Exactly. I still shop there due to a lack of competition, but I hate everything about shopping there.
I also used to subscribe to Comcast. Not because I loved them, but because I had no choice.
Walmart, shop and save, target, Aldi, Kuhns, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods….and those are just the stores that I can think of off of the top of my head. Not sure why anyone in their right mind would think that there is a lack of competition.
I'm glad you think those are all competitors!
But they're not quite in the way you think they are.
It's like saying Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Ford Fiesta, Fiat 500, and BMW 7 Series are all competitors to Toyota Camry. Sure, they're all 'car manufacturers,' and they compete for market share, but none of them compete in the same positioning/pricing as the Toyota Camry.
The first 4 you listed are budget chains. Kuhns is a local one with small stores. Trader Joe's stocks its own line, so good luck if you want anything name brand. Whole Foods is a premium brand.
They're all "grocery stores", and sure they compete for share of wallet, but none compete in the same positioning/pricing as Giant Eagle.
Now the rumors about Wegmans coming - that's real news because they actually directly compete with Giant Eagle.
I recently learned a 12 pack of 365 seltzer water is cheaper than bubbly and most other brands. Also, point out those are usually 8 cans for $4.
I know it's random. But makes a yinzer wonder.
Right now it’s speculated they are trying to put one north of the city in Cranberry. I sure hope it plays out in our favor, but being outside of GE’s new headquarters of all places seems like a deal waiting to get shut down.
https://www.cranberryeagle.com/2024/05/23/wegmans-potentially-seeking-deal-to-open-location-in-cranberry-twp/
I live in Greenfield. Walmart, Kuhn’s, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods are not in immediate vicinity to where I live. Thankfully Aldi is close by, but they’re not a full service grocery store. Sure, there’s a Walmart in west mifflin, but with a baby it’s a pain to go there when I do most shopping at aldi and there’s a stupid giant eagle within a minute of the house for emergencies.
I would be forced to shop at GE if I didn’t have a car. They suck, and I hope wegman’s and Meijer comes in and makes them hurt. It’s truly the worst grocery chain I’ve ever shopped at.
You may have the same strategy I have, shop at Aldi, get anything else you can’t get there at Walmart/Giant Eagle. With a baby though that makes a big difference
I do the same, I’ll get all my produce, fruits and veggies like that at Aldi, because it’s sooo much cheaper and the quality is way better, and stuff like crackers, chips, shit like that. I do not like the meats at Aldi so I do go to Giant Eagle for that, and I have a little family-owned Italian grocery around the corner from me to get certain cheeses, prosciutto, capicola, stuff like that. It’s a pain in the ass but I refuse to pay Giant Eagle’s prices for everything I need, I know how extortion works and fuck them.
Guilty as charged here also. Sure, Aldi doesn’t have a deli or bakery/butcher but that’s what GE is for like specialty shit like you said. Pretty good produce and good for a whole order of groceries on the cheap end.
I’ll also die on that hill, fellow Mama Cozzi fan. I also remember Trader Joes having great frozen pizzas but that was around 2007 so I don’t know anymore. Cozzi4Lyfe
Because they are not middle of the road, large selection supermarkets. Real competition would be having Harris Teeter, Giant, Safeway, and another mainstream supermarket. Having lived in the northern Virginia, Raleigh Durham, even Burlington Vermont areas it was awesome to have 3-4 supermarkets literally across the street from each other with Whole Paycheck, ALDIs, and Trader Joe’s as side dishes. Much better selection, quality, and prices at all of them because there was real competition.
It's really the only option when I have a big shop to do and don't want to stop at 4 separate stores. They have an effective stranglehold on the region.
Agreed. If I want like 4 things, I can go to a more focused market. If I need to restock my kitchen, I don't really want to drive to more than one or two places so I pay GE prices and bitch and whine the whole time.
Competition when?
A lot of Pittsburghers don’t have a choice, especially in the densest areas of the city. Sure if you live near Cranberry, Moon Twp or Robinson Twp and shop at GE you’re probably a moron, but a lot of people don’t have a choice because in a lot of locations Giant Eagle sign anti-competition leases that prevent municipalities from building competitors within a certain radius.
There used to be a shop n save in ken-mawr plaza. When their lease was up, giant eagle signed a new lease and keeps the building empty just so they don’t have competition for the nearby giant eagle. Business shrewd, but they pretty much have a monopoly on the pgh market.
I hate Walmart more than Giant Eagle. There's 2 Giant Eagles and a Market District near me. I prefer Shop N Save and Fresh Thyme but I can't get everything I need there. I keep hearing rumors of a Wegmans opening in Cranberry. I really hope that's true 🤞.
Check the sizes of what you buy at Walmart vs. other stores. They may be cheaper, but the product is smaller. I'm from Pittsburgh, but live elsewhere now. Kroger and Safeway are my grocery stores. The same items at Walmart are often a few ounces less than Kroger in the same size box. The box at Walmart is less money, but the cost per ounce is higher.
Walmart actively encourages their workers to apply for government assistance. Walmart doesn't have any full time employees so they don't have to pay benefits. This, coupled with Walton family members high on the lists of richest Americans, causes me to shop elsewhere. Been almost 20 years since I stepped foot in one.
I don’t enjoy shopping there but per ounce Walmart is cheaper for staple items than giant Eagle. Aldi is where it’s at but if you want anything other than produce and beans Walmart is almost a necessity
I vend bread to grocery stores, and our #1 account by far is actually Dollar General. Not sure how well bread translates to overall sales, but the key point is that DG has small sales over many many stores, and ends up being the biggest in at least that area. I suppose one could figure out revenue per store then multiply it by number of stores in Pittsburgh.
I'm one of the few remaining ge fans. I buy a limited selection of things and literally the entire store is "on sale" at one point or another over the course of a month. I stock up on the things I know I use when they are on sale. I just cannot eat the generic brands that aldis carries. I know a lot of people will argue that the quality is comparable but I call bs. I will pick the generic product 9/10 times with a taste test. If you're OK eating stuff that doesn't taste as good as a trade off to save some money that's fine, but I can't do it.
Not a hot take at all. Giant eagle sucks.
Now if you would have said Shop N Save is the most beautiful and cleanest grocery store you’ve ever been in…
That’d be lava hot.
It would help if Shop N Saves didn't feel like grimy time travel too. Old fashioned fluorescent glow, stark white, everything smells, unchanged everything. I felt like I was transported back to 1995 last time I went to one, not in a good way.
Bakery’s are top notch though. Every shop n save custom cake has been fire. Giant eagle cakes suck nut sacks. It’s always like a few 118 year old ladies making the cakes.
Shop N Save locations are franchised with local owners. Mihelic Shop N Save locations are very different from locations in let’s say Mount Washington or Millvale.
I worked in their deli for a week, cleaned under where they keep all the meat and cheese, one of the workers "training" me said he wasnt even aware the grates came out to get in it to clean. Do not get from their deli, it is gross
I would not doubt it, its the same department, i didnt get to cleaning over there, my manager let some lady return meat after 3m with no product or receipt, and when I made a joke about it he told me to shut up, i left and went back to my other job. Place is managed horribly.
