664225 Mon Nov 02 16:00:26 -0800 2009 14 12 Boston Area 0 5150446 Ok, I've read about these for a long time but never make it to them because I'm in Brookline and car-less. This past weekend had a ride, and went to the one in Ashland. I was beyond disappointed. Aside from a few items that looked like specialy ethnic foods (a very few it seemed, some NY produced Mexican cheeses for example) the place was full of cheap but clearly substandard meats and vegetables. The meat, well.....ahem, I could not buy any of it. And the produce, I was honestly shocked at how poor most of it was. A lot was clearly rotting or well past any freshness, even things like garlic were withered and brown. I checked a couple of the ethnic sections in the aisles and there was nothing special there either. So what's the buzz? Maybe I am missing something. I clearly understand the economics of shopping at a place like this, and I might stock up on pantry items, but for the rest, I'd steer well clear. Are they all like that one? Mon Nov 02 16:00:26 -0800 2009 25417 Zatan 1 5150454 Naw, there's a range. Like you, I don't live near one, but sometimes my journeys take me in one of their orbits..The one down in Bellingham was a treat; I shopped for huge amounts of inexpensive, yet lush looking produce for cheap money, while they steamed my lobsters. I looked forward to a lobster dinner while working near the one in North Andover, and discovered they didn't even have a fish market, never mind any produce I'd touch... Mon Nov 02 16:04:06 -0800 2009 5150446 11108 galleygirl 1 5150461 No. I'm in Brookline, and head to the one in Somerville. The produce is much better than what you describe - usually in great shape and good selection. It also has some interesting breads if you poke around. Mon Nov 02 16:07:14 -0800 2009 5150446 186923 Cachetes 1 5150463 No, MBs have a bigger range than any other supermarket I've ever seen. A small handful of stores are great -- the new Chelsea one is probably the best -- another handful are awful, and the majority are somewhere in between. Mon Nov 02 16:08:06 -0800 2009 5150446 17548 BarmyFotheringayPhipps 1 5150740 Sorry you were dissapointed with my home MB.The produce is usually fresh, cheap and good. Not large fruits but well priced. They have a good selection of good roasts and larger cuts, not steaks. Porl aplenty. Lamb, goat and others usually available. I think they cater to the local Brazilian population. I like the fish counter but it can be hit or miss. Not the best store by any means. but serviceable and less for most items. Mon Nov 02 17:47:10 -0800 2009 5150446 27342 trufflehound 1 5150847 National chains put a great deal of effort into uniformity. Regional chains do not typically. Market Basket does not. The Reading location is wonderful; I also like the new Chelsea location. Mon Nov 02 18:31:38 -0800 2009 5150446 13819 Karl S 1 5150881 I was in your boat a few years ago. I heard people say that their favorite supermarket was Market Basket, but based on what I found at the one near where I worked, I could not figure out why anyone would be so positive about the chain. The stores vary widely. Reading is very, very good, Chelsea is excellent, Woburn nearly as good as Reading. For years I avoided Burlington, the store near where I had worked, but I went there in a pinch a few months back and found it somewhat improved - definitely okay but still not my preferred MB location by far. On the other hand, it is right by the H-Mart, so I am now finding myself at that MB location from time to time. By the way, on Saturday at the Burlington MB a MB employee told me that MB is in fact considering its response to H-Mart. She explicitly noted the lack of a real fish counter at the Burlington store and how that compared with what was available just down the hill. She also did say that she had heard that MB was talking with the landlord about taking some other space at the mall. Who knows? Mon Nov 02 18:51:32 -0800 2009 5150446 177209 PinchOfSalt 2 5153750 Interesting observation. I think the H Mart fish counter is quite a tough act to follow; so could luck to MB with their project, but I do say the MB store can use some help. Plus, its good that MB has competition there. There's quite a consistent pattern that they improve their stores when new competition comes in. Although MB doesn't do zone pricing and I'll give them thumbs up for that, MB does vary in quality and they aren't as good when there is limited competition in the area. Such as MB in Hudson NH used to be a very run down store and it took Stop and Shop to build a store to actually turn things around and now that store is pretty good. Word is the one on Daniel Webster Highway is the best one I've been to (place to stay away during the weekend though because of crowds), but the one that is in the same plaza as Bob's in Nashua NH is extremely run down. I've also been to one of the MB's in Billerica and that was extremely disappointing. I've been to the Reading one, and I thought its alright, but there was a strong stench at the deli counter I didn't like and it seemed like something went bad. Though, the produce was fresh. The MBs in Lowell are disappointing because the only competition they have is Hannaford and there really has never been anything new competing against them. They keep on promising they'd build another store in the same plaza with one of them, but it never happens. With another, it is actually about a 9 year old store and it is very run down. The other one on Wood St has been there for a very long time and is extremely run down; and Hannaford up the street blows it away easily Hannaford in Chelmsford or Dracut blows away all 3 MBs in Lowell easily as matter of fact as both