Shaw’s Supermarket

I started shopping here approximately five months ago. Observations I consider noteworthy are as follows:
Horns #1: Since then, the wi-​fi network, aptly labeled «WiFi, makes life easier» hasn’t functioned. The network at the Star Market on Huntington Street bears the same name and, what do you know, you can hop right on it! I’ve brought this to the attention of someone at the customer service desk here twice, once in January and again recently. On the most recent occasion, the black female to whom I spoke proceeded to lie to me, saying I couldn’t access it because it was only for store employees. I replied that I knew that this wasn’t the case. Without apologizing or otherwise expressing any sign of remorse, she turned to a white male nearby who she said was her manager, and had him confirm that the store’s phone lines were «down» and that that was the cause of its lack of functionality. Had the phone lines been down since January? No.
Horns #2: It’s rare for both escalators to be functioning. One of them is almost always stationary. It’s a strange sight to be greeted by as you enter a store in a non-​Third World country, don’t you think? Not to mention an inconvenience for customers with any sort of physical handicap or injury that prevents them from climbing stairs. (There’s an elevator in the back of the ground floor, I think, but still…) One would assume that a business of the size of Star Market/Shaw’s could manage itself in such a way as to be able to afford the electricity required to power them or the repairs needed to fix whatever it is that’s preventing them from working. (The fact that I’m not sure by which name to refer to this place is evidence of the need for a little tweaking of the branding strategy. The Web site and receipts use Star Market, so I decided to call it that, but the Unilocal listing for the store at this address is found under Shaw’s.)
I find myself alternately chuckling at the ghetto-​ness of the disrepair, which, unfortunately, is typical of the slice of Allston in which I reside, and becoming angered by it, for the same reason. The escalators in Porter Square Station could often be found in a similar partially-​powered state when I traveled through it. But don’t we expect more from Star Market than we do from the MBTA?
Horns #3: Ever tried to microwave a frozen meal and eat it while sitting at one of the bistro tables and using the wi-​fi? The microwave is so filthy that you’ll decide against it. Ditto the bistro tables, which are usually occupied by folks who look as though they lack permanent shelter (May someone help them find it!) or, if empty, by weird detritus like chicken bones. What kind of person can’t be bothered to dispose of chicken bones? (Around Valentine’s Day, I found drumstick bones stuck in one of the Cadbury chocolate bar displays.) It appears as though the store hasn’t assigned any employee the task of cleaning the microwave or tables.
Horns #4: They claim to be open ²⁴⁄₇. If you attempt to make a purchase after approximately 23:00, however, you’ll find the self-​checkout kiosks closed and usually only two checkout lanes staffed by human cashiers open. As someone who only forgoes self-​checkout when she wants to redeem manufacturer’s coupons, whose bar codes it can’t seem to process, this frustrates me.
But it’s not as bad as the fact that it’s rare for all eight self-​checkouts to be in working order even before they’ve been shut down for the night. I’m regularly there on busy evenings, watching the line ahead of me move more slowly than it would if some kiosks didn’t have paper signs taped to them day in and day out, indicating that some sort of malfunction has rendered them unusable.
Horns #5: Finally, a word about the bottle and can recycling machines located on the ground floor: don’t get your hopes up that you’ll be able to conveniently, efficiently deposit whatever you bring, even if you purchased it in the grocery store at the top of the sometimes-​functional escalators. (Or, if you’re a freak like me who tries to deposit here discarded bottles you picked up from the sidewalks along the nearby parking lots and BU athletic fields. Damn people who litter!) They don’t accept most bottles. Not that Mama Chia kombucha you really couldn’t afford. Not even that discarded Powerade bottle you picked up – disturbing, because Powerade is a product of The Coca-​Cola Company. I’m not sure whether acceptance is determined by Star Market, by the product’s manufacturer, or by some provision of the Bottle Bill. (I’ll be happy to research it and let you know, if you pay me to do so.)
Halo #1: Kudos to this store for prominently displaying plastic bag recycling bins. Boo on the City of Boston for refusing to accept them in its recycling bins. And boo on the people who use the containers as repositories for un-​recyclable items, such as paper coffee cups, and recyclable bottles and cans — something I observe being done frequently with the one on the ground floor.

I’m always confused if this is Star Market or Shaws — it says Star Market on the building. They have a parking lot in the back which is very convenient (also meter parking all around).
It’s nice to have a market right in the city. I loved it whenever I was at BU — just so convenient. Also, it’s open 24 hours!!! Hungry for an ice cream cake after studying until 1am? Just buy it! (True story)
They have everything you would expect as well as a food to go area and a beer and wine store inside. Again, 24 HOURS!

This supermarket is massive! I was really impressed with the sheer size and their convenient hours — it’s opened ²⁴⁄₇!
However, I found it to be more expensive than other supermarkets though, but not at the Whole Foods price level… just more costly than than it should be for regular goods.
And despite being so large, they didn’t have some of the items I was looking for which was surprising.
Parking was easy as was the checkout process.

