Grocery Store Prices Feed

Grocery Store Prices, comparing Aldi, Dillons, Walmart - 09/25/2023

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Where do you prefer to grocery shop?  Aldi, Walmart, the mainstream grocery store? 

Shoppers tend to be loyal to a particular store, we're creatures of habit after all. Some folks like Aldi because of the consistently low prices and name brands aren't a concern. Others favor Dillons because of the loyalty card and fuel points. Then there are those who do their regular grocery shopping at Walmart liking the one-stop shopping convenience for clothes, home & garden, and other general merchandise.

Here's this week's side-by-side Wichita Metro comparison of grocery store prices for Aldi, Walmart, and Dillon's (Kroger, a.k.a. the mainstream grocery store), plug in the name of the mainstream grocery store in your neck of the woods here, ie., Meijer, HyVee, Publix, Albertsons, etc.   Odds are that mainstream is going to be the most expensive of the three from week to week.

Covering the basics with a focus on store brands, this week's list, dated September 25, 2023, is unchanged in item count from the previous Wichita Metro weekly essentials review for a total of 25 grocery products.  There were no revisions to the shopping list.  Of note, in a same-store comparison to the previous review of September 11, prices are mixed.  Aldi shoppers would have spent $0.38 less* for the same items purchased two weeks ago.  Dillons shoppers paid more, an additional $1.34, and Walmart shoppers spent $1.28 less.  

Prices stated are online prices and for items available at the time of the review. Remember that the featured items are the store brand for each respective store unless otherwise labeled. Prices can vary from store to store, as store managers have the flexibility to adjust prices, lower or higher. Aldi does not have the flexibility of the other stores reviewed. Prices are good as of this writing and could change by the time you make that grocery run.

  • Aldi:  8011 E Kellogg Ave, Wichita, KS 67207
  • Dillons: 9450 E. Harry St., Wichita, KS 67207
  • Walmart: 11411 E Kellogg Dr, Wichita, KS 67207

Grocery Store Prices 25Sep2023W

Takeaways from this week's price review:

  • Aldi continues to be the lowest in online pricing of the three stores reviewed, it's consistent week over week. Keep in mind their online prices are higher than in-store prices, so you'll spend even less than what's listed when shopping in-store. Aldi uniquely does this to cover their employee cost of personal shopping for your delivery or pickup order.  Check out the price for chicken.  It's the same chicken as the other stores, Tyson does the private labeling for Aldi under the Kirkwood brand.  *  Aldi did not have Kraft Singles available this week, so that's part of the drop in the overall cart price from the review done on September 11.  That's a shopper reality, sometimes a store doesn't have what you put on your list.  So you either do without or do what many folks do, make a substitution.  You could get a 24-count package of Aldi private label cheese, Happy Farms Deluxe Slices (similar to Kraft Deluxe Slices and I would challenge you to be able to tell the difference in a taste test), for $3.85.  I actually prefer this cheese over Kraft's individually wrapped slices, I hate the plastic wraps!  Including the Happy Farms cheese pushes this week's cart total to $73.44.
  • The Dillons online pricing is the same as in-store.  As in past reviews, Dillons has a very red column of prices, but, they also have a little more green than usual.  The price gap this week Dillons vs. Aldi with cheese...  (sounds like a fast food order...) was $5.90.  Even with the store loyalty card and/or fuel points, you're probably not going to make up the difference based on this grocery list.  You're limited to what Dillons decides to put on sale.  The price gap with Walmart was a notable $3.51.  Dillons shoppers would probably make up most of gap there with loyalty card savings and fuel points.  If you're curious about how the Dillons loyalty card plays a role, check out the related article link, "Mainstream Grocery vs. Discount Grocery: Dillon's (Kroger) vs. Aldi.   Dillons has the lowest price for lunch meat, canola oil, and eggs (store brand) this week.    
  • The Walmart online pricing is the same as for in-store.   Walmart consistently finishes second in overall price from week to week, but check out the higher prices for bacon, bananas, and wheat bread. 
  • Sliced cheese comparison:  Since Aldi didn't have Kraft Singles available this week, I did a quick comparison of store-brand cheeses.  I compared the Deluxe versions, not the 'Singles', the individually wrapped stuff which is an inferior cheese.  It's not unfair to describe it as "plastic cheese" individually wrapped in plastic, and the processed texture of the stuff almost has a plastic-like consistency to it and those darn wrappers can sometimes be a pain.  Deluxe Slices are the way to go.  Aldi Happy Farms Deluxe American Slices, 24-count package - $3.85.   Dillons Kroger Deluxe American Slices - $4.39. Walmart Great Value Deluxe American Slices - $3.98.  Once again, for most products, Dillons is the most expensive of the three stores.  But if you're looking to save some money vs. buying Kraft Deluxe Slices (not to be confused with Kraft Singles) priced at $6.99 for a 24-count package at Dillons, go with the store brand stuff.  If you want inferior 'plastic' cheese, here's that comparison in 16-slice packages (size available at all three stores):  Aldi Happy Farms - $2.09.  Dillons Kroger - $2.50.  Walmart Great Value - $1.98.  Walmart has the cheapest fake cheese.