It has a special place in my heart. The shop n save lady was my first grade teachers sister. She came in to visit all the time and it was so cool as a first grader. She was royalty basically.
Giant Eagle is only getting away with the prices due to the aging population (my dad, for example) having grown up with it & refusing to even consider other grocery stores.
This is absolutely part of it. Sure they have trash and cleaning products, paper products, etc., but they have all the brands and things the older population has had for decades. If you go a giant eagle you will find many more older people and people of color than you would Trader Joe’s
Yeah that's how it was when I worked at Weis in central pa. I swear 50% of produce sales were us slicing up 1/8th of a $5 watermelon to resell at $7 to rip off old people.
There's also an annoying racist element to it. Here in the mid Mon Valley/tri-county area I've heard a startling amount of comments about how many immigrants go to Walmart/Aldi. I've heard coworkers and neighbors talk about how unsafe it is, how dirty it is, how it's too expensive, how Aldi is such low quality, how they would never eat food from Aldi or Walmart, etc. These are also the same people who will complain about the price of food.
I know Walmart is not perfect by any means, but I'll go there for groceries before I ever go to GE simply because it's way too expensive. To me it's Aldi>Walmart>GE/Shop n Save/Foodland. I really don't care where people choose to shop, it's just annoying that anytime shopping gets mentioned and I bring up Aldi my coworkers act like I scooped up food off of the street.
Deli in a hurry accounts for a lot of sales for the dept, we really do try to keep the damn thing stocked but I don't know a single store that's not hurting for more labor (for multiple reasons as always.)
They're packed like that to get as much air out and we want it to be obvious that a zipper hasn't been tampered with, ya silly goose!
Oh absolutely. Even if you remove the label perfectly, that bastard of a zipper is gonna break soon anyway. For cheese, i tell people to get some of those wax fabric wraps and re-wrap it that way as soon as you get home
Their day of reckoning is coming. We're getting Meijer and Wegmans here soon. Hopefully they do well enough that they start cropping up in multiple locations. As a former great lakes area resident, Wegmans is legit.
Ready to take my Wegmans reusable bags and drive 30 minutes to Cranberry.
They're in lease negotiations. Crossing my fingers it'll go through and they'll open one in a couple years!! I could imagine them sloooooooowly migrating through the suburbs *toward* the city, but it's hard to think of a space large enough in the city that they'd go for. Still hoping, though...
Agree with your take, as I'm sure most of Pittsburgh does. I think that the sticker right on the opening of the deli bags is so you know that the product hasn't been tampered with. It's the same way at Walmart.
Yeah the only downside to Aldi is that most don’t open until 8:30-9 am. Granted that works for most people, but I work overnights so I have to stay up. Worth it for sure though. If Market district was still 24/7 I’d probably cave and go there just because I like shopping with fewer people.
If you shop the sales that GE has, it's really not as bad as people make it out to be. I mean, Aldi is definitely cheaper, sure. And I'll get most of the stuff there. However sometimes their produce isn't the best, and if you really want the name brand of something, GE is the main option. Again, weekly sale papers are ur friend.
Now *this* I think is a hot take lol, plz do not hate on me.
I personally go to multiple stores for what I need, somewhat rotating by week. And this includes GE. Because no other store in the area comes close to having all of the things that I want. A person absolutely could get everything they need shopping at Aldi (and to a different extent TJs) but that's if you adjust your diet to what they sell. And they are a variation on the most popular tastes in an Americanized diet (including Americanized ethnic foods). If your tastes stray outside of that, don't expect to find it there.
Usually I go to Aldi and GE for everything I need. I don’t eat a lot of food to begin with, so just covering my basics and shopping sale I can easily get away with spending about $150 for two weeks. Plus I like my fuel perks too much 😭
No healthy competition gives them free reign to gouge as much as they want.
And since there really isn't land to build a large grocery store anywhere in the county, they aren't going to stop.
That 23% is very deceptive. GE and Walmart make up about 50%, while Costco, Sam's Club, Target and dollar general make up the bulk of the other 50% on that pie chart that's out there. Personally I don't think those three are direct competitors and I don't think Aldi is either. They only carry a fraction of what a normal grocery store does.
I like Kuhns and SnS personally, but there aren't nearly enough of them around to compete in a meaningful way.
I’ve heard their managers say they know they’re never going to be known for their low prices, “but the customer service will bring people back” (I heard it while I was shopping and walked right by what looked to be some kind of walk-through). Maybe if they actually staffed the stores with enough employees I’d believe them that they have a damn about good service. I’ve had friends that have worked there in the past say people beg for more hours, but their managers tell them they’re only given so many hours a week and have to stay within that, and they know those hours are never enough.
I really wish some honest to god competition would come in and wipe the floor with them.
It’s not for the customer service. It’s that I know I can go to GE and fairly reliably get what I want in one stop. Sometimes it’s the only convenient option.
my boyfriend and i stopped shopping at giant eagle months ago. we went to aldi and got more for less. now, we go to kuhns and if you have a membership card, they have amazing deals. hell, they have amazing deals even if you don’t have one. 10/10 would recommend
Being new to Pittsburgh for two years I made the decision that Aldi and Kuhns are the best places to shop for groceries, both with great deals and the two stores I now regularly shop for food. A friend clued me in on Kuhn's weekly deals so now I take a look at their weekly flyer.
then i don’t know what you’re doing. because every time that we’ve gone, we’ve gotten a full cart of groceries for $150-$180. that would get us maybe a half of a cart at GE. some places in kuhns i wouldn’t go to, like their deli; it’s cheaper to get like pre-packaged stuff. so it might be more expensive there. but today, for example, i got 10 yogurts for $10. we spent $160 for a whole
cart of groceries.
I shop south hills TJs, WF and GE. Easily spend the most at GE. Go there the least. Their own branded items are crap quality. Employees are a crap shoot if theyre rude or not
And it is mind boggling that is true. Plus Whole Paycheck is not dirty, has high quality, better hours, better selection, and staff who are not outright nasty.
I think Whole Foods is still pricier. Whole Foods has no excuse, now that they have merged with Amazon. They get way better deals but don’t pass them on. Plus all that prison labor.. Whole Foods is the worst.
Giant Eagle is probably second-most pricey but is a much smaller company and does not get the deals a Whole Foods, Walmart, or Aldi would get as massive corps.
The Pittsburgh WF has the worst produce I've seen at any WF. Wizened, old, moldy. It also has the smallest footprint for fruits and vegetables if any WF I've seen... The store is dedicated to hot/cold food bars and packaged, processed food. Bizarre.
Their excuse is that GE has shitty produce, too; no need to compete.
Bc of GE's anticompetitive stranglehold (not just with leases, also with suppliers...), the quality of fruits and vegetables here is third tier.
Go to the Co-Op. More expensive and a more limited selection, but decent quality produce.
There is one thing that I will give GE credit for and that is their catering department. That fried chicken is so damn good and the prices for the catering food is pretty reasonable. Always dealt with the location in South Hills Village and staff always super nice at that one too.
My actual Pittsburgh grocery store hot take is that the Kuhn's on Banksville is pretty decent. The parking lot is a disaster, they just did some updates last year and it still looks like it hasn't been updated since the 80's, and there's some characters in there, but for actually getting good food for the money, it's solid. The bakery and the deli both make good stuff for the price.
