# Target/Archer Farms/Penzeys



## the dude abides (Mar 28, 2011)

Well most of you old timers know of my total hatred for all things WalMart...please watch this and see how one company has single handedly ruined the American economy (well that and unions) but I digress 

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/walmart/view/

Anyhow...I've been fed up with the crappy service, quality of product, and the morons who work at my local Hy-Vee.  Hy-Vee is a midwest food chain and their home office is about 2 blocks from my house.  I've kept going back basically out of convienence and familiarity. 

My mom was telling me how impressed she and my dad were with the quality of the meat they've been getting from the local Target SuperStore.  My parents are kind of steak snobs, but I still couldn't bring myself to support a company like Target. 

Long story longer, tonight I went grocery shopping.  I went to Hy-vee, got pissed, walked out.  Drove over to Target thinking "what the hell".

I was really surprised.  After wandering around not enjoying the fact that I didn't know where everything was.  Combine that with not recognizing any of their local brand merchandise "Archer Farms", I finally just decided to not rush things. 

I did my usual shopping for a couple of weeks worth of food.  Shockingly I did for $150 what I would usually do for around $200+.  Plus some of the Archer Farms stuff that I bought was really good! 

Oh by the way...tonight I saw they're putting a new Penzey's Spices right down the street from me. I don't know much about them.  Anyone know anything about them.

Please respond to my poll


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## retread (Mar 28, 2011)

When we want spices, we always drive the 30-40 minutes to go to Penzeys just outside of Boston.  It is really worth it.  We like the quality of the bulk spices there, and the people are really friendly, too.  If there is a spice you are not sure of, quite often they will have a small sampler bottle out to sniff.


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## new vision (Mar 30, 2011)

Dude forget Target most of their meat is from Hormel (enhanced).  Try Fareway you can't beat their meat.  Just saw they opened a new store off University in West DesMoines next to Kohls.  I think if you try them your will be impressed.  We buy all of our fresh meat from them.


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## tjohnson (Mar 30, 2011)

Dude,

We have Super Target, Walmart Supercenter, Cub Foods(SuperValue), Rainbow(Roundy's), Lunds/Byerly's(Overpriced Super Value) and a couple independents.around here.  We buy most of our groceries at SAMS Club and Target.

Most beef in the midwest comes from Hormel or IBP.  It may be slaughtered on Monday processed the same day and sent out by Wednesday.  There's no time aging in a cooler.  It's all about production!  I buy 1/2 Black Angus Beef from a local butcher and only time I buy from a supermarket is if I'm making beef jerky.

Once You Go Black, You Never Go Back!

Todd


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## meateater (Mar 30, 2011)

Target = NO, owned by French. Wally World = No, 400 shoppers and 3 checkers. Kroger works for me, there "Smith's" or "Food For Less"  in my area and I ain't changing.


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## beer-b-q (Mar 30, 2011)

Here we have Apple Market, Sun Fresh, Price Chopper & Thriftway which are close.  We usually go to Sun Fresh or Price Chopper if we are buying meat at the grocery store and not from Bichelmeyer's Meat Market .  The meat quality at Apple Market and Thriftway is not the best.  We usually buy meat at the meat market when buying larger quantities and only at the grocery stores when we need something quick.

I am a member of Sam's club but very seldom use it except for larger purchases.

I won't shop Target because it is French owned...


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## tyotrain (Mar 30, 2011)

Do most my meat shopping at Price Chopper..


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## cliffcarter (Mar 31, 2011)

meateater said:


> Target = NO, owned by French. Wally World = No, 400 shoppers and 3 checkers. Kroger works for me, there "Smith's" or "Food For Less"  in my area and I ain't changing.







Beer-B-Q said:


> Here we have Apple Market, Sun Fresh, Price Chopper & Thriftway which are close.  We usually go to Sun Fresh or Price Chopper if we are buying meat at the grocery store and not from Bichelmeyer's Meat Market .  The meat quality at Apple Market and Thriftway is not the best.  We usually buy meat at the meat market when buying larger quantities and only at the grocery stores when we need something quick.
> 
> I am a member of Sam's club but very seldom use it except for larger purchases.
> 
> I won't shop Target because it is French owned...


Target is and always has been an Amercan company. French ownership is a silly rumor based on some people(Oprah Winfrey for one) saying  the name with a fake French accent ("Tarzhay"). You can read it here-

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Target_Corporation


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## tjohnson (Mar 31, 2011)

Target is a Minnesota based company and definitely not owned by any French entity

The Grocer's Union was pretty strong up here, and Target respected the division of hard goods and groceries for many years.  Recently, Walmart moved into the grocery store market and the gloves were off.  I HATE going to Walmart!

We watch the specials and pinch pennies whenever we can.  I'm not paying $10 for a case of pop when I can get it at for $6 down the street.

TJ


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## Bearcarver (Mar 31, 2011)

We use Giant & Weiss mostly, except my serious meat, like bellies, then it's small PA Dutch butcher shops. They're all over the place.

When I was pre-teen, I was a member of the local peanut gallery, at Barringer's Meats.

They had a bench there for us to sit on to watch them kill, bleed & cut up steers & hogs.

