Another store I've become a regular in is Sprouts. Not only have I been impressed with the quality of the food, but the value is better than at Crest or Whole Foods. I'm not yet where I can move 100% of my grocery shopping there, but I'm about 50/50 between Sprouts and Crest (especially when it comes to produce).

I'm about in the same boat. All meat & produce from Sprouts. Dry goods, frozen items, and juice from the Buy For Less on NW Expressway. Though I don't know if I'm allowed to mention BFL on this thread since it seems reserved for "quality" grocery stores lol.

I'm about in the same boat. All meat & produce from Sprouts. Dry goods, frozen items, and juice from the Buy For Less on NW Expressway. Though I don't know if I'm allowed to mention BFL on this thread since it seems reserved for "quality" grocery stores lol.

Buy for Less on NW Expressway as well as Uptown Grocery are decent stores. A lot of the other stores in the chain are dirty and dated. Pretty much every traditional chain in OKC, be it Homeland, Crest, or Buy for Less is very inconsistent with a select few stores where they sink all of their money with the remaining locations being neglected.

I'm in the minority I think, but I really like the Buy for Less on Expressway, it's a great store with an incredibly friendly and helpful staff.

I'm in the minority I think, but I really like the Buy for Less on Expressway, it's a great store with an incredibly friendly and helpful staff.

I don't think anybody has said they didn't like that Buy for Less. They have some other locations though that are close contenders with the 18th and Classen Homeland for being the worst grocery store in the metro.

True, I just wanted to point out about the staff at that location, always going out of their way to help shoppers, and seem to take pride in the store.

I was in Norman this evening and stopped by the new Crest. It's a real grocery store, like is standard in other cities and should be expected. Kudos to them for raising the bar. Now NW OKC needs a location like this one and the one on S May.

Dude...there is nothing different at Buy For Less on Expressway from the Crest on S. May. When I drove down to that Crest to shop once I felt like it was a waste of gas.

Dude...there is nothing different at Buy For Less on Expressway from the Crest on S. May. When I drove down to that Crest to shop once I felt like it was a waste of gas.

Right, I wouldn't drive all the way to Norman just to shop at that Crest. I was down there though so I decided to check it out.

Okay, I have a question because I honestly don't know how semi-trailers work, if they are hauled around the country by different companies (i.e. how you'll see a Union Pacific train engine on a BNSF owned track). A good friend of mine that recently moved to OKC from San Antonio posted a picture on Instagram of an H-E-B trailer here in OKC. I know H-E-B has said in the not-too-distant past that they don't plan on expanding outside of Texas anytime soon & I don't think they're expanding here anytime soon just because they had a semi here driving around on city streets, I'm just slightly confused why there was one here with no stores located here.

Okay, I have a question because I honestly don't know how semi-trailers work, if they are hauled around the country by different companies (i.e. how you'll see a Union Pacific train engine on a BNSF owned track). A good friend of mine that recently moved to OKC from San Antonio posted a picture on Instagram of an H-E-B trailer here in OKC. I know H-E-B has said in the not-too-distant past that they don't plan on expanding outside of Texas anytime soon & I don't think they're expanding here anytime soon just because they had a semi here driving around on city streets, I'm just slightly confused why there was one here with no stores located here.

That is interesting. H-E-B's turf is primarily South Texas with the exception of the Central Market stores in the Metroplex and the few stores in the southern exurbs. They have no Amarillo locations so I don't see any reason an H-E-B truck would have to drive through Oklahoma. They do not own any other grocery chains.

HEB does carry some Oklahoma made products like Griffin's products, the Austin locations were pretty much fully stocked with them just like Crest in OKC.

The parent company of Albertson's (Cerebrus) is buying Safeway and merging them together, Cerebrus bought Albertson's last year.

