Hiller's Selling Out to Kroger

**G-DDT** · February-07-16, 12:59 AM

A helpful shopping hint, 313WX, stay as far away as you can from the Walmart on Ford Rd. near Mercury Dr. Next to the one I saw in Hartford, CT. [[which didn't have a grocery store), this one is down right ugly. The staff suck, the store is a mess, the produce is half rotten, and there is rampant crime in the parking lot [[conveniently located next to the freeway).

**mtburb** · February-07-16, 09:53 AM

Pretty much our only options here in my corner of Downriver are Kroger, Meijer and Walmart, but I do know of at least a couple Spartan-owned outposts here and I know Target added a quasi-grocery section to their Taylor store a while back. The Super Kmart on Fort Street closed a couple years back.

I've generally had mixed experiences with the Kroger and Meijer outposts in Southgate. I was somewhat surprised though with how the the candy aisle at the Southgate Meijer had the appearance that someone had looted it.

On the other hand, the Southgate Super Kmart would often have outdated food still on the shelves. I guess that was one factor in them closing.

A few days ago I decided to step into the Taylor Meijer and they had a drop ceiling across the entire store, making it seem a bit unpleasing, but consider that they had a huge renovation right around the same time the Target across the street added groceries. I didn't have time to check how the grocery section was there, though.

It's been a couple years since the last I've been to the Southgate Walmart, so I have no idea what they've been up to now, but I believe they're not too much different from any other Walmart. Consider that they opened as a supercenter from day one, whereas the other two outposts here Downriver were expansions.

**Zacha341** · February-07-16, 11:15 AM

On your advice HT I'm going to go over there and pick one up today!!!

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Grab a rotisserie chicken from La Colmena on Bagley and 15th. I think they're the best.

**Zacha341** · February-07-16, 11:59 AM

Hah! I thought that Walmat while somewhat of a zoo in terms of being hectic and crowded had better produce than the one say in Livonia. But it has been a while since I've shopped there... Did not know that crime was an issue considering the Dearborn Police precinct is so close!

Originally Posted by G-DDT

A helpful shopping hint, 313WX, stay as far away as you can from the Walmart on Ford Rd. near Mercury Dr. Next to the one I saw in Hartford, CT. [[which didn't have a grocery store), this one is down right ugly. The staff suck, the store is a mess, the produce is half rotten, and there is rampant crime in the parking lot [[conveniently located next to the freeway).

**jackie5275** · February-07-16, 12:21 PM

Originally Posted by G-DDT

A helpful shopping hint, 313WX, stay as far away as you can from the Walmart on Ford Rd. near Mercury Dr. Next to the one I saw in Hartford, CT. [[which didn't have a grocery store), this one is down right ugly. The staff suck, the store is a mess, the produce is half rotten, and there is rampant crime in the parking lot [[conveniently located next to the freeway).

Don't forget all the kids running around loose in the store because the parents/guardians aren't paying attention to them or their whereabouts.

**jackie5275** · February-07-16, 12:23 PM

Originally Posted by Zacha341

Hah! I thought that Walmat while somewhat of a zoo in terms of being hectic and crowded had better produce than the one say in Livonia. But it has been a while since I've shopped there... Did not know that crime was an issue considering the Dearborn Police precinct is so close!

Heck, they could have a whole special unit devoted to that shopping area.

**Zacha341** · February-07-16, 12:56 PM

^^^ Well, oh my! Thank goodness I never really let my guard down wherever I'm out and about! And the freeway proximity could thwart Dearborns LEO's response which is usually pretty fast. Anyway, I prefer going to the Hill for shopping down the way in Allen Pk!

**Zacha341** · February-07-16, 12:57 PM

Yes, that Burlington Coat Factory across the way is horrible due to that problem!

Originally Posted by jackie5275

Don't forget all the kids running around loose in the store because the parents/guardians aren't paying attention to them or their whereabouts.

**michmina** · February-07-16, 01:13 PM

Along the same lines as the coupons being returned to customer service story, there are really a lot of wonderful people in the metro area - when my mom was early in her dementia and we were still in the process of trying to figure out what was wrong, she was leaving her wallet places and she wouldn't realize it until maybe days after she returned home. In EVERY instance the wallet was returned to us with credit cards intact/unused and what little cash she did carry intact also.

I don't look at it as pure luck--I view the people in the metro Detroit area as generally very honest people who try to do the right thing when they come upon something that isn't theirs, just as I do.

