Grocery Price Showdown: Safeway vs Shoppers
Today we are going to do a grocery price comparison of Safeway and Shoppers in Baltimore, Maryland. Comparing grocery prices is a great way to help lower your grocery spend.
Grocery prices can fluctuate a lot by store, so checking out prices ahead of time can save you some sticker shock when you go to the store.
We like to use a real grocery list for a family to make our comparisons, because it seems to be a better reflection of what you would expect on a normal week.
Key Takeaways
- Shoppers had a lot of items on sale, but their prices were still higher than Safeway’s in most cases.
- Safeway didn’t have that many sale prices this week, so there was not a lot of extra savings.
- Safeway did come out cheaper than Shoppers, but was still 37% higher than Walmart.
Meal Plan and Grocery List
Every week we put out a low cost meal plan for families with recipes. This week we did 6 family dinners for $60 at Walmart. Here is our grocery list:
At the Walmart super center, our total came out to $59.96. So, let’s see how Shopper’s and Safeway compared and if they came out cheaper this week!
Is Safeway Cheaper than Shoppers?
Safeway is very hit or miss on prices. When they have sales it can be great, but their normal prices tend to be higher than average.
Shoppers is a smaller chain, but some people say they have amazing deals and prices, so let’s see how they do this week!
| Ingredient | Safeway Price | Shoppers Price |
| Red Potatoes (3lb) | $3.87 | $5.69 |
| Red Onion (x1) | $1.49 | $1.71 |
| Roma Tomatoes (x4) | $2.48 | $2.44 *on sale* |
| Ground Turkey (1lb) | $5.99 *on sale* | $6.29 *on sale* |
| Chicken Thighs (3lb) | $11.37 | $11.97 |
| Ham (14-16oz) | $5.99 | $7.98 *on sale* |
| Ground Sausage (1lb) | $3.49 *on sale* | $4.89 *on sale* |
| Thousand Island Dressing | $2.49 | $2.59 *on sale* |
| Hamburger Dill Pickles | $2.79 | $2.89 |
| Mustard (ground, brown, dijon, etc) | $1.59 | $1.79 |
| Mayo | $2.99 | $3.39 |
| Corn (14.5oz can) | $1.19 | $1.19 *on sale* |
| Italian Dressing | $2.49 | $2.49 *on sale* |
| Thin Spaghetti (1lb) | $1.25 | $1.49 *on sale* |
| Green Beans (14.5oz can) | $1.19 | $1.19 *on sale* |
| White Rice (1lb) | $2.69 (2lb bag) | $3.89 (2lb bag) |
| Cream of Mushroom (10.5oz) | $1.59 | $2.49 |
| Panko Breadcrumbs | $2.49 | $2.19 |
| Cream of Chicken (10.5oz) | $1.59 | $2.49 |
| Mongolian Beef seasoning packet | $3.99 (stir fry sauce) | $2.09 |
| Cajun Seasoning | $2.49 | $1.99 |
| Diced Tomatoes with Chiles (14.5oz) | $1.19 | $1.49 *on sale* |
| Carrots (14.5oz) | $1.39 | $1.19 *on sale* |
| Pizza Dough Mix | $2.39 (dough) | $3.79 (dough) |
| Frozen Spinach (12oz) | $2.99 | $3.29 *on sale* |
| Frozen Broccoli (12oz) | $2.49 | $1.59 *on sale* |
| Frozen Stir Fry Veggies (20oz) | $2.99 | $1.89 *on sale* |
| Cheddar Cheese (1lb) | $5.99 | $5.78 *on sale* |
| Butter (1lb) | $4.59 | $5.99 *on sale* |
| Feta Cheese (5oz) | $3.79 *on sale* | $3.59 |
| Milk (half gallon) | $2.69 | $3.29 |
| Total: | $96.00 | $105.02 |
Safeway did come out cheaper than Shopper’s with a total of $96.00. This was $9.02 (about 8%) less than Shopper’s total of $105.02.
I’m pretty disappointed in the totals to be honest. I was expecting them to be closer to $80.
Food for Thought
I always like to see if there is a way to save more with our price comparisons, so let’s see if just buying what is cheaper at each store will make a difference.
If we shopped both grocery stores, our total would have been $90.65. That’s an additional savings of $5.35.
Now if both stores were convenient for me to go to or pick up my order, I may do that. On the other hand, a $5 savings is not really that much. My time could definitely be worth more than that.
