I have no idea how you enter your kroger card info, but apparently, the Shell at the corner of Barron and Hwy 6 takes the Kroger card now.

You just insert your Kroger card in the card reader. It will then ask for your payment card.

[This message has been edited by AGnCS (edited 9/30/2010 11:31a).]

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All grocery stores change their layout every couple of years. They don't want you knowing where everything is. They want to make you break your shopping routine and spot something else that you'd like to buy.

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That, and the companies whose products they sell pay for shelf space (eye level is the most expensive), and those deals get redone periodically.

I shop at Kroger for specials and coupons. Deals are especially good when you can combine them.

HEB has good produce and excellent frozen baked rolls and biscuits. Otherwise, I look for their specials.

I like Village Foods for their meat and produce. Also, their unsurpassed gluten-free section. BUT, above all I like their unbeatable Pepper Works Krispy Sweet pickles! Expensive, but absolutely the best! I am often surprised to find products such as a hair dressing I use lower in price than the big box store!

I personally will continue to shop at Kroger. I like everyone else, am a little miffed about the change in the layout since my coupons were organized by the store layout. A lot things never made much sense to me so Im happy to see the change. Coming from Austin and living and shopping in the Westlake area, Im use to the more upper scale stores and thats why even though I have shopped at HEB, I dont like the crowds and battling the students. Yes, Kroger is more pricely but I love my coupons and will always use their savings for my family. Last week when Kroger ran their double dollar coupon special, I save $281.00! Well worth it for me.

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I shouldn't have to use a "rewards" card to get the lowest price. Kroger needs to update their point of sales system to do that sort of tracking without relying on a separate card. I also don't want my purchase individually associated with me. There is plenty of marketing data available on people, and I don't need my shopping habits added to that.

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I always get a good laugh out of the conspiracy theorists around here

This is just an old gripe, but I am still miffed at Kroger for getting us all excited that a Signature Store was being built at Rock Prairie Road and then building such a cruddy little store.

I thought,"Well, maybe this is the best they can justify based on our market size."

And then, they built a real Signature Store at Boonville Road!

No matter how much they redecorate the Rock Prairie store, it will never be what I think it should be.

So now my DH does all the grocery shopping . . .

BTW, the bakery at the new Wal-Mart makes delicious cupcakes!

Last time I compared prices, it was pennies difference so it comes down to convenience, selection and service.

I will, however, take advantage of grand opening specials - did the same at Kroger.

kroger on boonville road just redid their produce section and its much nicer.

heb and walmart take too long. not worth it.

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I always get a good laugh out of the conspiracy theorists around here

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I'm not really sure how it's a conspiracy theory.

It's exactly the reason stores use loyalty/rewards cards. Hell, Kroger spells it out in their privacy policy.

"Kroger and its affiliates may use personal customer information to create merchandising and promotional programs tailored around specific purchases, the frequency of store visits, volume of purchases, and other data"

I don't want to be involved in their personally tailored programs. I get enough junk mail as it is. And as I said previously, modern POS systems have the ability to track inventory, purchasing trends for specific SKUs, etc. There is no need for a store to use a "loyalty" card to track that information other than for directed marketing.

Now, had I said Kroger is compiling a huge database of personally identifiable data and shopping patterns and uploading that data to some top secret CIA computer system, that would be a conspiracy theory. But alas, that's not what I said.

Eh. Everybody tracks your credit and debit card purchases. You don't gain any privacy by shopping at HEB.

On a related note, I like how you can preload your Kroger's card with electronic coupons at softcoin.com.

I hope none of you conspiracy theorists use GMail or Google for your internet searches.

Hey, those Kroger cards, if you link them to your child's school on the Kroger Neighbor to Neighbor website, can help bring in around $800 or so a year for the school's PTO. Teacher wish list items can be taken care of! (But, alas, I prefer HEB. Sorry PTO.)

"Only complaint I've noticed about HEB (the one on Holleman) is they tend to push their store brand more and more to the point that the name brand isn't always available."
I totally agree - whats with the Texas Showdown Program - I think they lost the battle on the Bread Showdown - Sorry HEB You can't beat Mrs.Bairds.
Have not tried their chips or soda yet....

I'm not too impressed with the new HEB. It looks like the Bryan one with a facelift - that's it. Yeah, there is more wine, cheese, and less ethnic foods, but it's the same ol HEB. I'd rather just shop at Kroger where the crowds are low, and the manager's specials rock.