Don't see some essential items that you think should be on the list?  Please comment.

$pend Wisely My Friends...

~ Mike

 

Related: Grocery Stores in Wichita

Related: Mainstream Grocery vs. Discount Grocery: Dillon's (Kroger) vs. Aldi

Related: Food Review: Great Value bacon not such a great value


Kroger Kicks Off Tailgating Season with Easy Fan Favorites for the Win

Launches new exclusive Doritos® Late Night Loaded Taco flavor

CINCINNATI -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today shared tailgating tips to fuel up fans all season long and announced the launch of a new Doritos® flavor exclusive to Kroger—Late Night Loaded Taco.

"Fall is right around the corner, and that means it's time to tailgate," said Carlo Baldan, group vice president of Center Store Merchandising. "We know how much our customers love to tailgate and how much these gatherings mean to the communities we serve. We have drawn up a crowd-pleasing game day plan with all the essential snacks, grill-ready options and grab-and-go items, so fans can spend more time cheering and less planning."

For a game day where the only hustle is on the field, the retailer recommends these tips to tailgate like a pro.

Pregame: Plan to win with these easy make-ahead recipes.

Kickoff: Stock up on fan-favorite snacks and beverages.

Half Time: Fire up the grill with these tailgate classics.

Gamechangers: Elevate game day menus and score big with deli and bakery convenience items that are easy and delicious.

For customers looking for even more tailgate inspiration, checkout these game day recipes, grilling ideas and swaps for a healthier tailgate.

Customers can shop their tailgate favorites and more at Kroger's one stop shop for game day, in-store, through Kroger Pickup or delivered using Boost by Kroger Plus, the delivery membership that can save customers up to $1,000 per year on fuel and grocery delivery. Eligible customers can now try the Boost membership with a free 30-day trial and subscribe on a monthly basis for as little as $7.99 a month. 

About Kroger
At The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit™. We are, across our family of companies nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and retail food stores under a variety of banner names, serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.


For every $100 you spend at Dillons, you would spend far less at Aldi, or Walmart

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I've been monitoring grocery store prices pretty regularly now since mid-December 2022.

There are a lot of grocery store options in the Wichita Metro.  There are the wholesale choices of Sam's Club and Costco.  Then you have the routine, popular choices of Aldi, Dillons, and Walmart.  If you're into more organic and natural product shopping there's Trader Joe's, Whole Foods, Natural Grocers, and Green Acres.  Then there are all the great specialty, niche, and ethnic stores to choose from around town.   

I've visited quite a few of the grocers around town, but there are many I have yet to check out.

I've been a member of both Sam's Club and Costco, I currently have a membership at Costco.  Buying in bulk is a prudent cost-saving move for certain items, Costco is close to where I live and they consistently have the lowest price for gas in town.  I occasionally shop at Trader Joe's, they've got some of the best snacks and seasonal items!  When I'm in the mood to cook up something Asian, Mexican, or Mediterranean, I love to hit a specialty grocery for the ingredients.

My focus in monitoring prices since a bit before Christmas 2022, however, has been on Aldi, Dillons, and Walmart, where a lot of folks typically do their regular shopping.  I was curious to see just how much you might save store vs. store for a typical cartload of groceries.  My curiosity then grew into inflation concerns and shopping beyond the routine, like Super Bowl Party shopping, Easter dinner meal shopping, and even special item shopping in developing copycat recipes for KFC and Subway sandwiches.  I've been amazed for example, by how Dillons gouges their customers around the holidays and to a lesser extent for big events like the Super Bowl.

