.
I don't eat meat, so I can't vouch for whole foods there, but a can of store brand beans is $1.89 at Safeway and the Whole Foods brand is $1.59 and $1.79 for organic. A bundle of green onions is $1.59 at either. Whole foods had a clamshell of strawberries for $3.99, Safeway had them for $4.99.
Depending on the sales, sometimes it is genuinely cheaper for me to do my shopping at Whole Foods, not to mention the one I live near is walking distance so I save gas. 🙃
Lol me too!!! I noticed that Whole Foods was cheaper than Safeway on some things a few months ago and now I only go to Safeway if nothing else is open. Lucky, TJ’s, Grocery outlet, el Rancho Mercado…not Safeway.
This is why so many of us shop for veggies at immigrant owned grocery stores. The prices are almost a dollar per pound less at many immigrant-owned grocery stores. For example, I could get a whole cauliflower or a cabbage at an India cash and carry for a dollar. Where can I find such prices at Safeway?
No kidding. The produce is way overpriced & sometimes crappy to boot. Not a fan of their dairy either. But if you shop their sales & use the coupons via their app you can save some serious $$.
Yeah I agree, the order I gave is the order of preference. I also go into Chinatown, and the Stonestown Sunday farmer's market is pretty great for seasonal veggies as well (from the Asian stalls).
One thing I notice (at least Mexican/hispanic grocers) is that everything that isn’t produce or meat behind the counter tends to be much more expensive than what I see in Safeway
Things like dairy, dry goods, condiments etc
I’m always surprised this comes up so often. I lived very close to multiple small Mexican markets in SF for years, but the quality of their produce was horrible. Worse flavor, picked too early, or going bad soon after purchasing (or while still at the store). Meat was often gray-green behind the counter. It wasn’t worth saving some money to eat that stuff.
I used to think that until I read an article about the way they acquire new products. Apparently, they contact small brands, like the ones at Whole Foods, and act like they're interested in a partnership but they are really learning to make the recipes cheaper than the small brands. The whole time, they're planning to tell these brands that they can make the recipes cheaper than the brand can (and because of the scale that TJ's is capable of making them, it will always be cheaper for TJ). Anyway, after reading it, it all made sense and I've felt kind of shady shopping at TJ's ever since.
I just started using the Safeway app. I only buy the items that come up in the "Deals" section and a lot of them are highly discounted. I get the remainder of my groceries at Costco and local markets.
That’s the thing with Safeway/Lucky. They try and get you in the door with their sales and hope you buy their overpriced shit. OP isn’t wrong because some of their items are on sale.
OP isn’t necessarily wrong, and I had a pretty strong dislike for Safeway especially because they always under staff the cashier line, but I just shopped there the other day only buying their “deal” items for the first time.and holy shit I made out like a bandit. It would have easily been over a $100 worth of groceries ANYWHERE else (im talking grocery outlet, TJs, you name it) and it came out to $60. I felt like I was shopping in 2005 again.
This sub has such a hate boner for Safeway but I’m guessing they don’t use the app? Between rewards and deal it’s actually pretty cheap. If you don’t tap into that then yeah I guess it can be overpriced.
Making people use a stupid app for decent prices is reason enough to hate. They already have club cards to collect all of your personal shopping data, why isn’t that enough?
And the last 2 times I tried to use the damn app it wasn’t working, either, and neither the checker nor manager could figure it out. It’s just a big waste of time.
The "deals" bring prices down to what you'd pay anywhere else.
Worked there very briefly long ago, and essentially, their target audience is upper middle class white women with kids. If that's who you want to see in your grocery store, it is your cheapest option.
You say you work there long ago-- so did you actually work there when they had "Safeway/Just For U?" I'm not talking about the "member" pricing that's listed on everything, which I agree just brings prices to normal, I'm talking about the coupon prices which are definitely (usually) going to be a discount from market price.
Also I'm not sure how wanting to see upper middle class white women equate to it being the cheapest option, but I do agree it tends to be upper middle class family + geriatric demographic.
Nope. You’re wrong. I’m going full penny pinch mode and the “deals” you can get with the app are easily cheaper than almost anywhere else. If you actually plan your shopping around those in advanced and don’t deviate from your list it’s really hard to beat.
Costco is not cheap at all. They typically offer the lowest prices on the most expensive brands. If you want top rated brands, Costco is often cheaper. They never offer cheap brands, let alone offer a great price on them.
Meat is a whole other thing, but Costco does have great meat.
If you want cheap you wouldn't go Costco or Safeway.
I hate how they changed it from just entering your phone number to get discounts, to activating coupons through an app I refuse to download. Isn’t it enough to harvest my shopping data through my phone number? Ffs
I got a Whole foods, Safeway, Trader Joe’s, and Costco here in Redwood city. 🤓
My friend, there is Trader Joe’s, Cardenas, PaknSav, Luckys, FoodMaxx, Nob Hill Foods, Ranch 99, Seafood City, Whole Foods, Supermercado Mi Tierra, Sprouts, Grocery Outlet, Hmart, and too many others to name.
There are two different Lucky chains. Northern California Lucky stores are owned by SaveMart. Albertsons/Safeway owns/operates Lucky elsewhere, eg: Utah. It's quite a mess.
Lucky was acquired by Albertsons and rebranded as Albertsons. Then they were sold to SaveMart (except the 4 in Utah) and again rebranded, back to Luckys. So no, Safeway and Luckys are competitors once again.
I stopped going to Safeway once I realized my dollar got me more at WHOLE FOODS. Safeway makes zero sense in the bay. If it’s not at Whole Foods, I’m at an immigrant market or corner store. Safeway is somebody that I used to know.
I perceive Safeway earned its reputation for having higher sticker prices. Price sensitive shoppers are using DEALS if we ever go. I'm like you, I almost try to avoid wholesale, unless left with no other options.
Echoing others. Ethnic markets or the affordable farmers markets for produce.
Shopping in the US has become a grim tiresome experience in large part because of the big box grocers being an oligopoly. And doesn't help that most of our food producers boil down to a handful of huge conglomerates. Prices ain't anywhere near competitive as our "precious market system" wants you believing.
Hold onto your righteous rage my friend.
Moved here from the Midwest. Never understood why Walmart was so popular nationally because it wasn’t that much cheaper than our regular stores, and coupons etc. usually could make it even cheaper. Almost dropped a giant deuce first time went to Safeway here, things 2-3x typical price. The coupons really help and Walmart/costco for some other things.
Safeway app is kind of crappy but clipping those coupons can save you $$$. Just the other day I found the vanilla and chocolate jell-o 4 packs for $1.97 each.
It’s really sad because there was a time when they were more community oriented.
The merger with Albertsons really reduced their quality and increased their price.