Cerberus Capital to buy Safeway for about $9.4 billion (http://news.yahoo.com/cerberus-near-deal-buy-grocery-chain-safeway-source-215130820--sector.html)

The parent company of Albertson's (Cerebrus) is buying Safeway and merging them together, Cerebrus bought Albertson's last year.

Cerberus Capital to buy Safeway for about $9.4 billion (http://news.yahoo.com/cerberus-near-deal-buy-grocery-chain-safeway-source-215130820--sector.html)

Unfortunately this has no effect on OKC since Albertson's pulled out of the market.

Unfortunately this has no effect on OKC since Albertson's pulled out of the market.

Maybe the new conglomeration will expand into Oklahoma or Kroger will open something here? One can hope.

Maybe the new conglomeration will expand into Oklahoma or Kroger will open something here? One can hope.

Why did Albertson's pull out in the first place? I always assumed it was the fact they couldn't compete with Wal-Mart but that could just be an incorrect assumption on my part.

Why did Albertson's pull out in the first place? I always assumed it was the fact they couldn't compete with Wal-Mart but that could just be an incorrect assumption on my part.

Wasn't Alberstons bought out by Homeland?

Wasn't Alberstons bought out by Homeland?

Albertson's pulled out of the OKC market and Homeland bought up some of the locations they vacated.

Why did Albertson's pull out in the first place? I always assumed it was the fact they couldn't compete with Wal-Mart but that could just be an incorrect assumption on my part.
When Albertson's pulled out of many markets including closing many stores in Denver and completely leaving Austin it was because they were hemorrhaging cash and were heavily leveraged, the owners at that time couldn't sustain the chain at that level. The closings occurred before the complete Cerebrus buyout last year, they were part of a group that bought Albertson's in 2006. Maybe they were intent on driving down the price to buy the other investors out. The southwest stores (Colorado, Oklahoma and Texas included in that group) were bought by Cerebrus in the 2006 transaction. Cerebrus/New Albertson's bought Texas Panhandle based United Supermarkets last year as well, I know they used to have some stores in the Altus area.

Remember that Safeway went through a leveraged buyout and junk bond scandal and subsequent takeover by KKR which led to the Oklahoma division was bought out and spun off into Homeland in 1987 to help satisfy the debt load along with many others.

I guess Cerebrus needed something to do with the money from the Chrysler divestiture.

Only chain in OK mentioned is WalMart

The 12 Worst Supermarkets in America | The Fiscal Times (http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2012/04/13/The-12-Worst-Supermarkets-in-America)

Only chain in OK mentioned is WalMart

The 12 Worst Supermarkets in America | The Fiscal Times (http://www.thefiscaltimes.com/Articles/2012/04/13/The-12-Worst-Supermarkets-in-America)

That's because Wal-Mart is the only national chain doing business in OKC these days. I think OKC's best hope at better grocery stores is for Crest to snowball their expansion of new stores and eventually become to the OKC market what Reasor's is to Tulsa. I highly doubt anybody like Kroger, Publix, or H-E-B will come into the market and save the day, at least not without a change in the liquor laws.

I've only heard this through word of mouth from someone that lives in Mesta Park but they said they heard the Homeland on Classen has been approved for a $3.5 million upgrade.

Anyone else heard anything about this?

I've only heard this through word of mouth from someone that lives in Mesta Park but they said they heard the Homeland on Classen has been approved for a $3.5 million upgrade.

Anyone else heard anything about this?

That would be awesome news if its the case. Homeland is sitting on a gold mine there. With all the growth in the urban core, much of it being high-income, they are crazy for not trying to tap into that market.

PhiAlpha tried to start a thread on the 18th and Classen Homeland but it doesn't look like its functioning properly. Anybody have any updates on this? Are the rumors true about a possible renovation?

Homeland - 18th & Classen - OKCTalk (http://www.okctalk.com/showwiki.php?title=Homeland+-+18th+Classen)

Steve said multiple times in his chat this morning that a grocery store is in the works for Midtown. Anybody have any more info on this?

