WinCo vs. Fry’s Phoenix Grocery Store Comparison – Which Grocery Store Is Cheaper? (Spoiler: I saved 32% at WinCo)

I’ve been grocery shopping at WinCo Foods for 20 years. Every month or so, WinCo parks several full shopping carts inside the entrance showing the total price paid at WinCo vs. local grocery stores. In Phoenix, WinCo compares Fry’s (Kroger) and Safeway/Albertson’s. It’s not even a fair fight, but the carts are usually filled with packaged junk foods and name brand items. I’m comparing my actual receipt from my WinCo grocery shopping trip today against Fry’s online prices.

PSA and BTW: Aldi stinks. Aldi is directly across the street from WinCo in Glendale, AZ, so if I’m not willing to cross the street, you know Aldi stinks. I don’t allow blog comments because I don’t want to have to cancel comments telling me I should shop at Aldi. Aldi quality is third world crap and I’d only take Aldi items on charity if my family was actually starving to death.

In north Glendale, AZ, you can throw a rock and hit Walmart, Aldi, two Fry’s, and Winco…and if you drive north or south a couple blocks, you’ll find an Albertson’s and a Safeway. Unfortunately, north Glendale charges a 2.5% sales tax on groceries so I try to drive a couple miles into Phoenix to shop at the Phoenix WinCo. Avoid shopping in Glendale, AZ whenever you can: Glendale has 9.2% sales tax (Glendale, AZ has the highest sales tax in the Phoenix metro), 2.5% food tax (both Glendale, AZ and Peoria, AZ continue to screw over their residents with the insane grocery tax), and if you want to eat out, you’ll pay 10.2% sales tax for the privilege. Just drive a bit west toward Surprise or east toward Phoenix to save hundreds of dollars on sales tax each year.

WinCo vs. Fry’s Grocery Store Comparison (in order of items on my receipt): I saved 32% at Winco

The list follows this format:

Item/Winco price/Fry’s price (Fry’s price shows the price after any sales or digital coupons. This is luck of the draw on any given week; you cannot count on these prices at Fry’s.)

For Winco bulk items, I compared the cheapest possible item from Fry’s according to cost per ounce, and used cost per ounce of the Fry’s item, multiplied by the weight I purchased at Winco.

