Where to get the biggest bang for your grocery buck in the DC area
If you’re picky about your produce but still cautious about the bottom line it might take visits to multiple DC-area food stores to frugally stock the pantry.
If you’re picky about your produce but still cautious about the bottom line it might take visits to multiple DC-area food stores to frugally stock the pantry.
“Overall, it’s really difficult here in the Washington area to get both high quality and low prices,” said Kevin Brasler, the executive editor at Consumers’ Checkbook.
Secret shoppers went to dozens of area grocery stores to buy 154 common items and evaluate prices. Checkbook subscribers were surveyed to rate factors, such as quality of fresh produce, quality of fresh meat, customer service and more.
“On one hand, Wegmans remains by far the big fan favorite here in the Washington area, but its prices aren’t necessarily that low. They’re competitive with Giant Food and Harris Teeter, but they’re still higher than the really low-priced options that are out there,” Brasler said.
Checkbook didn’t rank grocery stores during the pandemic.
What’s new this time around?
One of the big changes to the Washington-area supermarket scene recently has been the continued expansion of Wegmans. Also, German owned companies such as Aldi, Lidl and Trader Joe’s continue to increase their footprint in the area.
Except for Target, Checkbook found the major chains have consistent pricing from location to location.
Who has the lowest prices?
Among the area’s big food store chains, Walmart and Food Lion have far lower prices than