Steve said multiple times in his chat this morning that a grocery store is in the works for Midtown. Anybody have any more info on this?

That's not at all what he said.

Shocked to see that Uptown Market is planned for NE 23rd and MLK redevelopment. :ohno:

Shocked to see that Uptown Market is planned for NE 23rd and MLK redevelopment. :ohno:

Likewise. If they can build out there, certainly they can build in Midtown or Classen.

Buy for Less should start building these all over the metro targeting the major Homeland locations like OnCue is with 7/11.

I suspect some of the thinking is that if they build an upscale-ish product they will also lure some business from the underserved Midtown/Uptown/downtown market and surrounding neighborhood while also generating extra loyalty from the NE side for believing in their ability to support something other than deep discount. That said, they will need to demonstrate that they are still in the market price wise in an effort to not lose bargain shoppers in their neighborhood.

I thought this was pretty interesting considering the thriving grocery options in Charlotte.... Walmart is #1 grocer in Charlotte. Also, Family Dollar and Dollar General have larger share of grocery market than Trader Joe's.

What's In Store: Walmart regains top grocery spot in Charlotte market (http://obswhatsinstore.blogspot.com/2014/04/walmart-regains-top-grocery-spot-in.html)

There is no way. I'm astounded that they even HAVE Wal-Mart in Charlotte. Now you tell me it's the number one GROCER? Shocking.

Charlotte has a Harris Teeter on almost every corner and they are all nice and very well kept. In addition they also have Publix and Bi-Los everywhere. OKC only has Uptown Grocery and two Crest locations that compare - in the entire metro. 90% of OKC's grocery stores would go out of business in Charlotte. Sorry but when it comes to grocery stores, Charlotte >>> OKC and there isn't even a debate.

And yet people still flock to Wal-Mart in droves apparently. I thought they were all sophisticates?

The mid-tier grocery chains are shrinking all the time. It's pretty clear people prefer either deep discount (Walmart, Costco, Winco, Sams) or upscale/organic/specialty (Whole Foods, Trader Joes, Fresh Market, Sprouts, Natural Grocers, Central Market, Pavillions, Gelsons).

Most these places didn't even exist just a decade or two ago and all are growing like crazy, and eating away at the traditional (middle market) stores.

It's the exact same thing that happened to department stores. They were completely overtaken by discounters yet some willing to pay more at places like Nordstrom to have a nice experience.

Every time I'm in the traditional grocery stores here (which is less and less), I notice that the huge percentage of patrons are women 45 and older. Their clientele is rapidly aging and their market share is shrinking every day.


Homeland stinks but really the more import thing for OKC is to continue to add the discounters that are run very well and the upscale/specialty stores.

And yet people still flock to Wal-Mart in droves apparently. I thought they were all sophisticates?

In Charlotte there are options. Wal-Mart also only has a 22.4% marketshare as compared to OKC where they have 60%+. I wouldn't consider that flocking to Wal-Mart in droves. They have a lot of choices there and the market is very fragmented. You cannot even begin to compare the two grocery markets.

Grocery stores is one area where the situation in OKC really is bad and there is no disputing that. In Charlotte, no matter where you are in the metro you have a multitude of quality choices within an easy drive. From where I live, within 5 minutes I had a Harris Teeter, Costco, SuperTarget, Food Lion, and Wal-Mart. The only time I ever had to drive more than 5 minutes to get groceries is if I wanted to go to Trader Joe's. In OKC, unless you want to go to a Wal-Mart or a dirty, smelly Homeland, you'll have to drive a great distance - much farther than you should have to in a major city - to get to a quality store. It's that way here even in "nice" areas.




Every time I'm in the traditional grocery stores here (which is less and less), I notice that the huge percentage of patrons are women 45 and older. Their clientele is rapidly aging and their market share is shrinking every day.