Bear


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## biaviian (Mar 31, 2011)

Same as Bear except I get all of my meat at a local family owned "farmer" butcher shop except for my butts.  All of them come from the grocery store because I can't find a butcher that carries them.  They use them for their own smoked meats.


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## big twig (Mar 31, 2011)

As far as meat and produce I am lucky enough to have a small grocery store next door to me (I live in an apartment) that carries locally raised beef, chicken, turkeys and produce. If they don't have a cut I want they are more then willing to order it from the farm for me and I love that they grind meat daily and will let you choose what you want grinded. As far as pork I get it from Balduccis which is a gourmet Italian store similar to Whole Foods but with much better meat but it comes at a cost, great thing is the butcher will also get special orders for me (turducken anyone). If $$ is super tight then I buy from Giant but I feel like crap every time I do, wish I had a house for storage room so I could join a local co-op.

As far as Penzey's, I would have to say I really like them. Lots of great spices, some exotics (love the West Indian Nutmeg) and you can buy in bulk. Cost is more then McCormick type stuff but well worth it. If i am looking for more exotic then what they have, that takes an online search.

By the way, I totally agree with you about Walmart, I won't even drive near one I hate them so much, but I do love http://www.peopleofwalmart.com


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## realtorterry (Mar 31, 2011)

The Target here doesn't carry meat, but I like thier Archer Farms stuff. I agree I've walked out of Wal-Mart many times & HATE ever going there. I only wish we had a locally area. I usually get my meat from Sams. I know there are a part of Wal-Mart but man thier meat is just better there?


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## roller (Mar 31, 2011)

WW never puts any meat on sale NEVER.


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## chef willie (Mar 31, 2011)

Little late getting here but I, as well, hate WalMart and never buy the meats and very little of anything else. I read on the Net long ago most of their beef is what we called 'pump & dump', enhanced cuts from inferior steers. They claim to have changed but who knows for sure. I shop mostly Costco and feel lucky to have one here in town and not everything is packed in platoon sized portions. A new WM is scheduled to open this summer in town, probably a superstore, which I will avoid like the plague. I prefer a NW regional market called WinCo with good pricing and some bulk items along with decent meat. There's only two of us so no big food budget to speak of.


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## shellbellc (Mar 31, 2011)

Most shopping at Giant because it's close by.  If I'm going to do some "entertaining" I will go to Wegmans, more expensive, but you can get things there that you just can't find other places.  I have a local butcher that I go to for some things.  BJ's currently has the best short ribs ever, but I think Costco has excellent meats.  We generally only go to BJ's and Costco to stock up the VFW punch boards, but I'll grab a couple of things for home while there.  I think thier shoulders and ribs are great.  I once tried a couple of their prime strip steaks and they were out of this world good!


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## michael ark (Mar 31, 2011)

I get the minimally processed meat at Sam's to help my states revenue  and it's people.
	

	
	
		
		



		
			






Don't hate the player hate the game.


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## shellbellc (Mar 31, 2011)

I forgot to comment about Penzey's.  I LOVE their spices.  Everything I've ordered I've been over the top happy with.  Every couple of weeks I order a couple of different bottles to replace older ones on my spice rack.  When I first tried their cinnamon I couldn't believe the difference between theirs and the stuff I grew up on...Just an unbelievable difference.


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## baboy (Mar 31, 2011)

I will agree with the quality of Penzeys, they are opening up a new one just down the street from us, no need to drive across town.


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## figjam (Mar 31, 2011)

Mini side bar.  They are opening a 2nd Penzey's in the Des Moines area (where I am originally from) and they only have 1 here in the St Louis area?  Grrrr.


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## dman4505 (Mar 31, 2011)

Baboy said:


> I will agree with the quality of Penzeys, they are opening up a new one just down the street from us, no need to drive across town.


every thing I've gotten from them, via a Christmas gift and ordered myself, has been great so I'll agree with Baboy

they have a store across the river in Omaha I'll have to go check out soon

Don


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## jlmacc (Mar 31, 2011)

I too enjoy Penzey's spices they are definatly quality...


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## werdwolf (Mar 31, 2011)

Over 2 hours away, but whenever I'm near, I make a side trip to Penzy's, like there stuff.


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## jirodriguez (Mar 31, 2011)

Can't comment on the spices, we split our groceries as follows:

Winco Foods - 60% (most everything except fruit and some veggies, and some meats)
Safeway - 10% (mostly on sale meats and a few veg.)
Fred Meyers (part of Krogers) - 10% (mostly fruit and a few veg.)
Costco - 20% (milk, eggs, and a variety of other stuff depending on coupon specials)


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## rw willy (Mar 31, 2011)

I mail order all my spices from Penzeys.  Have for three years now.  no store down here yet!


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## puddy (Apr 29, 2012)

Dude, you will have to check out B&B Grocery, Its on 6th St just north of Indianola Ave in DSM. A word of caution though he will trim alot off a brisket if you don't tell him not to. He is friendly, remembers who his customers are, and on top of all that he serves one hell of a Deli sandwich. He buys all his beef whole carcass so you know who's hands have been on that animal and is very passionate about his job.


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## eman (Apr 29, 2012)

We shop the sales .


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