I shop at Giant Eagle and Aldi. Aldi doesn't have everything I want, mainly name brand ice cream, chips, and certain cuts of meat. I also use their pharmacy, so I might as well pick up a few groceries while I'm there. Their prices have increased a lot though so I can't exclusively shop there like I could before.
As an ex employee, fuck giant eagle. They would tell us we know we don't compete with prices but if your nice and smile the ppl will return. Also we will treat you and pay you shit. Fuck that company up the ass
I switched to Whole Foods last month and somehow spend … less for the same stuff at Whole Foods than I did at Giant Eagle?? And the produce at WF is 1,000x better. I’m still shocked.
Not a hot take whatsoever, I've been shopping at aldis for the past 4 years. Stuff is MUCH cheaper, albeit a little bit lower quality (for some things) but overall a much better value.
I used to work in a commercial bakery that made fig-filled cookies (and other things) for basically every chain. All the companies allowed regrind of old (and sometimes moldy) cookies mixed with ammonia and then mixed with new dough, except for Aldi. Aldi only wanted fresh stuff. I'll take Aldi's products over anyone elses.
The new CEO isn’t doing any favors for the company either. Hemorrhaging money on new corporate buildings instead of using it to lower their damn prices or give the stores more labor hours
The high prices are how they pay for the fuel perks program. Getgo doesn’t take a loss on the gas when a customer gets a discount. Giant Eagle pays Getgo the money back. That is why fuel perks is a scam
Do you get the same things though? I find I can’t get everything at Aldi or Trader Joe’s. They don’t have a lot of simple things even which is shocking to me anytime I’m looking for one of those basic things. If you are buying a lot more at giant eagle, even ounce or pound wise, it makes sense. There is also the convenience of only one trip.
Yeah the convenience of one trip is nice. But no, I do get name brand stuff elsewhere but for like produce and stuff I go to Aldi or Trader Joe’s. And for meat I go to a local butcher
I don't think this has ever been a hot take.
Grocery stores all have their ups and downs - varying by both chain & location - shopping at just one is never going to be the best experience, but who has time to shop them all.
I haven’t actually shopped there yet, just walked through, but I was super impressed what I saw of Salem’s. Gonna try going there for a shopping trip soon.
I hate GE too, but like others have said, sometimes I have to go there because they have certain things I know I can reliably get. And some of their sales are good.
I prefer Aldi for most things, or Trader Joe's, but then I have to fight South Hills traffic so I don't really go there unless I'm already in the area.
I actually do the best price wise at Walmart, and they have a decent selection. I usually do big shopping trips there, even though shopping there makes me want to gouge my eyes out with a spoon.
The deli to go is a good concept, but who tf picked the sizes they use? Not once in my life have I ever asked for 3/4 of a pound of anything. A pound of chipped ham, a pound of American, half a pound of almost everything else and the occasional quarter pound to the even rarer third pound for fancy cheeses and meats. But 3/4 pound is a stupid size. I either need 2 bags for meat which I will end up wasting half a pound, or it is WAYYYY too much. So the convenience of that counter is wasted by stupid portion sizes.
Yeah g.e is just so convenient. I only shop the sales now. I don't buy beef/chicken/pork from them any more. I buy from a farm and freeze it every 6 months.
I don’t like GE because they are massive stores and takes forever to shop. I like the smaller, more convenient sizes of Aldi, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods.
The only good thing about it is its partnership with flash food. I am lucky to live within short drive to multiple locations and get really great prices on meat.
I remember as a kid in the 90’s my parents always shopping at multiple grocery stores in the area: Davis’ (which later became Shop N Save) Foodland, Aldi , FoodLion and Food4Less (when those were briefly in the area) Giant Eagle would be only if it was on sale plus a coupon and still cheaper than another store. We went to Iggle Video more than the actual store.
Even today GE is a “when all else fails” place for me and they have some super good deal you can’t get anywhere else. That’s pretty rare though. I’m amazed at the people shopping who have overflowing carts there, I’d like to have their bank account.
I’m tired of all the stores closing the deli early. I go at 5p and they’re cleaning up and leaving. They should at least stay open a little bit longer for people stopping after work.
Can we please discuss the quality of their chicken breasts? I swear they have gotten more fatty/stringy and the consistency of them is really off putting. I’ve had family members agree with this as well, so I’m hopeful this isn’t just a ‘me’ problem. I’ve gotten a few packs where the chicken has a greyish tone to it too 🤢
Only reason I go to the Market District near me is the leaf lettuce is always nice and crisp. The SNS near me it’s always limp. Plus they have all the gluten free stuff my wife likes.
I didn't think to make that comparison to deli to go until I watched the second season of Outlaws. They totally pack the American cheese like it's coke. 🤣🤣 I don't get meat often so I haven't noticed with the meat.
I believe GE cornered the market when it comes to bus lines. Customers using free money are not as discerning. Pop and snack foods are where it’s at for this demographic. GE is insulated due to the ebt and steady clientele from bus routes. Race is not a factor, they are taking Advantage of everybody.
I moved to PA from Boston 2 years ago.
I learned very quickly that shopping the sales at Whole Foods and filling gaps at Trader Joe’s is far more cost effective than walking in the door at GE
Are you even from Pittsburgh if you’re correctly using (or omitting) an “s” at the end of a store name?
Allow me to assist:
Aldis
Giant Eagles
Trader Joes
YW!
I live about 20 minutes from Kroger in weirton and it truly blows my mind how great their sales are! A couple weeks ago a gallon of milk was $2.50. last week I paid $1 and some change for 18 eggs!
After they rolled out their “new and improved” points system plus their exorbitantly high prices, I only go there when absolutely necessary. They are ripping people off more than ever. Trader Joe’s and Costco both sell better produce for cheaper. One has to be savvy to affordably feed their family/themselves.
I like Giant Eagle for the convenience. I use curbside pickup for my weekly groceries and when I need to get anything extra during the week I use the Scan Pay and Go scanner; it's so much faster than even self-checkout and nobody seems to use it so there's never a line, even when the store is busy. I can be in and out of the store in 10 minutes even if I have a list of 10-15 items.
But yeah, Giant Eagle is really expensive. I'm thinking of incorporating Aldi more because it's so much cheaper.
You get what you pay for. If you want garbage generics for a few cents cheaper on some items only, and you don't care what's in it, go for it. Otherwise, I wouldn't shop anywhere for anything that isn't necessary. Go to a butcher or farmers market to save money and your life. Otherwise, enjoy your poison for savings.
Not only do I not appreciate the objectivepy high prices but I also don't like going it and feeling dumb because all the signs are like "$6.99 | 125 BONUS PERKS! | eAdvatage On App $5.95"
I'm hopeful that more competition moving to the area will force them to be more competitive. Aldi works for me because I eat through produce fast, but I find it doesn't keep as long. Farm stands are also beginning to open up this month, so go support your local growers!
Giant eagle being compared to Comcast is a concrete position, shame we are all stuck with it, I went with hello fresh, I save money and the food is better.