Since I started monitoring, a combination of in-store shopping to include direct from-store-to-store trips, as well as online shopping, I've found that for every $100 you spend at Dillons, you'll spend far less at Aldi, or Walmart.  I'm talking about sticking to the store-brand items with a budget in mind.  If you're one of those name-brand shoppers (8 times out of 10 you're wasting your money, but that's a story for another day), how much Dillons gouges its customers is even higher, loyalty card and fuel points be damned.  

With budget shopping and store brand products in mind, for every $100 spent at Dillons, on average you'll spend $91 at Aldi, and $94 at Walmart for that same cartload of essential items in a given week.  I know, $9 doesn't sound like much, and the Dillons loyalty card and/or fuel points haven't been factored in, but morph the savings into a monthly grocery budget and not just for a bachelor like yours truly, but a family of four budget - that's going to turn into some real savings!

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the average family of four spends up to $1,109 a month on groceries.  Using that figure as the expenditure at Dillons, that means a family of four shopper would spend $1,009.19 at Aldi, or $1,042.46 at Walmart.  A savings of $99.81 (Aldi), or $66.54 (Walmart) per month, that morphs out to an annual savings of $1,197.72 by switching stores from Dillons to Aldi, and an annual savings of $798.48 by swapping out Dillons for Walmart!  And this bears repeating, if you're stuck on buying name-brand items (you shouldn't be for most things and I challenge you to go outside of your comfort zone and try an alternate you haven't before), you can save A LOT more.

Grocery Store Prices Cumulative

In the chart above, green reflects the lowest overall price for a cartload of groceries, red reflects the highest.  Look at all the red in the Dillons column!  Prices used to be fairly close from store to store, week to week back in December 2022, but look at how that overall price gap has expanded in recent weeks.  The weekly price reviews started with a list of 12 items back in December, but quickly grew to an essentials list of 25 items starting on January 23.  It's been the same list since, but note the overall price hike since that time.  Averaging out the pricing for all three stores, a cartload of 25 items cost a shopper around $73.58 back in January.  That same cartload today averages out to $77.10, up $3.52, or 5%.

If you're looking to save some money on your grocery bill, you won't find real savings at Dillons for a cartload of groceries.  I'll shop there for specific items, on-sale items, and I stick to a very short list such as this week, Dillons is the best place to buy lunch meat.  But for a cartload of groceries, I prefer Aldi.

$pend Wisely My Friends...

~ Mike

Related: Grocery Stores in Wichita

Related: Grocery Store Prices, a shopping for Easter comparison

Related:  A cereal battle - Corn Flakes vs. Corn Flakes: Kellogg's vs. store brand vs. discount brand

Related: Creamer vs. Creamer: Coffee Mate vs. International Delight vs. store brand vs. discount brand

 

 


Grocery Store Prices for the Wichita Metro, 09/11/2023

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Where do you prefer to grocery shop?  Aldi, Walmart, the mainstream grocery store? 

Shoppers tend to be loyal to a particular store, we're creatures of habit after all. Some folks like Aldi because of the consistently low prices and name brands aren't a concern. Others favor Dillons because of the loyalty card and fuel points. Then there are those who do their regular grocery shopping at Walmart liking the one-stop shopping convenience for clothes, home & garden, and other general merchandise.

Here's this week's side-by-side Wichita Metro comparison of grocery store prices for Aldi, Walmart, and Dillon's (Kroger, a.k.a. the mainstream grocery store), plug in the name of the mainstream grocery store in your neck of the woods here, ie., Meijer, HyVee, Publix, Albertsons, etc.   Odds are that mainstream is going to be the most expensive of the three from week to week.

Covering the basics with a focus on store brands, this week's list, dated September 11, 2023, is unchanged in item count from the previous Wichita metro weekly essentials review for a total of 25 grocery products.  There were no revisions to the shopping list.  Of note, in a same-store comparison to the previous review of August 29, prices are mixed.  Aldi shoppers would have spent $0.76 less for the same items purchased 13 days ago.  Dillons shoppers paid more, an additional $2.37, and Walmart shoppers doled out an extra $1.69.  

