Tribeca Whole Foods in Battery Park City

Report: Grocery Stores Overcharge! (Not a surprise here.)

Tribeca Whole Foods in Battery Park City
Tribeca Whole Foods is one of several supermarkets in Battery Park City

More often than not one of the following things happens to me at either one of the Gristedes on South End Avenue:

1. I get overcharged egregiously on a single item.
2. I bring home something that is way past its due date.
3. I do not find what I’m looking for at the supermarket.

So when the New York City Department of Consumer Affairs released a damning study that one out of every two supermarkets were found in pricing and tax violations — it was hardly a surprise.

According to their press release today:

“It’s a supermarket’s responsibility to ensure that its products are accurately priced and its customers are correctly charged, but with half the supermarkets in the City receiving violations, it is clear that they are failing their customers,” said Commissioner Jonathan Mintz, “Because thousands of New Yorkers continue to be overcharged, I’ve directed our inspectors to double the number of inspections in the coming year.”

Pork Chop cost 50cents at Battery Park city Gristedes
Prices are not reliable at Gristedes

Hallelujah!
Dear. Mr Mintz can you send a couple over in our neighborhood? One for each of the Gristedes? This is something Battery Park City residents have been experiencing for years.

Neighborhood resident and Foursquarer Michelle D. had left a tip after checking into Gristedes,

“Lines are long, cashiers are rude, items are almost always scanned incorrectly versus the sticker or sign prices, items are at times spoiled or stale. I hate this place with a passion.”

This frustration over our supermarket reflects a need for fresh and affordable groceries. It isn’t a case of how our needs are not heard — for the addition of the seasonal greenmarket and to some extent the 24-hour fruit vendor on the corner of Albany street often helps, although in a more renegade style. The inspectors may be the type of regulation we need to help to alleviate this situation.

The supermarkets in violation could face more than $380,000 in fines to the City. These violations include inaccurate check-out scanners, lack of prices on individual items, taxation of items that are not taxable, improperly weighed food, and unavailability of scales for customers.

Also according to the report, the most common violation was lack of item pricing, for items without price tags. This immediately brought me back to Gristedes last week when I purchased a bottle of capers for an astounding $4.99 — for a bottle that is usually $1.99. When I asked the cashier if that was the right price, her response was, “yup.”

Some people may just respond, “Go to Whole Foods” or “Order from Fresh Direct,” it doesn’t seem to be the right answer, although these are both options i frequent. For residents who live on South End Avenue it’s a lose lose situation. By virtue of how estranged our neighborhood is, Gristedes wins — in essence cornering the grocery market, at least south of the Marina.

So although I started this piece on how the report was not a surprise — it is still a welcomed acknowledgement. That is, if we can get one of the inspectors up in our neighborhood…

About Lizbeth

Elizabeth has been a resident of Battery Park City since 1985, where she and her sister were beneficiaries of the neighborhood's first school bus stop. She loves to travel, but loves even more to come home. The Battery Park Esplanade is her favorite neighborhood fixture, where you'll often find her soaking up the sun, rollerblading, or simply enjoying the view.

3 thoughts on “Report: Grocery Stores Overcharge! (Not a surprise here.)

  1. I’ve lived here since ’93, so I know how bad the Gristedes really is. When it was really our only option, grocery shopping in BPC was a nightmare. I’m very thankful for the shuttle bus that makes getting to Whole Foods so much easier. Right now our biggest issue in the southern neighborhood is the lack of a good deli. Perhaps when the replacement for JJ opens up life will be a tad easier.

  2. I only go here in emergency situations (ie when it’s raining and I don’t want to walk to WholeFoods.) Not only are things overpriced & wrongly priced, but the selection and quality are sub par as well. Sadly, it’s always busy in there! THank you to the nice fruit guys on the corner and the Green Market on Thrusdays. They are HALF the price of Gristedes and double the positive customer experience!

  3. I genuinely don’t understand why anyone shops at Gristedes. Yes, it’s conveniently located, but the prices are ridiculous, the store stinks of moth balls and rotting garbage, and the food is inedible or close to it. It’s just plain nasty.

Comments are closed.