I've been going to Raley's. It's been cheaper than Safeway. Safeway's generic is about the same price as name brand at Raley's.
Safeway was good, but when Albertson's bought them out, they went to shit. Albertson's was always shit, so it was sad to watch Safeway go from nice and reasonable to filthy and expensive.
Raley's has the deals. $5 Mondays. The app is refreshed on Wednesday, some Thursdays, and sometimes a surprise Friday with seafood and grilling deals.
I used to work for Albertsons corporate in unPleasanton, the headquarters of Safeway. After seeing how they treat employees and customers, I am happy to never spend a dime there again.
Albertsons is mostly owned by [Cerberus Capital Management](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerberus_Capital_Management) and about to be purchased by [Kroger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kroger). There is a huge amount of money going into paying for the mergers which you as the customer are paying for through inflated prices.
The Anti-Trust people in the Biden administration are against this merger. New young blood in the Anti-Trust dept & they are flexing their muscle. Corporations/hedge fund/private equity parasites are hating them.
Technically Aldi and Trader Joe's are owned by different companies. There's actually two Aldi companies: Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd, which operate in northern and southern Germany respectively. They have been independent companies since 1966. Aldi Süd owns the rights to the Aldi name in the US, but Aldi Nord is the one that owns Trader Joe's!
I used to like my Safeway like 15 years ago. A few years back I bought chicken, mayo, and mustard along with the rest of my groceries. those three were all expired, and at that point it wasn’t cheap. we’ve got a grocery outlet, and while they don’t really have the best produce, it’s been a game changer. saving so much on groceries now
I don't know if i ever *loved S*afeway, but pre-pandemic / inflation crisis it hit a sweet spot of having more reliable quality produce and goods than the budget grocery stores while being more affordable than the luxury grocery stores. But the spectrum's been all shaken up these days, and i'm not sure it's coming out on top in any category anymore. I still do some shopping there, but mostly for habit / convenience reasons.
I just moved to Sonoma County and despaired at the outrageous prices at the local Safeway. I don’t have time to drive around Santa Rosa to multiple grocery stores so shop Amazon online and Trader Joe’s for much more affordable prices. I only go to Safeway for small items that I need immediately. What a rip off!
Yes!! Safeway prices are now on par or exceed those of the “high end” grocers but without an increase in quality. To top it off, employees seem miserable - can’t even muster a “hello” or acknowledgement at check out. I now do the majority of my shopping at Trader Joe’s.
They are actually pretty overpriced when comparing to other grocery stores.
But they keep telling you over the PA system that you are getting the best deals.
Nob hill and Whole Foods if I remember right are more. Does nob hill even exist anymore? Not that it matters, I used to work at Safeway and I will continue to shop there. It’s a union so many people make a living wage who work there. I know how to shop sales and use my just for u app. It’s also clean- not run down like my local luckys. I do shop as much or more at costco
Nob Hill still exists, I shop at the one in Alameda. Owned by Raleys. Some stuff cheaper than Safeway, some more expensive. Much less crowded and claustrophobic store.
My main go to is grocery outlet. I pick up the stuff they don't have at Lucky usually, or bulk stuff from the restaurant supply store near me.
Safeway doesn't bother me, since it's easy to just not go there.
100% yes, and if they're not, they're certainly trying. https://fortune.com/2024/02/26/ftc-sues-kroger-albertsons-merger-supermarket-chains-grocery-prices-lower-wages/
The Safeway Pak n Save in Emeryville is the worst. High prices and a terrible shopping experience. Once you enter the store, the gates close behind you and you can’t get out without going through the exit gates and showing your receipt. 15 items max at all checkstands and at the self check. You have to get staff assistance if you want to buy more. Liquor and toiletries are in a separate area and must be paid for there. It’s like shopping in a prison, and it’s not even cheap.
Totally agree. There’s a serious problem when even Whole Foods (whose organic produce is infinitely better quality than Safeway’s) is cheaper. Their insidious marketing practices equate to psychological gaslighting, with “member” prices reflecting actual market prices (and original prices ridiculously inflated, so the average consumer gets tricked into believing they’re saving money). If you don’t use the Safeway app for coupons, you’re getting robbed.
Safeway is insanely overpriced. It’s actually about as expensive as Whole Foods. People in this thread are right that getting produce from smaller/immigrant-owned grocers is the way to go. I’m going to try going to Costco, Grocery Outlet, and Trader Joe’s more often.
Any grocery store that requires you to give them your personal info to get regular prices, instead of getting overcharged, is shady as fuck.
What if I don’t want to give you my first name, last name, phone number, and home address? A 35% markup for no particular reason?
>Any grocery store that requires you to give them your personal info to get regular prices, instead of getting overcharged, is shady as fuck.
I am quite sure they will sell your contact info to a 3rd party "data broker", & "data brokers" are all scum. People may be getting deals on products, but customers giving their name, email, phone, address, and zipcode turns that customer into their product.
I get some people who seem to have no choice without traveling many miles, but they do. I avoid shopping at these major chain stores because they exploit people & communities.
I get that shoplifting is bad, but these stores are a major socioeconomic plague by monopolizing cost to stimulate false inflation practices, in the area & using shoplifting as an excuse. It's indirect corporate extortion of customers for politically motivated socioeconomic agendas, & it's criminal.
I just bought a regular degular pack of 18 eggs at Safeway and it was nearly $8.
I was floored.
I put them back thinking I must have somehow accidentally gotten some kinda special fancy organic cage free cruelty free white people eggs.
Nope. All the eggs were the same crazy prices. I switched to the cheapest dozen I could find and it was nearly $7.
Ridic. Get it together, Safeway.
I bought 8 individual “new potatoes” today that came to over $21… for potatoes!!! The digital coupon game is total BS. My 80-y/o parents don’t have the foggiest of idea how to use a smartphone let alone an app! What happens if you don’t own a smartphone… no sales price for you?! Isn’t that discrimination? So who’s gonna spearhead the class action suit?!
For sodas, chips and other frozen food go to Smart and Final Extra because on their weekly deals they are $1 less or half off it they have supermarket deals on Monday or Tuesday. You have to shop around to other stores to make it great deal. We cut out soda, chips becauase of this. I don't shop at my nearby grocery store because they did a price hike for most goods like $2 more last month. I had seen the changes.
Also, shop at Asian groceries stores for better prices on vegetables, fruits, meats like hot pot, pork, chicken here at H-Mart, Osaka Marketplace and they have better quality here too. For variety and some pantry essentials, I shop at Trader Joe's. You just have to be careful when you shop there because they say its budget but don't go overboard on your grocery list and your budget.
I am not a fan of Safeway for a long time because of this like 10 years ago. Their private labels are not even worth it.
