Comments on: Whole Foods vs. Safeway

By: Randy

Randy — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 23:20:11 +0000

Safeway offers low prices and specials on some items – and other items are breathtakingly high. And what’s with these “new lower prices?” If a small box of Pop Secret is a buck cheaper now, were they just gouging us before? I find their games really aggravating, so I spend my grocery money at WFM or TJ’s instead.

By: Comrade Jack

Comrade Jack — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 21:15:33 +0000

There is a big difference between the two however outlined in this blog right here. Safeway is a union store, whole foods isn't.

By: Camille

Camille — Wed, 17 Dec 2008 16:59:18 +0000

Thanks for such a great blog! We just got a new safeway in the Pearl District in Portland and I’ve often wondered if the organics at safeway were the same price as at whole foods…

I think i’m still going to do my own study and blog..to compare and contrast..though, safeway doesn’t carry much free range, hormone free, or grass fed…

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:46:36 +0000

small milk

By: Eric Faller

Eric Faller — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 17:19:25 +0000

Hmm that’s interesting. I did not account for club card discounts in my prices. I wonder how much that might affect it…

By: Anonymous

Anonymous — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 07:01:02 +0000

Today the 8.9 oz. Cheerios are $2.49 at Safeway in Honolulu with a club card.

By: Eric Faller

Eric Faller — Fri, 09 May 2008 03:39:08 +0000

Hmm, it doesn’t sound familiar. What class are you thinking of?

By: Amber

Amber — Thu, 08 May 2008 19:29:59 +0000

Didn’t we do a project on something similar to this in high school?

By: SKO!

SKO! — Tue, 06 May 2008 15:40:10 +0000

Its still hard to compare imo. Were any of the items in any comparison on sale of any kind? The milk is much smaller then a gallon (or even smaller then 1/2 gallon).

In theory by price parity will generally even things out (i.e. milk isnt so cheap in one area you could buy a bunch and sell it in another area for a huge profit). While the safeway vs whole foods in a given area is a bit different. comparing prices across borders ventures into something similar to the big mac index (http://www.economist.com/markets/bigmac/index.cfm) where the theory is you can tell if a currency is over or under valued according to its relative big mac price.

By: Simon

Simon — Mon, 05 May 2008 17:40:14 +0000

You don’t pay tax on unprepared food in England.

English grocery store prices have actually gone up a lot since I left the UK in 2002. I don’t think the difference has anything to do with the weakening dollar, since food in England was still a lot cheaper in 2002 when the exchange rate was closer to $1.40 to the pound.

One comparison I particularly like is with soup. In England, you can get a large can of tomato soup for about 30 pence (approx 58 cents). They sell the same cans in World Market for $2.50, whereas a can of Campbell’s Condensed (which tastes disgusting in comparison) is $1.99. How does Campbell’s soup cost so much when it is made in the USA? It probably costs less than a cent to manufacture.

I think people will continue to pay “expected” prices for certain items. In the USA, people expect to pay $2-3 for a good loaf of bread. In England, people would be horrified to pay more than 50 pence (about a dollar). On the flip side, people in England will gladly pay 14k pounds for an economy car, but in the USA, the same can be had for 14k dollars.