Grocery Price Showdown: Stop & Shop vs C-Town Supermarket
Today we are going to compare prices at the local Stop & Shop and C-Town Supermarket. Stop and Shop usually has good weekly ads and C-Town offers lots of discounted items.
It will be interesting to see how each store comes out and if we can get close to our $100 goal grocery budget for the week.
Key Takeaways
- C-Town Supermarket was the winner with a total of $97.58, but that was still $4.94 (about 5%) more expensive than Walmart.
- Stop & Shop had quite a few items on sale, so that was nice!
- By only buying the cheapest items at each store, we could have beat Walmart’s prices!
Meal Plan and Grocery List
This is one of our weekly meal plans that covers breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, and a sweet treat for a family of four. We priced this out at the Walmart Supercenter in Hartford, CT and the total came out to $92.64.
If you want the full meal plan, including recipes and the free printable PDF with grocery list, go check it out here!
Is Stop & Shop Cheaper than C-Town Supermarket?
First, let’s head over to Stop & Shop and see how they do with our grocery list. If there are any sale prices or discounts, we will include them!
| Ingredient | Stop & Shop Price |
| Spinach (10oz bag) <8oz bag> | $2.49 |
| Carrots (2lb bag) | $2.19 |
| Strawberries (1lb) | $4.79 |
| Bananas (x 4) <bunch of 4-6 bananas> | $1.52 |
| Blueberries (18oz) | $6.99 *on sale* |
| Broccoli (1 head) | $4.38 |
| Roma Tomato (x 5) | $1.35 *on sale* |
| cucumber (x1) | $0.99 |
| Onion (x2) <red onions were cheapest> | $1.34 *on sale* |
| garlic (1 head) | $0.99 |
| limes (x2) | $1.32 |
| Potatoes (5lbs) | $2.99 *on sale* |
| Ground turkey (1lb) | $4.99 |
| Bacon (16 oz) | $5.99 |
| Chicken Breasts (5lbs) | $12.56 |
| Imitation Crab Meat (1lb) <two-8oz packs> | $5.98 |
| French Bread Loaf | $1.99 |
| Toasted Oat Cereal (12oz) | $2.99 *on sale* |
| Pancake Syrup (24oz) | $2.50 *on sale* |
| Pancake Mix (32oz) | $2.50 *on sale* |
| Chicken Breast (5oz can) | $2.29 |
| Chick Peas (15.5oz can) | $1.25 |
| Sweet Peas (15oz can) | $1.09 |
| Black Beans (15oz can) | $0.99 |
| Corn (15oz can) | $0.99 |
| Garden Rotini Pasta (16oz) | $1.00 |
| Mayonnaise (15oz) | $2.19 |
| Sandwich Bread (20oz) | $1.50 *on sale* |
| Dry Dill (spice) <cheaper to get fresh dill> | $1.99 |
| Rice (1lb bag) | $1.09 |
| Italian Dressing (8oz) | $2.09 |
| Chicken Broth (14.5oz can) | $1.19 |
| Saltine Crackers (16oz) | $2.69 |
| Taco Seasoning (1 pack) | $0.69 |
| Vanilla Greek Yogurt (32oz) | $4.19 |
| Eggs (18 ct) | $5.69 |
| Milk (gallon) | $4.29 |
| Butter (1lb) | $3.79 |
| Parmesan Cheese (6oz) <5oz tub> | $3.69 *on sale* |
| Sour Cream (16oz) | $1.99 |
| Cheddar Cheese (16oz) | $3.99 |
| Total: | $119.51 |
The total at Stop & Shop came out to $119.51. I was a little surprised by this just because of the number of items that were on sale. If these were regular priced our total would have been much higher!
Is CTown Cheaper than Stop and Shop?
Next, we will head over C-town Supermarket to take a look at their prices! I have seen lots of great prices on their sales flyer so I am hopeful with this store.
| Ingredient | CTown Price |
| Spinach (10oz bag) <16oz bag> | $2.19 |
| Carrots (2lb bag) | $1.69 |
| Strawberries (1lb) | $5.49 |
| Bananas (x 4) <for 1 bunch> | $1.99 |
| Blueberries (18oz) | $4.19 |
| Broccoli (1 head) | $1.09 |
| Roma Tomato (x 5) <4ct package> | $1.69 |
| cucumber (x1) | $0.99 |
| Onion (x2) <cheaper to get 2lb bag> | $1.59 |
| garlic (1 head) | $0.35 |
| limes (x2) | $0.78 |
| Potatoes (5lbs) | $2.19 |
| Ground turkey (1lb) | $1.39 |
| Bacon (16 oz) | $3.89 |
| Chicken Breasts (5lbs) | $9.95 *on sale* |
| Imitation Crab Meat (1lb) | $4.39 |
| French Bread Loaf | $1.09 |
| Toasted Oat Cereal (12oz) <11oz bag> | $2.59 |
| Pancake Syrup (24oz) | $3.29 |
| Pancake Mix (32oz) | $2.09 |
| Chicken Breast (5oz can) | $2.19 |
| Chick Peas (15.5oz can) | $0.79 |
| Sweet Peas (15oz can) | $1.09 |
| Black Beans (15oz can) | $1.09 |
| Corn (15oz can) | $0.99 |
| Garden Rotini Pasta (16oz) | $1.09 |
| Mayonnaise (15oz) <32oz container> | $3.29 |
| Sandwich Bread (20oz) | $1.09 |
| Dry Dill (spice) | $1.09 |
| Rice (1lb bag) | $1.99 |
| Italian Dressing (8oz) | $2.59 |
| Chicken Broth (14.5oz can) | $0.89 |
| Saltine Crackers (16oz) | $2.19 |
| Taco Seasoning (1 pack) | $0.89 |
| Vanilla Greek Yogurt (32oz) | $4.19 |
| Eggs (18 ct) <2 dozen> | $2.18 |
| milk (gallon) | $3.29 |
| Butter (1lb) | $3.79 |
| Parmesan Cheese (6oz) <5oz tub> | $3.89 |
| Sour Cream (16oz) | $1.69 |
| Cheddar Cheese (16oz) <two 8 oz blocks> | $4.38 |
| Total: | $97.58 |
The total for C-Town came out to $97.58. That is great news for our $100 weekly food budget.
C-Town Supermarket does pair up with Instacart, so some of our prices may be a little higher than in store but I think overall most of their prices were pretty good!
Food for Thought
Overall, I a little disappointed in Stop & Shop prices but pleasantly surprised with some of the prices at C-Town.
If we had the time to go to both store or place pick-up orders, we have the potential to save even more money this week. By only buying what was cheaper at each store, our total would have been $91.55.
That is actually $1.09 (about 1%) cheaper than the local Walmart in this area. So even if you are not a fan of Walmart, you can still get pretty close their prices with a little extra work!
To compare these grocery stores to other stores in the Hartford, CT area, check out the showdown between Aldi and Save A Lot!