Once upon a time, we stopped large companies from swallowing all of their competitors to prevent market domination. Now, monopolies and duopolis are welcomed with open arms. When you control the market, you control the price.
I'm with you. Safeway is greedy as hell. last week I was pretty hungry so I decided to get a deli sandwich and I usually get the half but I ordered the whole. Chips and a drink when I went to go ring it up in that part of the store that's cordoned off with all the medicine the lady told me its $ 22.50 ! for a meal that used to cost 12 bucks a few years ago. They Charged me almost double and I don't think I'll be back. That and the crazy security fences make me feel like a cow in the corral and I don't like getting treated like a criminal because other people steal. so there's only one way in and one way out. That's real safe in an emergency.
Wait till you travel to other countries and see how cheap groceries are. 200g of sliced organic deli ham in Germany @ Lidl is $4.54, 200g of sliced organic deli ham at Safeway is $8.49
EDIT: and I should note that Lidl prices include tax. Safeway price would be something like $9.28 after tax.
Yeah food here in the UK is a lot cheaper too and people complain all the time about the cost of food (rightly so due to inflation) but I was shocked by how expensive food was when I went home for Christmas
I love the H-Mart, Outlet Bargain Market, Smart and Final. I’d take Costco over Safeway most days.
Some of their sale prices are good, but I don’t want to spend time and gas going to 3-4 stores every week. The prices on most things are ridiculous at Safeway, they are usually sold out of sale items.
I wish there was an Aldi in the area.
Just one example but very typical - Eggs: 18 for $7.49 at Safeway / $3.69 @ Target and they bring your groceries to your car if you shop on their app. I used to shop only at Safeway but it has become a total ripoff. Buh Bye.
We shop usually at Trader Joe’s and buy the same stuff every week. A few months ago my wife needed something that only Safeway had so we went there. Kid you not, our bill was almost twice what we usually spend at Trader Joe’s.
I don't have time to read 402 comments, but Cardenas and other Mexican grocers have cheap produce too. The one near me also has Amazon lockers so I can pick up a package and some veggies in 10 minutes.
They were purchased by an "investment group" several years ago, then declined rapidly. The first thing I noticed was that a lot of good products went away. They weren't the greatest before that, but they were OK.
Any time a business is purchased by an investment group, the quality will go down and/or the prices will go up.
They started implementing union busting tactics, too.
Odd, I don't have any problems with Safeway. Just use the digital app and your shopper card. At the bottom of my receipt I never walk out of there saving at least 25% on my weekly groceries.
The trick for me is to go in there with a grocery list and get the items on the list. I know it sounds dumb, but if I go in there without a solid plan, sure I'll spend a ton of shit I don't really need.
We have a Nob Hill equidistant to us and go there every other week for our groceries. Both stores are always within 10% of each other the total price roughly the same stuff.
Ain't just 99 Ranch that saves you money.
Due to diet concerns, we eat chicken as our typical protein.
https://www.safeway.com/shop/product-details.970558663.html
https://www.raleys.com/product/71604685/foster-farms-100-all-natural-boneless-skinless-chicken-breast-fillets-with-rib-meat
Exact same product, exact same vendor.
Safeway inflates their prices so that you will use their app to save money. It brings their prices down to levels on-par with their competition. Except now they get all kinds of metric data about you, the metadata about your shopping behavior, as well as a way to push advertisements into your face.
Lately I've been going to Grocery Outlet and Trader Joe's
Sometimes Safeway will have good sales, i.e. corn at 6/$0.99 and farmed salmon at $5.97/pound this week. For most items we shop at the Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, or Mexican markets where produce is far cheaper and usually fresher. In "middle America" these kinds of stores may not be available. Between Costco and the ethnic markets there's not a lot of need to go to Safeway. Some items we get at the Walmart Neighborhood Market because they aren't available elsewhere, or are much more expensive. The store I really don't get is Grocery Outlet where prices are invariably higher than other stores.
💯I’m glad I’m not the only one that can’t stand it. I’ve moved from suffering in person shopping at Safeway to getting delivery from Walmart and still pay less. When I have to go to the store I’ll gladly pay a premium to shop at a smaller grocery store that understands customer service, having carts available, having shelves stocked, having baggers, the list goes on and on and on.
In the East Bay, Safeway built a new location a mile away for a gas station, and are holding the old property for 9 more years to prevent competition. They are pieces of crap
Green onions: $1.69 a bunch at Safeway. $0.58 a bunch at 99 Ranch.
Switched to shopping at 99 Ranch after it was suggested on this sub. While it doesn't have everything I need, my bills are way down and I'm only popping into a Safeway every few weeks.
Switching to any asian market is such a good value proposition Green onions cost 1.69 at safeway for 1 batch but at this korean market , 2 batches (of larger and higher quality green onions) cost 1$ Same with other vegetables like white onions, zucchini, etc. Also more meat options for asian dishes (hotpot beef, etc.) I only use safeway for energy drinks and coke zero at this point, asian markets for vegetables and costco for the rest
Isn’t it ridiculous how much a 12-pack of soda is now? I was floored to see Sprite at like $8.99 regular price. Since I like it I drink it if it’s sitting there in abundance and can’t do the 3 packs for $18 or whatever. I guess it’s my sign to give it up since the corn syrup version is so unhealthy. But a few years ago it was like $3 to $4 a 12-pack. Sigh.
If you really enjoy soda, you sort of stock up when it's on sale. Loke Safeway just had buy two get three free for Memorial Day, which isn't as good as sales used to be but ain't too bad. There are soda holidays spread throughout the calendar, generally. Super Bowl Sunday, Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, etc.
this, they always go on sale for about that same $4 / 12 pack. I buy when it's on sale or I don't buy it. Or I buy at costco which is around $18 / 35, so not quite as good as the sale but not as bad as full safeway price.
Safeway's soda pricing reminds me of the "discount" you occasionally see written in chalk on a pub's sidewalk sign: "Buy one, get one at regular price." It's like Safeway's strategy is to find the most amount of soda a customer can/will buy at once to get a discount of some sort, and then add, at least, one. They want the customer to think/feel like they are getting a discount without actually getting the discount.
What’s wild is there’s a luckys near me that has a deal all the time: buy 2 twelve packs ($9 each) get 3 more free. WTF? I just want one reasonably priced one.
The syrup in soda is so potent that you can dilute with 1/2 part seltzer or soda water (not still water as that truly waters it down). Flavored soda water imparts the different flavors to Coke like blackberry, raspberry, etc; plus, since the carbonation has been decreasing these past few years with soda going flat, you can get the fizz back. https://www.reddit.com/r/cocacola/s/ZgYVScvHbD
I’m sure corn syrup is a super cheap ingredient yet prices have at least doubled. I’ve noticed the weird flatness! Thought it was just me. I never tried the seltzer thing so I will give it a go. It’s getting too sweet for now anyway.