Prices stated are online prices and for items available at the time of the review. Remember that the featured items are the store brand for each respective store unless otherwise labeled. Prices can vary from store to store, as store managers have the flexibility to adjust prices, lower or higher. Aldi does not have the flexibility of the other stores reviewed. Prices are good as of this writing and could change by the time you make that grocery run.

  • Aldi:  8011 E Kellogg Ave, Wichita, KS 67207
  • Dillons: 9450 E. Harry St., Wichita, KS 67207
  • Walmart: 11411 E Kellogg Dr, Wichita, KS 67207

Grocery Store Prices 11sep2023

Takeaways from this week's price review:

  • Aldi continues to be the lowest in online pricing of the three stores reviewed, it's consistent week over week. Keep in mind their online prices are higher than in-store prices, so you'll spend even less than what's listed when shopping in-store. Aldi uniquely does this to cover their employee cost of personal shopping for your delivery or pickup order.  Check out the price for chicken.  It's the same chicken as the other stores, Tyson does the private labeling for Aldi under the Kirkwood brand.  Also of note, Aldi has the cheapest bacon.
  • The Dillons online pricing is the same as in-store.  As in past reviews, Dillons has a very red column of prices.  The price gap this week Dillons vs. Aldi was $6.55.  Even with the store loyalty card and/or fuel points, you're not going to make up the difference based on this grocery list.  You're limited to what Dillons decides to put on sale.  The price gap with Walmart was a notable $3.26.  Dillons shoppers might be able to make up the price gap there.  If you're curious about how the Dillons loyalty card plays a role, check out the related article link, "Mainstream Grocery vs. Discount Grocery: Dillon's (Kroger) vs. Aldi.   Dillons does have the lowest price for lunch meat this week, worthy of a trip if buying multiple packages.  
  • The Walmart online pricing is the same as for in-store.   Walmart consistently finishes second in overall price from week to week, but they also tend to have the higher prices for meat.  Check out the higher prices for bacon and lunch meat this week.  In the previous report for Aug. 29, it was ground beef and lunch meat.  

Don't see some essential items that you think should be on the list?  Please comment.

$pend Wisely My Friends...

~ Mike

 

Related: Grocery Stores in Wichita

Related: Mainstream Grocery vs. Discount Grocery: Dillon's (Kroger) vs. Aldi

Related: Food Review: Great Value bacon not such a great value


Grocery Store Prices for the Wichita Metro, 08/29/2023

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Where do you prefer to grocery shop?  Aldi, Walmart, the mainstream grocery store? 

Shoppers tend to be loyal to a particular store, we're creatures of habit after all. Some folks like Aldi because of the consistently low prices and name brands aren't a concern. Others favor Dillons because of the loyalty card and fuel points. Then there are those who do their regular grocery shopping at Walmart liking the one-stop shopping convenience for clothes, home & garden, and other general merchandise.

Here's this week's side-by-side Wichita Metro comparison of grocery store prices for Aldi, Walmart, and Dillon's (Kroger, a.k.a. the mainstream grocery store), plug in the name of the mainstream grocery store in your neck of the woods here, ie., Meijer, HyVee, Publix, Albertsons, etc.   Odds are that mainstream is going to be the most expensive of the three from week to week.

Covering the basics with a focus on store brands, this week's list, dated August 29, 2023, is unchanged in item count from the previous Wichita metro weekly essentials review for a total of 25 grocery products.  There were no revisions to the shopping list.  Of note, in a same-store comparison to the first week of August, prices are up slightly.  Aldi shoppers would have paid $1.50 more for the same items purchased on August 1.  Dillons shoppers paid an additional $1.26, and Walmart shoppers shelled out an extra $0.39.  

Prices stated are online prices and for items available at the time of the review. Remember that the featured items are the store brand for each respective store unless otherwise labeled. Prices can vary from store to store, as store managers have the flexibility to adjust prices, lower or higher. Aldi does not have the flexibility of the other stores reviewed. Prices are good as of this writing and could change by the time you make that grocery run.

