Tired of high prices? These 11 reports will help you navigate Triangle grocery shopping
N&O Service Journalism Team, with AI summarization
Finding the best value at local grocery stores involves more than just comparing prices. The Raleigh area is home to 16 major grocery stores, each offering unique benefits, from ALDI’s low prices on exclusive brands to Sprouts Farmers Market’s focus on organic products. Stores like Harris Teeter and Walmart hold dominant market shares.
Here are tips and advice to make the best choices while shopping for groceries — and more — at traditional grocers and wholesale clubs in North Carolina:
Manager Louis Sherman demonstrates the Sam’s Club Scan & Go mobile app at a Sam’s Club in Raleigh, N.C., on Friday, March 1, 2024. Travis Long tlong@newsobserver.com
No. 1: Here’s your ultimate guide to cutting costs at warehouse clubs like Costco, Sam’s and BJ’s
We pulled together tips and tricks for shopping at wholesale clubs — Costco, BJ’s and Sam’s Club — to save the most money. | Read more
Dairy and other refrigerated goods at the LIDL grocery store on Wake Forest Road in Raleigh on Friday, June 7 , 2024. Travis Long tlong@newsobserver.com
No. 2: Learn which Raleigh grocery store has the best prices with our ‘receipt maker’ tool
This interactive tool can help you compare prices across stores using your own personalized grocery list. Play around with it! | Read more
Items for sale in the “aisle of shame” at Lidl (pictured) as well as Aldi rotate, so shoppers can expect to find something new. On recent trips to two Raleigh stores, we found clothing, toys and garden tools among the offerings. Renee Umsted rumsted@newsobserver.com
No. 3: 7 quirky items we found while price-checking in the ‘aisle of shame’ at ALDI & Lidl
Sure, you’ll find pantry staples, fresh produce and meat at the grocery store. But a rotary hammer? Yep, you can find that. | Read more
The Costco food court in Durham, North Carolina, photographed in March 2025. Drew Jackson jdjackson@newsobserver.com
No. 4: What can you get at Sam’s, Costco and BJ’s without a membership? Here’s a rundown
Membership has its perks, but there are still some things you can do at wholesale clubs without paying for a membership. | Read more
A new survey used reviews to identify individual grocery stores that stand out as customers’ favorites. Five of the top 50 are in North Carolina, and they’re all Trader Joe’s stores. Chase Karacostas The Sun News File Photo
No. 5: Raleigh has 7 of the 10 best grocery chains in the US, says survey. Who’s on top?
North Carolina is also home to five individual grocery stores that scored highest in customer reviews. | Read more
Manager Louis Sherman arranges a product display at a Sam’s Club in Raleigh, N.C., on Friday, March 1, 2024. Travis Long tlong@newsobserver.com
No. 6: Costco, Sam’s Club or BJ’s? We compared prices, value to see which warehouse club is best
The N&O compared prices and quantities across Costco, Sam’s Club and BJ’s in the area to see who came out on top. Here’s what we learned. | Read more
A shopper holds a shopping basket with groceries inside a grocery store in San Francisco on May 2, 2022. MUST CREDIT: Bloomberg photo by David Paul Morris. David Paul Morris Bloomberg
No. 7: What are the cheapest chain grocery stores in the US? Here are the top 10, survey says
If you’re trying to save money on groceries, switching your grocery store might help. These are the top 10 grocery stores for value for your money. | Read more
ALDI produce department. ALDI
No. 8: Cheapest ‘essential’ groceries are at this chain with NC locations, national study shows
A group analyzed 12 “essential” grocery items at 11 of the largest grocery chains in the nation. Nearly all of the chains have NC locations. | Read more
Florida-based Publix plans to open three new stores in the Triangle in 2025. The grocer offers a wide selection of both name-brand and generic items across departments. Renee Umsted rumsted@newsobserver.com
No. 9: Which Raleigh area grocery stores offer senior discounts? A guide for shoppers 60 & up
Not many local grocery stores have extra deals for senior shoppers. Here are the ones that do. | Read more
Store Manager, Melissa Maltez Lara, checks on a out customer at the LIDL grocery store on Wake Forest Road in Raleigh on Friday, June 7 , 2024. Travis Long tlong@newsobserver.com
No. 10: We checked prices at 16 Raleigh grocery stores to find the best values. Our 2024 results
We price checked Raleigh’s 16 grocery stores using a common shopping list to determine the best values. Which is cheapest? Most expensive? | Read more
The Wegmans location on Wake Towne Drive marked the grocer’s first to open in the Triangle. Renee Umsted rumsted@newsobserver.com
No. 11: Raleigh has 16 major grocery stores. Here’s why you should explore them all
Raleigh shoppers are loyal to their favorite grocers: Harris Teeter and Publix, Trader Joe’s and Weaver Street Market, Carlie C’s and Walmart. Here’s why. | Read more
This report was produced with the help of AI tools, which aggregated and summarized previous stories reported and written by McClatchy journalists. It was edited by journalists in our News division.