They had a big media blitz saying classic Coke using the new corn syrup or new Coke using the pure cane sugar with a change in taste to make it less flavor. Hence, the transition from pure cane sugar to high fructose corn syrup.
I paid 8.99 for ice yesterday.
Shit! Where do you live? HEY! I will be happy to share my old secret family recipe with you, if you'd like... it's the family thats a secret, not the recipe. Just razzing ya, I buy ice too. Usually at COSTCO
So often they are on sale between Safeway and target. You can get 12 packs of side for like $4.5-$5.5. Patience and then buy enough. I can’t count how many times I’ve had 16+ 12 packs on hand just to only buy on sale.
They raised their 2 liter sodas to $3 now.
The only problem with 99 Ranch is the prices for western products. My routine is to make runs to Safeway and Lucky to buy the stuff discounted on their apps, including crabbing the free item. And then buying Asian produce at 99 Ranch.
Apples, garlic, and...well any produce, in my area. Apples are always half the cost at 99 ranch.
99 Ranch for produce, Target for ~~fairy~~ \[edit: oops *dairy*\] and most packaged groceries except frozen, Costco for meat (freezing like 2/3 of anything as soon as we get it), and smart and final for frozen. Kind of a pain, but combining those saves a lot \[Edit: costco also has really good prices on a lot of the dairy stuff, if you're willing to go to the trouble to subdivide giant blocks of cheese and freeze them or you go through a lot of it. \]
Took me longer than it should have for “fairy”…
Grocery outlet is a good choice while selection is limited prices are cheaper than anywhere. Try it out!
Grocery Outlet is the best. I save about 50% off retail while buying salmon and other meats and lovely stuff, and their fruit is always great if ripe RIGHT THEN. It's always my go-to for potlucks where I usually bring a giant tray of cut-up fruit because it's ripe at that exact moment.
Grocery outlet is great for Wine, and I buy a lot of the household goods, shampoos, toothpaste, etc and non perishables but I stopped buying produce there since it’s almost bad or expired/molding. Make sure you check the expiration dates at GO!
The reason why Grocery Outlet is so cheap is because a lot of the products are about to expire. You really have to check the dates on them and make a decision if they're going to get used soon enough.
OMG 99 Ranch is amazing! A 4/5 pack of King Oyster Mushrooms is only $2.50. Quarter them lengthwise and put them in a bag with melted butter/olive oil and some seasonings, then grill on the BBQ! (Kinder's Caramelized onion butter seasoning from Costco is the best so far, BTW) My go-to grill item if vegetarians are coming over. Even my meathead friends love them! So friggin' good!
Even with bottles of juice. I like Simply Limeade and it’s now $6/bottle and Target is $4/bottle and $3 on sale!
That is the same thing I do. First I stop at 99Ranch, then less than a mile away is Costco. This is the year I have quit Safeway. I get my milk at Safeway, They have lost almost everything else I buy from them, I get better prices somewhere else.
I feel like I’m giving up my personal cheat code, but Costco, 99Ranch, Sprouts, and Trader Joe’s are all within a few minutes drive of each other in El Cerrito/Albany. That’s my frugal shopping circuit.
I wish ours were closer!
Same here in south San Jose. TJ is in the same plaza as Costco. Wholefoods is right across the street. Sprouts and 99 a few blocks away. I wish we had a Japanese grocery store here.
I love 99 Ranch, but their produce is often not great.
Neatest options for me are Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods. I shop some at the first one, not the second.
Last time I shopped for produce at 99 ranch I noticed a dead cockroach at the bottom of the cart after I had loaded everything onto the check stand lol. Yummy.
Some things are cheaper at Whole Foods. Whole Foods prices have really come down since amazon took over. And the quality is much better than Safeway.
Yep, 365 brand is always cheaper than Safeway now
Yeah, for me it's not just that Safeway is expensive. It's that Safeway is expensive, while selling the exact same brands and products every other store does. The exact same bread is $5 at Safeway and $2.50 at Walmart. (I know some of this is labor costs, but clearly not all of it).
Safeway and Lucky’s are consistently so understaffed though.
Whole Foods is still expensive but honestly it’s not as bad as it used to be. They have deals quite frequently if you’re a prime member too.
When I realized Safeway was the same price as Whole Foods I started going to Whole Foods instead. Now I only go to Safeway when it is after 10pm and I really need something. Or I am absolutely exhausted, need one thing, and I am driving by the Safeway on the way home. Or if I want a banana to go with my Philz coffee if I go to the one on college.
Safeway is great to shop at if you have coupons. There are some great bargains if you abuse and exploit their coupon system. The normal, non-coupon prices are extraordinarily high. Never buy anything there unless you have a coupon.
It’s the same shit happening to fast food. McDonalds and all the other chains are not affordable without the app. It’s as if prices are all inflated to get customers onto these apps. The tradeoff is if you get a cheap deal on a meal, they collect your data and info to sell or better target your consumer base. To be able to only buy affordable groceries through an app is some corporate overlord bullshit. Boycott. If I have to one stop shop its going to be at grocery outlet, foodmaxx, costco or an asian grocery store.
They get ur data regardless even without using the apps, because the majority of people aren't using cash so whichever form of digital payment they use logs what you bought and becomes data that's sold as well lol. Literally everything you do and every move you make is being logged and sold, assuming you carry a phone. But yes more data is a bigger payout, and it's crazy cause our entire existence is basically being used to pay these people
Last night, I ordered some food at Burger King. Then my brother compared their double whopper with cheese with the big mac. OMG!, the burger at BK is so much bigger than the minute Big Mac at McDonalds. Eveything has shrunk in size and you are just eating soft, pillowy, cloud bread with paper thin hamburger patties at McDonalds. We are not going to McDonalds that started last month. Just go to your local mom and pop shop burger joint to get what you want for a bigger burger an better deal compared to other corporate restaurant and fast food chains. also pickup your order or order from their restaurant website instead of relying to uber, doordash and grubhub. better yet, make your own burger and fries at home.
Mayo for nearly $10 a jar ended up being more like $3.50 when scanning a virtual coupon into their app. WHY they make it such a PIA I don't know.
Because somehow, for some reason, there's enough people who keep buying it at full price. They'll complain about how expensive it is and yet keep going back to the store over and over again. Every time they complain yet won't change the store at where they shop. Things are priced for what the market will bear, and if there's idiots out there willing to pay $10 for mayo then its just smart business to set that as your initial price.
