President-Elect Barack Obama on the Economy

2008-11-08T22:12:00.000-08:00

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2008-11-08T22:04:00.000-08:00

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Buying Groceries in the Portland Area

2008-11-08T16:22:00.000-08:00

Search Google Maps for the "Grocery Stores" category in the Portland area and you will find nearly 2,000 results! We certainly have a lot to choose from. Now, I know a lot of us choose our grocery stores for convenience; I am a working mom myself. However, with as many options as we have in Portland, I thought it would be of value to some if I laid out the pros and cons of some of our local stores. Below is a list of some popular and a few little-known places to purchase your groceries here in Oregon (in order as they appear on Google Maps).

Whole Foods Market
Locations: NW Couch, E Burnside (Laurelhurst), SW Bridgeport, NE 15th Ave (Freemont), NW Cornell (Tanasbourne)

Headquarters: Austin, TX (McCain State)
Stock Symbol: WFMI

How your $ breaks down: 66 cents to goods and occupancy costs, 27 cents to "direct store expenses" which includes payroll and benefits for employees, 3 cents to general administrative costs, and 4 cents to miscellaneous expenses such as relocation, taxes, and loan payments.

What they sell: High quality, nutritional, organic, and local foods. Many items are free of artificial coloring, preservatives, flavors, and sweeteners. Many are also free of hydrogenated fats.

The Pros: Whole Foods is a place where you can choose from a large variety of healthy, environmentally-friendly, or local foods. There is also a wide variety of foods for those with special dietary needs or who are just looking for something that can't be found in your average grocery store. The plus for the economy, although Whole Foods is based in Texas, is that the company supports local farmers, putting a good portion of your dollar directly back into the local economy. Whole Foods also participates in some sustainable practices and free trade programs.

The Cons: Whole Foods is a publicly traded company based outside of our local economy. It is unclear exactly what portion of their expenses can be attributed to transportation. Some items at the store can be quite costly, but there are plenty of inexpensive items as well.

Cost of a gallon of organic milk: (still researching)

People's Food Cooperative
Locations: 3029 SE 21st Ave.

Headquarters: Portland, OR (Obama State)

How your $ breaks down: (still researching)

What they sell: All vegetarian products. High quality, nutritional, organic, and local foods. Organic beer and wine. Rennet-free cheeses.

The Pros: Community-owned. Need I say more? Member-owners support the store financially and by volunteering. This provides employment opportunities. People's also buys as much of their product locally as they are able to, lowering transportation costs and keeping a gigantic portion of your dollar in Oregon. Most importantly, People's researches the companies and producers their products come from in order to ensure all products meet strict requirements. If you want to know where your money is going, I'm sure they would be willing to tell you. Member-owners receive benefits including the right to vote of issues related to the store, discounts, patronage refunds, free yoga classes, and a warm-fuzzy feeling. The store offers classes in everything from vegan cooking to eco-building. If you're a strict vegetarian, this is probably the place for you.

The Cons: People's has only one location, and vegetarian-only may be great for a lot of you, but I still like a little chicken or fish every once in a while. The progressive Portland hippy scene may put some people off.

Cost of a gallon of organic milk: (still researching)

Food Front Cooperative Grocery Store
Locations: 2375 NW Thurman St. (Northwest), 6344 SW Capitol Highway (Hillsdale)

Headquarters: Portland, OR (Obama State)

How your $ breaks down: (still researching)

What they sell: High quality, nutritional, organic, and local foods. Organic beer and wine. Free-range meats. Vegan, vegetarian, and ethnic foods. Farm-direct produce.

The Pros: Food Front Cooperative is very similar to People's. One additional pro is the fact that they provide information on their website about their suppliers. Another is that they have two locations, in case on might not be convenient for you. Food Front also works with a lot of local charitable organizations including DoveLewis, Sisters of the Road, Friends of Trees, Growing Gardens, and Yellow Brick Road.

The Cons: Outside of the fact that the location might be inconvenient for some, I haven't found any cons yet.

Cost of a gallon of organic milk: (still researching)

Trader Joe's
Locations: NW Glisan, SE 39th, NE Halsey, Lake Oswego, Beaverton, and Hillsboro

Headquarters: Monrovia, CA (Obama State) & Needham, MA (Obama State)

How your $ breaks down: (still researching)

What they sell: A wide variety of products. Trader Joe's refers to its products as "a culinary adventure," meaning they offer many foods from around the world "with the high cost of airfare." They specialize in imported foods.

The Pros: You can choose from a wide variety of foods, many organic and specialty, without leaving the store smelling like patchouli. Trader Joe's is a good middle-ground for many consumers. Trader Joe's is also privately owned and is known for having friendly employees and offering gourment foods at reasonable prices.

The Cons: While Trader Joe's offers some healthy, ethical, and environmentally-friendly foods, they are missing out on the local thing. The company is not based in Oregon and imports a lot of food, moving your dollar out of the state (sometimes out of the country) and producing pollution through transportation.