I find that to be the general rule, even in Wal-Mart Neighborhood Markets. The truth is Millennials are far more apt to just eat out than they are to cook. Older people who own homes and have families are more likely to cook themselves so they will spend more at the grocery store.

Here is a good article on the grocery wards in the DFW area which shares many of the same players with OKC:

Big grocery chains are feeling the pinch from little guys | Dallas Morning News (http://www.dallasnews.com/business/retail/20140507-big-grocery-chains-are-feeling-the-little-guys.ece)


After steamrolling into the North Texas market in the 2000s and gobbling up grocery sales, Wal-Mart is struggling here. Its market share fell in 2014 and in 2012.

Wal-Mart’s share of the Dallas-Fort Worth market fell from 27.8 percent in 2013 to 27.1 percent in early 2014. That’s just below the share it had in 2011, even though it opened 15 stores here during that time. Wal-Mart has almost 120 stores in the Dallas area.

Ugh, spread a little of that lovin' up this way why don't ya Dallas.

WinCo should finally be a real competitor to Wal-Mart in this market. That will be a very welcome thing.

The other chains entering the market i.e. Whole Foods, Sprouts, Natural Grocers don't directly compete with Wal-Mart but should effect marketshare simply because OKCitians haven't really had choice until very recently.

The grocery market in DFW is still very different from OKC being that they have Kroger/Tom Thumb as well as other options on the high-end like H-E-B Central Market. Despite Wal-Mart being the dominant grocer in the metroplex, they only have 27.8% of the market, which is less than half of the marketshare they have in OKC.

I wish we could get more H-E-B Central Market types of stores in our area.
But I do like the new Norman Crest store.

Thought many of you reading this thread would enjoy this article. Lots of references to Whole Foods competition.

Is Whole Foods Still the Darling of the Grocery Industry?
May 9, 2014

Is Whole Foods Still the Darling of the Grocery Industry? | Retail content from National Real Estate Investor (http://nreionline.com/retail/whole-foods-still-darling-grocery-industry?NL=RET-01&Issue=RET-01_20140515_RET-01_579&YM_RID=ngray@commercialoklahoma.com&YM_MID=1466437&sfvc4enews=42&cl=article_3)

It was bound to happen sooner or later—as organics-focused grocery chain Whole Foods survived through the worst recession in decades and managed to gain an ever-growing customer base, others in the supermarket sector began copying its strategy. Grocery chains from Kroger to Publix have been adding on selections of organic products to their stores, and there has been a steady stream of newcomers like Fresh Thyme in the Midwest, emerging regional chains that use “organic” and “locally-grown” as their buzzwords. According to our sister publication Supermarket News:

“Fresh Thyme, whose investors include the superstore chain Meijer, runs a store similar to Sunflower and Sprouts Farmers Market, focusing on a large selection and low prices on produce, along with a natural meat department, healthy deli foods to go, bakery goods, 400 bulk food bins, natural and organic groceries, dairy and frozen, as well as vitamins and body care products. The store has adopted the tagline ‘Healthy Food. Healthy Values.’”

The latest retailer to join this foray has been Wal-Mart Stores, which announced in early April that it will begin selling Wild Oats-branded pantry staples at prices 25 percent below those offered by competitors. The New York Times reported the discounting behemoth will try out the strategy at 2,000 locations first, before rolling it out through the rest of its U.S. portfolio. “At Walmart, internal company research found that 91 percent of customers said they would buy ‘affordable’ organic products if they were available, executives said,” the paper wrote.

Target, Wal-Mart’s main competitor, responded by promising to expand its existing organic selection.

All of this is beginning to take a toll on Whole Foods, as investors worry it will lose market share to cheaper-priced competitors. (For a while, Whole Foods was commonly known as Whole Paycheck.)

In spite of the chain’s posting a healthy same-store sales growth during the most recent quarter, at 4.5 percent, Whole Foods’ executives got slammed by Wall Street analysts this week for not doing enough to stave off competition. The price of its common shares went down by double-digits.

