This location earned their 4th star and a shining Yelp review after my visit to them today... yes. The day before Thanksgiving. The Black Friday of grocery stores.
...
Yes. I wait until the last minute to get some items. Don't be hatin'!
I have been living in this area for coming on 2 years now. I have my preferences on where I go.
I do not normally go here for a full load of groceries. Their prices are significantly higher than the competition and I don't have the time to do the price matching stuff.
They are missing the 5th star because of this.
But... if I need a couple things... I go here because it's convenient for me and I like the people (no crazies or bums). I'll pay the extra dollar for my convenience in those cases.
Today was a shining moment for this location and I just had to share.
I pull into the parking lot where there are cars backed up, people honking all pissed off at each other, racing to empty spots... I ignore them and calmly move on...
... and find ROCKSTAR parking. If you don't know what Rockstar parking is... you'll never address it as the same "front row next to the handicap spots" again.
I didn't even have to fight for it!
So thinking this is a good omen that I chose Albertsons to do my almost belated shopping, I park... find a nice shopping cart where it belongs inside the building and in the shopping cart "corral".
I walk around... find my things. I figure out that the Albertson's fried onions are only 2.50 and they have an excellent recipe for cheesy green bean casserole right on the back that fits the only dish I happen to have at home for a casserole! Sign me up!!
It cost me $16.64 (not including tax) to build up this recipe (see the back of the Albertson's Fried Onions can for the recipe... and attempting to not use name brand if I can help it due to their prices)... and that's amazing! To feed like 12 people??? That's great!
As I walk around, there are so many Albertson's employees walking around. I wonder why... then figure out that they are restocking the shelves as they empty. I didn't have to fight for my cream of mushroom. I didn't have to fight for the frozen green beans.
We all know, as we read this, that this happened last year at Walmart.
So... finished with my recipe and confident that I'm going to dazzle my family with my amazing culinary skills... I walk toward the front of the store with my cart, sifting thru the crying babies, squealing kids, irritated mom's on the phone with their sister's fighting over who's going to do the gravy...
... to a line that only has ONE person in it... who is only purchasing 15 items or so.
The clerk handles them quickly, and they move on. My stuff moves forward... she handles me quickly with a smile... and never admits that she's going insane with all this noise.
The sign of a true lady. :-)
I leave peacefully after paying for my goods... and thank the gods that I listened to my gut instinct to go to Albertsons versus Walmart.
They have proven themselves to me... so that when I need to go somewhere on Christmas Eve to pick up butter... that's where I'm going. :-)