BELLINGHAM — Washington has its share of grocery stores, from Trader Joe’s, to Safeway, Costco and more, but how do they compare?
According to SafeGraph, a data company that uses anonymous mobile data to measure foot traffic, these are the most popular grocery stores in Washington as measured in foot traffic, by the month.
In Washington, Walmart was a top competitor and was the most popular grocery store for walk-in customers in 2021, and started 2022 with over 760,000 visitors in January. Costco and Safeway were also popular. According to SafeGraph, the least popular grocery store for walk-in customers in 2021 in Washington was WinCo Foods, which averaged about 50,000 visitors each month.
Comparing prices
Foot traffic information can tell us what stores are the most popular with walk-in customers, but how do these stores compare on prices and affordability?
A 2019 study by Bank of America Merrill analysts compared top grocery stores Walmart, Target, Whole Foods Market, Kroger, Sprouts Farmers Market and Publix.
Walmart had the cheapest prices overall and Whole Foods was the most expensive.
The study compared prices of 54 items in the stores in the Atlanta metro area such as dairy, meat, packaged foods and produce. The total for the shopping trip was $119.44 at Walmart, followed by $126.35 at Target, Kroger with $128.74, Sprouts Farmers Market costing $134.95, $147.02 at Publix, and the highest total for the same items of $167.01 at Whole Foods.
But how do prices compare locally?
We compared a few items online at stores around Bellingham to get an idea of where you can get the most for your dollar.
- Gallon of milk: At Fred Meyer, a gallon of 2 percent milk is $2.99, followed by Walmart with a price of $3.36, and Whole Foods Market with organic 2 percent milk for $6.99.
- Chicken: For boneless, skinless chicken breast, Bellingham’s Fred Meyer store has the cheapest price per pound. Located at the store’s service meat counter, their chicken is $3.99 per pound, followed by Walmart’s pre-packaged option for $4.70 per pound, and Whole Foods Market’s service meat counter option for $4.90 per pound.
- Cheerios: For an 8.9-oz. box of Cheerios cereal, Walmart had the cheapest price at $3.28, beating Fred Meyer’s price of $3.29 by only one penny. Whole Foods Market was not too far behind, with a box of Cheerios costing $3.99.
- Eggs: The price for eggs varies based on size, grade, and color, but here are the cheapest prices for a dozen eggs at your local grocery stores. The most affordable option was at Fred Meyer, which had Kroger grade AA large eggs for $1.69 a dozen. Next was Whole Foods, whose Outdoor Access large white grade A eggs were $3.29 a dozen. Walmart’s showed few options online for pickup, with the lowest price being Eggland’s Best Large Cage Free White A Eggs that come in at $3.32 a dozen.
- Loaf of bread: The price for a loaf of bread can vary on what type, size and brand, but here are the cheapest prices for a loaf of sandwich bread at your local grocery stores. The most affordable price is at Walmart, where a 20-ounce white or wheat loaf of bread is 84 cents. Fred Meyer also has a variety of 20-ounce bread loaves for $1.49. Whole Foods Market follows with a variety of 24-ounce loaves for $3.19 each.