In response, Whole Foods Co-CEO Walter Robb sat down with CNN Money to talk about all the ways the company has been adjusting to the new world order and finding new ways to fight competitors. Among the strategies, Robb listed the following:

“Continue to grow. We have 115 leases in hand right now for excellent sites. If you look at Brooklyn most recently, we're going to continue to raise the level of experience and innovation that we bring to every store.

Price investments. Relative to several years ago, we're a whole lot better around value, and customers tell us that. We have a fundamental commitment to be more competitive. When you make price investments like this, as we did at end of the third quarter and early fourth quarter last year, there's a lag time to translate into higher sales.”

It’s true that Whole Foods has been targeting smaller markets and new types of customers for its brand, with stores like the ones in Detroit and Newark, not traditionally organic foods powerbases. It seems unfair to accuse the chain’s management of being complacent. Plus, just because other chains attempt to take on Whole Foods in the organic and gourmet foods categories, doesn't mean they will succeed, as Fairway's case has shown.

So what does everyone else think? Can Wal-Mart & Co. take down Whole Foods or is this all much ado about nothing?

Wal-Mart will never be able to have a serious impact on Whole Foods because many Whole Foods shoppers shop there not only for the product but also the status. Wal-Mart has a stigma that will prevent it from ever making inroads with the upper market. The only thing that might work is if they open up a new brand of neighborhood markets that aren't Wal-Mart branded period.

Depite Wal-Mart being the dominant grocer in the metroplex, they only have 27.8% of the market, which is less than half of the marketshare they have in OKC.
Where are you seeing some statistics on Wal-Mart's market share in OKC?

From Steve's chat:

11:09 Comment From Stan
I see more and more apartments being built...and thus the downtown population is also increasing. Any hope soon for a "real" grocery store to support that population growth?

11:10 Steve:
So by "real," you dismissing Native Roots? If you're asking is there a chance we will see a 25,000-square foot or larger grocery built in the greater downtown area, I can now tell you that the answer is a very likely "yes."

If something is going to happen of that size, it would have to be an Uptown Grocery.

Would make sense given their civic involvement on the NE side.

Perhaps a slightly scaled-down version.

If something is going to happen of that size, it would have to be an Uptown Grocery.

Would make sense given their civic involvement on the NE side.

Perhaps a slightly scaled-down version.

That would be awesome. It would also be the death knell for the 18th and Classen Homeland.

25,000 SF or more is pretty darn big. The Homeland is a little smaller than that. Wouldn't be surprised if they just took over that site.

I don't know where something of that scale could fit in Midtown. Plenty of property in the Film Row and Core to Shore / Boulevard area, but I have a hard time seeing a big grocery store going either place.

The only real possibility in Midtown would be the south side of 10th across from Fassler Hall, but even that property isn't big enough considering the need for parking.

What are the chances it goes on the site of the Collison Center that just closed? Since there are so many people living in the immediate area, they might not have to worry as much about parking or they could put in a parking garage to the east fronting Lincoln.

I would think any new grocer would want to be in the northwest part of downtown / Midtown to draw from the historic neighborhoods.

While a development like this is probably currently a longshot for OKC, something like the Harris Teeter in uptown Charlotte would be nice. It's a full-service grocer in the ground level with housing built above it.

http://pp2.walk.sc/t342/production/91807_harris_teeter_charlotte_.jpg

Here is a list of America's best supermarkets (http://www.thedailymeal.com/americas-best-supermarkets/42914?utm_source=aolhp&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=May&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl12%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D478870). My family's favorite, Aldi's (ALDI US (https://www.aldi.us/)), is listed at #15. I love their extremely low prices & I love going into their stores each week to discover what new non-food specials are being offered for that week. I've purchased everything from a comfortable bicycle seat for me to electric keyboards which I gave to my relatives with children at Christmas.

