Shopper’s Corner

I’m with Steven W on the pricing out of the middle class, and even upper middle class. $ 10 for a few ounces of gourmet chocolate? Yeah, I guess we’re at a gourmet health food store.
However, my bf, who was a banana slug, brought me here because he loved going here back when he lived in SC, and I must admit, this has some nice stuff. Spelt, avocado honey, dark chocolate chips, a huge wine selection, fresh meats… oh, and his favorite, the 3-​lb fruity pies that he loves. You’ll also see mainstream grocery items right next to health/​specialty items, like the Oreos next to the Fig Newman cookies. Steve’s next to Ben & Jerry’s and Haagen Dazs. A cut above Trader Joe’s, Sprouts, and Whole Foods, although prices mimic WF’s.
While I would rate this a three and a half-​star place, my bf would rate it a four-​and-​a-​half star place.

Local favorite grocery store that is very personable and hires many local folks. Remember coming here as a child and getting a free giant sugar cookie when my Mom shopped at the meat counter.

Shoppers is a wonderful experience. Mot of what we have today is interesting because of NEW values… Shoppers is wonderful for not having lost older ones.
They a REAL group of butchers in the meat section with reasonable prices and excellent quality. The meats and produce are WAY less expensive than Whole Foods and at least for produce are WAY fresher. I have seen some pathetic AND expensive produce at WF… never Shoppers.
When you check out there are usually 1– 2 open cashiers… imagine that at Whole Foods or Safeway??? I love the place. It is all the best of earlier times in quality and service.

Shoppers corner is a local grocery focused on local and high end specialty items.
They do have their own parking lot, but man it can get crazy in there with it’s tight corners and one way sections. Still, they always seem to have room no matter how busy.
The store is one of the smaller grocery’s in town, and there are better places to buy produce. (hint, anywhere else) I am a fan of the meat counter-​if you need a custom cut of anything they are the people who can get it done. Other stand outs are the local cheese and fresh pasta selections. The liquor section is also quite good with an excellent wine section.
This grocery doesn’t really seem to be aiming at the middle class market, not even the upper middle class market. It’s roughly whole foods pricing plus a buck or two. Having said that there are some items that can be effectively purchased here. The pricing on local (santa cruz) wine is very reasonable, and of course there are always weekly sale items.
If price isn’t really something you consider when buying groceries, the out standing quality of the products of offer here will make it a great place to shop.

Shoppers is in walking distance from my house, so we frequent there often (at least 3 times a week). We like their premarinated meats, sandwiches, and produce. We are in constant wonderment however, that 9 out of 10 of their front end clerks have the worst attitudes. I do not understand how people get customer service jobs, and have the worst customer service skills. Maybe I have higher standards because I was in customer service for most of my life, but I would never be as snotty as these girls.

This place is local, independent, etc. But they do not stand behind their products. And you can shop here for 30 years (as I have) and they will treat you like a criminal for trying to return spoiled food. I just tried to return a package of prosciutto that was spoiled when we brought it home — nasty sulfurous smell. When I asked for a refund — while buying another $ 40 of groceries including replacement prosciutto — the clerk 1) questioned whether I had bought it there 2) held up the line and made a huge drama, calling the manager, who 3) claimed the meat was not spoiled (go ahead and eat it yourself, buddy) and 4) refused to give me a $ 6 refund. Did I mention that I’ve shopped there at least weekly for 30 years? I go out of my way to patronize local and independent business, but not when they are cheap, petty fools, and unable to recognize longtime customers. Whole Foods is right down the street, with better meat (no antibiotics), fresher bread, and amazingly better customer service. Yep, I’m ticked off.

Best wine selection in Santa Cruz county! I came here looking for a good Port and after focusing a little too hard on the left side, I eventually found the good stuff on the other side of the store on the top shelf. It wasn’t marked with a big sign, but it had probably 40 different Ports. As a another reviewer mentioned, they are a bit lazy about updating the review flyers for the correct year of the actual bottle that’s on the shelf which is a bit misleading. Aside from that tho, I haven’t found any other place in Santa Cruz county with the kind of selection they have here.

Personally I haven’t been there in years but I just remember this market because of my grandparents in the 60’s and 70’s. There Italians from Italy they had two restaurants in San Francisco and when they moved here the only place they would shop was shoppers corner.

This place is amazing! You know these guys are good on what they do because they are around since 1938, which says a lot.
Not only their meats and seafood — including sushi grade tuna — are super fresh but service is top notch. They have so many nice products that you can stay a while in there just browsing the isles.
Great selection of wine, pasta, special sauces and produce too. This is definitely a place to go to get those unique ingredients you need for a special meal.

Awesome. Great meats and sausages, great veggies beer… seems like they have everything. Excellent customer service with friendly and helpful staff.

The definite go to market for all your fresh meats and produce at great prices for great quality and if your looking for a special wine they must likely will have it!

Really good produce. Great prices and pretty good service and selection in the butcher section. The first time I came here I had a bad experience but now I love coming here to pick up the basics if I am in the neighborhood, I much prefer it to whole foods.