I wish there would be more diversity here, especially for the fruits section. Even though they have generally all the basic fruits, they don’t really have a good stock of fruits like cantaloupes and watermelon or other exotic fruits which I would appreciate. I don’t like how their bananas are so expensive and that is definitely a major con for me. At Stop and Shop, bananas are like 30 cents a pound but at Shaw’s it’s double so why is it that expensive again? As for the stock of other things, it’s pretty average and has the essentials. Their meats are generally pretty fresh too so that’s something I like to enjoy and they have sales quite frequently too. I like that they usually have an adequate number of lanes and self-​check outs except on some days it does get a little busy since it’s right near the Boston University campus and all the students go there for groceries. They also do a pretty good job with their organization as it’s pretty easy to find everything.

For a giant grocery store with plentiful options when it comes to grab and go foods and most everything else, this location’s produce is AWFUL. I couldn’t find one cucumber which hadn’t been nicked or punctured, most of the tomatoes looked like they’d been in a fight. Corn on the cob I bought actually had a weird disinfectant type taste and I threw it out. Again, the variety is great at this location, but the produce section was so disappointing it had to be noted here.

While this store is very convenient for those who live in the area, as it is quite large with a wide selection of produce, prepared/​takeout food, natural foods, an Osco pharmacy, and a health/​beauty products section, this is much that could be improved.
Sometimes the produce is acceptable; other times, not so much. I’ve had green beans go bad in a few days, opted to skip buying entirely wilted heads of lettuce, and the cucumbers are often too soft for comfort. If you’re a vegan like me, shopper beware — you might be better off going somewhere else.
The prices are quite high compared to many other markets just outside the Boston area (MarketBasket in Waltham has the same products for nearly HALF the price. Examples: veggie burgers, pineapple and cantaloupe, tomatoes, tofu, and cauliflower — $ 4 a head? Really?).
There never seems to be enough people working there, so the lines always move incredibly slowly. This has been the case for at least the last 2 years since I moved to this area and began shopping here. Despite there being about 8 checkout lanes, I’ve never seen more than 3 staffed, even during the busiest times. Sometimes the self-​check out lanes are also closed down. On numerous occasions I’ve also witnessed employees walking around the front of the store seemingly aimlessly, while they could be helping bagging large purchases (there are rarely baggers helping here FYI).
Why do they have such high prices if they are so poorly staffed? My guess would be building rent, and for those who don’t have the time or the means to travel elsewhere, you’re stuck with paying the high prices.

Standard grocery store. Clean. Good selection of standard products. Fresh herb selection not always good.
Not impressed with lobster tank. We got lobsters once and one of them had a crack in the shell on its head. That lobster was not long for this world but still… It should have been kept in better conditions. We won’t get lobsters there again.

I love this shaws, always clean and everything is organized and easy to find. I was there today and ended up spending 300 $ because they have such a huge selection, and staff is friendly in my opinion. I prefer this shaws over Prudential. I only gave 4 stars because the stupid carriages lock so I had to lug tons of bags !!

The people who work here are always extremely rude. The produce is usually old or bad quality yet the prices are generally high. After many annoying experiences here, today will be my last. The broccoli was mislabeled and was much more expensive than was originally written so I told the cashier I didn’t want it anymore and she laughed in my face, then told her coworker who started snickering. Trader Joe’s is not far and is a hundred times better. I won’t be going again.

This Shaw’s puts the super in supermarket. This Shaw’s is HUGE! You want produce, they got it. You want flowers, you can also add balloons! You want some booze, well, lookout because there’s a whole extra floor of it. If you can’t find what you’re looking for here, well then good luck, because you’re going to need it. I love this Shaw’s and wish it were closer to my house. They have just about everything you need, and keep the store well-​stocked, clean and well staffed.

Produce is awful always rotten. Way to over priced as well. I have to goto whole foods so I don’t get sick! Tried to get fruits for a smoothie and all moldy !! Uploaded photos –not the first time!

Super typical supermarket. Stocked, weekly sales, but not always the cheapest around. I go here for essentials bit lately I’ve just been going to Trader Joe’s because their produce is much fresher, cheaper, even for their organics.
Their staff has always been very kind to me whenever I need to reach something or have a problem at self checkout. I even got hooked up with some extra monopoly things when that game was going. Which BTW love that game, won $ 25 bucks on a gift card with that.
I like their outdoor patio for lunch sometimes.

Gotta say this was a lot nicer than I would have thought. Clean, bright and well stocked. Most importantly, it is the only place we could find that sells clusters of crab to steam and eat. The other places have nothing or live crab only, which is not what we were looking for.
It was super reasonably priced as well and tasted great. The store is also huge so you’ll definitely find what you need here.

Very convenient super market that is open ²⁴⁄₇. Its great for us college students who needs a break from studying and to get late night snacks when everything else is closed.
It is bigger than most Shaws Ive seen and the best thing about it is that they have lots of self checkouts so you don’t have to wait to long to check out your groceries. Also i like how theres parking out back and there are all the essential stores in one market: wine, beers, deli, flower shop, seafood, prepared foods, frozen foods, pharmacy, dry clean, etc.

