Supermarket Smackdown

8/19/2019 Supermarket Smackdown

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SupermarketSMACKDOWN

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Back in 2003 when we rst surveyedthe city’s grocery stores, Houston’s“fancy” chain supermarkets – i.e.Randalls Flagship and SignatureKroger locations – were already feelingthe scorching heat of competitionfrom HEB’s big new Central Market, which had opened on Westheimerinside Te Loop two years earlier.

At the time, ve Rice EpicureanMarkets were thriving – one was directly

across the street from Central Market –selling apples the size of cantaloupes tothe city’s bluestocking shoppers (or theirhousekeepers).Te scattering of WholeFoods catered, mostly, to health nuts.Trader Joe’s was a West Coast legend,generally unknown in these parts.

But times have changed. Today thereis just one Rice Epicurean Market. (Seeour sidebar to nd out why.) CentralMarket has been around long enough

that we actually take its seeminglyinnite selection of cheese, produce,meats and seafood for granted. WholeFoods has developed more denedquality standards for its products,become an industry leader nationallyand added several new locations acrossHouston, even while it’s developedmore off erings with mass appeal. (Heck,they even sell Christmas trees during theholidays at some locations.)

how have

groce y stores

and supermarkets

changed in the

last 13 years?


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Although there is still no secondCentral Market store in the Houstonarea, HEB’s luscious “Market” storeshave incorporated some of CentralMarket’s most appealing elements tobecome one of the city’s most populargrocery chains.

Fiesta, which could have been great,seems content today to remain asecond-tier shopping destination. Itsgrand experiment on the Gulf Freeway with the wall of live produce eventuallyfailed, much to the dismay of its awedfans. Te location on Shepherd at 24th

Street is scheduled to close, and thelocation on the Katy Freeway at Blalockhas since become the pan-Asian 99Ranch Market. Even the location onDunlavy – beloved for its wine selectionand playlist and reviled for its crummyproduce – has been torn down andis now a luxury apartment complex.Indeed, while Fiesta is still known forits selection of international ingredients,HEB’s Mi Tienda concept, which rstopened in 2006 in Houston, has stolenmuch of Fiesta’s suerte.

Hong Kong Market, set in the city’sChina Town, remains mighty impressiveand unto itself. A visit here is an excur-sion. Depending on your family andgrocery-shopping background, you mayfeel like a tourist in our own city.

Trader Joe’s, which has some of thetown’s most interesting selections offrozen and prepared foods, is the

antithesis of the HEB Market stores.Tey don’t seem to have any ambitionabout putting the “super” into super-market; they remain small, highlycurated and well priced.

Randalls and Kroger still havemany positive qualities (see our chartcomparing stores surveyed in 2003versus 2016), but they’re more reliablethan exciting these days. It is HEB and Whole Foods that now operate themost interesting stores. Each has donean excellent job of tracking trends –and even setting a few of their own.

Our last grocery store survey was in2003, the year that LinkedIn and theiTunes store both launched. My Space was still the hot social network; Face-book wouldn’t be available until thefollowing year, and no one had evenconceived of Instagram. Blackberrydevices off ered the best in mobile devicetechnology, as the rst iPhone wouldn’tbe released until 2007.

Americans were already plugging intothe Internet, but we weren’t dealing with as much information overload or

anxiety about “missing out” as we aretoday. Now there are constant digitaldemands for our attention, and we allseem busy all day long.

HEB and Whole Foods have bothresponded to our interests and busier-than-ever schedules, building storesin Houston’s wealthiest suburbs anddensest shopping areas. In recent years

Whole Foods opened stores inMontrose, Champions, Te Galleriaarea, Tanglewood and Te Woodlands.For its part, HEB opened new storesin Briar Grove, Montrose and BunkerHill, as well as in Magnolia, TexasCity and Clear Lake, among others.Both have developed on-trend diningand drinking features, such as the“create-your-own” ramen bar at the Whole Foods that opened last year at1407 South Voss.

Meanwhile, the new HEB on SanFelipe at Fountainview developed an

entire in-store restaurant, Table 57, which was created with consultationfrom celebrity chef Randy Evans.Soon to come: HEB corner stores –micro-HEBs if you will.

In response to the expanding craftbeer market, all the newer Whole Foodsstores have craft beer bars and off ergrowler lls. Te location in BLVDPlace at 1700 Post Oak even has a “beerbike” that serves up a pint to visitors asthey’re shopping.

