I would give this grocery store 3 stars based upon pricing, but there are other factors that bring it down to an undesirable shopping experience for me (see the end of my post). On the plus side, in comparison to Loblaws or Metro, the pricing here far exceeds both, and I've found that the produce is sometimes fresher here than at Loblaws (just down the road) and sometimes at half the price.
But selection can be tricky. Sometimes they run out of items, which can be frustrating if you're making something and following a recipe. It's a good store for basics (and far fresher produce than Food Basics on St. Laurent), and well, pricing is quite competitive.
As for customer service: I have found that at times staff can be less than polite, sometimes rude - sometimes leaving one to feel as if they are getting in the way of the stocking staff, or, as I've run into a couple of times, I'll ask for help finding something but the person isn't willing to do anything except point and say "should be down there" (even after you've looked high and low 'down there'). I will say though, that my interaction with the cashiers has usually been pleasant and friendly. Loblaws, however, does tend to have more helpful, friendlier staff overall...if you can find them.
One of the biggest pet peeves I have with Freshco though, is security. A few times I've wanted to stop by on my way home and pick up a few items since its closest to my house, only to be stopped by the security guard because I'm carrying a backpack. I have to take my work computer back and forth with me, so if I'm shopping while on my way home I can't 'not' bring it. But the security guards have informed me that backpacks aren't allowed in the store because of the risk of theft. The first time this happened I asked the guard what I could do, and he pointed to a set of lockers where I could leave my bag. Okay, I was a bit hesitant as I work with secure documents, but figured if it was locked up and I wasn't long, it should be fine. But when I discovered that the lockers had no locks on them, I asked the guard about it, and he said, "You have to bring your own lock". Are you kidding me?? You literally have to bring your own padlock in order to secure the bag that they won't let you bring into the store with you?
Yet in the meantime, every other means of bags ARE allowed in the store, including oversized purses, baby strollers with multiple hidden storage pouches, storage bags for carrying groceries, etc. etc. And of all of these, it seems to me that if one wanted to steal items, shoving them into a backpack would be the most obvious of all.
I only ever used their storage lockers once, and that was when an overzealous security guard wouldn't even let me bring my grocery bags (the tote bags you buy to carry groceries) into the store. So I put them in a locker, did my shopping, then was forced to leave my purchases at the checkout while I ran back to the front door to get my grocery bags...only to discover after I got home that - while I was getting my bags - someone else who was going through the lineup stole a couple of my items. Unfortunately I didn't notice until I got home, but even if I had noticed at the checkout, I doubt anything would have been done about it. I stopped shopping there for quite some time because of this, but went back recently for a few essentials that I'd run out of. I still tend will go to Loblaws first, because while it's further to go and I pay more, there's far, far less customer-directed hassles.
I hate shopping at a store that makes you feel like a thief even before you've entered the premises - I've never stolen a thing in my life, and never would - and this store is very good at doing that.
*One final point: I don't have a car, and the setup of the store - placed FAR back from the street, with no sidewalk - is a pain. Whoever rebuilt this shopping area wasn't thinking, as people without cars are forced to walk in the driveway with cars rushing past them to get to the store...very little room, esp in winter, and sometimes dangerous. Not the fault of the store, but overall just very bad planning, esp. in an area where many people don't have, or can't afford, transportation. read more