On Sat, 2 May 2015 03:38:16 -0700 (PDT), Cindy Hamilton
> wrote:

>Kroger has bought the small regional chain where I shop, and is converting
>my grocery store to a Kroger.
>
>Goodbye, excellent meat!
>
>Goodbye, ethnic ingredients.
>
>Goodbye, grocery store.
>
>My tentative plan is to shop for meat at Costco and everything else
>at Meijer (which is a bit like Walmart--groceries, department store,
>garden center all in one). We've got a few Asian groceries for the
>oddments like ponzu sauce.
>
>*sigh*
>
>Cindy Hamilton

Kroger's not so bad, our Kroger/Ralphs in Los Angeles is pretty much
the same as before acquisition, some stuff better some a little worse.

Between TJ's and Kroger/Ralphs I can get 95% of food I want at home.
We also have expensive Bristol Farms and Whole Foods, of course, and a
few expensive Gelsons. Other than that there's only one independent
market of any consequence within miles of here, where I may buy a
little expensive produce and fresh-squeezed juice (and a great
independent bakery in the back!).

Los Angeles lost 90% of its grocery chains like 20 years ago to
consolidation and competition from Walmart and Costco, but that's also
about when TJ's got bought out, expanded and improved, thank goodness!
I'm also looking to Target to improve their grocery department over
the next year or two, right now except for canned and packaged goods
at great prices, and a few proprietary snacks, it's a boring disaster,
in meat and produce.

Some local Farmer's Markets are supposed to be good places to buy
fresh and exotic veggies, but I've never really gotten involved with
that.

J.