Caleb Stephens '23
Technology Editor
We’ve all been here at least one semester now, and it’s time to get an opinion on one of the most relevant questions of our day. Which Charlottesville grocery store is the best? Fortunately, the Virginia Law Weekly is here to answer your questions and review the closest and most popular grocery stores of Charlottesville.
Kroger
Barracks Kroger. We all know it. We’ve all been there. Many of us probably have a Kroger card. Kroger, in general, is pretty solid. It has a good assortment of items, and reasonable prices on average. In particular, if you catch an item you need on sale, you can really save a lot. Kroger store-brand items also are pretty solid, although the two of which I am most fond are the canned lima beans and the deluxe ice cream (Death By Chocolate or Vanilla Bean, consistently on sale for $2.50 a carton). Unfortunately, the Barracks Kroger is the worst of the three Krogers within easy distance. The new Kroger app is very annoying, and you have to use it to get some advertised deals, so beware of those sale prices. In general, Kroger is there. It’s not as cheap or well-stocked as Walmart, but it’s got good produce and store-brand products, and it runs good promotions.
Most of what I said about the Barracks Kroger also applies to the Hydraulic Kroger (yes, the one almost literally across the road). However, the Hydraulic Kroger tends to be a bit better stocked, cleaner, and less crowded, and it has a gas station. Sadly, it is also a little bit sketchier, probably thanks to the VABC it shares a parking lot with. The clientele is also, strangely, almost solely Charlottesville natives, rather than the college students that shop across the street. This probably says something profound about college students, but I’ll let you draw your own conclusions.
Then there’s the Rio Center Kroger. This one is much less sketchy, since the wooded area in front of the Dollar General was turned into a bank(? I think?), and the parking lot does have a historical marker in it. This Kroger is the best stocked, cleanest, and, sadly, furthest from Grounds.[1] It is the one I’ve had the most success in returning glass milk bottles to for the bottle deposit, so that’s worth keeping in mind as well.
Walmart
If you continue down Seminole Trail, you finally get to the Walmart, which is the cheapest option. Unfortunately, the Charlottesville Walmart is one of the worst Walmarts I’ve ever been in. It tends to have trouble keeping items in stock (thanks, college students), stuff tends to be in the wrong place (college students, ugh), and it tends to feel crowded (again, students). The parking lot is also tiny and, mysteriously, always has at least twenty cars in it, even at 5 a.m., two hours before the store opens, which definitely contributes to a feeling of unease. The staff are mostly competent though, and there are at least two cashiers that manage one of the self checkout lanes who are exceptional.[2] That said, it’s a distinctly unpleasant experience, although it may be worth the amount saved by its customers. Whenever possible, I visit the Ruckersville Walmart instead, which is one of the nicest Walmarts I’ve ever visited.[3]
Aldi
For those of you who like store-brand food, Aldi is pretty cheap, but the amounts are smaller. Almost everything will be Aldi brand, but it tends to be pretty good.[4] If you’re on a tight budget, that’s not bad, but if you want to buy in bulk, there are better options. Unfortunately, it’s pretty far out, and its organization is somewhat lacking. I’ve been told by Aldi reps that this is intentional, as they try to keep the staff low in order to keep down costs, but it does come at a price in both appearance and shopping experience. For those of you who have never visited an Aldi, it’s a cheaper, non-organic Trader Joe’s with a better floor plan.[5]
Lidl
Lidl is extremely similar to Aldi but is both newer and closer, and a bit more organized. I think the frozen section is slightly larger, and the “random junk” aisle is definitely more stocked. It’s not bad for a different experience, but it is still more expensive than Walmart generally. Again, if you catch something on sale, or you want to buy in smaller quantities, Lidl is a good option, but the real seller is the pretzel rolls. Lidl has a fresh bakery section, and the bread is reasonably priced (frequently less than a dollar) and often still warm. It’s worth the occasional visit just for the bread.
Food Lion
Food Lion is kind of like Kroger, but it feels more like a Winn-Dixie or Piggly Wiggly.[6] The ambiance is a bit nicer than Walmart’s, but the prices are a bit higher too. They seem to have the same sort of arrangement as Kroger, where everything is normally a bit high, but they run regular sales. That said, their disposable bags are blue, which is a solid choice, and their branding is on point.
Harris Teeter
Back on likely more familiar territory, Harris Teeter is very close to Grounds. Funnily enough, both Harris Teeter and Kroger are owned by the same parent company. That said, they’re pretty different. Harris Teeter is kind of like a more upscale Kroger, with prices to match. Fortunately, they have a good student loyalty program, with a regular 5 percent discount for college students with their loyalty card.[7] Unfortunately, their prices tend to be more than 5 percent higher than Walmart’s (and, generally, Kroger’s). I do hear that the bar at Harris Teeter is quite the deal, but it also tends to actually have regulars, so watch your step.
Wegmans
Wegmans is in a different class. If you shop there, you’re probably either rich or have no idea how much you’re getting in loans. For my fellow Floridians, it’s like a nicer Publix crossed with a Whole Foods or Fresh Market.[8] I really like Wegmans. It’s the only place I could buy bulk couscous (until Walmart started carrying it sometime during winter break). That said, it is not cheap. Beware the luxurious experience, for it may prove too enticing.
So, why should you care where you shop? Well, for one, as the fine folks over at financial aid have doubtless tried to tell you multiple times, the more money you owe now, the worse off you’ll be later. Saving money on shopping makes sense, especially when the products are practically identical. Of course, that’s not all there is to shopping. The experience is also worth something, but it’s up to you to determine the monetary value. Market research demonstrates that where students shop heavily influences their decisions for the rest of their lives.[9]So think carefully before you just pick a default option: It may be where you shop for the rest of your life. As for me, I’ll keep splitting between the options above, while buying everything I can from Sam’s Club and Costco.
--- cs8ws@virginia.edu
[1] Yes, I know, it’s probably not a coincidence.
[2] Seriously, I’ve seen them guiding people into place like a NASCAR pit crew.
[3] Or, if you’re willing to drive about thirty minutes, the Gordonsville Walmart is also excellent.
[4] Shoutout to the 3L who got an excellent charcuterie board in the random junk aisle at Aldi. It is really nice, if you’re a charcuterie person.
[5] Also, they’re owned by the same company.
[6] I have no idea what to reference here if you aren’t familiar with those. Good luck, and maybe try visiting somewhere in the South sometime.
[7] This also applies to law students, in case you’re wondering, and it’s not very difficult to get a card.
[8] For people from elsewhere: I don’t know. I feel like you’ve probably been to a Wegmans before, though.
[9] Source: my undergraduate Marketing degree, where we talked about this effect all the time.