Tag Archives: acme

Free bird: Acme or ShopRite?

Posted on by
Reply

Every year as Thanksgiving approaches I ponder an important question regarding which turkey is best for the feast: fresh, frozen or free?

90de03d299f49b637bab83ef14e66fd7For my money, give me a free bird (and a round of Lynyrd Skynyrd‘s Free Bird, the rock anthem blaring on my 1969 Impala Super Sport when a West Virginia state trooper clocked me driving 92 mph. He gave me a break and wrote me up for driving 5 miles over the speed limit. After all, it was my 20th birthday).

Regarding the turkey, my only decision is which promotional offer is the better choice.

This year, ShopRite is ponying up a house-brand turkey weighing up to 21 pounds with cumulative purchases of $400 through Nov. 24. Acme will hand over a Jennie-O bird with a weight of up to 22 pounds with a one-time purchase of $100. (Update: the offer ended Nov. 18).

ShopRite’s offer kicked off in October, so I figured I had plenty of time to rack up the required tab. But I soon realized that I was going to fall short thanks to ShopRite’s great seasonal promotions and my personal zeal for clipping coupons.

So this Thanksgiving, Acme wins out with its more accessible price point. I’ll stock up on holiday fare, toss in coffee and other non-perishables, check out for $100 and change and bag a bird for our holiday repast. I’m always grateful for a great deal.

 

A farmers market, 365 days a year

Posted on by
2

I like to shop at farmers markets that sprout in a designated place one special day a week, then disappear until the next time the following week.

But often I missed my chance because the market’s schedule did not coincide with my own.

This afternoon I shopped at the 7 Day Farmers Market that opened in December in a former Pathmark on Lancaster Pike in Wilmington.

IMG_0722There’s no website and no promotions besides the big banner on the store. Still, shoppers are flocking to the store, which is open from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 9 a.m.-8 p.m. on Sunday.

What you will find is a wide variety of fresh produce, ethnic foods, and dried herbs in bulk,  in addition to the traditional canned goods and frozen foods shoppers would have bought at the old Pathmark.

A number of former Pathmark employees found new jobs at the market and offer friendly, helpful service. Witness Scott, the enterprising and pleasant staffer who rounded up various options in quinoa from the organic and grains sections for me to compare. The  cashier invited me to take a free bag of clementines with me as I exited the store.

I enjoyed the variety of fresh produce, popping a container of hard-to-find Matari mushrooms into the cart. There are mounds of cactus leaves, bushels of beets and such mysterious vegetables as gray squash.

Prices on fruits and veggies trend lower than at traditional grocers. I paid 49 cents a pound for sweet potatoes, compared to $1.99 a pound at Acme. That said, some prices for non-perishables are higher. Costco wins hands down for the least expensive quinoa around.

 

Thankful for free turkeys

Posted on by
Reply

For years, we have debated which bird is best for our Thanksgiving table.

Fresh? Frozen? Or free?

Acme Markets has entered the debate with a delectable promotion: a free Shady Brook Farms Grade A Basted Frozen Turkey (average weight 10-22 pounds) when you spend $100 in a single transaction. Shoppers also can opt for a Pride of the Farm frozen turkey breast, topping out at about seven pounds.

We expect more requests for Free Bird than at a Lynyrd Skynyrd review.

gty_turkey_dinner_thg_111118_wmainSo why give away turkeys to patrons who likely can afford to buy a bird? Let’s talk turkey.

First and foremost, the turkey hunt gives shoppers a reason to choose one grocer over another at a time of year when consumers are laying in provisions at a rate rivaled only by the Blizzard of the Century and the Zombie Apocalypse. Gobble, gobble.

We aren’t just buying a turkey. We are baking cookies and pies. We are hosting parties. And we are buying food to give to other people so that they can enjoy a sliver of the abundance the more fortunate among us take for granted.

So, do you like Acme’s strategy of a quick reward to shoppers who part with a single Ben Franklin? Or do you prefer the game plan of ShopRite and other grocers, who don’t part with the turkey until shoppers have rung up $400 between now and Turkey Day? Or are you simply grateful to have a choice between great deals?

Talking turkey at Acme

Posted on by
Reply

Every November, we have the Great Turkey Debate.

imagesWhich tastes better: Fresh, frozen or free?

The answer is simple. Free turkey is always best, you silly goose.

Last year, Acme was the clear loser in the turkey shootout in Supermarket Land. The chain offered a dodo bird of a deal, a mere discount on the Thanksgiving favorite while the competition handed out free poultry with combined purchases of as little as $300.

This year, Acme is bringing it with a super deal on turkey. This grocer got game. Or at least domestic birds.

Shoppers can bag a free with turkey by spending a mere $100 in a single transaction. Customers can choose from a Shadybrook frozen turkey weighing 12-19 pounds, a turkey breast of 5-7 pounds or an Empire kosher frozen turkey, which averages 12-16 pounds.

The only downside is you have to make room in your freezer well before the holiday. The deal ends Nov. 7.