Anonymous
Post 01/02/2014 19:38     Subject: Giant food needs to go
Giant is NOT cheap. I can buy the exact same items for much less at Trader Joe's and Harris Teeter.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2014 18:46     Subject: Re:Giant food needs to go
I prefer Giant to Safeway. They carry more of the brands that I actually buy.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2014 11:01     Subject: Giant food needs to go
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Within a couple of years self checkout and RF checkout will be common, except for the old folks who need the social interaction and still write checks! Already self checkout at giant saves 15 minutes off my trips there.


Except when people who are too stupid to figure out how to use it take forever to check out.


Giant solved this problem at the downtown silver spring store by having self checkout only lanes (and having 6 of them.) This is going to be the trend at newly renovated stores I hear. There will always be regular checkout options for the old, immigrant, and other people who can't figure out the technology.


I don't mind self-checkouts for small orders. A cart full of $200 worth of stuff when I'm by myself? It's a pain because it's hard to bag everything. There isn't enough space to ring and then bag.


Bag as you go. Problem solved!
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2014 10:23     Subject: Giant food needs to go
Anonymous wrote:I don't see how Giant is any different from any other grocery store. The non-processed foods are on the perimeter (although watch out at the bakery section...tons of non-food items in their products), and the processed stuff is in the aisles. This is true at every WF, Safeway and Wegemen's I've been to lately. Trader Joes is almost all processed anyway. Just because a processed food says "natural" or has fancy packaging doesn't make it less processed.


I think people who don't eat much processed foods find Giant deplorable. It is because their FRESH food is gross. Old and of poor quality. It would be one thing if Giant was cheap, but it is expensive! SuperTarget has better produce than Giant. Fact.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2014 09:59     Subject: Giant food needs to go
I don't see how Giant is any different from any other grocery store. The non-processed foods are on the perimeter (although watch out at the bakery section...tons of non-food items in their products), and the processed stuff is in the aisles. This is true at every WF, Safeway and Wegemen's I've been to lately. Trader Joes is almost all processed anyway. Just because a processed food says "natural" or has fancy packaging doesn't make it less processed.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2014 09:35     Subject: Giant food needs to go
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Within a couple of years self checkout and RF checkout will be common, except for the old folks who need the social interaction and still write checks! Already self checkout at giant saves 15 minutes off my trips there.


Except when people who are too stupid to figure out how to use it take forever to check out.


Giant solved this problem at the downtown silver spring store by having self checkout only lanes (and having 6 of them.) This is going to be the trend at newly renovated stores I hear. There will always be regular checkout options for the old, immigrant, and other people who can't figure out the technology.


I don't mind self-checkouts for small orders. A cart full of $200 worth of stuff when I'm by myself? It's a pain because it's hard to bag everything. There isn't enough space to ring and then bag.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2014 08:27     Subject: Giant food needs to go
Giant ain't cheap, PP. I used to buy the Blue Diamond Almonds in the big bags there. They were priced at 7-something a bag and were often on sale at 5-something a bag.

Shopped there last night and noticed that, while those almonds were "on sale," they were on sale for 7.99. They'd raised the price to 9-something a bag. (CVS and Walgreens often have those bags on sale for 5-something, so there hasn't been a massive almond price change due to some shortage.)

So Giant is NOT cheap. Plus, sometimes items are listed as on sale but don't ring up on sale (an issue with the scanning system). Be careful, and watch your receipts--at least at the Vienna store.

I only go there because it's so damn close.
Anonymous
Post 01/02/2014 05:49     Subject: Giant food needs to go
OP can continue paying 3x as much at Mom's so I don't have to bump into her snobby ass at Giant.
Anonymous
Post 12/31/2013 17:57     Subject: Giant food needs to go
I understand the technology; it's more that Giant is not a discount store, so I'm already paying for the service of having someone else ring up and bag my groceries. Giant used to have people out front who'd load your groceries in your car, too.

It's pretty brilliant how they've managed to convince people to continue to pay more, but get less service.

And their produce is appalling, months old and often visibly withered and moldy, lacking any nutrition.
Anonymous
Post 12/31/2013 17:44     Subject: Giant food needs to go
Giant and safeway are gross if you eat fresh foods. I drive 30 min out of my way each week to make it to an Oasis among deplorable grocery and hit Wegmans. Since I actually do cook from scratch giant, SW, and Harris Teeter just will NOT do.
Anonymous
Post 12/31/2013 11:21     Subject: Giant food needs to go
Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:Within a couple of years self checkout and RF checkout will be common, except for the old folks who need the social interaction and still write checks! Already self checkout at giant saves 15 minutes off my trips there.


Except when people who are too stupid to figure out how to use it take forever to check out.


Giant solved this problem at the downtown silver spring store by having self checkout only lanes (and having 6 of them.) This is going to be the trend at newly renovated stores I hear. There will always be regular checkout options for the old, immigrant, and other people who can't figure out the technology.
Anonymous
Post 12/31/2013 11:19     Subject: Giant food needs to go
Anonymous wrote:

Safeway is fine, and while the people who work at the Sangamore Rd Safeway are really nice, there is ALWAYS a huge wait at checkout. They have about 12 checkout aisles, but never more than 2 or three that are open. I would go there more often, but it is not worth the hassle.


Sangamore Rd Safeway? The "Customer Service" people are the WORST. Won't go back there. And agree about the checkouts.
Anonymous
Post 12/31/2013 10:50     Subject: Giant food needs to go
Anonymous wrote:Within a couple of years self checkout and RF checkout will be common, except for the old folks who need the social interaction and still write checks! Already self checkout at giant saves 15 minutes off my trips there.


Except when people who are too stupid to figure out how to use it take forever to check out.
Anonymous
Post 12/31/2013 10:47     Subject: Giant food needs to go
Within a couple of years self checkout and RF checkout will be common, except for the old folks who need the social interaction and still write checks! Already self checkout at giant saves 15 minutes off my trips there.
Anonymous
Post 12/31/2013 10:33     Subject: Giant food needs to go
Anonymous wrote:Safeway sucks and this is why, Obvious Safeway Social Media Person.

I buy a lot of store brand for my staples and unless there's a sale, Giant is always cheaper in my experience.

I will not buy meat at Safeway. It goes bad after a day in the fridge at home. The seafood I've never tried, it always looks like shit that sat for three days at the fishmongers.

Barring the new Safeway on Arlington Road, every Safeway I've been in feels smaller and dirtier. Maybe it's just the lighting, but it feels a bit claustrophic to me.

Honestly though, the only reason I shop at Giant is because Shoppers, Aldi, and Wegmans are too far away. Anymore I make a monthly trip to Wegmans or Aldi's up in Germantown to stock up on meat and staples. If I run out, then I go to Giant.






Safeway is fine, and while the people who work at the Sangamore Rd Safeway are really nice, there is ALWAYS a huge wait at checkout. They have about 12 checkout aisles, but never more than 2 or three that are open. I would go there more often, but it is not worth the hassle.