Wegmans opening a store in Northboro, MA-What Should I Know About Wegmans?

[jis]

wow for a saving site, people here give Wegmans the benefit of the doubt!
i've heard that the MA store is going to be massive (Wegmans likes to be "known" and for it being their first store there, i'm sure they'll want it to have a title; like "biggest supermarket in MA", etc.).
that said, you can look back at the last couple of threads (from months ago, which should tell you how uninteresting Wegmans is as far as deals) and see a bit of banter about the store. i tend to be the only person who doesn't appreciate Wegmans for what it intrinsically is (probably because i didn't grow up with it and don't have the guilt or whatever it is to have to shop there).

i type a lot, so i'll put it in non sentence form as to maybe get some responses from people here.
pros:
it's pretty? (pro?)
big?
decent everyday prices (compared to TOPS but not compared to walmart say).
unadvertised sales often last for a month or more.
prepared foods.
freshness of meat/produce? i'm just tossing that in because it's what i've read.
(maybe there are more, someone please enlighten me lol).
they have a coupon pamphlet that sometimes has decent qs that are combinable with man qs. its usually in the front of the store between the makeup/pharmacy stuff and the registers.
they do large seasonal stuff, like even patio furniture, etc. (is that even a pro?)
cons:
big, but somehow they dont have stuff they should. they have like 100 jellies, five of which are normal or could have coupons lol.
i'm surprised they even have a circular. as "green" as it seems they want to be, it is a huge waste. there is nothing to see in there except that the large soup is almost $8.00. (yes...that's the advertised sale, but i haven't tried it, maybe it's worth it...... lol!) maybe i could see it coming out once a month.
the sale prices that they have for the month dont really change, which for a couponer/saver isn't great. (although admittedly you have plenty of time to get your coupons in order, order them?, etc.).
for a while, it's going to be a complete tourist trap like most of the wegmans in rochester lol. people just meandering around people watching and trying to be seen.
there is a trader joes down the block from where they are opening it across from white city if i recall correctly (ah those summers in Rutland lol). if they had those here (i'd bet that Wegmans has a lot to do with the fact that Trader Joes isn't here) i'd go there for the stuff i get at wegmans (organics?) and i could learn another language in the time id save just trying to get from my car to the back of Wegmans every time.
lol i must be the only person who doesnt care for that place. ok: i like the seven items or fewer lines.
sorry. i told you i type a lot. if this thread keeps going i'll try to chime in again with more things i dont like lol, and some i do rofl.
as a side note, most of my gripes are due to the Pittsford wegmans (but many are like that). the city wegmans doesnt have that same feeling, but it will soon when they knock the whole city block down to make the store bigger lol.
also, i'll say this as un-pc as it probably is. if you are ok with shopping somewhere else, (somewhere not as "classy") then you probably won't "have to go to wegmans". i get the vibe from the shoppers/shopping there that they feel like they are shopping at the best place. so i let them. i'll get what i know is on sale from where i want, not sheepishly toss stuff in a fancy cart because they told me it's a good price.
just my opinion of course.
j

[Kulis]

also, i'll say this as un-pc as it probably is. if you are ok with shopping somewhere else, (somewhere not as "classy") then you probably won't "have to go to wegmans". i get the vibe from the shoppers/shopping there that they feel like they are shopping at the best place. so i let them. i'll get what i know is on sale from where i want, not sheepishly toss stuff in a fancy cart because they told me it's a good price.
just my opinion of course.
j

I totally agree with this.
Here's my observation about the people in my corner of the world: While some people shop Wegmans because they believe it has the best prices or the best quality or the best whatever, most of the people that shop there do so because they can say they shop at Wegmans rather than at some less glamorous grocery store. They even boast about buying the store brand there! Ironic, I know.
We sometimes go "out to dinner" at Wegmans. They have $6 meals that include an entree and two sides. Some are really good; some are just good. It's kind of cafeteria style, so it's not as stressful as taking my 5yo to a sit down restaurant.

[jis]

They even boast about buying the store brand there! Ironic, I know.
We sometimes go "out to dinner" at Wegmans. They have $6 meals that include an entree and two sides. Some are really good; some are just good. It's kind of cafeteria style, so it's not as stressful as taking my 5yo to a sit down restaurant.

great points.
the generic thing is just hilarious. it epitomizes what wegmans is about. if a neighbor came over and asked me for five pounds of sugar (bad example, but you get where i'm going), and i handed them a tops brand, they'd probably toss it in the garbage on the way back to their house. if it were a wegmans brand it'd be no problem lol. it's still a no name brand. im sure someone who liked a lot of their stuff would say it was because wegmans makes good things, not that their name makes things taste good. oh well.
the $6 thing is relatively healthy, fast enough and can be tasty. (for the most part).
the Indian/Chinese by the pound thing is very opposite (taste aside). at like 8$ a pound, the carton alone almost costs a dollar. (literally, and i'm not sure how this is even accepted).
anyway. i've read on this board that at least one Wegmans accepts Tops dollar doublers, which if mine did, i'd shop at far more often but only in 15$ orders lol.
btw, in a pinch, i'm very ok with their 99c tomato basil pasta sauce lol but i wouldnt pay full name brand for it over classico or whatever.
j

[Kulis]

It isn't my intention to truly criticize Wegmans. It's not a bad store.
You've gotta give them credit for successful marketing, etc. They portray themselves as the creme de la creme of grocery stores, and they've got most people believing that they are. In my experience, their customer service is top notch.
I like Wegmans; it's just not worth my while to do my regular shopping there.

[tealover]

Just spotted this thread, thought I'd throw in that if you like cheese you should avoid the place!

I like cheese, when they opened round here I was amazed, they had all crazy kinds & types, they even had some of the more obscure stuff from England (where I am from). Well to cut a long story short, it was costing me about $20 a trip in cheese before I had to cut myself off!

Fruit is great there, freshest of anywhere I've been. Milk is usually the cheapest of any store around here, if I'm passing I'll always grab a couple of gallons.

On another note, sorry to generalize, but it seems that most of the people that shop there think they are way better than anybody else. It could be my location, but nowhere else round here have I ever had this feeling! I think I have seen somebody couponing there maybe once!