January 26, 2012; the day that Bottom Dollar Food stores opened in the Pittsburgh area. I passed by the Great Southern Shopping Center store in Bridgeville almost everyday, with the countdown to grand opening sign in the parking lot. I couldn’t wait to see what this store had to offer, and how they would stand up to the bigger grocery store chains in the area, such as Giant Eagle, Shop n Save and Walmart.
I began receiving $10 off $20 order coupons in the mail, along with their circular advertising prices when using their Membership card. I was shocked to see name brands at low prices, and finding out they also accept manufacturer’s coupons. I was expecting this store to be more like Aldi, which doesn’t accept coupons, doesn’t have a membership card, and doesn’t carry many name brands. I was surprised, and happy, to see that Bottom Dollar Food is different.
The grand opening was on Thursday, but I decided to wait until Saturday at 8 a.m. to walk in and check things out. There was a good amount of people heading in as well, but nowhere near the crowds that I had seen on TV for Thursday’s opening.
While walking in the door, I was greeted by a friendly employee, asking if I had my membership card. Thankfully, I saved time and signed up online for one, printing a temporary card to use in the store until my plastic card came in the mail. I grabbed a bright orange cart and began my venture throughout the store.
To the left by the entrance, I noticed a large, cooler room which carried fresh produce. I liked this feature, and many other grocery stores do not have a “walk in cooler” such as this one. The second thing I noticed as I walked in was the number of employees at the cash registers, all seeming very friendly and welcoming. It’s nice to see several checkout lanes open, instead of only one or two.
My first purchase was four 3 lb rolls of ground beef, on sale at 99 cents per pound when using my membership card. They have a limit of 4, but I only paid $12 for 12 lbs of meat. Granted, it was only 73% lean ground beef, and definitely not the kind I would use for hamburgers, but it will work nicely in tacos, sloppy joes, or even a special treat for my dog. That’s a great deal, and also great to break down and freeze into 1 lb portions.
The next purchase that caught my eye in the ad, that was on my list, was the 12 packs of Coke products for $2.48. Normally, the cheapest they can be found is $3 each in this area. It was nice to pick up a fridge pack of Sprite at this low price.
While walking around, I made sure to make note of the cleanliness, variety, selection, and displays of the store, knowing I wanted to come back home and write about this store, so others will know what to expect. Even though any new business is going to be clean looking, it’s nice to see that all of the shelves were perfectly stocked, the meats were displayed nicely in the cases, and the aisles were big enough to walk through when other people were in them.
Included among the other purchases I made during my trip was a box of Shake n Bake for chicken for $1.63, a bag of generic brand frozen French fries for $1.98, and a large chuck roast for around $6. My total was $26, and after using my $10 off coupon, I only paid $16 for all of those items. After checkout, I received a $4 off $45 purchase Catalina coupon to use toward my next shopping trip. When I come back, I also know that if I find a lower price elsewhere on the same product, Bottom Dollar Food will match it and beat it by 1 penny! Great deal!
Bottom Dollar Food is like Aldi in this way, that they recommend you bring your own bags to bag your groceries. I like this feature, because I know plastic and paper bags aren’t being wasted. If you don’t bring your own, or forget to, you may purchase their reusable bags for a small fee, or use boxes on the counter to put your groceries into.
I’m looking forward to going back and using the other $10 coupons during the specified dates on the coupons. The way the economy is right now, it’s hard not to shop at stores like Bottom Dollar Food, and find great grocery deals for you and your family. I know I will be shopping there on a regular basis, in addition to Giant Eagle for certain items. I highly recommend stopping by one of the many Bottom Dollar Foods in the Pittsburgh area, and seeing what deals you can find.