Grocery Price Showdown: Meijer vs Giant Eagle
This week we are checking out grocery store prices in the New Franklin/ Akron, Ohio area. We will compare local grocery stores to see where we can get our groceries for the cheapest prices.
We like to use a real meal plan and grocery list for our price comparisons so that it is a better reflection of what I typical family might see!
Key Takeaways
- Giant Eagle had a lot of items on sale, but still came out more expensive than Meijer.
- Meijer easily won by almost $20 but it wasn’t just in one area, the majority of their items were just 30-50 cents cheaper than Giant Eagle.
- Going to both locations did not equal big savings.
Meal Plan and Grocery List
We have a $100 or less grocery budget plan this week. Here is our overview of all the meals:
Here is the broken down by department grocery list:
Our total came out to $91.68 at the local Walmart in New Franklin, OH so let’s see how these two stores compare to that.
Will we stay within our $100 budget?
Is Giant Eagle Cheaper than Meijer?
Both grocery stores are fairly large, so I don’t really have a strong prediction here. I am assuming their totals will come out pretty close.
| Ingredient | Meijer Price | Giant Eagle Price |
| Strawberries (1lb) | $0.99 *on sale* | $3.00 *on sale* |
| Apples (3lb) | $3.93 *on sale* | $4.99 |
| Lettuce | $1.69 *on sale* | $1.99 |
| Tomato (x2) | $1.88 | $1.50 |
| Watermelon | $4.49 | $2.50 *on sale* |
| Sweet Potatoes (x2) | $1.64 | $3.58 |
| Onion (x1) | $1.27 | $0.97 *on sale* |
| Bell Pepper (x1) | $0.88 *on sale* | $3.00 |
| Zucchini (x1) | $0.85 | $1.87 |
| Yellow Squash (x1) | $0.85 | $1.50 |
| Ground Turkey (3lbs) | $11.97 | $13.47 |
| Smoked Sausage (12-13oz) | $3.25 *on sale* | $3.79 |
| Ham Lunchmeat (1lb) | $5.69 *on sale* | $5.49 |
| Hot Dogs (8ct) | $1.85 | $1.50 *on sale* |
| Chicken Breasts (3lbs) | $8.99 *on sale* | $8.99 |
| Chicken Nuggets (30oz) | $4.99 *on sale* | $4.99 (24oz) *on sale* |
| Pancake Mix | $2.39 | $2.79 |
| Pancake Syrup | $2.39 | $3.69 |
| Orange Soda | $1.75 | $1.99 *on sale* |
| Chicken Broth (32oz) | $1.49 | $1.69 |
| Pineapple Rings (20oz) | $1.45 | $1.79 |
| White Rice (1lb) | $2.89 (2lb bag) | $2.29 |
| Green Beans (14.5oz) | $0.69 | $0.89 |
| Pasta (1lb) | $1.09 | $1.33 *on sale* |
| Italian Diced Tomatoes (14.5oz) | $0.99 | $0.99 |
| Teriyaki Sauce | $1.79 *on sale* | $3.00 *on sale* |
| Hamburger Buns | $1.65 | $1.50 *on sale* |
| Corn Muffin Mix | $0.65 | $0.85 *on sale* |
| Alfredo Sauce (16oz) | $2.29 | $2.49 *on sale* |
| Taco Seasoning | $0.65 | $0.99 *on sale* |
| Potato Wedges (2lb) | $3.99 | $3.99 |
| Vanilla Ice Cream | $1.99 *on sale* | $3.79 |
| Tater Tots (2lbs) | $3.99 | $3.99 |
| Frozen Peas (12oz) | $1.09 | $1.49 |
| Canned Biscuits (x2) | $1.98 | $4.98 |
| Cheddar Cheese (8oz) | $2.19 | $2.49 |
| Parmesan Cheese (7oz) | $2.29 | $2.79 |
| Milk (half gallon) | $1.79 | $1.89 |
| Eggs (12ct) | $1.88 | $2.69 |
| Total: | $98.56 | $117.51 |
Meijer easily won this grocery price showdown with a total of $98.56. That was $18.95 (about 16%) cheaper than Giant Eagle’s total.
It was nice to see that Meijer came out under $100 since that was our goal though!
Food for Thought
I’m always looking to save a little bit more money, so let’s see if shopping both stores for just the cheapest items would save even more.
By only buying the cheapest priced items at each store, our total would have been $94.59.
That would be an additional savings of $3.97 (about 4%). That is not a huge savings so I am not sure that would be worth my time.
If both locations were convenient and I had the time, I may go for the extra savings, but I would not go out of my way to save the extra $4.