**G-DDT** · February-07-16, 05:14 PM

Originally Posted by michmina

Along the same lines as the coupons being returned to customer service story, there are really a lot of wonderful people in the metro area - when my mom was early in her dementia and we were still in the process of trying to figure out what was wrong, she was leaving her wallet places and she wouldn't realize it until maybe days after she returned home. In EVERY instance the wallet was returned to us with credit cards intact/unused and what little cash she did carry intact also.

I don't look at it as pure luck--I view the people in the metro Detroit area as generally very honest people who try to do the right thing when they come upon something that isn't theirs, just as I do.

I whole heartedly agree. You do have a lot of decent folks in Detroit. I don't know if part of it is the southern influences that came up for the auto industry or what? Whether or not Detroit [[or Michigan for that matter) gets enveloped by the "creeping meatball" [[Jean Shepherd/Yippie terminology) coming from the East and everyone becomes a bunch of cold, sociopathic electro-gizmo-gawkers with Genovese Syndrome who snuff defiantly at those who evoke "The Golden Rule" or happen to say "Bless You" anytime someone sneezes, I don't know.

Fact is while it prevails-this overall mood-that some folks feel defeated in Detroit/Michigan that they can't do anything for others because they are hurting and downtrodden themselves and therefor just shake their head sadly and say "not my problem", there are those who will go out of their way to do good in the areas they can while they can and with whatever resources they can apply. I'm just glad that kid made my day by proving he was one of the "go out of his way" types, and that's why I gave him props to his manager.

You may also get this kindness in many parts of Kentucky, but it gets rarer as you travel elsewhere in this country.

**G-DDT** · February-07-16, 05:31 PM

Yeah, Zacha, that area at the Walmarts is an enigma. The Borders still has it's lit up sign. The Petsmart is okay. The Walmarts there has really apathetic staff, aggressive panhandlers roaming the parking lot breaking into cars [[they don't have enough security cars patrolling that area), and yes, I've seen kids grabbing products off the shelves and smashing them to the ground, while the dead-eyed parents look nonchalantly on wondering how they can dodge the rent-a-furniture payments they owe. Spilled food products just sit on the floor unattended to.

Across the huge expanse of street is a strip mall complex where, yes, the cruddy Burlington is. Oddly enough, the Target there is pretty much like any other well-behaved Target I've been to, where you can get basic cheap pre-packaged foods [[Simply Orange or Digorno or Brownberry/Arnold bread) if you buy the full quantity "2 or 3 for" price scheme [[at least Meijer's and Kroger don't hold you to this the way Walgreens, CVS, and Target do). The Leo's there used to be really good, but it has fallen into worse management and serves less of the meals it used to, the meals have gotten worse, and won't do the "Opa!"-like they used to-when you ask for saganaki; which is sad, seeing as the two Leo's I went to in Ypsilanti were awesome.

I can't explain, but that whole Evergreen [[and parts of Southfield) corridor is a bad thing. The roads are abysmal, you got tons of crime-ridden projects and run down duplex-split houses, and the mentality is not the mentality that reflects greater Detroit [[in fact most folks in Inkster carry themselves better than that area). You get an idea of how it expresses itself from the patrons who shop at the Fairlane Towncenter or that particular Walmarts. This all pains me to say this, because I grew up near Evergreen, and when we went mall shopping, it was either Northland in one direction or Fairlane in the other, and Fairlane was-to a certain degree-a portion of my life.

**G-DDT** · February-07-16, 05:32 PM

God, the more I talk about all of this, now I can see why Kroger can be a barely passable option. This is where the acceptance of the "love" part of my love/hate thing with Kroger comes in.

**courtney** · February-07-16, 10:14 PM

Originally Posted by 313WX

I consider myself a Grocery Store snob. I will walk out of a grocery store and then pass by several other locations if something's not right with them.

Unfortunately, Kroger, Meijer and Walmart are generally the only options for those of us on the east side. The locations do tend to be hit or miss.

I generally find the Krogers in Grosse Pointe to be pretty decent, especially the Marter Road / Jefferson location. The "Super" Kroger they recently opened on 13 Mile / Little Mack [[across from Meijer) is also very nice.

That Meijer in Roseville, on the other hand, should be killed with fire. I'd rather drive all the way to the 8 Mile and Woodward location, frankly.

