A Rant on Grocery Stores

This is a rant - let me warn you right now. But it might strike a chord with a few of you.

I love living here, in part due to all the great produce and fruits that you have access to. It was decent back East, at least during the spring and summer, but nothing to compare to what we have here. Maybe some people take it for granted cos you are used to it, but it is still wonderful for me.

But shopping for produce at the grocery stores drives me (and my wife) nuts.

First, the quality is often not that great. Clearly the farmer's market is the way to go (and we get there as often as we can - better and fresher produce, more variety, etc.). Henry's (recently purchased by Whole Foods) is pretty good as well, as is Jimbo's. Sometime the quality is good and other times the fruit and vegetables look pretty scary - you have to wonder how they can think people will buy this stuff! The inconsistency is troubling, and so unpredictable. Trader Joe's produce is pretty good too but more expensive.

But what really irks me are the prices. When you do any sort of comparison between what you pay for the identical items at a Vons or Alberstons, vs. getting it at Henry's, for example, it is appalling. It is not unusual to see prices at the big guys almost twice what you pay for elsewhere for the same things, AND for lesser quality. It really grates me, since it happens all the time. Sure, it's easier to just buy the strawberries at Vons for $3.79 a quart rather than make another stop at Henry's to get them for less than half the price. But you start feeling taken advantage of. Man, it starts to get expensive to eat healthily.

Yes, I understand these are big stores with big staffs and big expenses, but you have to wonder.

Does it bug you too? Or am I overreacting here. Just curious.