What’s next? With Amazon Prime,

Instacart and Favor off

ering delivery of alimited selection of groceries in minutes,the next new off erings will be not aboutvariety, but convenience. Expandingon that trend, services such as personalshopping, curbside pick-up, valetparking and grocery delivery arecurrently running in test markets, suchas Whole Foods and HEB.

readers share their

favorite groce y

stores on page 39.


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MILES OF AISLES

Central Market

3815 Westheimer713-386-1700revisited 2/18/16

Amazon

PrimeNow

Delivery via app

checked 2/19/16

Fiesta

6200 Bellaire713-270-5889revisited 2/19/16

Hong Kong

food Market

11205 Bellaire281-575-7886revisited 2/19/16

Kroger

Signature

5150 Buff alo Speedway713-661-8305revisited 2/19/16

Randalls Flagship

3131 W. Holcombe713-349-2150revisited 2/19/16

Trader Joe’s

2922 S. Shepherd713-526-4034visited 2/18/16no Houston locations

in 2003

Whole Foods

2955 Kirby713-520-1937revisited 2/18/16

WHOLE

CHICKEN

SALMON

FILETS

YELLOW

ONIONS

ROMAINE

LETTUCE

SKIM

MILK

CHEESE

SELECTIO

!""#$ $1.99/lb(butcher case); pre-

packaged $0.99/lb.!"%&: $2.39/lb

(butcher case); pre-packaged $1.59/lb.

$6.99/lb.

(farm-raised,center-cut Atlantic;

no change)

!""#: $0.69/lb.!"%&: $0.68/lb.

!""#: $1.49 each!"%&: $1.58 each

!""#: $2.99/gal!"%&

: $2.29/gal H-E-B brand;$5.48 CentralMarket brand

Te most

extensive inHouston, wmore than 6

varieties

$0.99/lb.(no change)

!""#: $4.69/lb.!"%&: $4.99/lb.

!""#: 2 lbs./$1!"%&: $0.69 per

pound

!""#: $0.99 each!"%&: $1.49 each

!""#: $2.89/gal!"%&: $2.79/gal

Good overagenerous

selection oMexican

cheeses ancrema

!""#: housebrand $1.19/lb.!"%&: house

brand $1.59/lb.

!""#: (no pre-cutlets found)

!"%&: $6.99/lb.at fresh seafood

counter

$0.39/lb. (nochange)

!""#: $1.19 each!"%&: $1.29 each

Asian marketsaren’t great

places to buymilk. None

found.

No cheesselection tspeak of;countless

varieties otofu, howev


$6.99/lb.(nochange)

!""#: $0.99/lb.!"%&: $0.69/lb.

!""#: $1.49 each!"%&: $0.99 each

!""#: 2 for $4(on special)!"%&: $1.99

(with Kroger card)

Boar’s Headominates

computerizdeli-order

kiosk is coo

!""#: $1.29/lb.!"%&: $1.49/lb.(On sale during

visit for $0.59/lb.)

!""#: $7.99/lb!"%&: $8.99/lb.

(Only $4.50/lb. onsale and frozen wild

caught just $5)

!""#: $0.99/lb.!"%&: $1.29/lb.

!""#: $0.99 each!"%&: $2.49 each

!""#: $3.09/gal!"%&: $2.18/gal

Selection iordinary an

mostly Ameridisplay is bri

and clean

$1.29/lb.$7.99/lb. (frozen

wild-caught Keta)

.59 each (notsold by pound);2 lb. bag $2.79

$1.99 (bag ofthree hearts)

$2.19/gal

Small sectiobut goodquality in

refrigeratoarea.

!""#: WholeFoods Natural

$1.99/lb.!"%&: WholeFoods Natural

$2.29/lb.

!""#: $8.99/lb.(wild)

!"%&: $10/lb(2 lb. bag wild

frozen)


!""#: $1.99 each!"%&: $2.49 each

!""#: $2.99/gal!"%&: $3.79/gal

About 350varieties. Ma

are organicand all are

preservative-f

N/A $9.96 (10 oz.frozen wild)

$0.76 (white;no yellow

available)

$3.34 (threehearts)

$6.99 (organic)

PrimeNowselection i

extremely lim

on all fresgrocery item

groce y

store

Tink grocery store prices have spiked over the past 13 years? We did, too, until we took a notebook, recorded prices and compared them to our 2003 notes.


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BAKE Y WINE ENTRANCE

PREPARED

FOODS

CHECK-OUT

LANES SUMMA Y

90 kinds of bread,from Irish soda

bread to fresh-made tortillas,

plus 50 varieties ofEuropean pastries.

