Price Check

Comparing grocery stores can prove fruitful when stocking shelves and saving time and money.

For students who never seem to tire of Einstein’s Bros. Bagels and the international cuisine line at Johnson & Hardwick cafeteria, the grocery store seems like a foreign place. But for students who stand in their kitchen staring at a dirty frying pan, grocery shopping is a harsh reality to the stomach and to bank accounts.

Before the Fresh Grocer opened in December 2009, students had to leave Main Campus to find food. But whether it was Cousin’s Supermarket at Sixth and Berks streets or Trader Joe’s in Center City, venturing back with two weeks worth of groceries isn’t always easy.

But now that the Fresh Grocer is so accessible, the question of affordability comes into play. The Temple News chose some basic survival items to price check at three grocery stores in different areas of the city, but we’ll let you do the math and decide.

The Fresh Grocer (1501 N. Broad St.)

The List:

Cheerio’s, 14 oz.:
$4.45, but Kellogg’s cereal is three for $10
One dozen Fresh Grocer large white eggs:
$2.49
Gallon of Lehigh Valley milk:
$3.69-$3.99, depending on the type of milk
(i.e. whole, 2%, 1%, fat free, skim)
32. oz. America’s Choice Plain Yogurt:
$2.51
Gala apples:
$1.79 per pound
(grab bags of McIntosh apples were $2)
Boneless Fresh Grocer chicken:
$1.88 per pound

Pros: Fresh Grocer is open until midnight – and opens at 6 a.m. for you crazy kids – so it’s perfect for a late-night snack or a quick run to the grocery store in case you needed just one more ingredient for your macaroni and cheese (a box of Easy Mac counts as one ingredient because water is almost free). Plus, this place has a RedBox.

Cons: Centrally located for North Philadelphians in Progress Plaza, waiting in line can take up more time than your actual grocery shopping. And, though there are some good deals – the two for $4 Kellogg’s Pop-Tarts getting smashed at the bottom of your backpack – the colorful selection of fruits and veggies aren’t the cheapest. And, unlike the Fresh Grocer in West Philly, this place doesn’t have a wine kiosk.

Decision Factor: For convenience, some people will pay $4.99 for bacon at the Rite Aid a block from their house instead of baring a few more city blocks for some $3.19 strips. It’s your call.

Get there: If you live on or near Main Campus, walk down Broad Street to Oxford Avenue and look up.

*Prices and sales vary from day to day

SuperFresh (10th & South Streets)

The List:

Cheerio’s, 14 oz.: 2 boxes for $5
One dozen America’s Choice jumbo white eggs:
$3.59
Gallon of milk:
$3.27-$3.81, depending on the type of milk
(i.e. whole, 2%, 1%, fat free, skim)
32. oz. America’s Choice Plain Yogurt:
$2.51
Fuji apples:
$1.79 per pound (one particular apple weighed three-quarters of a pound)
America’s Choice boneless, skinless chicken:
$5.29 per pound

Pros: The Lower Price Project at Superfresh continually offers great deals on name-brand favorites so 99 percent of the time, you’re leaving with something tasty you bought and got another for free (ex. 8 oz. tubs of Tribe Hummus). Superfresh is also only blocks away from the Italian Market along Ninth Street.

Cons: Those deals extend to not-so-healthy foods such as those 10 boxes of Hot Pockets you got for $5. The words, “But it’s so cheap” might interrupt your New Year’s resolution diet, even if you compromised and bought Lean Pockets instead. Plus, parallel to Superfresh is Whole Foods Markets, which might interrupt another New Year’s resolution to stop spending so much money.

Decision Factor: It’s not a hike sans-bags from Broad and South streets to Superfresh, but with winter slush, you can kiss any comfort and relaxation you get from walking down the street goodbye.

Get there: Take the Broad Street Line southbound from Main Campus to South Street. When you hop off, walk three blocks east. Superfresh also has a parking garage for those of you ditching public transportation and braving Broad Street traffic.

Trader Joe’s (2121 Market st.)

The List:

Joe’s O’s, 15 oz.:
$1.99
One dozen extra large eggs:
$1.79
Gallon of milk:
$3.29-$3.69, depending on the type of milk
(i.e. whole, 2%, 1%, fat free, skim)
32 oz. Organic Plain Yogurt:
$2.99
Fuji apples:
$0.59 each
All-natural boneless chicken breast:
$4.99 per pound

Pros: Every grocery store seems to have a generic line of products, but at Trader Joe’s, the store’s namesake marks almost everything. Those eggs you just bought only traveled a short distance from a Lititz, Pa., farm to your plate. The store does its best to keep things fresh, sometimes local and pretty darn cheap.

Cons: If you’re craving a good carton of Turkey Hill ice cream or a bag of Cool Ranch Doritos, you’ll have to make another stop.

Decision Factor: The checkout line bells at Trader Joe’s may seem reminiscent of the “natural farm” feel of the store. Others might think a splitting headache is the last thing they need at a grocery store.

Get there: From Main Campus, take the Broad Street Line southbound, and get off at City Hall. From there, take the Route 11 trolley to 22nd Street. Trader Joe’s is on the right, but this one will cost you $3.10 for two tokens. That’s 11 cents more than a creamy yet crunchy jar of Trader Joe’s Almond Butter and Valencia with roasted flax seeds, which you could always put back if you’re feeling guilty for splurging to get there.

Ashley Nguyen can be reached at ashley.nguyen@temple.edu.