Cost of a gallon of organic milk: (still researching)

Safeway
Locations: More than 100 within the local area

Headquarters: Pleasanton, CA (Obama State)
Stock Symbol: SWY

How your $ breaks down: 72 cents to goods, 24 cents to operating and administrative costs, 5 cents to taxes and miscellaneous costs

What they sell: Convenience and brand names... and your personal information.

The Pros: You can find one just about anywhere, and you can get just about everything you might need on a daily basis for a reasonable price, particularly if you use your Club Card. They are beginning to offer more organic, specialty, free-range, and environmentally-friendly products, but you might not find exactly what you are looking for. You will find products you are familiar and comfortable with. You can shop online and have your food delivered to your home (I'm sure many of you know what it's like to attempt a grocery store trip with toddlers in tow). Some Safeway's include gas stations where you can get discounts if you are a Club Card member. Get more done in one trip.

The Cons: Let's start with the big one. By now, I'm sure that many of you know the "membership card" game is a scam. Safeway is collecting, databasing, and selling your personal and consumer behavior information. Ever notice that the coupons they provide you always seem to be for things you usually buy? Of course they are. Safeway wants to get you back into the store, and they know what you like to buy. Even worse is that your information is available for purchase by outside parties. And this can be just about anyone. I guarantee that the more store membership cards you have, the more phone calls, junk mail, and spam emails you will be receiving. What are you getting in return for the profit they make off of your name and address? A 5 cent discount on Safeway brand bread. I'm not sure that's fair. Want to keep your finances or buying habits to yourself? Don't get a Club Card, which means you will unfortunately not get any discounts. Sorry. There are many other cons so I'll just run through a few. 1) Green-washing. 2) Very few, if many, local products. Your money is leaving the state and, quite often, the country at a high rate. 3) Pollution. You would think that in this day-and-age with so many people concerned about the problems caused by transporting goods across the country, that companies would stop painting their semitrucks with their gigantic logos... maybe that's just me?

Cost of a gallon of organic milk: $5.29 w/ Club Card ($5.99 without)

New Seasons Market
Locations: SE Division, NE 33rd, Sellwood, Arbor Lodge, Raleigh Hills, Orenco Station, Cedar Hills Crossing, Mountain Park

Headquarters: Portland, OR (Obama State)

How your $ breaks down: (still researching)

What they sell: Local, healthy, organic, and specialty foods. New Seasons focuses on "home grown" foods and handcrafted soaps, candles, greeting cards, etc made by local artists. The whole concept revolves around keeping your dollars here in Oregon.

The Pros: New Seasons is similar to Whole Foods except that they are local and privately owned. They might not be everywhere, but it's not too hard to find a New Seasons. They offer a wide range of products, so it's likely they will have what you are looking for. New Seasons offers online shopping with delivery or pickup options. Unlike Safeway, you don't have to give out your information until you are ready to place your order. They are also active in the community, giving a good portion of their earnings (some even post-taxes) to a large list of charities that are noted on their website. My favorite part, New Seasons makes it very clear where they are getting their products both on their website and in their stores.

The Cons: Some products can be a bit spendy, but like Whole Foods, you can easily find things you need at reasonable prices.

Cost of a gallon of organic milk: $4.99 on sale (in the $5.50 - $6.50 range normally)

Zupan's Markets
Locations: SE Belmont, W Burnside, SW Macadam, SW Raleigh Hills

Headquarters: Vancouver, WA (Obama State)

How your $ breaks down: (still researching)

What they sell: Local, healthy, organic, and specialty foods. Quite similar to New Seasons, except with a greater emphasis on fine-dining than on local products.

The Pros: Zupans is local and privately owned. They offer a wide range of products, with many organic and unique products. No online shopping yet, but they're working on it.

The Cons: Some products can be a bit spendy, but the Zupan's experience is plesant and it is possible to find some low cost items.

Cost of a gallon of organic milk: (still researching)

Thriftway
Locations: Garden Home, Tigard, Lake Oswego, Hillsboro, Beaverton, Aloha, Cedar Mill

Headquarters: Portland, OR (Obama State)

How your $ breaks down: (still researching)

What they sell: Local, healthy, organic, and specialty foods. Brand names.

The Pros: A hybrid somewhere between New Seasons and Safeway, Thriftway offers a lot of options. You can pick up your favorite brand names and local products all at one store. The traditional supermarket environment without any "membership cards."

The Cons: Stores are mostly on the west side.

Cost of a gallon of organic milk: $5.99

This is, of course, not a complete list of all of your options for grocery shopping in the Portland-area. However, I hope you find some of this information useful. Please remember that we all have an impact on our local and national economy. Every dollar spent is a vote cast, so be sure you know who you are voting for.

Portland Economy

President-Elect Barack Obama on the Economy

Track Cheapest Gas Prices in the Portland-Area

Buying Groceries in the Portland Area