From Publix to Kroger, which grocery store has the best prices in Bluffton? We ran the numbers
With the cost of food items constantly changing, the recent outbreak of bird flu affecting eggs and all things in between, it can sometimes be a struggle to choose where to shop for groceries.
With dozens of grocery stores to pick from, how do you know what’s the most cost-effective or which store has the items you need available?
So, how do top grocery competitors like Food Lion, Kroger and Publix compare to each other in price?
To find out, we visited store locations for all three chains here in Bluffton, gathering prices for a list of 10 grocery staples.
The list covers the basics, from milk and eggs to vegetables and ground coffee.
Where and when did we shop?
We visited Bluffton store locations for Food Lion, Kroger and Publix.
We did not include stores with membership requirements, such as Costco Wholesale or Sam’s Club. We also left out stores that specialize in organic items from our list.
These are the specific stores visited in order:
- Publix: 101 Buckwalter Place Boulevard
- Kroger: 27 Discovery Drive
- Food Lion: 1008 Fording Island Road
Grocery prices are subject to change, even daily for some items. For this story, we visited each location on March 10 between 12 and 3 p.m.
What was on the shopping list?
When shopping, we looked for lower-cost and/or store-brand items. We avoided more expensive organic options. We wanted to make sure to compare like to like, as best as possible.
Our list included the following items:
Eggs
Milk
Bread
Boneless chicken breasts
Ground beef
Yellow Onions
Avocados
Tomatoes
Orange juice
Ground coffee
Publix
Eggs (12 count, Eggland’s Best): $7.09
Milk (1 Gallon of Whole milk, Publix brand): $3.31
Bread (White bread loaf, Publix brand): $1.99
Boneless chicken breasts (Value pack, Perdue brand): $7.75
Ground beef (Publix Market brand): $7.62
Onions (3lb bag of yellow onions, Publix brand): $4.41
Avocados (3 count, $1.53 each): $4.59
Tomatoes (5 red tomatoes on the vine, $0.79 each): $3.95
Orange juice (Half gallon, Publix brand): $5.41
Ground coffee (Publix brand breakfast blend): $7.07
Total: $53.19
Kroger
Eggs (12 count, Kroger brand): $6.59
Milk (1 gallon of whole milk, Kroger brand): $2.99
Bread (White bread loaf, Kroger brand): $1.99
Boneless chicken breasts (Value pack, Perdue brand): $4.99
Ground beef (Kroger brand): $4.99
Onions (3lb bag of yellow onions, Kroger brand): $2.99
Avocados (3 count, $1.39 each): $4.17
Tomatoes (5 red tomatoes on the vine): $3.94
Orange juice (Half gallon, Kroger brand): $4.99
Ground coffee (Kroger brand breakfast blend): $9.99
Total: $47.63
Food Lion
Eggs (12 count, Food Lion brand): $5.99
Milk (1 gallon of whole milk, Food Lion brand): $3.39
Bread (White bread loaf, Food Lion brand): $2.39
Boneless chicken breasts (Family pack, Food Lion brand): $2.79
Ground beef (Food Lion brand): $5.69
Onions (3lb bag of yellow onions, Food Lion brand): $3.49
Avocados (3 count, $1.19 each): $3.57
Tomatoes (5 red tomatoes on the vine): $1.99
Orange juice (52 oz., Food Lion brand): $3.99
Ground coffee (Food Lion breakfast blend): $7.49
Total: $40.78
Were sales a factor?
As we were shopping for our list, no. We worked with regular prices and did not include sales and markdowns.
However, other shoppers will likely be able to find lower prices than those listed here.
How did prices compare?
Cheapest: Food Lion
Middle: Kroger
Highest: Publix
Not all store brand items were available for certain items like eggs and chicken breasts, which were substituted for the most comparable lowest cost item.
So, what’s the key takeaway here?
With a few exceptions, price-conscious shoppers will likely find Food Lion to be consistently the cheapest if shopping purely for store-brand items or staples, followed by Kroger.
Publix holds true to its brand identity by offering the “freshest products,” which does come with a tad higher price tag for certain items.
No matter if you’re seeking quality, easy shopping or just looking to stay on budget, price comparisons can be useful when considering where to shop for your staples.
