Giant vs Safeway: Who is cheaper for groceries?
Giant is a supermarket chain that operates about 169 stores in the Midatlantic states under the major company Ahold Delhaize. Safeway is a huge grocery store chain in 38 states with about 739 stores, that is part of the Albertson Company.
We will take a grocery list of foods for full week’s menu plan and compare prices at Giant and Safeway to determine who is cheaper for groceries. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict!
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Which is cheaper Safeway or Giant?
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
- Ham and Mushroom Scrambled Eggs
- Biscuits with Sausage Gravy
- Vanilla Yogurt with Blueberries
- Cinnamon Toast with Strawberries
- Cheese Toast
Lunches
- Salad with Ham and Hard Boiled Eggs
- Baked Potato with Sour Cream
- Egg Salad with Saltines
- Grilled Cheese with Corn Chips
- Dinner Leftovers
Dinners
- Scalloped Potatoes with Ham and Cheddar Cheese
- Ground Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff (beef broth, green bell pepper, egg noodles, cream of mushroom soup, and sour cream)
- Ground Beef Chili over Brown Rice (canned tomatoes, kidney beans, chili powder, green bell pepper) with Canned Corn
- Grilled Chicken with Brown Rice and Peas
- Leftover Grilled Chicken with Cream Cheese Topping (ranch powder, fresh tomatoes, and cheddar cheese) and Butter Noodles
- Ham, Cheese, and Broccoli Stromboli
Snacks
- Celery sticks with ranch dressing
- Popcorn
- Corn Chips
Sweet Treat
- Saltine “Crack” Brittle
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in Washington DC. 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 #6.”
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Giant Price | Safeway Price |
| Mushrooms | 8oz whole= $2.29 | 8oz whole= $2.50 |
| Blueberries | 1 pint= $4.99 | 1 pint= $4.99 |
| Strawberries | 1 pound= $4.99 | 1 pound = $4.99 |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag of all-purpose potatoes = $4.99 | 5lb bag of russets = $4.49 |
| Lettuce | 1 head green leaf = $1.99 | 1 head green leaf = $2.49 |
| Tomato x2 | On the vine $0.63 each x2= $1.26 | On the vine $0.99 each = $1.98 |
| Cucumber | $0.79 each | $0.99 each |
| Green Bell Pepper | $1.25 each | $1.29 each |
| Celery | 1 stalk= $1.99 | 1 stalk= $1.00 *on sale* |
| Total: (9 items) | $24.54 | $24.72 |
In the produce section, Giant came out cheaper with a total of $24.54. This was $0.18 cheaper than Safeway’s total of $24.72.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Giant Price | Safeway Price |
| Diced Ham | Smithfield 8oz pack = $2.99 *on sale* | Smithfield 8oz pack = $2.99 |
| 1lb ground beef | 80% beef $3.99 a lb/1.2lbs = $4.79 *on sale* | 80% beef $5.99 a lb/1.25lbs = $6.29 |
| Chicken Breasts (4-6) | $3.49 a lb/4.5 lbs = $15.71 | $3.99 a lb/ 3lbs = $15.96 |
| Total: (3 items) | $23.49 | $25.24 |
In the meat section, Giant came out cheaper with a total of $23.49. This was $1.75 cheaper than Safeway’s total of $25.24.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Giant Price | Safeway Price |
| Sausage Gravy Mix | Southeastern Gravy Mix 2.75oz pack = $0.99 | Pioneer Gravy Mix 2.75oz pack = $1.89 |
| Sandwich bread | Giant 20oz white = $1.00 *on sale* | Signature Select 20oz white = $1.49 |
| Saltines | Giant 16oz box = $2.89 | Signature Select 16oz box = $2.69 |
| Corn Chips | Giant 10oz bag = $2.39 | Bugles 7.5oz bag = $4.39 |
| Beef Broth | Giant 14.5oz can = $0.99 | Signature Select 14.5oz can = $1.29 |
| Egg Noodles | Giant 12oz bag = $2.29 | Signature Select 16oz bag = $2.49 |
