Costco - worth the hype?
#46
Re: Costco - worth the hype?
I much prefer Superstore but the Sobeys store I like is the best experience while the Sobeys I don't like is the worst.
#47
Re: Costco - worth the hype?
The difference in experience/quality between my two nearest Sobeys is startling.
One is a delight to wander around, the checkout staff are really good and wonderful at packing, like they have a degree in it and it has the advantage of being next to the liquor store.
The other, my 'local', frequently displays the wrong prices, often doesn't have stuff in stock even in the first hour of a new flyer week, not very good at packing and now they no longer have an olive bar But it is convenient for Canadian Tire.
And both stores do have the Belgian bread - the bestest bread I have found.
Did you get any elk or bison?
One is a delight to wander around, the checkout staff are really good and wonderful at packing, like they have a degree in it and it has the advantage of being next to the liquor store.
The other, my 'local', frequently displays the wrong prices, often doesn't have stuff in stock even in the first hour of a new flyer week, not very good at packing and now they no longer have an olive bar But it is convenient for Canadian Tire.
And both stores do have the Belgian bread - the bestest bread I have found.
Did you get any elk or bison?
#48
Re: Costco - worth the hype?
Our local Sobeys ( as well as having appalling staff) never seems to carry the same things twice in a row. Which is frustrating.
#50
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Joined: Jan 2006
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Re: Costco - worth the hype?
The best chain in BC grocery store wise that I have been to is Save On, their name doesn't reflect the prices but overall all of their stores I have ever been to are nice, modern, clean and their employees friendly, and they have top notch in store baked goods.
I like Safeway for some specific things, but I am finding they keeping going down hill and some Safeway's are now being converted to other Sobey owned brand Freshco.
We shop mostly from No Frills out of necessity, but I hate that store so much, small, crowded, understaffed, no good baked goods/no in store anything.
I like Safeway for some specific things, but I am finding they keeping going down hill and some Safeway's are now being converted to other Sobey owned brand Freshco.
We shop mostly from No Frills out of necessity, but I hate that store so much, small, crowded, understaffed, no good baked goods/no in store anything.
#52
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Re: Costco - worth the hype?
The No Frills closest to us is small & overcrowded, such a horrible shopping experience, no idea what other locations are like. I walked into an IGA once downtown, walked out as soon as I saw the prices lol
Superstore isn't bad, just none on this side of the city, and takes 35-40 minutes on transit, requires a bus and train, so not worth it and hauling it back home.
Superstore isn't bad, just none on this side of the city, and takes 35-40 minutes on transit, requires a bus and train, so not worth it and hauling it back home.
Last edited by scrubbedexpat091; Jul 10th 2019 at 7:39 pm.
#53
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Joined: Feb 2013
Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 3,874
Re: Costco - worth the hype?
Our Safeway/Sobeys has mainly good staff, some appalling, but we do have problems finding things twice, or they'll carry something fro 6 months and you get used to having it then it disappears.
#54
Re: Costco - worth the hype?
I spoke too soon.
Just been to my local Sobey’s the fridge shelf is full of bags of salad that have been withdrawn because of listeria. I took a bag to customer services and explained it’s been all over the news today. I was told to go and tell another assistant, which I did. She said she knows nothing about it. A man nearby overheard and said he had heard it too. I wonder if they are still on the shelves?
Just been to my local Sobey’s the fridge shelf is full of bags of salad that have been withdrawn because of listeria. I took a bag to customer services and explained it’s been all over the news today. I was told to go and tell another assistant, which I did. She said she knows nothing about it. A man nearby overheard and said he had heard it too. I wonder if they are still on the shelves?
#55
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Joined: Feb 2013
Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 3,874
Re: Costco - worth the hype?
FWIW ......... Sobeys bought our Safeway in BC, closed some, but has kept the name of Safeway SO FAR. Some are being changed to the new cheaper fresher (??) brand Freshco
They got rid of all Safeway's own brands and have replaced them with their own, Compliments, which in most cases are not as good as the Safeway own brands were.
Sobeys just declared recently that they are finally making a profit "again" in BC after losing many millions per year from when they bought out Safeway.
