Shocking Prices: Three of the Most Overpriced Grocery Stores in NJ
Grocery shopping has never been one of my favorite activities.
It's become much easier with the shop-at-home option and delivery services like Instacart.
What's made food shopping painful is the prices.
Does going through the meat section give you anxiety?
Is it hard to keep a very modest shopping order under $100? The struggle is real.
Inflation is the primary reason for soaring prices, but theft also has much to do with it.
Many of us have our go-to grocery store that we visit for the necessities. For example, mine is Shoprite.
Compared to Stop and Shop, I find that Shoprite generally has lower prices.
Then there are what I like to call "special occasion" grocery stores.
You can shop at these places for all your needs, but you'll need to take a second mortgage out on your home.
READ MORE: New Jersey is Home to Three of the Cheapest Grocery Stores
Trader Joe's is one of my "special occasion" stores. The prices aren't even that bad.
TJ's just has a lot of items that are nice to have occasionally, but you don't necessarily need them.
The lifestyle website Delish compiled a list of America's most overpriced grocery stores.
They came up with four choices, and New Jersey has three.
First up, and no big surprise here, is Whole Foods.
Delish says:
There’s a reason why Whole Foods is often referred to as “Whole Paycheck.” Since being founded in 1980, Whole Foods has earned a reputation for being one of the most overpriced grocery stores in the country. It’s faced scandal after scandal, from selling a bottle of water with three stalks of asparagus for $6, to their former CEO blaming America’s obesity crisis on "making poor choices” and “ignorance.”</a>
Next is a lesser-known grocery outlet called The Fresh Market.
There are Fresh Markets in Bedminster and Montvale. These are two upper-class areas, and as Delish points out, these grocers choose those areas.
The Fresh Market sells great products in every department. You can stock up on house-made croissants, freshly cut floral arrangements, specialty cheeses, and luxurious private-label products sourced from artisans all over the world. It sounds like the grocery store of everyone’s dreams—but there’s a catch. It’s pricey. With most of its locations situated in affluent areas", it’s clear that their primary demographic is not the average shopper.
Last but not least is a grocery store that truly surprised me.
Do you think ACME would be on this list?
Here's Delish's explanation.
According to a 2022 study of Delaware Valley grocery stores by Consumers’ Checkbook, Acme’s prices were among the highest in the area—and their product quality was among the lowest.
Most popular grocery stores in America
Gallery Credit: Stacker
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