All Things Pierce: November 2018

Friday, November 30, 2018

I should have just gone to either Walmart or Food City.

Been to two of Chattanooga's fine grocery stores this morning, a 'fancy' one and a 'budget' one. As much as I want to like Publix, I just can't. It may be 'employ owned' or whatever it is, and that's gotta be good for somebody, but man, those prices are anything but competitive, and it's nearly the most inconvenient place you could try to shop* (*Aldi holds the distinction of being entirely less convenient than Publix - comment needs citation from someone who actually frequents both establishments regularly to be accurate beyond this posting). Nearly every other 'grocery store' that I can think of has entrance doors and exit doors that ensure a more healthy traffic flow into and out of the place. The importance of having these is really not something that crosses my mind until they're not there and the prospect of navigating a shopping cart to the car or maybe just trying to get out of the rain presents itself. And as far as 'navigating a shopping cart to the car', it's nearly impossible to decline having an employee do that for you without making a scene. It's totally unnecessary. I could go on about how I dislike going to Publix all day. I wouldn't go back ... But, their store brand frozen chicken tenders are pretty superb and they do have a reasonable variety of store brand yogurts (20 cents higher than Walmart, but more different flavors to choose from). The bakery is pretty good there. The deli makes nice sandwiches. The pharmacy is choice, especially if you have antibiotics to fill. So alright, I'll go back to Publix. But you better believe that I will complain and make a scene, if necessary, when I want to carry my own groceries out to the car. My next stop was to the nearest Save-A-Lot ( I had to drive a little further out from where I was and that wasn't planned very well, but I had gotten out of the house to go walking at the park before it started raining. Doggone! Didn't get to walk - sure, a soccer player might go jogging in the rain or something. I ain't trying to catch pneumonia. $#*! So I may as well get to Publix before I go back home). "You know what? These prices here at Publix are the $#*!s. I'll go to this Save-A-Lot place, been meaning to sometime anyway." Ok, so drove out to the Save-A-Lot, it's right by that Asia Buffet place and close to that Gym I didn't want to pay $40 a month or whatever it is to go to. The Asian buffet place is pretty good, though. If it were a little later in the day, I might just go there and have two or three plates. I always thought that they're missing the boat by not opening up a massage parlor next to the place. "Oh, you say there's one close to the gym? Yeah, but it's one of those uppity places ..." Ok, so I go in this Save-A-Lot and it's laid out conveniently enough, but the prices are surprisingly not good at all for the product offered. There's plenty of store brand and knockoff products available at Food City and Walmart that are priced much better. Disappointment. Only bought a couple of items so I actually did save a lot. Unless I was hoping to save time or gasoline. I should have just gone to either Walmart or Food City.