Shaw’s vs Hannaford: Who is Cheaper?
Shaw’s is a grocery store chain of about 150 stores and is part of the Albertsons Company. Hannaford is a grocery chain of about 183 stores and is part of the Ahold Delhaize Company.
We are going to a look at a week’s worth of groceries for a family and compare prices at both Shaw’s and Hannaford to find out who has cheaper groceries. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict!
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Is Shaw’s more expensive than Hannaford?
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 Portland, Maine. 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 | Shaw’s Price | Hannaford Price |
| Mushrooms | Signature Farms 8oz sliced= $2.49 | Hannaford 8oz sliced= $2.29 |
| Blueberries | 1 pint= $4.99 | 18oz container= $2.99 *on sale* |
| Strawberries | 1lb container= $4.99 | 1lb container= $3.99 |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag of russets= $4.49 *on sale* | 4lb bag of yellow potatoes= $3.99 |
| Lettuce | Green Leaf Head= $2.99 | Green Leaf Head= $1.99 |
| Tomato x2 | on the vine $0.99 each= $1.98 | Hot House $1.99 a lb = $1.99 |
| Cucumber | $0.99 each | $0.79 each |
| Green Bell Pepper | $1.49 each | $1.29 each |
| Celery | 1 head= $2.99 | 1 head= $1.99 |
| Total: (9 items) | $27.40 | $21.31 |
In the produce section, Hannaford came out cheaper with a total of $21.31. This was $6.09 cheaper than Shaw’s total of $27.40.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Shaw’s Price | Hannaford Price |
| Diced Ham | Smithfield 8oz pack = $3.50 *on sale* | Smithfield 8oz pack = $2.99 |
| 1lb ground beef | 80% beef $3.76 a lb (1.25lbs)= $4.71 *on sale* | 80% beef $3.79 a lb (1.5lbs)= $5.69 |
| Chicken Breasts (4-6) | $2.27 a lb (3lbs)= $6.81 *on sale* | $2.49 a lb (3lbs)= $7.47 |
| Total: (3 items) | $15.02 | $16.15 |
In the meat section, Shaw’s came out cheaper with a total of $15.02. This was $1.13 cheaper than Hannaford’s total of $16.15.
We did get a tiny bit more ground beef at Hannaford’s so they overall value was about the same.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Shaw’s Price | Hannaford Price |
| Sausage Gravy Mix | Signature Select 1.32 oz country gravy mix= $1.00 | Pioneer Gravy mix 2oz pack= $1.59 |
| Sandwich bread | Signature Select 16oz white= $1.49 *on sale* | Hannaford 22oz white= $1.69 |
| Saltines | Signature Select wheat crackers 16oz = $2.49 | Hannaford 16oz box = $2.39 |
| Corn Chips | Bugles 7.5oz bag= $3.49 | Bugles 7.5oz bag= $2.79 |
| Beef Broth | Signature Select 14.5oz can = $1.25 | Hannaford 14.5oz can = $0.75 |
| Egg Noodles | Signature Select 16oz bag= $1.49 *on sale* | Hannaford 12oz bag = $2.09 |
| Cream of Mushroom Soup | Signature Select 10.5oz can = $1.49 | Hannaford 10.5oz can = $1.00 |
| Canned Tomatoes | Signature Select 14.5oz can = $1.29 | Hannaford 14.5oz can = $0.79 |
| Chili Powder | Signature Select 2.5oz jar = $2.49 | Hannaford 2.5oz jar = $2.49 |
| Kidney Beans | Signature Select 15.5oz can = $1.00 | Hannaford 15.5oz can = $0.79 |
| Brown Rice | Signature Select 1lb bag= $1.49 | Goya 1lb bag= $1.99 |
| Ranch Seasoning | Signature Select 4-1oz packs = $2.99 | Hannaford 1oz pack = $0.89 |
