Drjohnrock

Looking for full sevice supermarkets, not partial ones like most Targets, Dollar Generals, etc.

In the greater Cincinnati area (which includes nothern Kentucky and southeastern Indiana) we have:

Kroger (The King--over 50% of the market share)
Walmart
Meijer
Remke
IGA
Jungle Jims
Trader Joes
Fresh Market
Dollar General (think there's still one that's a full service supermarket)
Publix (new kid in town)
Save A Lot

When Walmart brought their "Super Walmart" full service supermarket concept to the area, a lot of folks predicted Kroger's demise. Boy, were they wrong.

Meijer, which is similar to Walmart in that it has general merchandise in addition to being a supermarket, is a distant third to the first two.

Remke, which started out locally owned, has sadly seen its market share shink a lot in recent years. Hope they can hang on.

At one time, IGA was number three in the market. But as a cooperative rather than a big company, their stores don't have the buying power of the big chains. They still have a few stores in the area.

Jungle Jims has two locations that are absolutely amazing. They've been described as the amusement parks of supermarkets. They have a huge selection of stuff from around the world. The owner seeks out and buys old mechanical product displays for the stores. Well worth a visit if you're in the area, even if you just browse.

Publix just opened their first store in northern Kentucky, with more to follow. They are sure to cross into Cincinnati at some point. I don't see them doing well in this market. Cincinnati shoppers are very price conscious (a nice way of saying "cheap'). Publix will never be able to match Kroger on price, and Cincinnatians won't pay more for the "great shopping experience" so many Publix fans rave about. I could be wrong but I doubt it. At best, they could establish a niche presence in the wealthier neighborhoods.

Drjohnrock

Yeah, I know, it should be “supermarkets” in the title—I forgot to add the “s”. If one of the moderators happens along, kindly correct my error.

Quint's Revenge

The best grocery store in Florida is Publix. You pay a little more but the store is super clean and the customer service is second to none. They also have an amazing bakery department and deli. Speaking of the deli you can get the best fried chicken your mom didn't make and fresh custom subs you'll never find at Subway.

Drjohnrock

I must have a lot of the Cincinnat cheapness in me. When I visit Florida, I shop at Winn-Dixie.

Drjohnrock

I have amended my initial list to include Save A Lot, a discount chain that's mostly disappeared in Cincinnat. They still have one store in the city, and maybe one or two left in the larger metro area.