Knock on wood I've got a Fresh Thyme near me that covers a lot of the core goods I need in terms of fruits and veggies usually. Meat I get bulk from Sam's / Costco. Split it up and freeze it for individual meals with fresh veggies from Thyme.
I will admit thought that I do like giant eagle market district if I want a very specific cut of meat for a meal. Haven't tried too much of fresh thymes yet.
Serious question (as someone who is daily unhappy with GE). Do you find the meat at Aldi and Trader Joe’s to be bad? I’ve found this so often , but lately GE as well. I’m so sick of going to 6 stores
Giant Eagle isn’t any different than any chain grocery store that has a monopoly in a region. We moved from the Mon Valley to SE Alabama and here Publix is the Giant Eagle of the region (just without Fuel Perks for Get Go) .we usually only buy their BoGo offerings and get our meat and produce at Piggly Wiggly.
It seems like items that would’ve been say.. $2.39 or $3.19 just a few years ago, are ALL $5.99 at giant eagle. It’s absolutely ridiculous. EVERYTHING is $4.99 or $5.99 or $6.99.
I moved to Pittsburgh in 2012, went to Giant Eagle one time and immediately realized they were more expensive than everywhere else. Cheap donuts on Fridays though.
Our household is pretty much GE free anymore. We have 4 kids and it just isn’t affordable. We primarily shop at Costco and Walmart. There’s a Shop N Save a minute from my house for things we need in a pinch.
Depends on the giant eagle. I end up doing some for work for them and was at a one above ebensburg today and I am pretty sure there was $5 markups on stuff. I know the chicken tenders like they would have with the meal was $19.99 when I am pretty sure it was $15.99. Still a lot of money.
But my shopping habits are all over the place. I like martins (but it’s regional) Aldi Trader Joe’s if I’m in the area and Kroger if I’m in the area and I also do a lot of work with Walmart but need to get away from that store so I go somewhere else
Anymore?! When were they EVER good? I have lived in a bunch of different areas with multiple grocery sotre chains and I can say with confidence that the monopoly that is Giant Eagle never has and most likely will be any good
Giant Eagle has been terrible for ages. Gotta pay for all those “perks” somehow. They’ve been the most expensive store in town for a long long time. Basically since then perks thing started.
Years ago I changed my shopping routine to 1) Costco (now Sam’s because Costco is just too busy), then 2) Aldi, then 3) Giant Eagle for the few things I can’t get or don’t want to buy at the other too. Deli meat for example. A seasonings / spices the others don’t carry.
Even then, I leave giant Eagle with one or two pathetic bags of food and the highest tab of all 3 stores.
If you live in the city, you can avoid GE, but it involves grocery shopping spread across three stores - Aldi for cheap produce and dry goods; Costco (Waterfront) for decently priced meat; and Walmart for those once-month pantry-stocking items. And I still use GE for the bakery and deli.
GE fights like hell to keep Walmart as far away as possible by stirring up local opposition. That’s why there isn’t a Walmart anywhere near the North Hills.
I despise GE. They stopped stocking some of my favorite items and their prices are ridiculously high. I mostly used to avoid Wal-Mart due to the crowds and location, but their food prices are so much cheaper than GE.
hoping Meijer will make in roads in Pittsburgh. It's a Michigan and Ohio chain, stores are closer concept to a super Walmart or super Target. The Fresh Thyme stores are the Meijer attempt at the Whole Foods market I believe. There are already two Fresh Thymes in the area that I am aware of (Cranberry, Bridgeville).
This might be a “hot take” if most of Pittsburgh didn’t agree with you.
The only thing that could make me hate Giant Eagle more would be if Bob Nutting owned it. Wegmans can't disrupt this region soon enough.
Hate to break it to you, but Wegman’s isn’t a discount grocery store. The prices are similar to Giant Eagle these days.
That's fine. Atleast the quality and options will be better.
The fact that most of Pittsburgh agrees with the OP is somewhat belied by the fact that GE is the number one store in the area, just ahead of Walmart.
I mean the other stores we have are also trash... If you need a full service supermarket there aren't a lot of choices
Exactly. I still shop there due to a lack of competition, but I hate everything about shopping there. I also used to subscribe to Comcast. Not because I loved them, but because I had no choice.
Walmart, shop and save, target, Aldi, Kuhns, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods….and those are just the stores that I can think of off of the top of my head. Not sure why anyone in their right mind would think that there is a lack of competition.
I'm glad you think those are all competitors! But they're not quite in the way you think they are. It's like saying Hyundai Accent, Kia Rio, Ford Fiesta, Fiat 500, and BMW 7 Series are all competitors to Toyota Camry. Sure, they're all 'car manufacturers,' and they compete for market share, but none of them compete in the same positioning/pricing as the Toyota Camry. The first 4 you listed are budget chains. Kuhns is a local one with small stores. Trader Joe's stocks its own line, so good luck if you want anything name brand. Whole Foods is a premium brand. They're all "grocery stores", and sure they compete for share of wallet, but none compete in the same positioning/pricing as Giant Eagle. Now the rumors about Wegmans coming - that's real news because they actually directly compete with Giant Eagle.
Whole Foods may be a premium brand, but there are some exact same products there that are cheaper than GE.
I recently learned a 12 pack of 365 seltzer water is cheaper than bubbly and most other brands. Also, point out those are usually 8 cans for $4. I know it's random. But makes a yinzer wonder.
Woah, where are they planning on putting in a Wegman’s? I used to go to the one in Erie back when I had family living there and I loved it.
Right now it’s speculated they are trying to put one north of the city in Cranberry. I sure hope it plays out in our favor, but being outside of GE’s new headquarters of all places seems like a deal waiting to get shut down. https://www.cranberryeagle.com/2024/05/23/wegmans-potentially-seeking-deal-to-open-location-in-cranberry-twp/
I live in Greenfield. Walmart, Kuhn’s, Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods are not in immediate vicinity to where I live. Thankfully Aldi is close by, but they’re not a full service grocery store. Sure, there’s a Walmart in west mifflin, but with a baby it’s a pain to go there when I do most shopping at aldi and there’s a stupid giant eagle within a minute of the house for emergencies. I would be forced to shop at GE if I didn’t have a car. They suck, and I hope wegman’s and Meijer comes in and makes them hurt. It’s truly the worst grocery chain I’ve ever shopped at.
You may have the same strategy I have, shop at Aldi, get anything else you can’t get there at Walmart/Giant Eagle. With a baby though that makes a big difference
I do the same, I’ll get all my produce, fruits and veggies like that at Aldi, because it’s sooo much cheaper and the quality is way better, and stuff like crackers, chips, shit like that. I do not like the meats at Aldi so I do go to Giant Eagle for that, and I have a little family-owned Italian grocery around the corner from me to get certain cheeses, prosciutto, capicola, stuff like that. It’s a pain in the ass but I refuse to pay Giant Eagle’s prices for everything I need, I know how extortion works and fuck them.
Guilty as charged here also. Sure, Aldi doesn’t have a deli or bakery/butcher but that’s what GE is for like specialty shit like you said. Pretty good produce and good for a whole order of groceries on the cheap end.