The Roseville and Warren Walmarts were recently expanded to become Supercenters. They're like any other Walmarts, of course.

As far as vegetables and fruit, when Kroger fails, there's always Joe Randazzo's.

A million times, yes. It's atrocious. We generally stick to the Kroger at Marter/Jefferson. The crappy Kroger [[formerly Farmer Jack) at Vernier/Mack didn't even have romaine lettuce the last time I went in. I won't stop at the Meijer at 13 if my life depended on it. I'll hit the Meijer at Groesbeck and Cass if I'm at the in-laws house.

We spend part of the year in rural South Carolina. In a town a little over 4k in population, the local Ingles blows every eastside Kroger and Meijer location out of the water. It's amazing. Every time we go in there, I get all googley-eyed and happy. I told my husband yesterday it was like we'd left a third world country and finally make it to a first world country.

I do not understand how an Ingles in a tiny town with NO COMPETITION [[closest Publix is in Anderson and about a 20 minute drive, one way) blows every grocery store in a highly populated area away.

I hate Kroger with the passion of a thousand suns. If Publix or Ingles came up to Michigan, Kroger would be out of business in a year.

**michmina** · February-07-16, 11:29 PM

Originally Posted by G-DDT

I whole heartedly agree. You do have a lot of decent folks in Detroit. I don't know if part of it is the southern influences that came up for the auto industry or what? Whether or not Detroit [[or Michigan for that matter) gets enveloped by the "creeping meatball" [[Jean Shepherd/Yippie terminology) coming from the East and everyone becomes a bunch of cold, sociopathic electro-gizmo-gawkers with Genovese Syndrome who snuff defiantly at those who evoke "The Golden Rule" or happen to say "Bless You" anytime someone sneezes, I don't know.

Fact is while it prevails-this overall mood-that some folks feel defeated in Detroit/Michigan that they can't do anything for others because they are hurting and downtrodden themselves and therefor just shake their head sadly and say "not my problem", there are those who will go out of their way to do good in the areas they can while they can and with whatever resources they can apply. I'm just glad that kid made my day by proving he was one of the "go out of his way" types, and that's why I gave him props to his manager.

You may also get this kindness in many parts of Kentucky, but it gets rarer as you travel elsewhere in this country.

I think we must have a reputation in other parts of the country as being very tough, bitter people but that's so far from the truth. I've heard interviews on TV, talked to people who are visiting here and the one thing I've heard over and over is how NICE and FRIENDLY metro Detroiters are along with the fact that the area isn't this destroyed, burnt-out hub of despair the media likes to portray.

**Bham1982** · February-08-16, 07:27 AM

Originally Posted by courtney

I hate Kroger with the passion of a thousand suns. If Publix or Ingles came up to Michigan, Kroger would be out of business in a year.

I don't like Kroger either, and try and avoid shopping there, but Kroger quality is also highly variable depending on location. The Maple/Lasher Kroger is basically the "fancy" Kroger with high end cheese and wine/liqueur [[how many Krogers have Dom Peringon), sushi bar, lots of ethnic food, and higher end bakery/seafood/prepared foods. They have to compete with Plum Market, Whole Foods and Trader Joes all nearby.

Typical Kroger outlets range from mediocre to awful. I also don't get how people are vouching for Meijer, which might be worse. Meijer produce is terrible, and baked goods are a joke. It's like WalMart.

**Honky Tonk** · February-08-16, 08:57 AM

Reading this thread, it kind of strikes me funny how people are pre-programmed to gravitate to big box retail. I'm glad I live in Detroit where there multicultural places to either shop for food, or dine. It opens one up to new life experiences.

**Bham1982** · February-08-16, 09:11 AM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Reading this thread, it kind of strikes me funny how people are pre-programmed to gravitate to big box retail. I'm glad I live in Detroit where there multicultural places to either shop for food, or dine. It opens one up to new life experiences.

Detroit is known for "multicultural places to either shop for food, or dine"? Who knew!

Outside of deep SW Detroit and the Mexican community, Detroit probably has the lightest concentration of ethnic groceries in the metro area.

All the Middle Eastern, German, Italian, French, Greek, Polish, Chinese, Filipino, etc. bakeries/butchers/grocers are in the burbs. The best German butcher is in Shelby. The best Italian market is in Livonia. The best middle eastern is everywhere but Detroit. Best French bakery in Birmingham. Best Filipino markets in Madison Heights. Best Indian grocers in Novi or Troy. Best Chinese markets in Madison Heights or Troy. Best Japanese in Novi. Only Austrian bakery in Rochester.

