Supermarket Price Wars

How often have you bothered to compare prices at our local grocery stores?  Perhaps you have an idea about which stores provide the best value, but haven't actually taken the time to put your theory to the test. 

I recently did just that, and my findings may impact where you shop.

First, I created a short list of food items which I regularly purchase, and compared prices at four different markets in the Bedford area: ShopRite in Bedford Hills, A&P Fresh in Bedford Village, D'Agostino in Cross River, and Sgaglios in Katonah. I did not include the A&P in Katonah, because I assumed prices would be the same or similar to the Bedford Village location.

The analysis included:  fresh strawberries, fresh bananas, and packaged "Spring Mix" baby lettuces, both regular and organic, in the produce section; regular and organic milk in dairy; fresh "all natural, no antibiotics" boneless and skinless chicken breasts in the meat department, Arnold's brand sliced bread; Barillo brand dried pasta and jarred marinara sauce; sliced turkey meat from the deli; and Haagen Daz's brand pint-sized ice creams in the frozen aisle. 

To be fair, I tried to compare identical brands at each store, though this wasn't always easily accomplished. Sgaglios in particular didn't carry many of the brands carried by the national chains, and didn't have two of the items at all – regular milk and organic baby greens. When a desired brand wasn't available, I substituted a similar brand. For example Boar's Head brand deli meat was not available at ShopRite or D'Agostino, so I went with their offered choice – Black Bear brand at ShopRite and Dietz brand at D'Agostino. Sgaglios did not carry Arnold's brand bread, so I picked Pepperidge Farms brand. The market also did not carry Barillo brand pasta or marinara sauce, so I chose De Cecco brand pasta and Silver Palate brand for comparison.

And the results? ShopRite came in as the least expensive store, with a grand total of $36.28 for all the items on my list. A&P Fresh placed second, with a total of $48.69. D'Agostino and Sgaglios bizarrely tied at $57.68 for the most expensive food, however, Sgaglios did not carry either regular milk or organic greens so those prices were not included in their tally. 

Though Sgaglios was the mostly costly place to shop, I would award it first place in terms of ambience and customer service.

I must admit, with its reputation for bargains, I thought ShopRite would have lowest prices, but I didn't realize the difference would be so great. I was also quite surprised by the abundance of organic options offered here, much more so than the other supermarkets. ShopRite was very busy during my visit, which I like to see, knowing this means the turnover of product is higher, and thus fresher. It isn't the best-looking market – that prize goes to Sgaglios – but it will be more handsome once the new exterior façade of their shopping center is completed. 

A&P Fresh is convenient for those living in Bedford or nearby. The store is nothing fancy, but it does stay busy. A&P does seem to be trying to reduce their prices.

I found the D'Agostino shopping experience to be the least pleasant. The store was virtually empty at 2 p.m. Prices were not listed in the deli department for turkey breast, so I had to seek out help. The bread prices were also not displayed, so I had to turn over several loaves until I found a small marked price on one of them. This is a large store, but it didn't feel like it offered as many brands as the other supermarkets.

I always enjoy shopping at Sgaglios, and will continue to shop their for certain items, such as meat. The butchers there are friendly and are always willing to butcher items to my specifications, thinly sliced porkloin in half-inch pieces for a favorite chile recipe of mine.  They end up saving me time which is often worth the extra money to me. 

The produce at Sgaglios is often prepped and ready to be eaten or cooked, also a time-saver. And I appreciate the friendliness and camaraderie experienced at this locale, which partially justifies the higher prices. Village shopping is one reason why I reside in Katonah, and why I will continue to support them. However, I will resist buying organic milk here, as the half-gallon price was almost the same as the gallon price at other markets.

Still, numbers don't lie (see accompanying chart with this story). And ShopRite will now become a stop on my shopping circuit.