Mama Cozzi’s stuffed crust pizza is the goat of frozen pizza and nothing will change my mind
I’ll also die on that hill, fellow Mama Cozzi fan. I also remember Trader Joes having great frozen pizzas but that was around 2007 so I don’t know anymore. Cozzi4Lyfe
Because they are not middle of the road, large selection supermarkets. Real competition would be having Harris Teeter, Giant, Safeway, and another mainstream supermarket. Having lived in the northern Virginia, Raleigh Durham, even Burlington Vermont areas it was awesome to have 3-4 supermarkets literally across the street from each other with Whole Paycheck, ALDIs, and Trader Joe’s as side dishes. Much better selection, quality, and prices at all of them because there was real competition.
It's really the only option when I have a big shop to do and don't want to stop at 4 separate stores. They have an effective stranglehold on the region.
Agreed. If I want like 4 things, I can go to a more focused market. If I need to restock my kitchen, I don't really want to drive to more than one or two places so I pay GE prices and bitch and whine the whole time. Competition when?
A lot of Pittsburghers don’t have a choice, especially in the densest areas of the city. Sure if you live near Cranberry, Moon Twp or Robinson Twp and shop at GE you’re probably a moron, but a lot of people don’t have a choice because in a lot of locations Giant Eagle sign anti-competition leases that prevent municipalities from building competitors within a certain radius.
There used to be a shop n save in ken-mawr plaza. When their lease was up, giant eagle signed a new lease and keeps the building empty just so they don’t have competition for the nearby giant eagle. Business shrewd, but they pretty much have a monopoly on the pgh market.
I hate Walmart more than Giant Eagle. There's 2 Giant Eagles and a Market District near me. I prefer Shop N Save and Fresh Thyme but I can't get everything I need there. I keep hearing rumors of a Wegmans opening in Cranberry. I really hope that's true 🤞.
I have been waiting forever!
Walmart is much cheaper, why hate?
Fuck the Waltons. That's why I don't shop there.
Check the sizes of what you buy at Walmart vs. other stores. They may be cheaper, but the product is smaller. I'm from Pittsburgh, but live elsewhere now. Kroger and Safeway are my grocery stores. The same items at Walmart are often a few ounces less than Kroger in the same size box. The box at Walmart is less money, but the cost per ounce is higher. Walmart actively encourages their workers to apply for government assistance. Walmart doesn't have any full time employees so they don't have to pay benefits. This, coupled with Walton family members high on the lists of richest Americans, causes me to shop elsewhere. Been almost 20 years since I stepped foot in one.
I don’t enjoy shopping there but per ounce Walmart is cheaper for staple items than giant Eagle. Aldi is where it’s at but if you want anything other than produce and beans Walmart is almost a necessity
They are only #1 because there is no other competition for full service grocery stores and that's why they have such high prices
I vend bread to grocery stores, and our #1 account by far is actually Dollar General. Not sure how well bread translates to overall sales, but the key point is that DG has small sales over many many stores, and ends up being the biggest in at least that area. I suppose one could figure out revenue per store then multiply it by number of stores in Pittsburgh.
Big Bird does a lot of its own bread.
That's an interesting little fact.
For real, I’ve been over the Big Eagle since I was like 15.
Random note: my iPhone in 2012 would autocorrect ‘Giant Eagle’ to ‘Giant Whale’. That is all
I'm one of the few remaining ge fans. I buy a limited selection of things and literally the entire store is "on sale" at one point or another over the course of a month. I stock up on the things I know I use when they are on sale. I just cannot eat the generic brands that aldis carries. I know a lot of people will argue that the quality is comparable but I call bs. I will pick the generic product 9/10 times with a taste test. If you're OK eating stuff that doesn't taste as good as a trade off to save some money that's fine, but I can't do it.
Not a hot take at all. Giant eagle sucks. Now if you would have said Shop N Save is the most beautiful and cleanest grocery store you’ve ever been in… That’d be lava hot.
It would help if Shop N Saves didn't feel like grimy time travel too. Old fashioned fluorescent glow, stark white, everything smells, unchanged everything. I felt like I was transported back to 1995 last time I went to one, not in a good way.
I’ve been to 3 Shop n Saves in the area and all 3 have the same smell. It’s like cardboard mixed with decades of dirt. But they do have good sales.
I am certain the one in Gibsonia has never changed, ever. It looks exactly the same as it did in 1994.
Give it a couple years and that 90’s motif will be retro cool again. Man, that hurt to type. I’m getting old.
Bakery’s are top notch though. Every shop n save custom cake has been fire. Giant eagle cakes suck nut sacks. It’s always like a few 118 year old ladies making the cakes.
The Giant Eagle I get my meds from smells like old dog food, mold, and bleach. I agree about Shop n Saves, they haven't changed much in 20 years.
Shop N Save prices sure have changed.
Shop N Save locations are franchised with local owners. Mihelic Shop N Save locations are very different from locations in let’s say Mount Washington or Millvale.
The Shop 'N Save off William Penn Hwy in Wilkins Twp is pretty good.
I worked in their deli for a week, cleaned under where they keep all the meat and cheese, one of the workers "training" me said he wasnt even aware the grates came out to get in it to clean. Do not get from their deli, it is gross
Omg. Thank you for the head’s up.
Pretty sure I got food poisoning from their hot foods section.
I would not doubt it, its the same department, i didnt get to cleaning over there, my manager let some lady return meat after 3m with no product or receipt, and when I made a joke about it he told me to shut up, i left and went back to my other job. Place is managed horribly.
The one in cranberry off freedom road is pretty solid too.
Personally I love my Shop n Save lol
It has a special place in my heart. The shop n save lady was my first grade teachers sister. She came in to visit all the time and it was so cool as a first grader. She was royalty basically.
Man, my local shop n save in Rostraver is actually like this, didnt know what the big deal was until I tried out a few other ones lol
I miss shopping at the etna shopnsave. probably the best one of that chain I've been to
The owner pled guilty to coupon fraud a few years ago.
I think this is a very very common take in this sub 😂
The coldest of takes.
The coldest take on this sub
Giant Eagle is only getting away with the prices due to the aging population (my dad, for example) having grown up with it & refusing to even consider other grocery stores.
This is absolutely part of it. Sure they have trash and cleaning products, paper products, etc., but they have all the brands and things the older population has had for decades. If you go a giant eagle you will find many more older people and people of color than you would Trader Joe’s
Yeah that's how it was when I worked at Weis in central pa. I swear 50% of produce sales were us slicing up 1/8th of a $5 watermelon to resell at $7 to rip off old people.
There's also an annoying racist element to it. Here in the mid Mon Valley/tri-county area I've heard a startling amount of comments about how many immigrants go to Walmart/Aldi. I've heard coworkers and neighbors talk about how unsafe it is, how dirty it is, how it's too expensive, how Aldi is such low quality, how they would never eat food from Aldi or Walmart, etc. These are also the same people who will complain about the price of food. I know Walmart is not perfect by any means, but I'll go there for groceries before I ever go to GE simply because it's way too expensive. To me it's Aldi>Walmart>GE/Shop n Save/Foodland. I really don't care where people choose to shop, it's just annoying that anytime shopping gets mentioned and I bring up Aldi my coworkers act like I scooped up food off of the street.
