I've shopped here several times since it opened as the new store in Strathmore. It has gone downhill quickly. The in-store packaged meat is always plastic wrapped so poorly that everything drips blood and juices on your hands and there is nothing available to wipe it off, like tissues or antibacterial wipes. There are no small bags to place it in either, so it goes directly into the cart, wet. You are supposed to follow safe handling instructions when you cook meat, but go ahead and get juices all over yourself, your other food, your wallet and the checkout pinpad while you shop.
A lot of the packaged bakery products have short expiry dates compared to other stores. Often you have only two days before expiry so if you aren't feeding an army you will be throwing most of it out either stale or mouldy. The packages of bakery products must get rifled through by people looking for fresher items because it is usually a mess with items toppled over, piled up seemingly tossed back on the shelf, any shelf. Do the staff check on the racks or just rely on the suppliers to organize when they stock the shelves? Oh, but you can get a free cookie. Never tried it, never will.
Sale items are often not available at all or in minimal quantities. It gets old fast when you have to ask for a rain check the second day of the sale. The produce and meat sections have been changed up several times already too. I don't want to hunt for things that were in one place the last time I shopped but now are playing hide and seek. My time is valuable. Please source tomatoes from more than the single producer in Redcliff. Nice to support local but they are not the best tasting and the only other option is one type of organic tomato at double the price. Sheesh.
There is a self-checkout that is seldom used, which is nice, as the cashiers are the surliest bunch I've ever seen and they seem to prioritize conversation over getting you through and on your way. I do not need to hear your personal stories, I have my own life, job, family and friends. And I suppose the unmanned row of several checkout stations are there just in case the only one that is open breaks down.
There are other options and Edgefield Co-op needs to step it up to keep my business. I will give it another try in the future, and will be shopping elsewhere in the meantime. read more