The popularity vote is probably skewed by some small retailers having their employees vote many times for their store, but the article does give an overall insight into which stores are most popular & the specific characteristics which define their stores.

America's Best Supermarkets | The Daily Meal (http://www.thedailymeal.com/americas-best-supermarkets/42914?utm_source=aolhp&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=May&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl12%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D478870)

So, 3 of top 10 are in OKC with a 4th on its way. So, we will have 6 of top 16. Maybe OKC supermarket situation is better than the people on this board think.

The vote is probably skewed by some small retailers having their employees vote many times for their store, but it does give an overall insight into which stores are most popular & the specific characteristics which define their stores.

America's Best Supermarkets | The Daily Meal (http://www.thedailymeal.com/americas-best-supermarkets/42914?utm_source=aolhp&utm_medium=partner&utm_campaign=May&icid=maing-grid7%7Cmain5%7Cdl12%7Csec1_lnk2%26pLid%3D478870)

Do you have evidence of this or is this cynicism?

Rover: I hope it's not cynicism. It just seems logical to me that chains with just a few stores would be able to outvote many strong retail grocers with devoted shoppers. Any store on this list has devoted shoppers. Otherwise, they'd be out of business!

So, 3 of top 10 are in OKC with a 4th on its way. So, we will have 6 of top 16. Maybe OKC supermarket situation is better than the people on this board think.

It's not that OKC doesn't have any good grocery stores it does have a few. Stores like Crest Fresh Market or Uptown Grocery are the standard in most cities. They are great stores; large, aesthetically pleasing with a wide selection. In OKC, stores like that are very few. The standard is either Wal-Mart or a dirty, foul smelling Homeland like the one at 122nd and May. I live in a pretty high-income zip code and there isn't a store of the Uptown Grocery or Crest Fresh Market caliber anywhere near me. My hope is that Buy for Less continues its expansion and places locations near the worst Homelands and puts them out of their misery.

Within a couple miles of my house we have Whole Foods, Sprouts, Buy 4 Less, Homeland (Britton Rd., and not bad), and soon to have Uptown Grocery. Lots of good options. I guess I am not as despondent about the grocery business in OKC as many.

It's not that OKC doesn't have any good grocery stores it does have a few. Stores like Crest Fresh Market or Uptown Grocery are the standard in most cities. They are great stores; large, aesthetically pleasing with a wide selection. In OKC, stores like that are very few. The standard is either Wal-Mart or a dirty, foul smelling Homeland like the one at 122nd and May. I live in a pretty high-income zip code and there isn't a store of the Uptown Grocery or Crest Fresh Market caliber anywhere near me. My hope is that Buy for Less continues its expansion and places locations near the worst Homelands and puts them out of their misery.

Yes, we have 6 of national top 16 in the market and that doesn't even include Crest and Uptown. Maybe some individual sub-markets are under-served is your point. I would also tell you that in other cities I have been to some "smelly" and dirty stores of brands that are normally very good and held up here as desirable. I understand not liking the Homeland at 122 & May, but the one at Britton and May is totally different. The Buy 4 Less at 23rd & Penn isn't as good as NW Exp and Portland, and both are great compared to Hefner and Penn store. Sometimes we paint with too broad of a brush.

Yes, we have 6 of national top 16 in the market and that doesn't even include Crest and Uptown. Maybe some individual sub-markets are under-served is your point. I would also tell you that in other cities I have been to some "smelly" and dirty stores of brands that are normally very good and held up here as desirable. I understand not liking the Homeland at 122 & May, but the one at Britton and May is totally different. The Buy 4 Less at 23rd & Penn isn't as good as NW Exp and Portland, and both are great compared to Hefner and Penn store. Sometimes we paint with too broad of a brush.

With Uptown Grocery going in on N May and Winco going in at Memorial and Penn, I have a feeling that will be the end for the 122nd and May Homeland.

