I live in Melrose and shop here often, abusive front end woman not sure if she's a manager or supervisor but screams at me everytime I go to self checkout and there is literally no line with multiple registers open. She is fixated on the 15 item limit when it's not even busy. Her verbal abuse is harassment and she shouldn't deal with the public. I believe her name is Linda, no wonder the staff is miserable. read more

Great for when you forget a few items and need a grocery store that has everything. Good self checkout and cash registers. I will return read more

My go-to store for colossal shrimp and organic pasture raised eggs. When there are deals on the Haagen Daaz brand ice cream I stock up the cart. Check the Just For U account for hidden deals. Never ran into issues at checkout. I took off a star because the Trimona Bulgarian Yogurt is double the price versus other stores nearby. Update 03/16/2022: Upgrading back to 5* since it can't be a coincidence that the Trimona Organic Grassfed Bulgarian Yogurt is now $5.49 versus $10 since my review posted. read more

See all

I enjoyed my shopping experience at their Wakefield grocery store. The prices have increased and it would be best for management to stay competitive with other competitors. I used their self checkout which I prefer. The only issue is the medium to small table to place scanned items. Never experienced an issue with the screen freezing like another competitor. The area is kept clean too. The bottle return room outside had some issues with water accumulating near the machines and trash overflowing. One water beverage container was not accepted even though this product is sold there. I have tried the Melrose location but same issue. read more

Usually a good experience, until today. I entered the open, warm, and inviting entrance to Melrose Shaws only to be screamed at repeatedly by an employee. Well, I assume this belligerent and wall-wart fellow is employed by the great and clearly absently parented people of Shaws, as no identifiable clothing or name tag was worn by this unknown assailant. It soon became clear that the reason for his hectic vocal outburst, teetering on the edge of drunken incoherence was due to me, a hungry pedestrian, unknowingly entering a wide open automatic double door to enter the facility; his domain. The 'employee', or as I like to call him 'future civil lawsuit', managed to continue his raucous vocal stillbirths while reversing a small motorized personal relocation device. During this motorized rampage he managed only two words, "OTHER DOORS!!". Although only two words they were soon stacked upon each other, rapidly multiplying in repetition, volume, and amplitude, despite my recognition, a nod, and mild confusion, a misstep, all in response to his unparalleled level of pure anger. This communication, or bark of a small scared mammal, was further confused by the sheer lack of available visual cues, ie a sign, a closed door, an employee in uniform, or someone who can manage to speak without developing vocal fry. I had stepped before the king of doors and today was my judgement day. It must be understood that I had at first assumed this crudely draw character was an in-firmed or otherwise disable customer returning their motorized buggy. Although I don't believe the unnamed, and clearly lonely man should be terminated due to his inability to function as a normal human, I do believe Shaws should invest in a series of courses for him. I would humbly suggest that anger management be first, followed by one on casual and basic conversation, and then place setting. read more

The area around this store is poorly maintained. One can only image how poorly maintained their back rooms are. Shaw's prices are high, but they don't reinvest in keeping the area atl round them neat. Look at these pictures. These conditions are like this year round and this year, there were no snow storms where plows could have accounted for this. The shopping cart corral pushed into the middle of the side walk is a nice touch. read more

See all

Bought deli meat and opened package and of course it was the Shaws Pride of customer service SWEATY AND OLD DISGUSTING DELI MEAT I threw it out!! Despite having an expiration date 2 days from date of purchase. Well, the produce must be better? NOT 90% of all pre packaged produce was either date of expiration and expired by a day or Two. Please let there be Muffins. I took the plunge, and they were tasteless buns of cake. I know it is tough for the cashiers to smile and now I know why they are not. Avoid this store if you can. read more

While I was shopping, I thought that I suddenly died and was in a depth of hell because of how loud they have the self check out now. They've clearly turned them up ratio wise 100% from what they were before. The echoing of the loud self checkout voice coming from multiple units is anxiety triggering and really ruins your focus to enjoy the shopping experience. I went to this grocery store to sustain my life. I came out feeling dead with a headache. Also, the prepackaged kiwis were moldy and avacados were mush. Beyond gross to pick up. The young front of house crew was kind and great workers. read more

Adding a star for recent improvements. 1. Self-check out has drastically decreased lines and the machines are pretty stable. 2. I've seen evidence of making sure the cashiers know what the produce is. The produce test is absolutely adorable. 3. The produce section has been reorganized for better flow and they have increased their variety of produce available. You can definitely find plantains now and several other "uncommon" fruits/vegetables and cheeses. 4. The international food section seems to be expanding. I can't give five stars since there are still produce quality issues. I'm not sure if it's the supplier, shipper, or stockers but it seems (in the warmer months especially) the produce is not refrigerated properly and it shows. It can also appear pretty beat up at times. And there are still some lingering availability issues I've experienced with things like green beans, zucchini, and brussel sprouts at off peak times. read more

So overpriced for really terrible selection and quality. I go out of my way not to shop here.

