RVA Deals

Find out what Giant-Carlisle’s acquisition of Ukrop’s could mean for your grocery bill, and check out the best deals around town this week.

December 23, 2009; 12:00 PM • by Alison Brown

I know everyone heard the big news last week about Ukrop’s being sold to Giant-Carlisle. In the short term, it sounds like there won’t be substantial change, but I did some research trying to learn about what the switch to GIANT may eventually mean.

(Talk about confusing – There are actually two Giant grocery chains, both owned by Dutch parent company Ahold. Giant Landover is more familiar to many Richmonders because it runs the Giant chain in Northern Virginia. The division buying Ukrop’s, however, is Giant Carlisle, which is better known for its base in Pennsylvania. It operates nine Martin’s grocery stores in Virginia.)

I looked over an example of this week’s store circular, all 24(!) pages of it, and overall the prices seemed a little lower than Ukrop’s. Especially on the packaged food side, it seemed more on par with a Kroger.

According to the Savings page on the website, GIANT doubles manufacturer coupons, but value limits can vary depending on the store. The limit is one double coupon per same coupon, per customer.

GIANT also offers a gas discount program called Extra Rewards that sounds very similar to Kroger’s – For every $100 spent at Giant stores using a BonusCard, customers receive ten cents off per gallon of gas the next time they fill up. But since points can only be redeemed at on-site gas stations or one of Giant’s 64 fueling stations, I’m not sure how that would work. I’m sure they’ll figure it out, though!

This is obviously all speculation regarding how GIANT chooses to incorporate Ukrop’s into its fold. With the deal scheduled to close in February, it will be interesting to see how the transition plays out over the next six months. I’ll post any new developments as I become aware of them.

Meat Top Pick

Jimmy Dean roll or fully-cooked sausage $2 at Ukrop’s (9.6-16oz)

Veggie Top Pick

Sweet potatoes $.49/lb at Ukrop’s

Fruit Top Pick

Extra large navel oranges 4 for $3 at Whole Foods

Dairy Top Pick

Shredded cheese again – Sargento is $1.50 at Kroger. The 11/15 SmartSource insert had a coupon for $.50 off 2.

Staples Top Pick

Quaker cereals (select varieties) $1.88 at Kroger

Snacks & Sweets Top Pick

In honor of Joe’s Market, whose future is uncertain – Joe’s Market Gelato $1.99 at Ukrop’s

Beverage Top Pick

Dunkin Donuts and Folger’s coffee $5.99 at Kroger. Coupons.com has a printable for $1 off Dunkin.

Household Top Pick

Colgate toothpaste $.88 at Ukrop’s

Find more deals by accessing the stores’ weekly ads online:

• Prices valid 12/20-12/26: Kroger, Ukrop’s, Target, Walgreen’s, CVS
• Prices valid 12/23-12/29: Tom Leonard’s, Whole Foods, Fresh Market

December 23, 2009 12:00 PM 0