Save Big at the Supermarket

You might assume that a store brand of any given food is a poorer-quality imitation of its name-brand cousin. But supermarkets these days are working to change that perception because they have bigger profit margins on store-brand foods and they know that having high-quality, budget-friendly store brands makes you want to shop with them, says Burt Flickinger III, managing director at the Strategic Resource Group, a consumer industry consulting firm based in New York.

So perhaps to help give them cachet, stores are offering more “specialty” house brands. Albertsons has nine, including Open Nature (for preservative-free items) and Waterfront Bistro (for frozen shrimp and other seafood). Walmart just launched Bettergoods, meant to offer more heightened culinary experiences while still being lower-priced, with offerings like Creamy Corn Jalapeno Chowder and Cold Brew Coffee Premium Ice Cream.

In Flickinger’s view, shoppers make no sacrifice in quality by choosing store brands. They cost 15 to 25 percent less than their brand-name versions, a discount that increases to 50 percent for personal care and health products, he says.

Supermarket loyalty clubs have been around for a while, but to draw new and repeat customers, retailers are making them more rewarding. In the past, they gave you access to sale pricing on items. Today, in addition to discounts, several have cash-back-type programs that reward you for in-store spending. For example, when you join the Kroger Plus loyalty program, you can earn 1 fuel point for every dollar you spend shopping. One hundred fuel points earn you 10 cents off a gallon of gas at Kroger Family of Stores Fuel Centers and partner gas stations.

Stop & Shop has a similar loyalty rewards program, as does the Midwestern grocery chain Hy-Vee.

Supermarket apps are being reimagined to be useful not just for online ordering but also for in-store shopping as well. If you’re a loyalty club member, the store’s app will let you clip the coupons virtually and add them to your account. Meijer’s mobile app is typical: You browse coupons and click on the ones you want. Then they’re automatically applied to your order at checkout.

Some supermarket apps do even more. Instead of having to scour the aisles for on-sale items, Hy-Vee’s app will sort them into a list for you. The Walmart app shares inventory status at your designated store so that you can make sure what you want is in stock, and it has a store map to help make your shopping more efficient.

The free samples are part of the fun during a trip to Costco. But for the brands that host them, sampling stations are an expensive proposition.

Now “companies looking to connect with customers are leaning into the idea of automated sampling,” says Jordan Berke, CEO at Tomorrow, a digital retail consulting firm. For example, Freeosk is an automated sampling station available at more than 1,400 supermarkets across the U.S., including some Sam’s Club and ShopRite stores. Users who have downloaded the Freeosk app can scan a QR code at the kiosk to get an individually wrapped sample. Recent offers have included Clif ZBar energy bars and Kinder’s burger sauce.

Other stores offer try-before you-buy options. At Whole Foods, staffers can “open a bag of chips, slice a piece of fruit, or twist open bottled iced tea” if they’d like to taste them, according to the company website. Although each store sets its own policy, some Trader Joe’s locations also let you sample anything in the store if you ask for a taste.

Stores are experimenting with automated checkout and payment technology. Some Kroger, Schnucks, and ShopRite stores are piloting “smart carts” equipped with sensors and scanners that keep a running tab on items you put in them so that you can bypass the register altogether. The carts have an integrated scale that weighs produce and a screen where you can keep an eye on the running tally and pay for your purchases. Since 2022, Whole Foods Market has been testing Dash Cart, its own version of a smart cart. And over 500 Whole Foods stores, as well as some other grocery and convenience stores, are equipped with Amazon One palm readers, which allow you to map your palm and its underlying vein structure via your smartphone to link to a payment method.

Supermarkets are also finding ways to offer perks to older Americans. At the 139 Fred Meyer locations in the Northwest, customers 55 and up get 10 percent off the store’s private-label brands on the first Tuesday of every month. Fry’s Food Stores in Arizona offer a 10 percent discount to the 55-and-up crowd at its 128 stores on the first Wednesday of a month. Discounts come with more frequency at Gristedes in New York City, where people over 55 get 10 percent off every Tuesday.

Many large supermarkets, including Kroger and Walmart, also have motorized seated shopping carts on hand for folks who need them.

A mix of small independent grocers and large regional chain supermarkets are primarily responsible for keeping our cupboards full. But in recent years, a handful of grocers have been establishing a more national presence. If one or more of the stores below aren’t already in your neck of the woods, they may be soon.

Aldi has over 2,000 stores in 39 states and plans to open 800 more by the end of 2028. Based in Germany, the store is bare-bones—you’ll generally find no pharmacy or café—nor does it issue or honor coupons. But you’ll find low prices on the products that are Aldi-exclusive, which 90 percent of the offerings are. Make sure to bring a quarter because you’ll need it as a deposit for a shopping cart.

Costco’s rotisserie chickens have become a national obsession and are now roasting at over 600 locations across 47 states. The warehouse club derives revenue from membership fees ($60 to $120 a year), which helps keep the markups on the products it sells—most in bulk sizes—low. While typical supermarkets stock about 30,000 products, Costco has just around 4,000. Its house brand, Kirkland Signature, is top-notch.

Target can now be found in all 50 states with more than 1,950 stores, most of which sell food at competitive prices. It has a dozen private-label grocery brands, including nine for its wine and spirit collections. If you pay with a Target Circle credit card, you get 5 percent off on your purchases.

Some shoppers want more from their supermarkets than just low prices. Here’s how some stores appeal to customers who prize a more elevated shopping experience.

Complimentary Cookies
That’s what Florida-based Publix offers kids, who can have their pick of chocolate chip or sugar cookies for tagging along on a grocery run. Just head to the bakery to ask for one.

Health Checks
Compare Foods in North Carolina partners with local healthcare systems to host free diabetes and cholesterol screenings. Hy-Vee stores offer a 1-hour personalized shopping experience with a dietitian who can tailor food recommendations. The $25 fee is waived for shoppers who make a $100 grocery purchase.

Free Knife Sharpening
To stay a cut above its competitors, Raley’s Supermarkets, with 121 stores in California and Nevada, offers free knife sharpening. Shoppers can hand over up to three dull blades at a time to an employee in the butcher department and pick them up in 24 hours.

Stores With a Café
When it comes to elevating the grocery store experience, Erewhon in California is in a class by itself. Its 10 outposts in the Los Angeles area have cafés with organic food and smoothie bars featuring the beautifying Hailey Bieber’s Strawberry Glaze Skin Smoothie with organic fruit, vanilla collagen, and sea moss. Some stores even have valet parking.

In-House Bakeries
Texas-based H-E-B, which has more than 435 stores in Mexico and Texas, is famous for the tortillas it makes daily. If your timing is good, you could be rewarded with a free sample fresh from the oven.