Aldi:  8011 E Kellogg Ave, Wichita, KS 67207

Dillons: 5500 E Harry St, Wichita, KS 67218

Walmart: 11411 E Kellogg Dr, Wichita, KS 67207

Grocery Store Prices 29Aug2023

Takeaways from this week's price review:

  • Aldi was the lowest in online pricing of the three stores reviewed. Keep in mind their online prices are higher than in-store prices, so you'll spend even less than what's listed when shopping in-store. Aldi uniquely does this to cover their employee cost of personal shopping for your delivery or pickup order.  Check out the price for chicken.  It's the same chicken as the other stores, Tyson does the private labeling for Aldi under the Kirkwood brand.
  • The Dillons online pricing is the same as in-store.  As in past reviews, Dillons has a very red column of prices, but they have become more competitive since the first quarter of 2023.  The price gap this week Dillons vs. Aldi was $3.42.  The price gap with Walmart was $0.84.   Dillons loyalty card users may have covered those gaps in discounts.  If you're curious about how the Dillons loyalty card plays a role, check out the related article link, "Mainstream Grocery vs. Discount Grocery: Dillon's (Kroger) vs. Aldi.   Dillons has the lowest price for ground beef, worthy of a trip if buying multiple chubs.
  • The Walmart online pricing is the same as for in-store.   Walmart consistently finishes second in overall price from week to week, but they also tend to have the highest prices for meat (higher prices for ground beef and lunch meat this week).  Prices for pasta are going up, but Walmart has yet to increase what they charge for their Great Value brand, they've got the cheapest Penne pasta, as well as other varieties.  

Don't see some essential items that you think should be on the list?  Please comment.

$pend Wisely My Friends...

~ Mike

 

Related: Grocery Stores in Wichita

Related: Mainstream Grocery vs. Discount Grocery: Dillon's (Kroger) vs. Aldi

Related: Food Review: Great Value bacon not such a great value


Grocery Store Prices in Wichita, comparing Aldi, Dillons, and Walmart

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Where do you prefer to grocery shop?  Aldi, Walmart, the mainstream grocery store? 

Shoppers tend to be loyal to a particular store, we're creatures of habit after all. Some folks like Aldi because of the consistently low prices and name brands aren't a concern. Others favor Dillons because of the loyalty card and fuel points. Then there are those who do their regular grocery shopping at Walmart liking the one-stop shopping convenience for clothes, home & garden, and other general merchandise.

Here's this week's side-by-side Wichita Metro comparison of grocery store prices for Aldi, Walmart, and Dillon's (Kroger, a.k.a. the mainstream grocery store), plug in the name of the mainstream grocery store in your neck of the woods here, ie., Meijer, HyVee, Publix, Albertsons, etc.   Odds are that mainstream is going to be the most expensive of the three from week to week.

Covering the basics with a focus on store brands, this week's list, dated August 1, 2023, is unchanged in item count from the previous Wichita metro weekly essentials review for a total of 25 grocery products.  There were no revisions to the shopping list.  Of note, in a same-store comparison to first-quarter prices, prices remain pretty stable.  Aldi shoppers would have saved $0.58 for the same items purchased in the first quarter of 2023.  Dillons shoppers saved $2.04, and Walmart shoppers are paying a little bit more vs. the first quarter, experiencing a rise of $2.62. 

Prices stated are online prices and for items available at the time of the review. Remember that the featured items are the store brand for each respective store unless otherwise labeled. Prices can vary from store to store, as store managers have the flexibility to adjust prices, lower or higher. Aldi does not have the flexibility of the other stores reviewed. Prices are good as of this writing and could change by the time you make that grocery run.

Aldi:  8011 E Kellogg Ave, Wichita, KS 67207

Dillons: 5500 E Harry St, Wichita, KS 67218

Walmart: 11411 E Kellogg Dr, Wichita, KS 67207

Grocery Store Prices 01Aug2023

Takeaways from this week's price review:

  • Aldi was the lowest in online pricing of the three stores reviewed. Keep in mind their online prices are higher than in-store prices, so you'll spend even less than what's listed when shopping in-store. Aldi uniquely does this to cover their employee cost of personal shopping for your delivery or pickup order.  Check out the price for chicken.  It's the same chicken as the other stores, Tyson does the private labeling for Aldi under the Kirkland brand.
  • The Dillons online pricing is the same as in-store.  As in past reviews, Dillons has a very red column of prices, but they have become more competitive since the first quarter of 2023.  The price gap this week Dillons vs. Aldi was $3.66.  The price gap with Walmart was $1.47.   Dillons loyalty card users may have covered those gaps in discounts.  If you're curious about how the Dillons loyalty card plays a role, check out the related article link, "Mainstream Grocery vs. Discount Grocery: Dillon's (Kroger) vs. Aldi.   Dillons has the lowest price for bacon, but it's for a 12-ounce Kroger package, vs. competitors' 16-ounce package.
  • The Walmart online pricing is the same as for in-store.   Walmart consistently finishes second in overall price from week to week, but they also tend to have the highest prices for meat (higher prices for ground beef and lunch meat this week).  Walmart has the best value price for bacon, but in my humble foodie opinion, their bacon sucks and is not worth buying.

Don't see some essential items that you think should be on the list?  Please comment.

$pend Wisely My Friends...

~ Mike

 

Related: Grocery Stores in Wichita

Related: Mainstream Grocery vs. Discount Grocery: Dillon's (Kroger) vs. Aldi

Related: Food Review: Great Value bacon not such a great value


Grocery Store Review: The price of eggs has plummeted

Grade A Large Eggs
The price of eggs has plummeted

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Where do you prefer to grocery shop?  Aldi, Walmart, the mainstream grocery store? 

Shoppers tend to be loyal to a particular store, we're creatures of habit after all. Some folks like Aldi because of the consistently low prices and name brands aren't a concern. Others favor Dillons, a.k.a. the mainstream grocery store because of the loyalty card and fuel points. Then there are those who do their regular grocery shopping at Walmart liking the one-stop shopping convenience for clothes, home & garden, and other general merchandise.

Here's this week's side-by-side Wichita Metro comparison of grocery store prices for Aldi, Walmart, and Dillons, and for those outside the Wichita Metro, plug in the name of the mainstream grocery store in your neck of the woods here, ie., Meijer, HyVee, Publix, Albertsons, etc.   Odds are that mainstream is going to be the most expensive of the three from week to week.

Covering the basics, this week's list, dated June 16, a Friday and a payday for a lot of folks, is unchanged from the previous 25 product review.  A look at weekly grocery essentials, there were no revisions to the shopping list. 

Prices stated are in-store prices and for items available at the time of the review. Remember that the featured items are the store brand for each respective store unless otherwise labeled, a side-by-side budget comparison shop. Prices can vary from store to store, as store managers have the flexibility to adjust prices, lower or higher. Aldi does not have the flexibility of the other stores reviewed. Prices are good as of this writing and could change by the time you make that grocery run.

Grocery Store Prices 16Jun2023

Takeaways from this week's price review:

  • After a peak high in the Wichita Metro of around $5 for a dozen eggs in January 2023, egg prices have plummeted.  A little over $1 per dozen is a very good thing.
  • Aldi is the least expensive place to shop for groceries of the three stores reviewed and is most likely the cheapest in town.  Check out all the green reflecting the lowest price for a given item, Aldi is almost completely unrivaled for the best price.  Price highlight:  Check out the chicken price, WAY lower for Aldi's private label Kirkland brand, which is produced by Tyson.
  • Dillons, a.k.a., the mainstream grocery store is the most expensive place to shop.  Nearly all of their product entries are marked in red, reflecting the highest price.  Look at that price gap.  The total price difference between Aldi and Dillons is a whopping $15.65!  The Dillons loyalty card discount and fuel saver points will NOT make up the difference.   The price gap this week between Dillons vs. Walmart was $8.04.  If you're curious about how the Dillons loyalty card plays a role, check out the related article link, "Mainstream Grocery vs. Discount Grocery: Dillon's (Kroger) vs. Aldi
  • The Walmart shop was respectable in price, but only if you like their Great Value brand, personally, I'm not a fan.  In my experience, Aldi private label products outperform the Great Value brand.  Price highlight:  Walmart has the cheapest milk in town.

Don't see some essential items that you think should be on the list?  Please comment.

$pend Wisely My Friends...

