3 On Your Side: Consumers' Checkbook Rates Supermarkets
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- When it comes to grocery shopping, are you married to one supermarket or do you play the field? 3 On Your Side Consumer Reporter Jim Donovan finds that depending on where you shop, you could be shelling out thousands of dollars more a year than you have necessary. In fact, he's got the meat and potatoes on the latest supermarket prices and where you can save big.
Filling up a grocery cart each week can cost big bucks, and the battle for your shopping dollar has never been more fierce. "Here in the Delaware Valley there are really more supermarket chains warring for your dollar than ever," says Kevin Brasler, Executive Editor of Delaware Valley Consumers' Checkbook.
Armed with identical shopping lists, researchers from Checkbook visited supermarkets across the region. They compared prices on 151 items, everything from soup to nuts and everything in between. Brasler says, "Meat, produce, non-perishables, bakery goods, things most consumers buy when they go shopping."
Checkbook found that when price is a priority, Walmart simply can't be beat. One reason why their prices are so low has to do with their purchasing power. Brasler says, "They buy a lot of stuff and they can demand lower prices from their suppliers."
Target came in second place for pricing. Brasler says, "It's a strategy of we'll get people in the store buying groceries, which have a low profit margin, but while they're here they'll probably buy something else that has a higher profit margin." Shopper Mandee Lipsman says, "For basic things, they're just always the best price."
And hold on to your shopping cart, Wegmans came in third! Brasler says, "Every time we do this, we are wowed by Wegmans." Shopper Ralph Greene says, ""I would have thought that they were the most expensive." And Wegmans is tops when it comes to quality. According to Brasler "It's not even close, 92% of customers say it's superior overall."
Back at the register Checkbook found low prices at other supermarkets too. Redner's ranked #4, Food Lion was #5, Giant #6, and ShopRite #7. "It looks to us like Giant and ShopRite have tried to shift their prices downward to compete with the low-priced stores," says Brasler.
Weis and Acme trail in the distance. In fact Brasler says, "Switching from Acme to Wegmans would save you $1,000 over the course of a year."
Checkbook researchers found that Pathmark and Super Fresh have the highest prices of traditional supermarkets. But Whole Foods shoppers by far pay the most.
The bottom line? Brasler says, "You can save a lot of money by making a simple shift to a different store."
By the way, Checkbook found that Aldi had incredibly low prices too, although a much more limited selection and very few national brands.
For the next week CBS3 viewers have free access to Checkbooks' price survey results and quality ratings.