Typical supermarket. This is what you come to expect for a supermarket. Large, spacious, and always stocked.
You will find all of your national brands here. I have rarely seen them run out of anything except for during crazy sales on frozen and canned goods that all the college students snatch up. Typically only BU kids come here, but some BC students still seem to venture out as it is on the B line.
The store is so big that it never gets packed and lines usually aren’t that long. Self checkout is available before midnight. Customer service is a bit lacking, but I’ve never had that much of a problem here.
Usually more expensive than Trader Joe’s, this supermarket does have weekly circular sales. Their sales don’t vary too much, but enough to get by. Typically I shop produce/​fruits, dairy, and alcohol at TJs and I’ll buy meat, snacks, and frozen food at Shaws. The deli and seafood counters are not open at night time. Most of the household supplies are also cheaper here than at TJs or CVS/​convenience stores.
There is parking here, but its in the back. It is a free lot. It is, however, slightly annoying that the store is on a hill and the parking is one floor down and shopping carts aren’t allowed to be taken out of the store. The back door is also locked after midnight. I’m always hesitant to use the free drive up service because I always feel like I need to tip the guy and I don’t always carry cash.
Best part of this store is it is open ²⁴⁄₇. That is a rarity in Boston for anything and I have yet to find a full grocery store that does the same. Be careful with night time scanners, especially on Thursday/​Friday when the prices are flipped to the next week.

I work nearby so I come here a lot – sometimes twice a day. I’ve had to return products on a few occasions ($ 12 bag of nasty stale pecans, I’m looking at you) and I’ve also had to call them out on their price scanners not ringing up the correct sale price, which this chain seems to have a habit of. (BTW, if this happens to you, they are supposed to give you the product for free if it costs less than $ 10.)
This is the most overpriced grocery store in Boston. But you don’t have to take my word for it. Once I overheard one deli employee say to another, «This is the most overpriced store, I can’t believe anyone shops here.»
The Osco pharmacy within the Shaw’s is good.

Worst produce I ever purchased. I bought 5 items: cherry tomatoes (hard to pick a good batch since almost every package had at least 1 tomato with mold on it, disgusting!), parm cheese (powdered crap bc I can’t afford the better stuff here), lettuce mix, a cucumber, and the only good thing: my babybel cheese (can’t find it at my Stop&Shop). All this came to $ 20! Are you kidding me???
And then I get home and I start preparing my salads for lunches and I can’t even use half the lettuce bc it’s all brown and slimey. I have never had such terrible packaged lettuce.
I am glad this place isn’t convenient for me all the time, it’s just next to my yoga studio and I wanted to grab a few items on my walk home. I will definitely know to buy groceries during the day rather than wait til this is my only convenience on a Sunday night. I only gave it 2 stars because it did seem like they had a huge selection (like I said, my babybel cheese was available). But I’ll still never go back.

HUGE supermarket for being right in the middle of the city. Produce is expensive ($ 4.50 for a small bag of sugar snap peas? What am I, Warren Buffett? No, because he didn’t get rich by buying criminally overpriced peas.) But the selection of goods keeps me coming back as long as I do most of my shopping elsewhere.
Other things:
Open ²⁴⁄₇.
Good selection of Indian food.
Never busy enough to clog up aisles anytime I’ve been there.
Fairly friendly staff.

If this store wasn’t so conveniently located, it would be out of business by now. There are literally no employees around to help. You can navigate the aisle forever, and never find a single employee. Their shelves are usually stocked though, so there must be workers somewhere.
I went there today, and there were a few things that added additional insult. I collected all my items without a major hassle but then I got to the register. The cashier literally did not say a word. Not one word. Meanwhile, I stood across from a really incompetent manager who was loudly arguing with an elderly customer. She obviously had no skills at dealing with conflict, or the public in general. The customer didn’t even get to tell his side of the story without her arguing!
I have a sprained back, but I was forced to bag all of my own groceries by myself. Even while there were perfectly capable baggers standing around doing nothing. The manager was too busy arguing with elderly people to actually manage her staff.
Finally, I paid and I made it outside, except I never made it outside. The cart locks before you even make it to the parking lot. I had to leave my groceries unattended, get the car, pull up, and then load them in. Shaws, why can’t you just hire a shopping cart guy to help people? I can’t imagine how that elderly customer managed to get the groceries into his car. It was a major strain on my back, and turned what should have been a good shopping trip into a nightmare.

I’m picky when it comes to my grocery stores, and Shaw’s Supermarket is mediocre. While they’re a large store with a good selection, their customer service is something to be desired.
I try not to come here, honestly, but when I need something quick, I’ll usually come here. They have their own parking lot, which is great and a huge bonus after trying to find parking at some other grocery stores. I’ve never had a problem finding something I needed here, but I don’t find that their sales are anything special. I’ve never really seen employees working the aisles, which I think is odd. Every other grocery store I frequent has constant visibility when it comes to their employees. You inevitably make your way to the registers in the front, which is where you’ll find their workers, but they aren’t very helpful, nor do they have smiles on their faces.
Whether you’re looking for a quick item or an entire apartment’s worth of food, Shaw’s Supermarket is good. Don’t expect anything wonderful, though, especially when it comes to getting help or finding sales.