notbob wrote:
> Read an article in Time magazine about Aldi's, the Mid-West discount
> grocer. The article claimed "...many are leaving upscale grocers like
> Whole Foods
> and Albertson's..." ???? Say what?
>
> Since when is Albertson's upscale?
>
> nb

It used to be, nb. When Albertson's bought out a locally (family owned)
Memphis chain some years ago they remodeled the stores and had very nice
meats and produce. An Albertson's butcher offered me freshly ground pork
for my Thai dumplings even though they were told they could no longer grind
their own pork. They were warned they didn't know how to clean the meat
grinders and had to sell pre-packaged stuff.

Albertson's didn't last long where I live because the chain lost money with
their marketing tatics. And they cut jobs. Schnuck's which is a local
(midsouthern chain) bought them out and rescused those jobs. And
reinstituted their quality. I love their produce and their meat selections.
Of course, there's no Schnuck's where I am now in SC.

At one time Albertson's was a high quality chain of grocery stores. I don't
have anything like a Safeway in the area, not even in Memphis. Kroger (aka
Meyers) sucks there. There is no Kroger here in SC. And Piggly Wiggly
started in Memphis but turned into (I'll be flamed for saying this) want a
bucket of chitterlings, ham hocks and some collard greens. You go with what
is available.

I don't do "upscale" markets. I'm not paying a premium for fancy ground
chicken/sundried tomato sausages offered at Whole Foods, for example. For
one thing, I despise chicken sausage. For another, how often does one use
things like that?

I do appreciate a grocery store that has good produce, good meats at a
butcher counter, custom ground or cut. And a seafood department. I don't
know about Albertson's anymore, honestly. But at one brief point in time
they were good

Jill