| Ranch Dressing | Signature Select 16oz bottle = $2.49 | Hannaford 16oz bottle = $1.60 |
| Microwave Popcorn | Signature Select 3bag/3.2oz= $2.00 *on sale* | Hannaford 3bag/8.7oz = $1.49 |
| Brown Sugar | Signature Select 1lb bag= $1.99 | Hannaford 1lb bag= $1.69 |
| Cinnamon | Signature Select 2.37oz jar= $2.99 | Hannaford 2.37oz jar = $1.19 |
| Chocolate Chips | Signature Select 12oz bag = $2.49 | Hannaford 11.5oz bag = $2.09 |
| Canned Corn | Signature Select 15.25 oz can = $1.00 | Hannaford 15.25oz can = $0.85 |
| Total: (18 items) | $34.92 | $28.16 |
In the dry goods section, Hannaford came out cheaper with a total of $28.16. This was $6.76 cheaper than Shaw’s total of $34.92.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Shaw’s Price | Hannaford Price |
| Frozen Peas | Signature Select 16oz bag = $1.99 | Hannaford 12oz bag= $1.13 |
| Frozen Broccoli | Signature Select 16oz bag = $1.99 | Hannaford 12oz bag= $1.13 |
| Total: (2 items) | $3.98 | $2.26 |
In the frozen section, Hannaford came out cheaper with a total of $2.26. This was $1.72 cheaper than Shaw’s total of $3.98.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Shaw’s Price | Hannaford Price |
| Eggs | Pete & Gerrys 12ct brown = $3.49 *on sale* | Hannaford 12ct white = $3.69 |
| 2% milk | Lucerne gallon= $4.43 | Hannaford gallon= $4.43 |
| American Cheese | Lucerne 12oz/16ct= $3.99 | Hannaford 12oz/ 16ct= $2.37 |
| Shredded Cheddar Cheese | Lucerne 16oz bag = $5.49 | Hannaford 16oz bag = $3.99 |
| Vanilla Yogurt | Lucerne 32oz tub= $2.99 | Hannaford 32oz tub= $1.89 |
| Sour Cream | Lucerne 8oz tub= $1.29 | Hannaford 8oz tub= $0.99 |
| Cream Cheese Block | Lucerne 8oz block = $2.99 | Hannaford 8oz block = $1.69 |
| Biscuits | Signature Select 16oz can = $2.49 | Hannaford 7.5oz can x2= $1.16 |
| Total: (7 items) | $27.16 | $20.21 |
In the dairy section, Hannaford came in cheaper with a total of $20.21. This was $6.95 cheaper than Shaw’s total of $27.16.
Is Hannaford cheaper than Shaws?
Hannaford was cheaper in almost every section. Let’s look at the overall totals.
| Section | Shaw’s Price | Hannaford Price |
| Produce | $27.40 | $21.31 |
| Deli/Meats | $15.02 | $16.15 |
| Dry Goods | $34.92 | $28.16 |
| Frozen Foods | $3.98 | $2.26 |
| Dairy | $27.16 | $20.21 |
| Overall Total: (40 items) | $108.48 | $88.09 |
Overall, Hannaford was cheaper than Shaw’s with a total of $88.09. This was $20.39 (about 19%) cheaper than Shaw’s total of $108.48.
Just by switching to Hannaford, you could potentially save almost 19% on your grocery total every week. That is a very significant amount of savings!
Make sure that you check out the sales flyer to fill in your meal plan, and you could save even more money.
Another way to save money at Shaw’s is to take advantage of their online shopping and coupons! Right now, Shaw’s is offering $30 off your 1st online order when you spend $75 or more on DriveUp & Go with code SAVE30.
Hannaford does have a rewards program that offers 2% cash back whenever you purchase store brand items, fresh meat, and produce! Check out more about rewards here.
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Price Chopper vs Hannford: Who is cheaper?” and “Meijer vs Jewel Osco: Who is cheaper for Groceries?“