In addition, not all areas of the metro are served equally. Some areas that should have great options don't. For instance, the Gaillardia area should have an Uptown Grocery or Crest Fresh Market style of store. At the very least Homeland should put money into the 122nd and Rockwell store bringing it on par with the one at May and Britton. That Homeland isn't totally atrocious yet but is in danger of becoming that way if it continues to be neglected.

I really do think the OKC grocery market is in the process of correcting itself. Crest and Buy for Less have taken notice of Homeland's negligence and new players are entering the market. In five years or so the complaints about grocery stores here will likely be a distant memory.

At the very least Homeland should put money into the 122nd and Rockwell store bringing it on par with the one at May and Britton. That Homeland isn't totally atrocious yet but is in danger of becoming that way if it continues to be neglected.Unfortunately, there's absolutely no way that the 122nd and Rockwell store can be made anything at all like the one at May and Britton. The one at 122nd is one of the smallest in the entire chain, in terms of the number of square feet, and there's nowhere near enough room on the corner to make it even half as spacious as the one at May and Britton.

Both locations began as Albertsons, and both were built to order for that chain. The original Albertsons at May and Britton was on the northwest corner of the intersection, occupying almost all of that huge building that's now chopped up into a multitude of smaller shops. It didn't extend around to the west side of the parking area, but it did include everything to the north of the parking. It was as large as any of the "first rate" groceries I've visited in Austin, Dallas, or the suburbs of Nashville, but it wasn't large enough to satisfy Albertsons' hope for increased activity, so they built the "new" place to the southwest of the intersection and added all the things we all love about the place.

The one on 122nd was built much later, only a few years before the chain left the state. It was meant to "show the flag" without being actually competitive to the big store at NW Highway and MacArthur -- which itself is less than half the size of the original store at Britton Road. By design, the one at 122nd covers a bit less than half the square footage of the MacArthur store, and from the beginning carried only a limited choice of items.

When Albertsons abandoned our state, their stores went up for grabs to a number of chains. For a time, the one at 122nd was a Williams operation; that's a small chain based in Tulsa whose operations seemed to be aimed at the food stamp and commodities level. Shortly after they took over, I found a huge sale of Miracle Whip one day priced at less than half normal -- obviously in violation of the state's required 6% markup, I thought. But when I checked the sell-by date on a jar, it was less than a week away. They must have picked the stuff up from a freight salvage house and used it as a "great savings" promotion.

Besides that, their selection was far more limited than anywhere else I've seen in OKC; even the old 15th and Drexel Safeway offered more from which to choose. Williams didn't remain the operator for more than a few months. When Homeland took it over, the place improved by at least an order of magnitude -- but to put it simply, there's just not enough shelf space there to make a good grocery store possible.

I do shop there fairly often since I live less than a mile and a half to the west, but seldom spend as much as $50 on any one visit. Usually it's less than $20. Their meat counter is limited in comparison to the Crest at Rockwell and Hefner, but the quality is usually a bit better. The same goes for their produce area. Their deli, though small, is far better than that at the Crest, and in some ways even surpasses the one at Britton and May (not in the range of choice, but in the quality of some of the meats).

Hopefully we'll get something better out this way, but until then we simply have to deal with what's available. For some things I find it necessary to go to the big Buy For Less near NW Hiway and Portland -- but I don't plan to ever return to the one at NW 36 and Portland, or at Penn and Hefner. My point is that it's not always the chain itself that makes a location great; a poor manager can turn even the best chain's store into an unacceptable dump. And in my experience, the current managers of both the nearby Rockwell locations are doing the best they can with the tools available to them.

Just discovered this afternoon that the 122 and Rockwell Homeland is being remodeled to provide a bit more shelf space, and already the selection of available items seems to be improving! The clerks tell me that it began about two weeks ago; let's hope that the improvement continues and management makes the place the best it possibly can be with its limited space.

Pockets of Oklahoma City metro area are food deserts, leaving residents without grocery stores | News OK (http://newsok.com/article/4889118)