of these Hannafords are about 1/2 mile from a MB in Lowell and on average both of these Hannafords do as much volume as the MBs they directly compete with down the street ironically even though their pricing is very competitive to MB). Many people do cherry pick both stores' sales to get the most bang for their buck. Tue Nov 03 18:13:30 -0800 2009 5150881 1121530 garth909 3 5154479 I think all markets (national chains and regional chains) are different store to store. I don't know why this is but seems to be the way things are in the grocery store biz. I love the Reading MB. The Hannafords in Saugus I found to be very disappointing when they opened. I don't know if anything has changed, but when I went in there right after they opened their fish market had dark, curled at the edges fillets, not glistening and bright. Total turn off. Wed Nov 04 06:00:42 -0800 2009 5153750 16991 kate used to be 50 1 5154712 For a couple of years, I have heard that MB will open a store on Rt 1 in Saugus, but that hasn't happened. Does anyone know if it will, and exactly where? I'm asking for a friend who lives near the Shaw's there. Wed Nov 04 07:30:29 -0800 2009 5150446 159317 greygarious 2 5154810 It's supposed to go in where the excavation/blasting is on the northbound side next to the Burger King. Wed Nov 04 08:01:48 -0800 2009 5154712 13819 Karl S 3 5154830 Thanks, Karl - that's what she thought but she is impatient for construction to begin. I guess the site preparation has been dragging out for quite some time. Wed Nov 04 08:05:52 -0800 2009 5154810 159317 greygarious 4 5158276 Never been in the Saugus Hannaford but I've been in many Hannafords and the only one I really don't like is the one in Pelham NH, and I can see how they only have a limited captive market there, so they don't invest too much money into it as it is a store that was acquired from Victory. I like MB on DWH in Nashua NH, but still mid quality products I've come to like at Hannaford, such as the 8 oz Pina Colada yogurts at only $.35 and blueberry barbeque sauce, is not carried at MB. Also, MB on DWH is a place to stay away from on busy times due to crowds (snow storms, holidays, mid day on weekends). MB has it pretty good now in south Nashua as the only competition is the Hudson Stop and Shop, which is nothing, and Shaw's in Royal Ridge Nashua NH, which is good for stocking up on some things that participate in these get a $15 coupon for every $30 spent on participating products (kudos to MB for getting on the bandwagon a little with their $5 off turkey coupon promotion, but its still not as good as what Shaw's puts out even though I'd agree its a very good promotion). But still, rotten perishables can be found at Shaw's, but the stuff priced in line with MB is good (like lettuce, loose green peppers, and tomatoes) and sale items are always good. I wouldn't do my entire shopping list at Shaw's, but having MB closeby on weeks Shaw's has great sales to pick up everything else is great. I know most of you don't understand Shaw's, but these sales at Shaw's are better than what most people think they are because the $30 spending requirement to get $15 back in coupons for your next order is based on regular price and many of these deals can be done up to 3 times on the same order so that you purchase $90 to get $45 back. For example, I'm eying stocking up on Progresso Soup. The regular price is $2.50 and the sale price is $1.49. If you buy 12 cans, you pay $17.88, and get a $15 coupon for your next order so you only pay $2.88, or $.24 a can. And also Breyers Ice Cream (which 6 is required since the regular price of $5.29, sale price is $2.99, pay $17.94, and get back $15 which means you really paid $2.94, or $.49 per 48 ounce carton which is like 1 for the price of 6 vs what we usually pay). You go back in and either buy more partipating products to get more good deals or you just spend it on other sale priced items (and there are plenty of them). Thu Nov 05 10:07:50 -0800 2009 5154830 1121530 garth909 1 5164838 Just fit the MB in Bellingham last night. They had soft-shell lobsters (actually, hard) for $4.99. While they steamed, I wandered around and found frozen whole Portuguese sardines for $3.99 a pound (will post on these after i eat them!), those flax/oat bran/ww pitas and tortillas from Joseph's for $1.50 ( about half the price of S&S) and romaine hearts for $1.20 for a package of three. Wish I had that one nearby Sun Nov 08 07:36:41 -0800 2009 5150446 11108 galleygirl 2 5167033 Went to Shaws Nashua yesterday. I got 4 Propel Waters (.50 each), 2 bottles of Wishbone salad dressing for $1.99 each (I know, I'd pay $1.50 at MB but its actually a better deal), 4 Breyers ice creams ($2.99), and a Klondike package ($2.99) for $10.97 after manufacturers coupons ($.50 doubled coupon on the Propels from a coupon I've had for awhile, 2 $1 off 2s on the Breyers, 1 $1 off on Klondike, and 2 $.75 off doubled on Wishbone). I got a $15 coupon off my next order (in 3 $5 increments and a $1.50 plus a $1.50 off 2 more Wishbones). So I wouldn't have bought Propel and it would have came to $18.97 without coupons, which is still great and would still have gotten $16.50 for my next order. Went back in and I got 8 bottles of salad dressing (I know, I'll be stocked up for awhile), 2 Cheerios 8.9 oz, and a box of Fiber One bars, 6 Propels and used the $16.50 off my next order and $1.50 off 2 wishbones from previous order, plus the 2 $.55 off coupons for Cheerios, 6 doubled $.50 coupons (actually 5 of them doubled but I still got an amazing deal), so I got all that for $.07 (or $4.17 without coupons not from previous order) and got back $21 for my next order. Mon Nov 09 08:57:18 -0800 2009 5164838 1121530 garth909