Comments on: Shopping in the Fruitlands http://frugalfruitlands.net/2008/09/29/shopping-in-the-fruitlands/ Living Less Large in Central MA Fri, 16 Jul 2010 21:52:23 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 By: Chad http://frugalfruitlands.net/2008/09/29/shopping-in-the-fruitlands/comment-page-1/#comment-1525 Chad Wed, 08 Oct 2008 16:34:40 +0000 http://www.frugalfruitlands.net/?p=162#comment-1525 I think the prices were more a function of your former locality, and store chain availability. Where I am there is a Stop and Shop, a Trader Joe's, a Roche Brothers, and a Whole Foods near by. Most of the shopping is done at Stop and Shop, which does have a card program, but also usually has the better prices. The other stores do not have a loyalty program at all, but have higher prices either due to being a specialty store or a higher end chain. Further out there is a Market Basket, which, although a lower end store than the Stop And Shop in the area, does not have significantly better prices to make up for the extra time and travel required. Certain staple items though, like eggs and milk, are not purchased at Stop and Shop because they can be conveniently purchased cheaper at the other area options. As far as I can tell, non of them have double or triple coupons, a feature used in other parts of the country in my experience, and generally used to offset higher prices applied overall in those places. Worse yet, there are farmer's markets in my area, but they seem to be held in the middle of the week, in the middle of the day, making it utterly impractical to patronize them. They seem more set up for local restaurant supply than home consumer. I think the prices were more a function of your former locality, and store chain availability. Where I am there is a Stop and Shop, a Trader Joe’s, a Roche Brothers, and a Whole Foods near by. Most of the shopping is done at Stop and Shop, which does have a card program, but also usually has the better prices. The other stores do not have a loyalty program at all, but have higher prices either due to being a specialty store or a higher end chain. Further out there is a Market Basket, which, although a lower end store than the Stop And Shop in the area, does not have significantly better prices to make up for the extra time and travel required.

Certain staple items though, like eggs and milk, are not purchased at Stop and Shop because they can be conveniently purchased cheaper at the other area options.

As far as I can tell, non of them have double or triple coupons, a feature used in other parts of the country in my experience, and generally used to offset higher prices applied overall in those places.

Worse yet, there are farmer’s markets in my area, but they seem to be held in the middle of the week, in the middle of the day, making it utterly impractical to patronize them. They seem more set up for local restaurant supply than home consumer.

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