I found it very interesting that the guy who was leading Sobeys when they bought Safeway was the same guy who was responsible for Sobeys buying out a major chain in Ontartio, that then proceeded to bleed money like you wouldn't beleive.
He lost his job about 2 years after they moved in to BC when the losses began to mount up.
You should google Sylvain Charlebois, a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University, Halifax. He has had some very insightful articles on Sobeys, their actions and capabilities.
They got rid of all Safeway's own brands and have replaced them with their own, Compliments, which in most cases are not as good as the Safeway own brands were.
Sobeys just declared recently that they are finally making a profit "again" in BC after losing many millions per year from when they bought out Safeway.
I found it very interesting that the guy who was leading Sobeys when they bought Safeway was the same guy who was responsible for Sobeys buying out a major chain in Ontartio, that then proceeded to bleed money like you wouldn't beleive.
He lost his job about 2 years after they moved in to BC when the losses began to mount up.
You should google Sylvain Charlebois, a professor in food distribution and policy at Dalhousie University, Halifax. He has had some very insightful articles on Sobeys, their actions and capabilities.
#56
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Joined: Feb 2013
Location: BC, Canada
Posts: 3,874
Re: Costco - worth the hype?
The No Frills closest to us is small & overcrowded, such a horrible shopping experience, no idea what other locations are like. I walked into an IGA once downtown, walked out as soon as I saw the prices lol
Superstore isn't bad, just none on this side of the city, and takes 35-40 minutes on transit, requires a bus and train, so not worth it and hauling it back home.
Superstore isn't bad, just none on this side of the city, and takes 35-40 minutes on transit, requires a bus and train, so not worth it and hauling it back home.
We went to Superstore on Marine Drive in south Vancouver once soon after it opened as all the news was how cheap it was and how good.
It was no good for us ............. we ended up getting only half of the items on that week's list and had to go elsewhere (back to Safeway!) to get the rest. Plus we didn't find it that much cheaper.
We have been several times since to get some particular item that wasn't available elsewhere.
It is hard to find your way around, and much of the stock, fresh or otherwise, is heavily ethnic as it is in the centre of the South-East Asian population in Vancouver. You want some Duran fruit??? That's the place to go
This ethnic emphasis is very common in Metro Vancouver, I don't know about elsewhere .............
if you want Chinese supplies, lots of choice of frozen fish or live fish, etc, go to the Safeway at Oakridge Mall or in Richmond.
The Safeway at 70th and Granville in south Vancouver has an increasingly large stock of various Asian foods (Chinese, Korean, Filippino)
If you want a good choice of kosher foods, go to the Safeway at King Edward and Oak
Don't go to the low income areas to get cheap food .............. many of the stores consider those areas as "tied shopping", because people don't have cars to easily go elsewhere, so they can charge what they want to people who have to buy their food.
In general, grocery stores in the downtown peninsula are either the higher-priced chains or charge higher prices than branches elsewhere. Somewhat similar to what I posted above about low income areas, except that while many people in downtown don't have cars, they also have more disposable income and want more "fancy" foods.
The IGA on 41st at Dunbar had very good comparable prices the last time I went in there (many years ago), but not surprised to hear the one downtown was expensive.
Last edited by scilly; Jul 10th 2019 at 8:32 pm.
#57
Re: Costco - worth the hype?
*https://foodstruct.com/compare/bread...an-raworfrozen
Last edited by caretaker; Jul 10th 2019 at 8:58 pm. Reason: precision, as always
#58
Re: Costco - worth the hype?
#59
Re: Costco - worth the hype?
We did start off with Costco, but have not been now for more than 9 months and will not be renewing our card. I am sure it can be great, but we get everything we want at sensible prices elsewhere without buying in bulk (Canadian Tire, Metro, Covent Garden Market, etc.), but then not massively cost-conscious, more interested in quality. We did find it OK for many things, so not being 'sniffy' about it or anything. I used to buy a whole filet of beef and butcher it down myself which is a very cost-effective way of doing it and we found their meats very good I have to say.