What is the cheapest place to grocery shop between Super Target, Publix, and Sweetbay?

Question

What is the cheapest place to grocery shop between Super Target, Publix, and Sweetbay?

Answer 1

The answer is that it depends....

Super Target has generally adopted the "everyday low price" model which means that the price of all products is at a fairly low point. When items are on sale the mark down is small. On the other hand,  Publix typically uses the "high/low" pricing model. This means that some advertised prices are very low but the non sale prices are generally higher. The store makes up for very low sale prices with higher prices on everything else.

Overall, you can do best by "cherry picking" the sale items at a high low. However, if most of the items you need are not on sale, then an everyday low price store will be best.

I'll give you an example, Quaker rice cakes: At a high/low store you are likely to pay more than $3 for this item when it is not on sale. That same item is always less that $2 at an everyday low price store. However, during a sale it might be 4 for $5 at the high / low.

Answer 2

It's a great day at Publix!