Last weekend we bought petrale, veal chops and bacon. The butcher tried to sell us fatty veal chops explaining they were better! We guided him to the ones we wanted and they were excellent. We didn’t watch him package the petrale. When we got home one third was petrale and two thirds was a white fish like a cod that had a mercury taste! My wife and I felt sick the next day, and we’re mad at ourselves for not taking it back. The one star is because I wrote Shoppers Corner and explained what happened with a description of the butcher and they did not have the courtesy to reply.

Good shop if you’re looking for wine, beer, or fresh produce. There was a huge selection of wines, as well as cold beers.

The staff here is fantastic.
I’m never very impressed with the selection of foods. I tend to jaunt over to Shoppers Corner when I’m in a pinch, since it’s close to my house. I find that they often don’t have the brands that are staples for my family though. I go for the snobbier, organic, veganic, raw, unprocessed, safely sourced, fairly traded… foods.
I’d like a more robust organic produce section at least.
There have been a few times I come here looking for something specific, only to have to go to another store down the street. (Sorry, I can’t remember what it was I needed).
Nevertheless, I like shopping here because it’s local, friendly, and convenient.

What’s it take to get a 5-​star review? Great service (over-​the-​top), memorable food, outstanding products. Plus, when considering the business in its entirety, a certain, as they say, «je né sais quoi.»
Butcher, local fresh fish, in-​house marinated meats on hand, delicious cheeses, local baked goods and produce, wine on all four walls with a sommelier available, great parking, 4 minutes from the Boardwalk. Not giant, just awesome. What more could you ask from a grocery store?

I love Shopper’s! Even with Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods, and New Leaf a stones throw away (okay, if I was Johnny Manziel…), I still choose to drive down the shit storm that is Soquel Ave. just to shop here.
The reasons why they are the supreme grocer:
— Best produce — want avocados that are ripe but not brown inside? Bananas that taste like they used to (because you know, a virus is taking over the ‘nana population)? Basically good stuff that isn’t going to cost you a kidney (looking at you Whole Foods)? They got it!
— Best meats and seafood — Boar’s head, Corralitos Market, and great specials (we’re talking $ 6.99/lb for top sirloin!). A major added plus, the most attractive butcher sliced my pancetta the other day. He could have slapped me in the face with a Corralitos sausage and I would still be grinning. Ladies, if he doesn’t keep you coming back, I don’t know what will.
— Gayle’s breads — because sometimes it’s hard to find a good loaf (once again, Whole Foods).
— Best wine section in town. Period. Categorized by varietal and region. Thank you.
The frozen foods, namely desserts, are also teeming with local goodies and the cheeses never disappoint. It’s easy to do your daily shopping here, as in they carry normal stuff, that isn’t super marked up, in addition to «special» brands you only find at more expensive and local grocery stores.
The one thing they are majorly lacking and I will still gladly continue to sell my soul to WF and TJ’s for is the prepared foods section. Disappointing at best. Up your game please.

Meat, fish and poultry is what this market is all about for me. Can’t forget cheese! OMG everything here is fantastic! I’m thinking produce and Gizdich fresh apple juice. The wines, the Christmas candies, the fair trade coffee. I love this market!
The meat is so fresh and no matter how I prepare it, the meat tastes so good. Meaty! Lean! Tasty! The ground chuck is comparable to other markets ground round so in essence, its a great deal on top of great taste. The stew meat looks like cubed jewels of meat… lean and trimmed beautifully! Perfect for beef bourginon. Julia Child would have loved to pick up her stew meat here. The rib eyes oh oh oh! Roasts whoa whoa whoa! All very good!
They have an old fashion meat counter with the most helpful butchers. Real butchers! To me it is fascinating watching them carve up the meat for stocking the case or preparing ground beef. The butchers actually make the ground beef onsite that ends up being great hamburgers on the barbeque. I think it’s cool how they all walk on wood shavings just like an old timey butcher shop. They keep everything so clean by changing out the wood shavings often. Check it out.
The wild salmon, scallops, shrimp, clams are A-​1. Good to have connections at the wharf… dunno…but has to be.
Check out the fresh, local, seasonal pies they have here and of course some breads from Gayle’s. The tortillas I’ve gotten here are excellent.
I always find some great kitchen gifts in that corner near the boxed pies and Stonehenge scones.
I am always finding some wonderful grocery item here like tuna from Italy, natural paper cupcake liners, wax paper sandwich bags, different organic cereal, or cookies from the Pacific cookie company.
The holidays are coming up so it’s time to make regular visits.
Best market in Santa Cruz.

I eat avocados everyday and the ONLY place in santa cruz to buy them is shoppers.
They have a great butcher shop. I only buy my meat here.
They have a very nice staff as well.
Some things are a little expensive here but I like the mix of organic/​hippie food with conventional items.
¹⁰⁄₁₀ would shop here again!!! (well I do everyday)

I come down there for the Butcher…
The best place to get tri-​tip for your BBQ. They always have other great cuts of meat ready to throw on the grill too.
It’s a carnivores dream