Wegmans vs Stop & Shop: Who is cheaper?
Stop & Shop operates over 400 stores in the Northeast section of the US. Wegman’s has a little over 100 stores in the Northeast too.
We are going to build a meal plan and grocery list, and then price compare both stores. This will help us determine if Wegmans or Stop & Shop has the cheaper groceries. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict.
Any links to products or services, may be affiliate links. When you click on a link, we may receive compensation at no additional cost to you. This helps to run and maintain the site, as well as getting more information available to you at no cost.
Is Wegmans more expensive than Stop and Shop?
For this price comparison, I have made a meal plan for a family of 4 using “25 Cheap food that fills you up when you are broke!” as a guide. Our plan is to get groceries for a week that are healthy and cheap!
Here is our meal plan:
Breakfasts
- Scrambled Eggs with Bacon and Toast
- Banana Pancakes with Syrup
- Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
Lunches
- Leftover Chicken Salad with Raisins Sandwiches
- Black Bean Hummus (using leftover black beans) with Homemade Potato Chips and Carrots
- Taco Salads (leftover taco meat)
- Baked Potatoes with Sour Cream, Cheese, and Bacon
- Dinner Leftovers
Dinners
- Lentil Veggie Soup (using dry lentils, canned tomatoes, chicken broth made from whole chicken, and frozen mixed vegetables)
- Baked BBQ Pork Chops with Carrot Raisin Salad (mayo, lemon juice, & maple syrup), and Baked Potato Wedges
- Chicken Carbonara-ish Pasta with Bacon and Frozen Peas (alfredo sauce with Italian seasoning) *using leftover chicken*
- Whole Baked Chicken with Brown Rice and Baked Carrots
- 1/2lb Ground Turkey and Black Bean Tacos (with lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream) and Brown Rice
- 1/2lb Ground Turkey Chili with Cornbread and Side Salad with lemon juice & oil dressing
Snacks
- Bananas
- Carrots
- Popcorn
Sweet Treat
- Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in Trenton, New Jersey. I will be selecting items for our meal plan that are the absolute cheapest.
This means mostly generic store brand options and the smallest size needed. This may not be the best value, but we are going for the cheapest option.
We are assuming that we already have kitchen basics like cooking oil, seasonings, salt/pepper, and baking powder at home. Everything else needed for the meal plan will need to be purchased.
For a more in depth break down on how I would make this meal plan work, check out “Healthy Grocery List for Family of 4 on a Budget #3.”
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Wegmans Price | Stop & Shop Price |
| 8 bananas | $0.59 a lb = $1.20 | 4-6 banana bunch = $1.52 |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag of russets= $3.49 | 5lb bag of russets= $3.99 |
| Carrots | 1lb baby carrots = $1.19 | 1lb baby carrots = $1.25 * on sale* |
| Leafy Green Lettuce | 1 head iceberg= $1.79 | 1 head green leaf= $1.99 |
| 1 Tomato | $1.30 each | $0.60 each |
| 1 Cucumber | $0.79 each | $0.99 each |
| 2 lemons | $1.09 each x 2= $2.18 | $0.75 each x 2= $1.50 |
| Total: (7 items) | $10.85 | $11.84 |
Wegman’s came out cheaper with a total of $10.85. This was $0.99 cheaper than Stop & Shop with a total of $11.84.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Wegmans Price | Stop & Shop Price |
| Pork Chops | Wegman’s bone in chops (1.3lbs)= $6.75 | Center cut Bone-In chops (1.4lb)= $6.29 |
| Whole Chicken | Wegmans $1.49 a lb (6.5lb) = $9.69 | Stop & Shop $1.89 a lb (4.5lb)= $8.51 |
| Precooked Bacon | Wegmans 2.6oz box = $7.49 | Stop & Shop 2.1 oz box = $4.99 |
| 1lb ground turkey | Empire 1lb fresh= $5.79 | Nature’s Promise 1lb fresh= $3.49 *on sale* |
| Total: (4 items) | $29.72 | $23.28 |
Stop and Shop came out cheaper with a total of $23.28. This was $6.44 cheaper than Wegman’s total of $29.72.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Wegmans Price | Stop & Shop Price |
| Peanut Butter | Wegman’s 18oz jar = $1.89 | Stop & Shop 16.3 oz jar = $2.49 |