**Honky Tonk** · February-08-16, 09:30 AM

Originally Posted by Bham1982

Detroit is known for "multicultural places to either shop for food, or dine"? Who knew!

Outside of deep SW Detroit and the Mexican community, Detroit probably has the lightest concentration of ethnic groceries in the metro area.

All the Middle Eastern, German, Italian, French, Greek, Polish, Chinese, Filipino, etc. bakeries/butchers/grocers are in the burbs. The best German butcher is in Shelby. The best Italian market is in Livonia. The best middle eastern is everywhere but Detroit. Best French bakery in Birmingham. Best Filipino markets in Madison Heights. Best Indian grocers in Novi or Troy. Best Chinese markets in Madison Heights or Troy. Best Japanese in Novi. Only Austrian bakery in Rochester.

I'm sure your post holds some water, but sorry B, you need to get out more. And turn off that TV for cryin' out loud, go outside and play!

**preserve** · February-08-16, 12:20 PM

What we need here are more Spartan stores. University Foods is expanding and it is looking good. Ryan's on West Vernor has always been a clean well run store and the Spartan brand is far superior to anything that Kroger puts out. I confess that Kroger does lure me in when I receive their coupons in the mail, but only for butter, bacon or frozen food. I've not been in that Kroger store in the commercials where the clerks smile and know your name. At the self check out, the clerk can hardly force a look in my direction when I need help and at the regular check out there's usually so much conversation going on between the baggers and the cashier that
I could be invisible until the very end. I can remember when baggers were trained on how to fill the bags. I bring my own, but they are so used to putting one or two items into the plastic bags that I have to stand there and tell them to fill the canvas bags. Sometimes I stand there and refill my own bags and hand them back their plastic ones. At least Meijer has the racks to attach bags and the cashiers do a much better job. I try to avoid all of these big stores as much as possible.

**jackie5275** · February-08-16, 01:03 PM

Originally Posted by Honky Tonk

Reading this thread, it kind of strikes me funny how people are pre-programmed to gravitate to big box retail. I'm glad I live in Detroit where there multicultural places to either shop for food, or dine. It opens one up to new life experiences.

I shop the smaller places like Honeybee, Bozek's, Polish Market too, but often they close before I get out of work & get started shopping.

**jackie5275** · February-08-16, 01:05 PM

Originally Posted by preserve

What we need here are more Spartan stores.

My experience is that these have been hit or miss. Most Spartan stores I've been in are pretty dumpy, like Oakwood Foods on Oakwood in Melvindale.

**Honky Tonk** · February-08-16, 01:24 PM

Originally Posted by jackie5275

I shop the smaller places like Honeybee, Bozek's, Polish Market too, but often they close before I get out of work & get started shopping.

You must get out of work late. I frequent all those places too. Though it's not in Detroit, Supergreenland, the big one @ Warren & Miller Roads, is one of my favorite market's too. Produce is fresh and the prices are very good. Next time you're @ Bozek's, you might want to try Al-Harramine International Foods, directly across Caniff. Good produce, good prices, a lot of interesting imported items to try.

https://www.google.com/webhp?sourcei...national+Foods

**downtownguy** · February-08-16, 01:53 PM

I'm feeling sorry for all you suburbanites. In the great food desert they call Detroit, I'm always happy with my shopping experiences at Harbortown, Lafayette Foods and Honeybee.

**Honky Tonk** · February-08-16, 02:05 PM

Originally Posted by downtownguy

I'm feeling sorry for all you suburbanites. In the great food desert they call Detroit, I'm always happy with my shopping experiences at Harbortown, Lafayette Foods and Honeybee.

Being the smartass I am, years ago, when friends from the 'burbs would ask "but where do you shop for groceries?", I would make up this story about guys in Detroit, selling food, out of the trunks of their cars.

**Bham1982** · February-08-16, 03:21 PM

Originally Posted by downtownguy

I'm feeling sorry for all you suburbanites. In the great food desert they call Detroit, I'm always happy with my shopping experiences at Harbortown, Lafayette Foods and Honeybee.

If you're happy with those options, then it's all good. The best of those three [[Honeybee) isn't even as good as an average Kroger, unless you're in the market for queso fresco or horchata. If they serve your needs, though, then no problem.