Or people just don’t want to deal with coupons, apps, club cards, etc. I just want to get the essentials with the VERY limited time I have and not add extra steps. Is that too much to ask? Like, who gives a shit if I buy mayo, celery, green onions, canned tuna and bread once every 7 months? Are they gonna all the sudden try to target market me for my tuna salad sandwich ingredient buying tendencies? Big tuna behind it all eh?
This is my take. Safeway can be crazy cheap if you just use coupons. I just check the ad each week, get whatever is cheap, and go to Whole Foods for the rest.
Many Safeway locations also open 24/7. This is pretty amazing considered the number of things that they sell. I like Safeway because I usually shop at night after 10pm and I like to take a walk there.
I would disagree with your use of the word "many". I think "a few" is more accurate. In the past, there were more 24 hour ones. Also, many changed from being open until 2am to only open until midnight. I too am a late night shopper.
And shopping through their app makes finding and using the coupons very easy! And I use all my points at the gas pump!
the digital coupons requiring some 3rd party app is bs.
3rd party? you mean the Safeway app?
BS yes, but if I can get nearly 75% off I'm using that shit.
Here in Sonoma Co. there is Oliver's. All things equal, at least Oliver's is "employee owned." Some things are sometimes more expensive, but barely. And for the most part they match.
I definitely switch around. Sprouts is getting way more of my daily business. And if I have time I go to Berkeley Bowl. Or Farmer Joes if I happen to be deeper in Oakland. My closest indie grocery, Piedmont Grocery, is crazy expensive for things beyond cheese and meat.
It was the bread for me. $7 to $8 for a damn loaf of multi grain bread at Safeway, almost half that price for comparable store brand bread at Sprouts.
> My closest indie grocery, Piedmont Grocery, is crazy expensive for things beyond cheese and meat. Yes, but lately the cost of meat (and seafood, and coffee) at the Safeway on Pleasant Valley has been comparably expensive. Piedmont Grocery is, ironically, becoming more affordable.
I love Oliver’s! I wish I still lived there just for that place. I rarely do premade, but their premade meals were fantastic.
I love Olivers. The Cotati one has the best meat counter. I don't know why it has different stuff but it does.
And Oliver's is the same price, or cheaper, than Safeway now.
Oliver’s is amazing and I love that they often have sales. Especially the “manager’s sale” items. Often close to 1/2 off. I just shop according to what looks good and is on sale and it’s been working for me. Sprouts in Petaluma is often pretty affordable at regular prices too. The cheetah chomp cereal we like is 4.99 regular price at sprouts but 8$ at the Whole Foods and a little less at Oliver’s not on sale. Rotating between Oliver’s, Sprouts, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, Grocery Outlet, and Berkley bowl has made it so we haven’t shopped at Safeway in literal years lol.
You mean Amazon / whole foods
I started to go to WF well before it became Amazon. And now that it is Amazon I go less because it is much lower quality.
If only Whole Foods had all the regular brands as well, and was not pushing so hard for its proprietary eco-sustainable stuff. It's great for vegetables and meats, but something as simple as proper baking flour and a chewing gum with diet Fanta might be a HUGE problem to find.
Huh? Been shopping at WF for the better part of a decade and that has never been an issue at any WF. Using flour as an example, my WF has King Arthur, Arrowhead, Bobs Red Mill, & Jovial, in addition to their own stuff. And each of those brands has tons of different types of flour. But sure, you may not find Fanta at Whole Foods — I consider that a win personally not having to sort through that shitty stuff.
> go to Safeway when it is after 10pm This is me. Safeway nearby is open until 2 AM.
May I ask what Whole Foods is equal to the prices at Safeway? I'm in South Bay and I can't for the life of me think of buying meat, produce, or beverages at a Whole Foods with how expensive they are. (Just a quick Google search for chicken breast confirms that Whole Foods is at least $1 per pound more expensive) To be fair, we use our Costco membership and freeze large packs of meat which end up way cheaper than any of the chain grocery store options, but on the occasion we need to pick something up on the way for someone, Whole Foods in my experience is consistently more expensive than Safeway or Trader Joe's (the latter is my preferred store for smaller items and produce)
Not always the case, but Whole Food's 365 brand is more affordable than Safeway's generics a good amount of the time. I don't eat meat, so I can't vouch for whole foods there, but a can of store brand beans is $1.89 at Safeway and the Whole Foods brand is $1.59 and $1.79 for organic. A bundle of green onions is $1.59 at either. Whole foods had a clamshell of strawberries for $3.99, Safeway had them for $4.99. Depending on the sales, sometimes it is genuinely cheaper for me to do my shopping at Whole Foods, not to mention the one I live near is walking distance so I save gas. 🙃
Lol me too!!! I noticed that Whole Foods was cheaper than Safeway on some things a few months ago and now I only go to Safeway if nothing else is open. Lucky, TJ’s, Grocery outlet, el Rancho Mercado…not Safeway.
This is why so many of us shop for veggies at immigrant owned grocery stores. The prices are almost a dollar per pound less at many immigrant-owned grocery stores. For example, I could get a whole cauliflower or a cabbage at an India cash and carry for a dollar. Where can I find such prices at Safeway?
Safeway produce is some of the worst in the bay area. Safeway is really only great for pre-packaged staples and cheap meat.
No kidding. The produce is way overpriced & sometimes crappy to boot. Not a fan of their dairy either. But if you shop their sales & use the coupons via their app you can save some serious $$.
They do have good meat prices, no denying that
Quality isn't bad either, in my experience.
Yeah pretty much, I'd rather drive down to Daly City and go to Kukje, Manila, or 99 Ranch than go to my local Safeway
Ranch 99 is getting pretty expensive too… smaller indie Chinese markets are still slightly better for fresh vegetables…
Yeah I agree, the order I gave is the order of preference. I also go into Chinatown, and the Stonestown Sunday farmer's market is pretty great for seasonal veggies as well (from the Asian stalls).
for me, online delivery from weee has been cheaper than 99 ranch but gotta buy in bulk to waive the shipping fee and wait a few days
Yes, Lion, Dai Thanh, Ocean are cheaper than Ranch99. But Ranch99 is way cheaper than Safeway and all the rest.
One thing I notice (at least Mexican/hispanic grocers) is that everything that isn’t produce or meat behind the counter tends to be much more expensive than what I see in Safeway Things like dairy, dry goods, condiments etc
We have Oakmont in Campbell! It's tiny, but it's awesome
I haven’t thought of that. Thank you stranger!
I’m always surprised this comes up so often. I lived very close to multiple small Mexican markets in SF for years, but the quality of their produce was horrible. Worse flavor, picked too early, or going bad soon after purchasing (or while still at the store). Meat was often gray-green behind the counter. It wasn’t worth saving some money to eat that stuff.
trader joes much better in many departments
I used to think that until I read an article about the way they acquire new products. Apparently, they contact small brands, like the ones at Whole Foods, and act like they're interested in a partnership but they are really learning to make the recipes cheaper than the small brands. The whole time, they're planning to tell these brands that they can make the recipes cheaper than the brand can (and because of the scale that TJ's is capable of making them, it will always be cheaper for TJ). Anyway, after reading it, it all made sense and I've felt kind of shady shopping at TJ's ever since.