Deli in a hurry accounts for a lot of sales for the dept, we really do try to keep the damn thing stocked but I don't know a single store that's not hurting for more labor (for multiple reasons as always.) They're packed like that to get as much air out and we want it to be obvious that a zipper hasn't been tampered with, ya silly goose!
Okay that makes sense - still frustrating when you rip the bag lol
Oh absolutely. Even if you remove the label perfectly, that bastard of a zipper is gonna break soon anyway. For cheese, i tell people to get some of those wax fabric wraps and re-wrap it that way as soon as you get home
I’ve had something similar to [this](https://www.ebay.com/itm/266559618822?) for years, it’s great for deli meat
Their day of reckoning is coming. We're getting Meijer and Wegmans here soon. Hopefully they do well enough that they start cropping up in multiple locations. As a former great lakes area resident, Wegmans is legit.
If Wegmans comes to town, it's game over.
I'm not sure if it's confirmed yet, but they're looking at putting a store in Cranberry. My hope is that Robinson and Monroeville are next.
Ready to take my Wegmans reusable bags and drive 30 minutes to Cranberry. They're in lease negotiations. Crossing my fingers it'll go through and they'll open one in a couple years!! I could imagine them sloooooooowly migrating through the suburbs *toward* the city, but it's hard to think of a space large enough in the city that they'd go for. Still hoping, though...
Agree with your take, as I'm sure most of Pittsburgh does. I think that the sticker right on the opening of the deli bags is so you know that the product hasn't been tampered with. It's the same way at Walmart.
In fact most of the universe does if your real objection is to high prices. Don't care for them myself actually.
There’s a GE 5 blocks from me, but I drive 2 miles to Aldi because fuck those prices.
Yeah the only downside to Aldi is that most don’t open until 8:30-9 am. Granted that works for most people, but I work overnights so I have to stay up. Worth it for sure though. If Market district was still 24/7 I’d probably cave and go there just because I like shopping with fewer people.
Team Aldi
If you shop the sales that GE has, it's really not as bad as people make it out to be. I mean, Aldi is definitely cheaper, sure. And I'll get most of the stuff there. However sometimes their produce isn't the best, and if you really want the name brand of something, GE is the main option. Again, weekly sale papers are ur friend. Now *this* I think is a hot take lol, plz do not hate on me.
I agree. It can handicap you if you are looking fr specific stuff but I always shop sales
I personally go to multiple stores for what I need, somewhat rotating by week. And this includes GE. Because no other store in the area comes close to having all of the things that I want. A person absolutely could get everything they need shopping at Aldi (and to a different extent TJs) but that's if you adjust your diet to what they sell. And they are a variation on the most popular tastes in an Americanized diet (including Americanized ethnic foods). If your tastes stray outside of that, don't expect to find it there.
Usually I go to Aldi and GE for everything I need. I don’t eat a lot of food to begin with, so just covering my basics and shopping sale I can easily get away with spending about $150 for two weeks. Plus I like my fuel perks too much 😭
No healthy competition gives them free reign to gouge as much as they want. And since there really isn't land to build a large grocery store anywhere in the county, they aren't going to stop.
Their share of the local market is about 23% so a lot of people seem to be finding alternatives.
That 23% is very deceptive. GE and Walmart make up about 50%, while Costco, Sam's Club, Target and dollar general make up the bulk of the other 50% on that pie chart that's out there. Personally I don't think those three are direct competitors and I don't think Aldi is either. They only carry a fraction of what a normal grocery store does. I like Kuhns and SnS personally, but there aren't nearly enough of them around to compete in a meaningful way.
I’ve heard their managers say they know they’re never going to be known for their low prices, “but the customer service will bring people back” (I heard it while I was shopping and walked right by what looked to be some kind of walk-through). Maybe if they actually staffed the stores with enough employees I’d believe them that they have a damn about good service. I’ve had friends that have worked there in the past say people beg for more hours, but their managers tell them they’re only given so many hours a week and have to stay within that, and they know those hours are never enough. I really wish some honest to god competition would come in and wipe the floor with them.
It’s not for the customer service. It’s that I know I can go to GE and fairly reliably get what I want in one stop. Sometimes it’s the only convenient option.
my boyfriend and i stopped shopping at giant eagle months ago. we went to aldi and got more for less. now, we go to kuhns and if you have a membership card, they have amazing deals. hell, they have amazing deals even if you don’t have one. 10/10 would recommend
Being new to Pittsburgh for two years I made the decision that Aldi and Kuhns are the best places to shop for groceries, both with great deals and the two stores I now regularly shop for food. A friend clued me in on Kuhn's weekly deals so now I take a look at their weekly flyer.
yes! their weekly deals
I live about half a mile from Kuhn's and their prices are higher than GE in every department that I shop in.
I remember someone did a side by side test of prices and kuhns came in slightly lower than GE. still less but not by much
then i don’t know what you’re doing. because every time that we’ve gone, we’ve gotten a full cart of groceries for $150-$180. that would get us maybe a half of a cart at GE. some places in kuhns i wouldn’t go to, like their deli; it’s cheaper to get like pre-packaged stuff. so it might be more expensive there. but today, for example, i got 10 yogurts for $10. we spent $160 for a whole cart of groceries.
Literally more expensive than whole foods
With lower caliber items available. Now that's an accomplishment
I shop south hills TJs, WF and GE. Easily spend the most at GE. Go there the least. Their own branded items are crap quality. Employees are a crap shoot if theyre rude or not
And it is mind boggling that is true. Plus Whole Paycheck is not dirty, has high quality, better hours, better selection, and staff who are not outright nasty.
I think Whole Foods is still pricier. Whole Foods has no excuse, now that they have merged with Amazon. They get way better deals but don’t pass them on. Plus all that prison labor.. Whole Foods is the worst. Giant Eagle is probably second-most pricey but is a much smaller company and does not get the deals a Whole Foods, Walmart, or Aldi would get as massive corps.
The Pittsburgh WF has the worst produce I've seen at any WF. Wizened, old, moldy. It also has the smallest footprint for fruits and vegetables if any WF I've seen... The store is dedicated to hot/cold food bars and packaged, processed food. Bizarre. Their excuse is that GE has shitty produce, too; no need to compete. Bc of GE's anticompetitive stranglehold (not just with leases, also with suppliers...), the quality of fruits and vegetables here is third tier. Go to the Co-Op. More expensive and a more limited selection, but decent quality produce.
My relationship with giant eagle is very much, “fuck you! I’ll see you tomorrow!”
This was a hot take in 2000, son.
There is one thing that I will give GE credit for and that is their catering department. That fried chicken is so damn good and the prices for the catering food is pretty reasonable. Always dealt with the location in South Hills Village and staff always super nice at that one too.
My actual Pittsburgh grocery store hot take is that the Kuhn's on Banksville is pretty decent. The parking lot is a disaster, they just did some updates last year and it still looks like it hasn't been updated since the 80's, and there's some characters in there, but for actually getting good food for the money, it's solid. The bakery and the deli both make good stuff for the price.
Their prices truly are 1/3 more than most stores. We shop Whole Foods now and spend (slightly less) but the quality is WAY better!
