I go to this grocery store very frequently because...
Produce:
You can get a wide variety of regular and organic produce and some unusual things like Thai eggplant and weird fruit I've never heard of or seen anywhere else. Everything is always fresh, and I've never seen produce that was over-ripe or just about to spoil.
Wine:
An extensive collection for a grocery store.
Spices:
Not incredibly varied, but there are some less common ones like saffron and alum.
International Ingredients/Brands:
Definitely more than you'll find at Safeway or Giant. Broken up into Thai, Central American, Jewish, and Chinese/Japanese/Korean.
Samples:
There are usually tasty deli and/or fruit samples. A girl on a budget has got to get her snack on somewhere!
Non-food Items:
Beyond the usually cleaning supply and pet sections, there's not much. There isn't a face cleanser section in the small toiletries area, so I wouldn't run there to stock up on bathroom supplies.
Prices:
Apparently Harris Teeter is more expensive than other chains (besides Whole Foods, of course), but it's also much nicer looking and has better produce.
Facilities:
Spacious, clean, and up-to-date. I think it's a little hard to navigate because there aren't large, visible signs and the organization is a little illogical (why put prepared tomato sauce in one aisle and then canned tomatoes and tomato paste in another?).
Service:
It's usually a little hard to find someone to help you, but they are very helpful once you do. Today I couldn't find an unusual ingredient I needed, and five staff members tried to locate it for me! I ended up checking out and was about to go when one of the staff members brought the product to me. I went to get back in line to pay for it, but the cashier told me to take it for free! How nice of them. Plus, I forgot my VIC card and don't have a telephone number connected to it, so the manager came over and plugged in a code for me that helped me save ten dollars. Great people working there today.
Parking:
There is free parking (you don't have to get it validated) in an underground garage, and there are always plenty of spaces. People who said parking is tight might not be great parkers - I have an SUV and parked next to another SUV and had plenty of room. read more