~ Mike

Related: Grocery Stores in Wichita

Related: Mainstream Grocery vs. Discount Grocery: Dillon's (Kroger) vs. Aldi

Related: Food Review: Great Value bacon not such a great value

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Grocery Store Prices, a shopping for a copycat Subway sandwich ingredient list comparison

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If you would have asked me about two years ago if there was a sandwich on the Subway menu worth doing a copycat recipe on, I would have said, "No."

They've been the #1 fast food sandwich shop for many years, but not very long ago, they were guilty of getting complacent, using lesser quality ingredients, i.e., using turkey-based cold cuts, ham, salami, bologna, etc., instead of the real deal, and sloppy sandwich prep.

Losing market share as a result, Subway recently did a major menu makeover and started using premium ingredients. 

Nice upgrade!  Now there are several sandwiches on the Subway menu worth doing a copycat recipe on!

I recently put my spin on one of those big hit Subway sandwiches, the Subway #3, The Monster™.

In doing so, it struck me that shopping for the copycat sandwich ingredients would be something to highlight in this week's grocery store price comparison with a twist. Instead of my usual buy-the-store/discount brand at all stores approach (8 times out of 10, the name brand is NOT worth the price compared to the store/discount product), this week I'm doing a direct name brand vs. store/discount brand comparison.

Here's this week's side-by-side Wichita Metro comparison of grocery store prices for Aldi, Walmart, and Dillon's, shopping for Subway sandwich ingredients - what I've come to call The More Than Monster Sandwich

Prices stated are in-store shopping prices. Prices can vary from store to store, as store managers have the flexibility to adjust prices, lower or higher. Aldi does not have the flexibility of the other stores reviewed. Prices are good as of this writing and could change by the time you make that grocery run.

Grocery Store Prices Sandwich Ingredients 05092023

Takeaways from this week's price review:

  • Unless you're totally unfamiliar with Aldi and its business model, shopping at the discount grocer is the cheapest place to get the copycat ingredients.  It's a small list, but the savings at Aldi are HUGE, especially vs. buying the name brands at both Dillons and Walmart.  Shoppers can save a whopping $13.87 vs. buying the name brands at Dillons and save $11.15 vs. Walmart.  That's OMG significant!   The Aldi savings in the store/discount brand comparison was also notable vs. Dillons at $4.38, but negligible vs. Walmart at $0.89.   Mention worthy:  The best bang for the onion buck was Aldi, Dillons didn't have bagged sweet onions.  Walmart did, but check out the price!
  • Dillons was the most expensive place to shop for name brands, no surprise there, and even if using the Dillons loyalty card, shoppers just won't see enough of a discount to warrant shopping for name-brand products at the mainstream grocery store.  Fuel points won't make up enough of the difference either.    The eye-opener here is just how much Dillons gouges its customers on name-brand items.  Surprisingly, despite being a full-service grocer, Dillons doesn't offer steak pre-cut Carne Asada style.  If you're curious about how the Dillons loyalty card plays a role, check out the related article link, "Mainstream Grocery vs. Discount Grocery: Dillon's (Kroger) vs. Aldi
  • Walmart came in $2.72 cheaper than Dillons in the name-brand comparison.  In the store brand comparison, Walmart is consistently cheaper with its Great Value brand vs. Dillons Kroger offerings.  Product quality however is another issue, in my experience Great Value isn't always a smart buy, with Kroger quality usually being superior in a budget buy.    Noteworthy:  Check out Walmart being trend-savvy with the popularity of bacon and featuring Oscar Meyer bacon in a 22-ounce package.  Compare that price and the extra bacon to the Dillons option.
Aldi Appleton Farms Bacon
Compare the Appleton Farms price of $3.69 to the Oscar Mayer price of $6.99 or more and I bet you can't taste the difference in a blind taste test.

I've sampled, reviewed, and compared a lot of products over the years and what Aldi offers is why I'm a repeat customer.

Have an idea for a shop?  Send me a grocery list email.

$pend Wisely My Friends...

~ Mike

Related: Copycat Recipe: But don't call it Subway #3 The Monster

Related: Food Review: Great Value bacon not such a great value

Related: Condensed Soup Battle: Campbell's vs. store brand vs. discount brand

Related:  Related: Mainstream Grocery vs. Discount Grocery: Dillon's (Kroger) vs. Aldi

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Kroger Cooks up Mother's Day Brunch for less than $2 per serving

The sure-to-please brunch is complete with dessert and mimosas

Kroger_Mothers_DayCINCINNATI -- The Kroger Co. (NYSE: KR) today shared a delectable brunch to celebrate Mother's Day complete with dessert and mimosas all under $2 per serving.