• Canned black beans 15 oz/$0.78 x 2 = $1.56/ $0.89 x 2 = $1.78/Fry’s: $0.89 x 2 = $1.78
• Bleach 64 oz/$1.38 x 10=$13.80/Fry’s: $1.89 x 10 = $18.90/$1.89 x 10 = $18.90
• Pita bread, Joseph’s 11 oz/$2.58/$2.99/Fry’s: $2.99
• Pork shoulder bone in/$1.78 per lb, 10.78 lbs = $19.19/$1.79/lb, 10.78 lbs = $19.30/Fry’s: $1.79 per lb, 10.78 obs = $19.30
• Pepper, ground, bulk/$6.28 per lb, .32 lb = $2.01/ Fry’s $1.50 for 2.25 oz = $0.67 per oz. (5.12 oz purchased at Winco) = $3.43/Fry’s: Smartway $1.50 2.25 oz = $3.41
• Pepper, ground white, bulk/$9.88 per lb, .18 lb = $1.78/Fry’s: Tampico $2.49 1 oz = $7.17
• Hamburger buns/$1.18/Fry’s: Wonder or Ballpark $1.99 sale
• Cayenne pepper, bulk/$5.59 per lb, .23 lbs = $1.29/Fry’s: Kroger $5.49 5.5 oz = $3.68
• Pastured eggs/$5.96 x 2 = $11.92/Fry’s: Vital Farms $5.79 sale x 2 = $11.58 sale
• Crushed red pepper, bulk/$7.48 per lb, .23 lbs = $1.29/Fry’s: McCormick $4.49 4.62 oz = $3.56 sale
• Peppermint tea 20 bags/$2.28/Fry’s: Stash $1.99 sale
• Extra wide egg noodles 12 oz/$1.53/Fry’s: Kroger $1.79 16 oz equivalent = $1.34
• Peppercorns, bulk/$7.28 per lb, .48 lbs = $3.49/Fry’s: Private Selection $8.99 13 oz sale = $5.30 sale
• Paprika, bulk/$6.18 per lb, .32 lbs = $1.98/Fry’s: $2.49 3.75 oz = $3.38
• Garlic, minced, bulk/$4.98 per lb, .75 lbs = $3.74/Fry’s: Kroger $1.49 2.5 oz = $7.15
• Fennel seed, bulk/$4.58 per lb, .12 lbs = $0.55/Fry’s: Tampico $1.99 1.5 oz = $2.55
• Basil, dry, bulk/$5.88 per lb, .18 lbs = $1.06/Fry’s: Kroger $0.99 0.43 oz = $6.62
• Nonstick cooking spray 8 oz/$1.98/Fry’s: Kroger 8 oz $3.49
• Himalayan pink salt, bulk/$1.18 per lb, 1.19 lbs = $1.40/Fry’s: Morton $7.99 17.6 oz = $8.57
• Hydrogen peroxide 32 oz/$0.98 x 2 = $1.96/Fry’s: $1.19 x 2 = $2.38
• Flour tortillas, La Banderita 20 ct 22.5 oz/$2.28/Fry’s: $3.79
• Freezer bags quart size 38 ct/$2.48 x 2 = $4.96/Fry’s: $3.39
• Flour tortillas, Guerrero 30 ct 4 lbs, 6 oz/$6.84/Fry’s: $4.79 8 ct = $17.92
• Storage bags gallon size 38 ct/$2.48/Fry’s: $3.39
• Russet potatoes 10 lbs/$2.28/Fry’s: 5 lb $3.29 sale x 2 = $6.58 sale
• Cilantro/$0.57/Fry’s: $0.59
• Onion, dry/$6.03 per lb, .63 lbs = $3.80/Fry’s: Kroger $3.99 6.25 oz = $6.45
• Mozzarella whole milk 16 oz ball/$3.68/Fry’s: Galbani $5.20 sale
• Stella Parmigiano Reggiano 5.3 oz/$5.58/Fry’s: Murray’s 5.25 oz $6.99
• Imitation crab Crab Classic 8 oz/$2.08/Fry’s: Kroger 16 oz $4 = $2
• Avocados, medium/$0.70 x 6 and $0.98 x 1*= $5.18/Fry’s: $0.89 x 7 = $6.23
• Heavy whipping cream 32 oz/$5.48/Fry’s: Kroger $5.99
• Parsley fresh/$0.88/Fry’s: $1.29
• Ketchup Hunt’s no corn syrup 32 oz/$3.24/Fry’s: Simple Truth $3.79 40 oz equivalent =$3.03
• Spinach fresh Popeye 10 oz/$2.28/Fry’s: Kroger $2.29
• Celery/$1.28/Fry’s: $1.69
• Cabbage green/$0.68 per lb, 2.35 lbs = $1.60/Fry’s: $0.79 per lb = $1.86
• Onions red/$1.44 per lb, 1.13 lbs = $1.63/Fry’s: $1.69 per lb = $1.91
• Jalapenos/$0.96 per lb, .52 lbs = $0.50/Fry’s: $0.99 per lb = $0.51
• Tomatoes roma/$0.98 per lb, 2.49 lbs = $2.44/Fry’s: $0.99 per lb = $2.47
• Onions white/$0.78 per lb, 4.74 lbs = $3.70/Fry’s: $1.39 per lb = $6.59
• Lemons small/$0.48 ea x 2 = $0.96/Fry’s: $0.79 ea x 2 = $1.58
• Iceberg lettuce/$1.78
• Limes/$0.25 ea x 8 = $2.00/Fry’s: $0.25 ea x 8 = $2.00
• Bananas organic/$0.74 per lb x 2.22 lbs = $1.64/Fry’s: $0.69 per lb = $1.53
• Total $145.54/Fry’s: $212.40
• I saved 32%last week shopping at Winco instead of Fry’s.

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