Safeway

This place would be OK if they ever had more than one cashier working at a time, I’ve seen the line go about 30 people deep without ever opening up another lane… They have 15 or more checkout lanes and I have never seen more than 2 open (and that is only if someone finds a manager to complain), usually only one… Meanwhile the other employees are wandering around not doing much of anything. The sad part is, it’s the same at both Safeways near me, so unfortunately this is not an isolated occurrence.

My criticisms are much the same as those of others. The variety of produce is narrow and what produce there is is marginally fresh. The meat selection is minimal and what there is is over-​priced. Dairy is laughable: (1) 99% of the time I have to buy a gallon of milk because the quart size is rarely available, (2) cheese is much cheaper at Trader Joe’s and there’s a better selection, and (3) I’ve had to learn to make my own buttermilk (easy, actually) because buttermilk is never stocked (not a big deal, but for Pete’s sake: this isn’t Beluga caviar I’m looking for). The salads in the deli department are crusty-​looking/​brownish, a fact which makes all the other deli items suspect: how many days do these items remain in the case? I asked a deli worker about a new item and her reply was, «I don’t know. I never touch this stuff.» This Safeway deli makes the case for «slow-​cooking» = make your own stuff to ensure quality and freshness (and besides, it is much, much, much cheaper!).
About the long wait at checkout. I’ve never been a coupon clipper, but if I were, I wouldn’t bother bringing coupons to this store as invariably a dispute arises between customer and cashier over the final price of an item. In such a case, the manager is called to end the dispute and he shows up eventually. A summit meeting is held with much head-​scratching. A deal is struck and after fifteen minutes of negotiation, the customer has saved 20 cents on a box of cereal. The rest of us in line are brain dead. I am not exaggerating. I have always had to check my receipt to make sure that I am indeed getting the sale price; many times I don’t and I reckon that it is not worth the effort required to set things straight.
This Safeway branch gives the impression that it is failing and on its way out. It is poorly stocked. Prices are not always lower. You can shoot a cannonball down any aisle on practically any given day at any given time and not hit anyone. What few customers there are have to be funneled through one or two (sometimes three) checkout stations (there is no enforcement 15-​item limit of the Express Lane). The clerks seem demoralized, which is too bad because they are generally very nice.
In short, there’s no reason for me to shop there. Now, I plan my grocery shopping more carefully than before in order to avoid last-​minute shopping at Safeway. I can’t/won’t even use it like a big 7 – 11.

Asked 7 people in the entire store where fridged tortillas are. And nobody could give me a precise answer! That is very frustrating experience.

I don’t think I can even verbalize how useless, pathetic, and ridiculous the service is at this store.
The issue with safeway is rarely the product… They do tend to have really good butcheries and such, etc… But the check out time… Are you joking? This is the exact example of Unionized Hell. It is so painfully bad! I have so many stories.
The cashiers literally roll their eyes at you. If you have time to go to their Starbucks, please go. It’s the most hilarious thing. The last visit, I ordered a passion tea… I got, «Um, what about a coffee?»
When I went to get some food from the hot bar, I walked up and before saying hi, the woman goes, «let me guess. The CHICKEN».
First of all, the only protein you have is the chicken… Wtf? I just can’t…
Just ridiculously bad, but I promise you, you’ll laugh.
I NEVER give bad reviews cause nobody is normally bad enough for this, but damn!

The man who bagged out groceries made the cranky cashier & long wait in line totally worth it. His name was Richard & he was so friendly & conversational. Made my husband & I leave with a smile.

Ridiculously overpriced for no reason. I highly recommend going further down the street to Shoppers or Giant for better bargains. There is an older gentleman with glasses who is by far the slowest employee when checking customers out; apparently its known he’s notoriously slow, yet nothing is done about it. I avoid his line at all costs when he’s there. No self check out lanes which are desperately needed. Employees who get on the PA system are very unprofessional. I’ve seen the donut/​bakery cabinet wide open on a few occasions or with bugs inside of it. It’s an okay spot if you need to run in and get something, but I never do my big shopping here. The saving grace is the Starbucks, but a drive through Starbucks is near completion at the top of the shopping center, which eliminates any reason to come into Safeway unless in dire need. The veggies are subpar, while the fruits are more upscale. Minimal organic choices/​aisle. The display meats and fish are very old and off putting. I’m telling you, go further up/​down to the Shoppers or Giant.

Yes, this Safeway has a really classy and upscale sales floor; however, the cashier totaling my purchase was too busy talking to a co-​worker to include all of the coupons I handed her during check-​out. I had to go to the customer service desk to get some real assistance.

Too embarrassed to mention how many times their cash register rings up a higher amount than shelf price. I only go in there bc it’s close and convenient and I pay attention. Just happened again on my last visit so it’s finally time to warn Unilocal nation.

Quality of produce is horrible. All the veggies, fruits I got on a Wednesday would not ripe for the weekend but went bad! Yes this includes avocados, tomatoes, bananas, organic basil! Very disappointed. Refrigerated meat/​chicken didn’t even last 2days refrigerated. During checkout is true what others say about nobody working there. This place is horrible. I will start going to Giant from now on.

I found this safeway to be pretty good compared to others in the area. The one on route 1 by the Taco Bell is very small as is the one on Fort Hunt Rd. The latter seems better quality, but if you want more options this safeway is a good option. Agree there are problems: no self help, and minimal open lanes. However I’ve never waited long.

It’s like Safeway built this store as a practical joke. First, it’s not necessary, there are four other Safeways within 5 miles of this location. Second… and surely everyone realizes this by now … NO ONE SEEMS TO WORK HERE. They have 15 checkout aisles, I’ve never seen more than 2 open, even during rush hour. Nor is there a self-​checkout option (which would seem to be logical to have, since NO ONE SEEMS TO WORK HERE.) As you might expect from a store WHERE NO ONE SEEMS TO WORK, the store is messy, stocking is inconsistent, and there’s no manager to be found. If you like Safeway, go to any of the other nearby ones (Belle View, Ft. Hunt, Engleside or Old Town). Or, if you just want to pick up groceries while driving down Route 1, go to Giant or Shoppers. But, unless you really want to experience shopping in a store WHERE NO ONE SEEMS TO WORK, avoid this place.