| Sandwich Bread | Wegmans 20oz white bread= $1.49 | Stop & Shop 16oz white bread= $1.29 |
| Pancake Syrup | Wegman’s 24oz bottle = $2.29 | Stop & Shop 24oz bottle = $2.69 |
| Quick Oats | Wegmans 18oz container= $2.29 | Nature’s Promise 18oz container =$2.99 |
| Brown Sugar | Domino 1lb box= $1.89 | Stop & Shop 1lb bag= $1.89 |
| Mayonnaise | Wegmans 15oz jar= $2.59 | Mike’s Amazing Mayo 15oz jar= $2.59 |
| Raisins | Sun-Maid mini boxes (6oz) = $3.09 | Stop & Shop mini boxes (6oz)= $2.49 |
| Black Beans dried | Goya 1lb bag= $1.79 | Stop & Shop 1lb bag= $1.25 *on sale* |
| Lentils (dry) | Goya 1lb bag= $1.79 | Stop & Shop 1lb bag= $1.25 *on sale* |
| Canned tomatoes x 2 | Wegmans 14.5 oz can $.99 x 2= $1.98 | Stop & Shop 14.5 oz can $0.88 x2=$1.76 *on sale* |
| BBQ sauce | Kraft 18oz bottle = $2.29 | Kraft 18oz bottle = $2.39 |
| Alfredo Sauce | Wegmans 15oz jar = $2.99 | Prego 14.5 oz jar= $2.49 |
| Brown Rice | Wegmans 1lb bag= $1.19 | Stop & Shop 1lb bag= $1.29 |
| Taco Seasoning | Old El Paso 1oz pack = $1.19 | Stop & Shop 1.25oz pack = $0.69 |
| Flour Tortillas | Father Sam’s 8ct = $2.89 | Stop & Shop 8ct = $1.25 * on sale* |
| Kidney Beans | Wegmans 15.5 oz can = $0.99 | Stop & Shop 15oz can = $0.88 *on sale* |
| Chili Powder | Spice Classics 2.87oz jar= $1.39 | Badia 2.5 oz jar = $2.39 |
| Cornbread Mix | Krusteaz 15oz box = $2.59 | Jiffy 8.5oz box = $0.69 |
| Microwave Popcorn | Jolly Time 9oz /3ct bags= $3.79 | Stop & Shop 9.9oz/ 3ct bags=$2.19 |
| Total: (18 items) | $40.40 | $34.95 |
Stop and Shop came in cheaper with a total of $34.95. This was $5.45 cheaper than Wegman’s total of $40.40.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Wegmans Price | Stop & Shop Price |
| Frozen Mixed Vegetables | Wegmans 16oz bag =$1.19 | Stop & Shop 16oz bag = $1.59 |
| Frozen Peas | Wegmans 16oz bag =$1.19 | Stop & Shop 12oz bag = $1.59 |
| Total: (2 items) | $2.38 | $3.18 |
Wegmans came out cheaper with a total of $2.38. This was $0.80 cheaper than Stop & Shop’s total of $3.18.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Wegmans Price | Stop & Shop Price |
| Eggs | Wegmans 12ct white = $4.59 | Stop & Shop 12ct white= $4.19 |
| Sour Cream | Wegmans 8oz tub= $1.79 | Stop & Shop 8oz tub= $1.49 |
| Shredded Cheddar Cheese | Wegmans 8oz bag= $2.69 | Stop & Shop 8oz bag = $2.50 * on sale* |
| Shredded Mozzarella Cheese | Wegmans 8oz bag= $2.69 | Stop & Shop 8oz bag = $2.50 * on sale* |
| Butter (sticks) | Wegmans 1lb = $4.59 | Stop & Shop 1lb = $3.99 |
| Milk | Wegmans gallon= $4.29 | Stop & Shop gallon =$4.99 |
| Total: (6 items) | $20.64 | $19.66 |
Stop & Shop squeaked out cheaper with a total of $19.66. This was $0.98 cheaper than Wegmans total of $20.64.
Is Stop and Shop or Wegmans cheaper?
There was no slam dunk winner of all sections, so it all comes down to overall grocery trip totals.
| Section | Wegmans Price | Stop & Shop Price |
| Produce | $10.85 | $11.84 |
| Deli/Meats | $29.72 | $23.28 |
| Dry Goods | $40.40 | $34.95 |
| Frozen Foods | $2.38 | $3.18 |
| Dairy | $20.64 | $19.66 |
| Overall Total: (37 items) | $103.99 | $92.91 |
Stop and Shop has cheaper groceries with an overall total of $92.91. This was $11.08 (about 10%) cheaper than Wegman’s total of $103.99.
By shopping at Stop & Shop, you have the potential to lower your grocery budget by 10% overall. That is not a bad savings, but I would start meal planning based on what is on sale in the weekly flyer.
Stop & Shop had quite a few items on sale, so if you try to only buy their sale prices on generic items, you could save a lot every month on groceries.
Stop & Shop offers discounts too with digital coupons and you are able to redeem points with GO rewards for free products and dollars off at checkout. If you prefer online shopping, check out their GO Pass which give you free delivery and pick-up. Current Offer is $50 off and Free Delivery on your first 2 online orders!
For more grocery store comparisons, check out “Albertsons vs Kroger: Who has cheaper groceries?” and “Sprouts vs Target: Who is Cheaper?“