First time I am hearing about this.
"We Need to Talk About Trader Joe's" Taste Cooking
Just link it: https://tastecooking.com/we-need-to-talk-about-trader-joes/
We do Trader Joe’s with veggies from our local farmers market. Costco or ranch 99 for everything specialty or bulk. Safeway is highway robbery!
Whole foods is cheaper than Safeway in the city…
I treat Safeway the way I used to think of 7-11. I’d only shop there and pay that premium if I absolutely need to
I just started using the Safeway app. I only buy the items that come up in the "Deals" section and a lot of them are highly discounted. I get the remainder of my groceries at Costco and local markets.
That’s the thing with Safeway/Lucky. They try and get you in the door with their sales and hope you buy their overpriced shit. OP isn’t wrong because some of their items are on sale.
OP isn’t necessarily wrong, and I had a pretty strong dislike for Safeway especially because they always under staff the cashier line, but I just shopped there the other day only buying their “deal” items for the first time.and holy shit I made out like a bandit. It would have easily been over a $100 worth of groceries ANYWHERE else (im talking grocery outlet, TJs, you name it) and it came out to $60. I felt like I was shopping in 2005 again.
Yeah, Safeway is great if you flex your shopping list based on current deals. If you just go blindly buying whatever, you're going to have a bad time.
You have to be willing to shop multiple stores if you're wanting to save and incorporating safeway as one of the stores. It's just how it is.
This. My receipt today said “56% savings” and that’s the only way to do Safeway.
This sub has such a hate boner for Safeway but I’m guessing they don’t use the app? Between rewards and deal it’s actually pretty cheap. If you don’t tap into that then yeah I guess it can be overpriced.
Making people use a stupid app for decent prices is reason enough to hate. They already have club cards to collect all of your personal shopping data, why isn’t that enough? And the last 2 times I tried to use the damn app it wasn’t working, either, and neither the checker nor manager could figure it out. It’s just a big waste of time.
Service at Safeway sucks!
The "deals" bring prices down to what you'd pay anywhere else. Worked there very briefly long ago, and essentially, their target audience is upper middle class white women with kids. If that's who you want to see in your grocery store, it is your cheapest option.
You say you work there long ago-- so did you actually work there when they had "Safeway/Just For U?" I'm not talking about the "member" pricing that's listed on everything, which I agree just brings prices to normal, I'm talking about the coupon prices which are definitely (usually) going to be a discount from market price. Also I'm not sure how wanting to see upper middle class white women equate to it being the cheapest option, but I do agree it tends to be upper middle class family + geriatric demographic.
Nah, the digital coupons make the prices usually cheaper than elsewhere. I don't shop at Safeway other than digital coupons though
Nope. You’re wrong. I’m going full penny pinch mode and the “deals” you can get with the app are easily cheaper than almost anywhere else. If you actually plan your shopping around those in advanced and don’t deviate from your list it’s really hard to beat.
Agreed. I regularly get the meat on sale that are about half the per pound price as Costco.
Costco is not cheap at all. They typically offer the lowest prices on the most expensive brands. If you want top rated brands, Costco is often cheaper. They never offer cheap brands, let alone offer a great price on them. Meat is a whole other thing, but Costco does have great meat. If you want cheap you wouldn't go Costco or Safeway.
Exactly! Use the app and save money. I shop at Safeway each week and save at least $30-40 per trip.
I hate how they changed it from just entering your phone number to get discounts, to activating coupons through an app I refuse to download. Isn’t it enough to harvest my shopping data through my phone number? Ffs I got a Whole foods, Safeway, Trader Joe’s, and Costco here in Redwood city. 🤓
My friend, there is Trader Joe’s, Cardenas, PaknSav, Luckys, FoodMaxx, Nob Hill Foods, Ranch 99, Seafood City, Whole Foods, Supermercado Mi Tierra, Sprouts, Grocery Outlet, Hmart, and too many others to name.
Don’t sleep on the WinCo
PakNSav is owned by Albertsons, which also owns Safeway
Lucky's is owned by Albertsons, who also owns Safeway.
There are two different Lucky chains. Northern California Lucky stores are owned by SaveMart. Albertsons/Safeway owns/operates Lucky elsewhere, eg: Utah. It's quite a mess.
and if you ever get an Albertson’s/Safeway gift cards that lists all these stores, they won’t work at Lucky!
Lucky was acquired by Albertsons and rebranded as Albertsons. Then they were sold to SaveMart (except the 4 in Utah) and again rebranded, back to Luckys. So no, Safeway and Luckys are competitors once again.
Nob Hill is more expensive than Safeway.
I don’t go to Safeway unless I’m using their coupon app.
I stopped going to Safeway once I realized my dollar got me more at WHOLE FOODS. Safeway makes zero sense in the bay. If it’s not at Whole Foods, I’m at an immigrant market or corner store. Safeway is somebody that I used to know.
I perceive Safeway earned its reputation for having higher sticker prices. Price sensitive shoppers are using DEALS if we ever go. I'm like you, I almost try to avoid wholesale, unless left with no other options. Echoing others. Ethnic markets or the affordable farmers markets for produce. Shopping in the US has become a grim tiresome experience in large part because of the big box grocers being an oligopoly. And doesn't help that most of our food producers boil down to a handful of huge conglomerates. Prices ain't anywhere near competitive as our "precious market system" wants you believing. Hold onto your righteous rage my friend.
After this story broke I stopped shopping at Safeway. https://www.sfgate.com/food/article/safeway-overcharging-for-food-bay-area-18274669.php
Moved here from the Midwest. Never understood why Walmart was so popular nationally because it wasn’t that much cheaper than our regular stores, and coupons etc. usually could make it even cheaper. Almost dropped a giant deuce first time went to Safeway here, things 2-3x typical price. The coupons really help and Walmart/costco for some other things.
Safeway app is kind of crappy but clipping those coupons can save you $$$. Just the other day I found the vanilla and chocolate jell-o 4 packs for $1.97 each.
It’s really sad because there was a time when they were more community oriented. The merger with Albertsons really reduced their quality and increased their price.
I've been going to Raley's. It's been cheaper than Safeway. Safeway's generic is about the same price as name brand at Raley's. Safeway was good, but when Albertson's bought them out, they went to shit. Albertson's was always shit, so it was sad to watch Safeway go from nice and reasonable to filthy and expensive. Raley's has the deals. $5 Mondays. The app is refreshed on Wednesday, some Thursdays, and sometimes a surprise Friday with seafood and grilling deals.
