Shopping for the best prices around Gainesville can be made easier with a stop to Ward’s Supermarket or Trader Joe’s.
Both companies strive to deliver high-quality products at an affordable price to customers but embody different shopping experiences. Trader Joe’s offers private label products directly from manufacturers, whereas Ward’s Supermarket buys straight from the fields, farms or any warehouse.
Alison Mochizuki, director of public relations for Trader Joe’s, said it’s truly a grocery store unlike any other.
“Trader Joe’s is a store of stories — every item in the store has its own virtues, high-quality ingredients, great flavor or simply an extraordinary price,” Mochizuki said.
Mochizuki said Trader Joe’s carries an extensive array of domestic and imported foods and drinks that are purchased from manufacturers and not distributors.
“Trader Joe’s introduces approximately a dozen new items every week, heightening the store’s adventurous appeal,” she said.
Mindy Reinders, a 21-year-old UF public relations senior, said although Trader Joe’s offers an overall good shopping experience, it’s not somewhere she could get everything.
“Because they only sell their products, they don’t have much to choose from — so I still have to go to Publix,” Reinders said. “It needs to incorporate more products to become people’s first choice for a grocery store.”
Reinders said the difference between the two companies is the quality of the products.
“The produce section at Ward’s Supermarket is really good whereas Trader Joe’s produce is cheaper but not always good quality,” she said.
Danielle Ward-Williams, general manager for Ward’s Supermarket, said customers continue to return to Ward’s because they know where the products are coming from, and they can see the quality.
“Our store is significantly different from other stores because we have buying power,” she said. “The prices at Ward’s Supermarket are cheaper and better because it can buy direct from any warehouse because it is not locked into contract with any specific warehouses.”
She said Ward’s Supermarket buys from more than 350 local vendors, which helps with the price of items because it comes directly from the fields and cuts out the middlemen.
“I think we try to have as much variety as possible to be able to have a melting pot like we call our store,” she said.
Cori Wells, a 22-year-old UF public relations senior, said she continues to shop at Ward’s Supermarket because of its convenient location near her apartment and the locally grown products.
“The concept of the store is geared toward customers who strive to live a healthier lifestyle and like to buy local products,” Wells said.
Wells said both Ward’s Supermarket and Trader Joe’s keep the prices low.
“I don’t feel like I’m breaking the bank when I go to either of them, and it’s cheaper than eating out,” Wells said.