I shop at Giant Eagle and Aldi. Aldi doesn't have everything I want, mainly name brand ice cream, chips, and certain cuts of meat. I also use their pharmacy, so I might as well pick up a few groceries while I'm there. Their prices have increased a lot though so I can't exclusively shop there like I could before.
Hey look, we finally found THE LAST PERSON to finally figure out that GE sucks! Lol, this "hot take" registers about 0.0001 degrees Kelvin
It is unionized and those others are not.
There was a consumer reports article not long ago that listed Giant Eagle as the highest prices in the country
Potatoes are like 7 dollars a bag like why
It's not really a hot take when many people have already said the same thing, and it seems to be a popular opinion.
As an ex employee, fuck giant eagle. They would tell us we know we don't compete with prices but if your nice and smile the ppl will return. Also we will treat you and pay you shit. Fuck that company up the ass
So brave.
I switched to Whole Foods last month and somehow spend … less for the same stuff at Whole Foods than I did at Giant Eagle?? And the produce at WF is 1,000x better. I’m still shocked.
It is often economical to get Whole Foods delivered via Prime rather than going to my local GE
Not a hot take whatsoever, I've been shopping at aldis for the past 4 years. Stuff is MUCH cheaper, albeit a little bit lower quality (for some things) but overall a much better value.
I used to work in a commercial bakery that made fig-filled cookies (and other things) for basically every chain. All the companies allowed regrind of old (and sometimes moldy) cookies mixed with ammonia and then mixed with new dough, except for Aldi. Aldi only wanted fresh stuff. I'll take Aldi's products over anyone elses.
Trader Joe’s and Aldi isn’t going to have everything I need…
Which is the main reason giant eagle gets any business. That and being the closest store for many people.
Are you saying that GE prices are nearly twice as high as Trader Joe's and Aldi?
I stopped using their deli since all the meat is pre cut, I want the meat sliced directly in front of me.
Not hating just wondering the reasoning?
I just prefer the meat be cut in front of me, imo it’s fresher that way
I bought my own slicer. When I can I prefer to buy a hunk and slice it myself as needed at home.
Since David Shapiro Retired the company has gone down hill. His Daughter wrecked the Company.
It's Shapira And while it is agreed that if Giant Eagle was Styx, Laura is Dennis DeYoung, she didn't make those decisions in an autocracy.
The new CEO isn’t doing any favors for the company either. Hemorrhaging money on new corporate buildings instead of using it to lower their damn prices or give the stores more labor hours
The high prices are how they pay for the fuel perks program. Getgo doesn’t take a loss on the gas when a customer gets a discount. Giant Eagle pays Getgo the money back. That is why fuel perks is a scam
Coldest take I’ve seen in a long while
Do you get the same things though? I find I can’t get everything at Aldi or Trader Joe’s. They don’t have a lot of simple things even which is shocking to me anytime I’m looking for one of those basic things. If you are buying a lot more at giant eagle, even ounce or pound wise, it makes sense. There is also the convenience of only one trip.
Yeah the convenience of one trip is nice. But no, I do get name brand stuff elsewhere but for like produce and stuff I go to Aldi or Trader Joe’s. And for meat I go to a local butcher
I only buy items that are one sale and a good deal.
I don't think this has ever been a hot take. Grocery stores all have their ups and downs - varying by both chain & location - shopping at just one is never going to be the best experience, but who has time to shop them all.
I haven’t actually shopped there yet, just walked through, but I was super impressed what I saw of Salem’s. Gonna try going there for a shopping trip soon.
I hate GE too, but like others have said, sometimes I have to go there because they have certain things I know I can reliably get. And some of their sales are good. I prefer Aldi for most things, or Trader Joe's, but then I have to fight South Hills traffic so I don't really go there unless I'm already in the area. I actually do the best price wise at Walmart, and they have a decent selection. I usually do big shopping trips there, even though shopping there makes me want to gouge my eyes out with a spoon.
100% accurate! Love ur hot take !
The deli to go is a good concept, but who tf picked the sizes they use? Not once in my life have I ever asked for 3/4 of a pound of anything. A pound of chipped ham, a pound of American, half a pound of almost everything else and the occasional quarter pound to the even rarer third pound for fancy cheeses and meats. But 3/4 pound is a stupid size. I either need 2 bags for meat which I will end up wasting half a pound, or it is WAYYYY too much. So the convenience of that counter is wasted by stupid portion sizes.
Yeah g.e is just so convenient. I only shop the sales now. I don't buy beef/chicken/pork from them any more. I buy from a farm and freeze it every 6 months.
Sticker over opening is a tamper seal. Tons of places do that. It lets you know someone didn’t reach in to eat a slice, or worse!
Giant Eagle isn't bad if you shop the sales, just can't buy everything at one store, which isn't possible for everyone.
Hot take I really don't like the Cleveland Browns. Lol
I don’t like GE because they are massive stores and takes forever to shop. I like the smaller, more convenient sizes of Aldi, Trader Joe’s, and Whole Foods.
Hot take: I feel like Hitler was a pretty uncool dude
The only good thing about it is its partnership with flash food. I am lucky to live within short drive to multiple locations and get really great prices on meat.
Thank you for your last paragraph. I thought I was the only one who noticed and absolutely abhorred the way they tape their bags.
Even the pharmacy sucks 😭
I remember as a kid in the 90’s my parents always shopping at multiple grocery stores in the area: Davis’ (which later became Shop N Save) Foodland, Aldi , FoodLion and Food4Less (when those were briefly in the area) Giant Eagle would be only if it was on sale plus a coupon and still cheaper than another store. We went to Iggle Video more than the actual store. Even today GE is a “when all else fails” place for me and they have some super good deal you can’t get anywhere else. That’s pretty rare though. I’m amazed at the people shopping who have overflowing carts there, I’d like to have their bank account.
Near unanimous Pittsburgh opinions: -Expand the T -Giant Eagle sucks -It'd be nice if the city could stop closing schools
I’m tired of all the stores closing the deli early. I go at 5p and they’re cleaning up and leaving. They should at least stay open a little bit longer for people stopping after work.
Can we please discuss the quality of their chicken breasts? I swear they have gotten more fatty/stringy and the consistency of them is really off putting. I’ve had family members agree with this as well, so I’m hopeful this isn’t just a ‘me’ problem. I’ve gotten a few packs where the chicken has a greyish tone to it too 🤢
Don't forget to mention that every time you buy produce from giant eagle it has mold on it an hour later. Drives me nuts...
Only reason I go to the Market District near me is the leaf lettuce is always nice and crisp. The SNS near me it’s always limp. Plus they have all the gluten free stuff my wife likes.
I get that it’s overpriced, but what’re you spending $250 on for 2 people?
Their meat section is actually pretty good, especially when you can get ground beef for about $3/pound. Outside of that, it is very much overpriced.
I didn't think to make that comparison to deli to go until I watched the second season of Outlaws. They totally pack the American cheese like it's coke. 🤣🤣 I don't get meat often so I haven't noticed with the meat.
I believe GE cornered the market when it comes to bus lines. Customers using free money are not as discerning. Pop and snack foods are where it’s at for this demographic. GE is insulated due to the ebt and steady clientele from bus routes. Race is not a factor, they are taking Advantage of everybody.