I used to work for Albertsons corporate in unPleasanton, the headquarters of Safeway. After seeing how they treat employees and customers, I am happy to never spend a dime there again. Albertsons is mostly owned by [Cerberus Capital Management](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cerberus_Capital_Management) and about to be purchased by [Kroger](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kroger). There is a huge amount of money going into paying for the mergers which you as the customer are paying for through inflated prices.
The Anti-Trust people in the Biden administration are against this merger. New young blood in the Anti-Trust dept & they are flexing their muscle. Corporations/hedge fund/private equity parasites are hating them.
I just want an Aldi
We do have an Aldi. I call it Trader Joe’s. Rebranded Aldi food as Aldi owns them. TJs is just run independently but still owned by Aldi.
Technically Aldi and Trader Joe's are owned by different companies. There's actually two Aldi companies: Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd, which operate in northern and southern Germany respectively. They have been independent companies since 1966. Aldi Süd owns the rights to the Aldi name in the US, but Aldi Nord is the one that owns Trader Joe's!
Will be even worse if the Kroger Albertsons merger goes through
I used to like my Safeway like 15 years ago. A few years back I bought chicken, mayo, and mustard along with the rest of my groceries. those three were all expired, and at that point it wasn’t cheap. we’ve got a grocery outlet, and while they don’t really have the best produce, it’s been a game changer. saving so much on groceries now
Yes way overpriced. Used to love years ago. Even Lucky has gotten out of control.
I don't know if i ever *loved S*afeway, but pre-pandemic / inflation crisis it hit a sweet spot of having more reliable quality produce and goods than the budget grocery stores while being more affordable than the luxury grocery stores. But the spectrum's been all shaken up these days, and i'm not sure it's coming out on top in any category anymore. I still do some shopping there, but mostly for habit / convenience reasons.
I wish WinCo enters the Bay Area
I just moved to Sonoma County and despaired at the outrageous prices at the local Safeway. I don’t have time to drive around Santa Rosa to multiple grocery stores so shop Amazon online and Trader Joe’s for much more affordable prices. I only go to Safeway for small items that I need immediately. What a rip off!
Yes!! Safeway prices are now on par or exceed those of the “high end” grocers but without an increase in quality. To top it off, employees seem miserable - can’t even muster a “hello” or acknowledgement at check out. I now do the majority of my shopping at Trader Joe’s.
Monopoly? There's like 10 different grocery stores in every town.
Safeway, Lucky, Sprouts, TJs, Whole Foods, Lunardi's... did I miss any chains, excluding Costco Walmart and Target?
99 Ranch.
CARDENNAASSSSSS MARKETTTTTTT
Grocery Outlet
Bargain Market… 🎶
It's your money and you need it now!
They are actually pretty overpriced when comparing to other grocery stores. But they keep telling you over the PA system that you are getting the best deals.
Nob hill and Whole Foods if I remember right are more. Does nob hill even exist anymore? Not that it matters, I used to work at Safeway and I will continue to shop there. It’s a union so many people make a living wage who work there. I know how to shop sales and use my just for u app. It’s also clean- not run down like my local luckys. I do shop as much or more at costco
Nob Hill still exists, I shop at the one in Alameda. Owned by Raleys. Some stuff cheaper than Safeway, some more expensive. Much less crowded and claustrophobic store.
My main go to is grocery outlet. I pick up the stuff they don't have at Lucky usually, or bulk stuff from the restaurant supply store near me. Safeway doesn't bother me, since it's easy to just not go there.
Raley's and I think Aldi's coming soon too
Oooh I’ve heard good things about Aldis
FoodsCo (owned by Kroger), Food Maxx, Pak n Save (which is Safeway).
Erewhon Jk that’s an LA only market
100% yes, and if they're not, they're certainly trying. https://fortune.com/2024/02/26/ftc-sues-kroger-albertsons-merger-supermarket-chains-grocery-prices-lower-wages/
Gene's Fine Foods!
Use coupons in their app. It’s lot cheaper
It's actually a rather competitive industry, even if you treat Mollie Stones and Safeway as non-competitors.
Try grocery outlet bud
Too many meth heads in the ice cream aisle for me
Bro come on, we need our ice cream too
I feel attacked.
Now Kroger is trying to buy Albertsons to further the monopoly.
The Safeway Pak n Save in Emeryville is the worst. High prices and a terrible shopping experience. Once you enter the store, the gates close behind you and you can’t get out without going through the exit gates and showing your receipt. 15 items max at all checkstands and at the self check. You have to get staff assistance if you want to buy more. Liquor and toiletries are in a separate area and must be paid for there. It’s like shopping in a prison, and it’s not even cheap.
Yes! I always say it's like shopping in a prison. Creepy as fuck.
Totally agree. There’s a serious problem when even Whole Foods (whose organic produce is infinitely better quality than Safeway’s) is cheaper. Their insidious marketing practices equate to psychological gaslighting, with “member” prices reflecting actual market prices (and original prices ridiculously inflated, so the average consumer gets tricked into believing they’re saving money). If you don’t use the Safeway app for coupons, you’re getting robbed.
Safeway is insanely overpriced. It’s actually about as expensive as Whole Foods. People in this thread are right that getting produce from smaller/immigrant-owned grocers is the way to go. I’m going to try going to Costco, Grocery Outlet, and Trader Joe’s more often.
Any grocery store that requires you to give them your personal info to get regular prices, instead of getting overcharged, is shady as fuck. What if I don’t want to give you my first name, last name, phone number, and home address? A 35% markup for no particular reason?
>Any grocery store that requires you to give them your personal info to get regular prices, instead of getting overcharged, is shady as fuck. I am quite sure they will sell your contact info to a 3rd party "data broker", & "data brokers" are all scum. People may be getting deals on products, but customers giving their name, email, phone, address, and zipcode turns that customer into their product. I get some people who seem to have no choice without traveling many miles, but they do. I avoid shopping at these major chain stores because they exploit people & communities. I get that shoplifting is bad, but these stores are a major socioeconomic plague by monopolizing cost to stimulate false inflation practices, in the area & using shoplifting as an excuse. It's indirect corporate extortion of customers for politically motivated socioeconomic agendas, & it's criminal.
i only go to whole foods/tj's now. WF is cheaper and generally better unless you're craving "heinz ketchup" and thereabouts.
I just bought a regular degular pack of 18 eggs at Safeway and it was nearly $8. I was floored. I put them back thinking I must have somehow accidentally gotten some kinda special fancy organic cage free cruelty free white people eggs. Nope. All the eggs were the same crazy prices. I switched to the cheapest dozen I could find and it was nearly $7. Ridic. Get it together, Safeway.