"Mother's Day is a special time to show gratitude. This holiday, celebrate the moms in your life with a brunch that is affordable, easy and delicious," said Stuart Aitken, senior vice president, chief merchant and marketing officer. "We are here to make this Mother's Day one to remember with Locked In Low prices on items you need to celebrate Mom. We have a meaningful, measurable impact on tens of millions of families who we are so grateful to serve."

  • Main course—La Terra Fina Classic Lorraine Quiche and Fresh Atlantic Salmon fillet
  • On the side—Private Selection All Butter Croissants, Private Selection breakfast sausage, fresh watermelon and Kroger Sweet Kale Chopped Salad Kit BIG deal!
  • A truly scrumptious dessert—Private Selection Cheesecake topped with fresh blueberries
  • To drink—Kroger Orange Juice and Ogio Prosecco  
  • For Mom—Bloom Haus Bouquet 

For those looking to really surprise and delight mom, customers can visit the Meat and Seafood counter to check out the fresh selection of king crab, snow crab, lobster tails, steaks and chops, or try these chef-crafted recipes for a smoked salmon tart, overnight egg casseroleor fresh herb and ricotta scones.

From brunch and flowers to gift cards and sweets, Kroger is the one-stop shop for all things Mother's Day. For those who prefer to send Mother's Day flowers, visit DoorDash or Uber Eats to select a fresh Bloom Haus bouquet to be delivered within 30 minutes from more than 1,700 Kroger locations. And families earn more when shopping for Mom, customers can earn 4X fuel points on gift card purchases with a digital coupon from May 3-16.

Customers can get their Mother's Day must-haves and more by shopping in-store, through Kroger Pickup or delivered using Boost by Kroger Plus, the annual grocery delivery membership that can save customers up to $1,000 per year on fuel and grocery delivery. Eligible customers can now try the Boost membership with a free 30-day trial and subscribe on a monthly basis for as little as $7.99 a month. 

Media assets available for download here.

About Kroger
At The  Kroger  Co. (NYSE: KR), we are dedicated to our Purpose: To Feed the Human Spirit™. We are, across our family of companies nearly half a million associates who serve over 11 million customers daily through a seamless digital shopping experience and retail food stores under a variety of  banner names , serving America through food inspiration and uplift, and creating #ZeroHungerZeroWaste communities by 2025. To learn more about us, visit our newsroom and investor relations site.


Meat deals at Dillons, May 5, 2023

Kroger Sausage Links
Just $2.50 a package!

BachelorontheCheap.com

When picking up some coffee creamer at Dillons this morning, I spotted the following loyalty card deals when checking on the meat section's "Yahoo" reduced-price area.

  • Kroger Pork Sausage, $2.50 a package.  Package size, 12 ounces, 14 links.
  • Land O' Frost Deli Shaved Oven Roasted Turkey, $3.19 for a 9-ounce package.  That's $1 off the regular Dillons price.  The average price for this brand at other mainstream grocery stores is around $3.79.
  • Land O' Frost Deli Shaved Honey Ham, $3.19 for a 9-ounce package.  That's $1 off the regular Dillons price. 
  • Hormel Apple Bourbon Pork Tenderloin
    Nice deal for a pre-marinaded product and it's a good marinade.
    Hormel Apple Bourbon Pork Tenderloin, $3.69 for an 18.4-ounce package.  The expiration date is for today, May 5, so guess what I'm having for dinner tonight!  If buying more than one, you can freeze it.  There weren't very many left at the Dillons on Harry & Edgemoor.  It doesn't get any cheaper than that for pre-marinaded pork tenderloin.  I'm a fan of this product, it's repeat-buy worthy and I'm always hoping this one is on sale or available at a reduced price when I'm perusing the meat section at Dillons.

$pend Wisely My Friends...

~ Mike

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If you appreciate the article you just read and want to support more great content on BachelorontheCheap.com, you can help keep this site going with a one-time or monthly donation.  Thank you so much for your support! ~ Mike

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