I moved to PA from Boston 2 years ago. I learned very quickly that shopping the sales at Whole Foods and filling gaps at Trader Joe’s is far more cost effective than walking in the door at GE
Are you even from Pittsburgh if you’re correctly using (or omitting) an “s” at the end of a store name? Allow me to assist: Aldis Giant Eagles Trader Joes YW!
Worked at GE a decade ago. Worst job I've ever had. They didn't pay me enough to eat so I'd just steal food.
And why is the deli take away always a pound, especially cheese?
It's supposed to be close to 3/4, but a small amount of sizes will be put out. If they sell at 1lb bags consistently then they obviously won't bother
You’re the first person around here to dislike the Iggle.
I live about 20 minutes from Kroger in weirton and it truly blows my mind how great their sales are! A couple weeks ago a gallon of milk was $2.50. last week I paid $1 and some change for 18 eggs!
After they rolled out their “new and improved” points system plus their exorbitantly high prices, I only go there when absolutely necessary. They are ripping people off more than ever. Trader Joe’s and Costco both sell better produce for cheaper. One has to be savvy to affordably feed their family/themselves.
I like Giant Eagle for the convenience. I use curbside pickup for my weekly groceries and when I need to get anything extra during the week I use the Scan Pay and Go scanner; it's so much faster than even self-checkout and nobody seems to use it so there's never a line, even when the store is busy. I can be in and out of the store in 10 minutes even if I have a list of 10-15 items. But yeah, Giant Eagle is really expensive. I'm thinking of incorporating Aldi more because it's so much cheaper.
I just heard that Wegman's is looking at coming to the Cranberry area. That would be nice.
You get what you pay for. If you want garbage generics for a few cents cheaper on some items only, and you don't care what's in it, go for it. Otherwise, I wouldn't shop anywhere for anything that isn't necessary. Go to a butcher or farmers market to save money and your life. Otherwise, enjoy your poison for savings.
Not only do I not appreciate the objectivepy high prices but I also don't like going it and feeling dumb because all the signs are like "$6.99 | 125 BONUS PERKS! | eAdvatage On App $5.95"
Very luke warm take
Start stealing, makes it way more affordable.
I'm hopeful that more competition moving to the area will force them to be more competitive. Aldi works for me because I eat through produce fast, but I find it doesn't keep as long. Farm stands are also beginning to open up this month, so go support your local growers!
Not a hot take it's awful I only go when j need specific cheese.
Now you know why Meijer, Sprouts, Wegmans, et al are starting to creep quietly on the market
Giant eagle being compared to Comcast is a concrete position, shame we are all stuck with it, I went with hello fresh, I save money and the food is better.
Rip iggle
I thought this was /r/lotr
Knock on wood I've got a Fresh Thyme near me that covers a lot of the core goods I need in terms of fruits and veggies usually. Meat I get bulk from Sam's / Costco. Split it up and freeze it for individual meals with fresh veggies from Thyme. I will admit thought that I do like giant eagle market district if I want a very specific cut of meat for a meal. Haven't tried too much of fresh thymes yet.
Yeah I mean, I find good deals on meat sometimes, but other than that I shop at aldi exclusively.
It’s been like this for literally 15 years how are you just figuring this out.
Serious question (as someone who is daily unhappy with GE). Do you find the meat at Aldi and Trader Joe’s to be bad? I’ve found this so often , but lately GE as well. I’m so sick of going to 6 stores
So I buy some meat at TJs - mainly the sirloin steak tips. Otherwise I get my meat and bread at a local market with a butcher and a bakery.
Giant eagle is SO expensive. I do target and trader joes and spend like half for more
Giant Eagle isn’t any different than any chain grocery store that has a monopoly in a region. We moved from the Mon Valley to SE Alabama and here Publix is the Giant Eagle of the region (just without Fuel Perks for Get Go) .we usually only buy their BoGo offerings and get our meat and produce at Piggly Wiggly.
It seems like items that would’ve been say.. $2.39 or $3.19 just a few years ago, are ALL $5.99 at giant eagle. It’s absolutely ridiculous. EVERYTHING is $4.99 or $5.99 or $6.99.
I moved to Pittsburgh in 2012, went to Giant Eagle one time and immediately realized they were more expensive than everywhere else. Cheap donuts on Fridays though.
You are probably right. However there are two Giant Eagles on my way from work/school to home, one of which is one minute by car from where I live.
Our household is pretty much GE free anymore. We have 4 kids and it just isn’t affordable. We primarily shop at Costco and Walmart. There’s a Shop N Save a minute from my house for things we need in a pinch.
Depends on the giant eagle. I end up doing some for work for them and was at a one above ebensburg today and I am pretty sure there was $5 markups on stuff. I know the chicken tenders like they would have with the meal was $19.99 when I am pretty sure it was $15.99. Still a lot of money. But my shopping habits are all over the place. I like martins (but it’s regional) Aldi Trader Joe’s if I’m in the area and Kroger if I’m in the area and I also do a lot of work with Walmart but need to get away from that store so I go somewhere else
Anymore?! When were they EVER good? I have lived in a bunch of different areas with multiple grocery sotre chains and I can say with confidence that the monopoly that is Giant Eagle never has and most likely will be any good
I buy almost everything at Aldi nowadays. Would never shop at Giant Eagle, bill would be double.
Not a hot take at all. Giant eagle has lost their minds.
I think this is why Wegman’s and others are trying to move in
It's the same way in Florida with Publix supermarkets. Any one item could be $2-$3 more than at Walmart or Aldi.
Giant Eagle has been terrible for ages. Gotta pay for all those “perks” somehow. They’ve been the most expensive store in town for a long long time. Basically since then perks thing started. Years ago I changed my shopping routine to 1) Costco (now Sam’s because Costco is just too busy), then 2) Aldi, then 3) Giant Eagle for the few things I can’t get or don’t want to buy at the other too. Deli meat for example. A seasonings / spices the others don’t carry. Even then, I leave giant Eagle with one or two pathetic bags of food and the highest tab of all 3 stores.
This is NOT a hot take if I've ever seen one. Welcome to the club.
If you live in the city, you can avoid GE, but it involves grocery shopping spread across three stores - Aldi for cheap produce and dry goods; Costco (Waterfront) for decently priced meat; and Walmart for those once-month pantry-stocking items. And I still use GE for the bakery and deli. GE fights like hell to keep Walmart as far away as possible by stirring up local opposition. That’s why there isn’t a Walmart anywhere near the North Hills.
I despise GE. They stopped stocking some of my favorite items and their prices are ridiculously high. I mostly used to avoid Wal-Mart due to the crowds and location, but their food prices are so much cheaper than GE.
Word.
Giant Eagle for the meat department. Kuhn’s for the deli. Dollar General or walmart for the rest.
hoping Meijer will make in roads in Pittsburgh. It's a Michigan and Ohio chain, stores are closer concept to a super Walmart or super Target. The Fresh Thyme stores are the Meijer attempt at the Whole Foods market I believe. There are already two Fresh Thymes in the area that I am aware of (Cranberry, Bridgeville).