8312 replies to this topic

[spanky123]

^ Either that or he did what a lot of people with $1B+ do, disappear for a while for some R&R!

[Belleprincess]

Thriftys used to be the “higher end” grocery store. No longer. There’s quite a few competitors, most of them smaller & locally owned. Save-on would seem to be its direct competitor- though save on has a much bigger selection, cleaner stores and more unique products. Fairways also has a wide array of unique products & A great produce selection. Though, the stores sometimes seem a little unkempt, call me crazy but I like a place where I purchase consumables to be as neat as a pin.

[LJ]

Quality foods has great produce and their store in Langford is kept very clean. Every time I am in the store I see the manager doing something in the store from small things like fixing mats to adjusting items on shelves. I asked him a question about a product one time and he was unsure of the answer. As I was walking to my car he came out of the store and came running up to me and said he had phoned his distributor and got the answer. That's pretty good service.

[Rob Randall]

^Like Thrifty when Alex Campbell was still alive.

[Redd42]

Thriftys used to be the “higher end” grocery store. No longer. There’s quite a few competitors, most of them smaller & locally owned. Save-on would seem to be its direct competitor- though save on has a much bigger selection, cleaner stores and more unique products. Fairways also has a wide array of unique products & A great produce selection. Though, the stores sometimes seem a little unkempt, call me crazy but I like a place where I purchase consumables to be as neat as a pin.

 

We obviously shop at totally different Thrifty's and Save-On. I think of Save-On as the place to buy toilet paper or pop when it is on sale whereas Thrifty's is where I buy actual food.

[Barrrister]

Everyone's shopping choices are different but we find Save On just fine for most of our regular shopping needs including milk, bread, pasta and veggies. Mostly because they have curbside pickup and we do not have to enter the store,

 

We supplement that with a select number of purchases of both frozen foods and some staples from Cosco. Our neighbours have been kind enough to pick up things for us every few weeks. In addition Cosco will deliver a large order for free of dry goods which we do about about every three months.

 

Finally, mostly because I am rather picky we order all of our meat and sea food from the butcher and the seafood store in Oak Bay. The nice people there bring it out to the car and put it in the trunk for us.  I have never had a disappointing purchase from either of these stores and, while not cheap, I found it great value for the money.

 

At my age not catching Covid is sort of a real priority so curb side pickup is major issue for me. Fortunately we have a rather large green house which supplements a number of  fresh veggies and lattices. I still miss shopping but we are adjusting.

Edited by Barrrister, 05 January 2021 - 06:24 AM.

[LJ]

^I don't think Cosco would deliver anything to you, although they probably deliver lots of stuff to Costco.

[Redd42]

Looks like Mark's is moving in to the building vacated by Pier 1, across from Mayfair Mall. Wonder whether their small store on Chatham will be closing?

[Redd42]

Popped in to the renovated Thrifty's at Hillside this evening. Wow - nice store. Much more interesting product. Many steps above any Save-On.

[vortoozo]

Popped in to the renovated Thrifty's at Hillside this evening. Wow - nice store. Much more interesting product. Many steps above any Save-On.

 

The Broadmead store is nice too. But many people aren't prepared to pay 10-20% more just to shop in a nicer environment.

[Redd42]

I find you need to remember the price of things you buy regularly.  Many items at Save-on are higher priced than Thrifty's. For example, the Avalon whipping cream I have fallen in love with. Heck even Walmart's prices are often not that great compared to sale prices at the other stores. 

 

As a not so ambitious cook these days, I do buy a lot of prepared items. Definitely more interesting variety of that at Thrifty's. 

[mbjj]

Every time I go to Thriftys they've stopped carrying something else. This week it was Safflo sunflower oil and International Foods Swiss Mocha. They don't even carry Nestle's Quik any longer....isn't that a staple? Sure do miss Oxford right around now.

[LJ]

Sysco has some good products available, I bought a box of hamburgers from them that I really like, also some soups, Thai chicken and tomato bisque.

[Darren14]

I'm very passionate about this discussion of grocery stores and pricing 

 

What i've done is at Walmart, Thrifty's, and Save on. I made lists of the things i buy on the reg so i can look in the app makes it easy to find the best pricing. 

 

Walmart is the best for non-perishables, lettuce, sauces

 

Thrifty's has amazing sales on meat and the only place i trust for buying meat other than Costco and Red Barn 

 

Save on is all over the place, i mostly just shop there App offers now because they can be amazing. 

 

With living on high quadra/ working at uptown, i can quickly jump into walmart or save on on break with being able to hit Thriftys on Quadra Mckenzie on the way home if necessary 

[Redd42]

I'm a grocery store tourist. Hit them all up at times though Thrifty's is my main go to. They all have their strengths and weaknesses.

 

I used to also hit up Walmart regularly before the pandemic. People who dismiss them have no idea of the variety there. A whole aisle of organic/health food. Another long aisle of various international foods. Huge vegie/ dairy sections. 

[Brantastic]

Luna Collective is moving from their shop in Fernwood Square into a bigger space at 1048 Fort Street. I believe this was the former Sorenson’s Books.

[mbjj]

Thrifty's chicken is awful, like rubber. Oxford was actually better. We bought it there for years and it was far tenderer. After eating chicken in France, Canadian chicken really is quite poor...it has no flavour whatsoever. Doesn't matter if it's organic, free range, whatever....no flavour. 

[m3m]

Thrifty's chicken is awful, like rubber. Oxford was actually better. We bought it there for years and it was far tenderer. After eating chicken in France, Canadian chicken really is quite poor...it has no flavour whatsoever. Doesn't matter if it's organic, free range, whatever....no flavour. 

 

I hunt my own wild chicken.  You'll never get good flavour from farm chickens. 

[johnk2]

Thrifty's chicken is awful, like rubber. Oxford was actually better. We bought it there for years and it was far tenderer. After eating chicken in France, Canadian chicken really is quite poor...it has no flavour whatsoever. Doesn't matter if it's organic, free range, whatever....no flavour. 

Also in France you can get about 3 or 4 grades of chicken and clearly marked so you know what you are buying. Most Cdn chicken is "protein mass" though we find Island Farmhouse to be ok.

[Mike K.]

I hunt my own wild chicken.  You'll never get good flavour from farm chickens. 

 

Say whaaa?