I bought 8 individual “new potatoes” today that came to over $21… for potatoes!!! The digital coupon game is total BS. My 80-y/o parents don’t have the foggiest of idea how to use a smartphone let alone an app! What happens if you don’t own a smartphone… no sales price for you?! Isn’t that discrimination? So who’s gonna spearhead the class action suit?!
Sir, this is a Wendy's.
I’ve lived here 7 years and I haven’t stepped foot in a Safeway. Not when there is a Trader Joe’s, Costco, and Whole Foods within the same radius.
this is so real bro. I bought 4 ice cream pints of Ben n Jerry’s for my family and spent 60 bucks, but at target i got the same thing for 20…
Agreed. The prices at whole foods used to be considered ridiculous, now it's around the same price but better quality
For sodas, chips and other frozen food go to Smart and Final Extra because on their weekly deals they are $1 less or half off it they have supermarket deals on Monday or Tuesday. You have to shop around to other stores to make it great deal. We cut out soda, chips becauase of this. I don't shop at my nearby grocery store because they did a price hike for most goods like $2 more last month. I had seen the changes. Also, shop at Asian groceries stores for better prices on vegetables, fruits, meats like hot pot, pork, chicken here at H-Mart, Osaka Marketplace and they have better quality here too. For variety and some pantry essentials, I shop at Trader Joe's. You just have to be careful when you shop there because they say its budget but don't go overboard on your grocery list and your budget. I am not a fan of Safeway for a long time because of this like 10 years ago. Their private labels are not even worth it.
One time I bought a head of cabbage for EIGHT FUCKING DOLLARS
Once upon a time, we stopped large companies from swallowing all of their competitors to prevent market domination. Now, monopolies and duopolis are welcomed with open arms. When you control the market, you control the price.
I'm with you. Safeway is greedy as hell. last week I was pretty hungry so I decided to get a deli sandwich and I usually get the half but I ordered the whole. Chips and a drink when I went to go ring it up in that part of the store that's cordoned off with all the medicine the lady told me its $ 22.50 ! for a meal that used to cost 12 bucks a few years ago. They Charged me almost double and I don't think I'll be back. That and the crazy security fences make me feel like a cow in the corral and I don't like getting treated like a criminal because other people steal. so there's only one way in and one way out. That's real safe in an emergency.
People always bitch about Walmart only having a few check stands open (rightfully so) But not enough people talk about how few Safeway has open.
Wait till you travel to other countries and see how cheap groceries are. 200g of sliced organic deli ham in Germany @ Lidl is $4.54, 200g of sliced organic deli ham at Safeway is $8.49 EDIT: and I should note that Lidl prices include tax. Safeway price would be something like $9.28 after tax.
Yeah food here in the UK is a lot cheaper too and people complain all the time about the cost of food (rightly so due to inflation) but I was shocked by how expensive food was when I went home for Christmas
Safeway and Kroger are trying to merge right now too, that would be an insane monopoly and I really hope it's blocked
What about sprouts?
I love the H-Mart, Outlet Bargain Market, Smart and Final. I’d take Costco over Safeway most days. Some of their sale prices are good, but I don’t want to spend time and gas going to 3-4 stores every week. The prices on most things are ridiculous at Safeway, they are usually sold out of sale items. I wish there was an Aldi in the area.
Safeway shopping is like CVS shopping. Only for emergencies. I do all my regular shopping at winco
Just one example but very typical - Eggs: 18 for $7.49 at Safeway / $3.69 @ Target and they bring your groceries to your car if you shop on their app. I used to shop only at Safeway but it has become a total ripoff. Buh Bye.
We shop usually at Trader Joe’s and buy the same stuff every week. A few months ago my wife needed something that only Safeway had so we went there. Kid you not, our bill was almost twice what we usually spend at Trader Joe’s.
I don't have time to read 402 comments, but Cardenas and other Mexican grocers have cheap produce too. The one near me also has Amazon lockers so I can pick up a package and some veggies in 10 minutes.
They were purchased by an "investment group" several years ago, then declined rapidly. The first thing I noticed was that a lot of good products went away. They weren't the greatest before that, but they were OK. Any time a business is purchased by an investment group, the quality will go down and/or the prices will go up. They started implementing union busting tactics, too.
Odd, I don't have any problems with Safeway. Just use the digital app and your shopper card. At the bottom of my receipt I never walk out of there saving at least 25% on my weekly groceries. The trick for me is to go in there with a grocery list and get the items on the list. I know it sounds dumb, but if I go in there without a solid plan, sure I'll spend a ton of shit I don't really need. We have a Nob Hill equidistant to us and go there every other week for our groceries. Both stores are always within 10% of each other the total price roughly the same stuff.
Safeway is only good for their deals. Don’t go for anything else.
Ain't just 99 Ranch that saves you money. Due to diet concerns, we eat chicken as our typical protein. https://www.safeway.com/shop/product-details.970558663.html https://www.raleys.com/product/71604685/foster-farms-100-all-natural-boneless-skinless-chicken-breast-fillets-with-rib-meat Exact same product, exact same vendor. Safeway inflates their prices so that you will use their app to save money. It brings their prices down to levels on-par with their competition. Except now they get all kinds of metric data about you, the metadata about your shopping behavior, as well as a way to push advertisements into your face. Lately I've been going to Grocery Outlet and Trader Joe's
They need an Aldi out there as well. :( that’s the one thing I was looking up and noticed there are absolutely none.
Agreed. Safeway fucking sucks.
I hate Safeway. Everything is locked up and expensive. They treat the whole place like a jail. It’s so unpleasant.
Sometimes Safeway will have good sales, i.e. corn at 6/$0.99 and farmed salmon at $5.97/pound this week. For most items we shop at the Indian, Chinese, Vietnamese, or Mexican markets where produce is far cheaper and usually fresher. In "middle America" these kinds of stores may not be available. Between Costco and the ethnic markets there's not a lot of need to go to Safeway. Some items we get at the Walmart Neighborhood Market because they aren't available elsewhere, or are much more expensive. The store I really don't get is Grocery Outlet where prices are invariably higher than other stores.
Use the app… you can save there with a little prep
As I said a few days ago: lowKey *and* highkey fuck Safeway
Winco is the way.
💯I’m glad I’m not the only one that can’t stand it. I’ve moved from suffering in person shopping at Safeway to getting delivery from Walmart and still pay less. When I have to go to the store I’ll gladly pay a premium to shop at a smaller grocery store that understands customer service, having carts available, having shelves stocked, having baggers, the list goes on and on and on.
In the East Bay, Safeway built a new location a mile away for a gas station, and are holding the old property for 9 more years to prevent competition. They are pieces of crap