Excellent selection

but there seemsto be lesspassion drivingselection than

there used to be

Little has changed withthe store layout since

2003. Two entrances;far left enters byconcierge counter and

produce; far right by deliand cooking school.

Central Marketstill off ers quality

salads, entrees and fullmeals. Since 2003,fresh sushi, espresso

and sandwich countershave been added, too.

Since 2003, a two-register checkout wasadded by the deli as

well as ve more expressregisters near the maincheckout area. It brings

the total checkoutsfrom 19 to 27.

Tis is not the place fordetergent, paper goods, pfood, etc. Central Market

about edibles. Fabulous odepartment. Shop on weekas its so crowded on weeke

that it can be nightmarisFamous for its cooking sch

Many whole-grain breads &

Hispanic sweets.Wonderful fresh-

baked bolillos,baguettes.

Very limitedselection. Tisisn’t the place

to buyserious wine.

Te fun of Fiesta is howquirky is it. Elote cart

and dress shop outside; Western-wear storeinside. Mexican-stylebarbecued meats on

the weekend.

Awesome hot delicounter sells pupusas,chimichangas, chilerelleno and more.

18 checkout lanesplus four express

checkouts.

Beautiful produce andan amazing selection of

dried peppers, spices andinternational foods hardl

found anywhere else in tow

Prepackagedsweet snacks andeven a selection

of dim sum treats(e.g. pork buns,

sesame buns)

Many kinds ofplum wine,Chinese rice

wine, sake, plusinexpensive

western varieties

Enter from the mallinto a large array ofblooming plants andlucky bamboo. Casesdisplay rice bowl sets

for sale.

Check out the arrayof prepared meats likePeking duck and roast

pork. Lots of interesting Asian snacks, too, likenori crackers and green

tea Kit Kats.

20, including2 express; checks

accepted foramount of

purchase only.

Visitor quote: “Tis is agrocery store? It looks likeairport!” Huge store in a m

that features Vietnameserestaurants, bubble tea hou

clothing stores and more

Surprise:features fresh-tortilla booth

Fairly averagecollection

Starbucks kiosk and“Party Central” counter

for purchasing heli-um balloons are greatfeatures. Convenient

upstairs dining room.

Plenty of preparedmeals. Hot mealcounter features

oven brisket, friedchicken and sides.

16, including1 express and

6 self-serve lanes;quick check-out

Of all the stores in oursurvey, Kroger had almoszero increase (and some

decreases) in prices since 20Tere are great deals here

Features artisanalbreads, includingsurprisingly good

baguettes

Averageselection

Nice area for relaxationacross from Starbuckscounter. Grab-and-go

case near front featured asub sandwich for $5.

Sandwich-to-ordercounter as well as ahot deli counter.

10, including3 express; often

short lines

Go here for the meat specinot the produce (higher th

anywhere else). Incredible s with a Randalls card on chi

and family packs of mea

Limitedselection of

baked goodsbut the basics

are here.

Excellent valueshere, butknow that

there’s morethan just “TwoBuck Chuck.”

Exterior entrancebedecked with movie-style posters (this wasonce a movie theater)

with featured products;otherwise entrance is

fairly ho-hum.

No hot counter;limited grab-and-go

salads and sushi rolls inrefrigerator section.

8 checkout lanes,no self-checkout.Friendly cashiers

often come to fetchcustomers’ carts.

Tis is a store to visit for denot staples. Fans love the ecl

selections in the frozen focases. Tere are no frills, suca coff ee bar or cut-to-order

meats. Mostly house bran

More than 45fresh-baked

items, plus manyspecial-needs (e.g.gluten-free) items;

Lots of vegan bread.

Wide varietyof international wines at goodprices, as well asorganic wines

with no sulfates

Fresh herbs and plantsoutside; inside, a “farm-

er’s market” feel withlovely produce in the

entryway

Nice selection ofprepared foods-to-go(or foods to heat and

eat in the dining area);try the bento boxes or

fresh-baked pizza.

7 regular,plus 6 express

Since 2003, Whole Foodhas rapidly added more sto with features like craft be

bars, taco counters, aged mand more. Tis is now one

their older store location

N/A N/A N/A N/A

Incredibly convenient asgroceries are delivered

right to your door.

Prices are high (and so isthe convenience factor).

Amazon PrimeNow custoservice is always excellent

will often issue a refund if t

a delivery error or defectiproduct. Exchanges not avai

“The fun of Fiesta is h o qu i ky is it. Elote c a t and dress sh tside; West e n-we a st e inside.”

Supermarket Smackdown

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