| Cream of Mushroom Soup | Campbell’s 10.5oz can = $1.25 *on sale* | Signature Select 10.5oz can = $1.39 |
| Canned Tomatoes | Giant 14.5oz can = $0.89 | Signature Select 14.5oz can = $1.19 |
| Chili Powder | Badia 2.5oz jar= $2.29 | Signature Select 2.5oz jar= $2.99 |
| Kidney Beans | Hanover 15.5 oz can = $1.00 *on sale* | Signature Select 15.5oz can = $0.99 |
| Brown Rice | Giant instant brown rice 14oz box = $2.49 | Signature Select 1lb bag= $1.50 |
| Ranch Seasoning | Hidden Valley 1pack = $2.25 | Signature Select 4pack box= $2.39 |
| Ranch Dressing | Kraft 16oz bottle = $2.50 *on sale* | Signature Select 16oz bottle = $2.00 *on sale* |
| Microwave Popcorn | Giant 3ct bags= $1.69 | Signature Select 3ct bags= $1.99 |
| Brown Sugar | Giant 1lb bag= $1.79 | Signature Select 1lb bag= $1.79 |
| Cinnamon | Badia 2oz jar = $2.29 | Signature Select 2.37oz jar= $3.29 |
| Chocolate Chips | Giant 11.5oz bag = $3.49 | Signature Select 12oz bag= $2.99 |
| Canned Corn | Giant 15.25 oz can =$1.49 | Signature Select 15.25oz can = $1.19 |
| Total: (18 items) | $33.97 | $37.94 |
In the dry goods section, Giant came out cheaper with a total of $33.97. This was $3.97 cheaper than Safeway’s total of $37.94.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Giant Price | Safeway Price |
| Frozen Peas | Giant 12oz bag = $1.29 | Signature Select 12oz bag= $1.99 |
| Frozen Broccoli | Giant 12oz bag = $1.89 | Signature Select 12oz bag= $1.99 |
| Total: (2 items) | $3.18 | $3.98 |
In the frozen section, Giant came out cheaper with a total of $3.18. This was $0.80 cheaper than Safeway’s total of $3.98.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Giant Price | Safeway Price |
| Eggs | Giant 12ct white eggs= $2.49 | Lucerne 12ct white eggs= $2.99 |
| 2% milk | Giant gallon = $3.59 | Value Corner gallon= $3.49 |
| American Cheese | Giant 16ct = $3.49 | Lucerne 16ct= $3.49 |
| Shredded Cheddar Cheese | Giant 16oz bag= $4.79 | Lucerne 16oz bag= $4.69 |
| Vanilla Yogurt | Giant 32oz tub= $2.29 | Lucerne 32oz tub= $3.29 |
| Sour Cream | Giant 8oz tub= $1.19 | Lucerne 8oz tub= $1.19 |
| Cream Cheese Block | Level Valley 8oz = $1.99 | Lucerne 8oz = $1.99 *on sale* |
| Biscuits | Pillsbury Grands 8ct= $3.09 | Signature Select 8ct= $2.69 |
| Total: (7 items) | $22.92 | $23.82 |
In the dairy section, Giant came out cheaper with a total of $22.92. This was $0.90 cheaper than Safeway’s total of $23.82.
Is Safeway more expensive than Giant?
Giant came in cheaper in every section. Let’s look at the overall totals.
| Section | Giant Price | Safeway Price |
| Produce | $24.54 | $24.72 |
| Deli/Meats | $23.49 | $25.24 |
| Dry Goods | $33.97 | $37.94 |
| Frozen Foods | $3.18 | $3.98 |
| Dairy | $22.92 | $23.82 |
| Overall Total: (40 items) | $108.10 | $115.70 |
Overall Giant came out cheaper than Safeway with a total of $108.10. This was $7.60 (about 7%) cheaper than Safeway’s total of $115.70.
A 7% difference in price is not huge, but if we work with what is on sale every week to build our meal plans and stock our fridges, we can save even more money.
You can save even more money at Giant by signing up for their Flexible Rewards. Earn points that take dollars off at checkout, discounts on gas, and free products!
Safeway does have weekly ads, and you can use them to help you meal plan for maximum savings. For more savings at Safeway, check out their FreshPass. They are currently offering a 30-day free trial!
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Harris Teeter vs Walmart: Who is cheaper?” and “Acme vs ShopRite: Who is Cheaper?“