Went there today for steak tips. The packages in the meet refrigerator was not what I needed. I asked the assistant manager and he went to the meat department and they packaged me steak tips The assist manager was awesome and the meat department was great especially Tim. I appreciate that they took a minute when they didn't have to and helped me out. read more

Leaving Shaws feels to me like I imagine people leaving a casino after losing a bunch of money. Poorer, unsatisfied and ashamed of your decision to go there in the first place. But being that it is a 2 minute drive, 5 minute walk from my house, on the other hand, it is the world's best convenience store read more

Lived in Melrose most of my life and this used to be a place I went to get food. Well I'll tell you that due to many set backs from this place, I will not be returning. I thought Stop n shop was pricey. Then I realized this place flip flops on prices daily. It's insane the amount of things you see for less elsewhere. When Whole Foods has cheaper prices, that's a problem. This should be competitive. I guess it's the location and perhaps the increasing rent prices but it's getting to a point where this store has become outdated. Always dark in there, old floor and dim lighting. Meat department is barren. Self checkout is a nightmare. The machines are in need of a serious update. You can't place a bag down without it going haywire. Employees are definitely underpaid and do not care. They will barely engage. There is a 95 percent chance you will not have a bagger. Organic section looks pretty compared to the rest of the store, prices are twice of WF. Insane. Anything positive? If you want your charliecard filled, you can go there and uh what else, oh yeah, walking out. AVOID read more

Of all the food stores I've shopped at , these are the most miserable and laziest employees I've encountered. When cashing out , they wait for you to bag your own groceries. Then they don't have the decency to say thank you. You would think with their prices , they could hire a few people with personalities. read more

Why does this store still exist? It is the closest store to my home so now and then I think I will give them another chance and see if they have improved, or hop in to get just 1-2 items. Well - this place sure has not improved. I was happy to see that self check-out is back at the store, until I used it. It is simply awful and keeps thinking you have things on the scale that you do not. An employee is constantly running around unlocking the stupid system. Self check-out at CVS, Stop & Shop, Target and other places works just fine, and is not a disaster like here. Then there are the prices of course. They charge more than Whole Foods for a lot of items. Things like the yogurt and eggs that I regularly buy are a couple of dollars cheaper at Whole Foods, let alone Market Basket! Then there are the employees. Just how badly does this company treat its employees for them to be that surly and unhelpful? Employees at any other store are friendlier and better trained. Yeah I give up with this place. Will continue shopping in Market Basket for basics and Whole Foods for the extras. read more

Just awful. Produce quality is awful. Every that is not in a sealed bag is wilted and mushy. For years, I can never find a fresh bell pepper, parsley, green onions, etc. I have complained before, no action. I live 5 minutes away and only shop here when I am desperate. For the bulk of my grocery shopping, I travel 30 minutes on the highway to Market Basket in Woburn. Today, the clerk was in a bad mood and was just throwing things in randomly the bag without care. I finally said something when threw a bag of heavy carrots on top of ltwo bags of lettuce. I was so disappointed with the service and produce selection. read more

See all

They sold me some very, very bad mussels tonight! Will not be getting seafood from there again.

I come here and usually make a beeline to the produce section for blueberries, blackberries, or raspberries or the dairy section for Greek yogurt. The produce section is decent, though I have seen some blackberries get moldy (prolly from sitting out too long), so you might wanna look through each batch carefully when you buy some. I've come here fairly frequently with my family for years and solo during the pandemic because my usual spots for groceries are all in Boston (it's not worth the hike out to town for things I could easily grab locally). Shaws can be a bit pricy so if you are able to, sign up for their coupon program (Justforyou) to earn some points and with ibotta (or some other rebate program, ibotta is kinda slow to be honest) to maximize value/return. It seems that you can use both entrances again (they only let people use the entrance away from the cash registers for much of the pandemic). Decently run and organized store, I think it's decent if you need to get produce, snacks, or dairy products. read more

Prices here are VERY high compared to other grocery stores. I have a pretty set routine and shopping list I run through for my weekly shopping trip. I typically hit about $110 / week at the Stop and Shop in Medford (on my way home from work). One day I ran through the same list here and the total came in at almost $160. I bought slightly more than normal, but even accounting for that you are basically paying about 40% more at Shaws. Parking is also a pain in the a** I basically only come here if I need a few quick things that I ran out of or forgot on my weekly grocery trip. read more

I like Ocean Spray Unsweetened Pure Cranberry juice at breakfast, but Milady likes Ocean Spray Lite Cranberry. Both usually available here at Shaw's Melrose. On Tues., after the holiday weekend, both were out. Checked again yesterday. Still out? Well, Shaw's has the same trick (?) as many other markets. If they're out of an item, they move over stock from the next item to prevent gaps on the shelf. So, I needed to read the fine print on the labels at the edge of the shelf to confirm 1) yes, this is where it should be, and 2) they must be out of stock. Even worse, Shaw's has a new trick. The place an "out-of-stock" label OVER the product label, hiding the product name. Makes it even harder to find the correct spot on the shelf, where the product should be. Finally, I knew that Shaw's carries Knudsen pure cranberry. I found it quickly. $7.99 per quart bottle, unit cost $173.70 per gallon, per shelf label. Wait a minute, can that be right?? No, of course not. 4 quarts in a gallon, correct unit cost is 31.96 per gallon. Still twice as expensive as Ocean Spray. Sigh. Supply chain and trucking problems are here for a while, and Shaw's can't (entirely) control that. But they can treat customers with respect. Don't hide outages. And do the math. read more

While waiting for someone to pick up groceries here I played a game. Look at everyone entering and what demeanor they are in and everyone leaving. The people going in seam pretty normal, often happily chatting to whoever is with them. The people leaving are tired, depressed and have expressions of despair as if the store ate away at a little bit of their life. I do sometime still shop here as it is convenient but try to limit my exposure. The checkout is always slow, the food is okay and the prices are high. read more

Without a doubt, the Melrose Shaw's is the worst grocery store in the WORLD. Idiotic, slovenly-dressed staff, outrageously high prices and a very annoying system for those of us who want to check ourselves out with reusable bags make each and every shopping experience here pure hell. If you do choose self-checkout so as not to have to deal with said idiotic staff, you have press a "skip bagging" button for each item and then, of course, the machine gets confused and thinks you're shoplifting. Apparently the geniuses who designed these relatively new self-checkout stations never heard of the word "sustainability." I had a hideous encounter with two teenage cashiers three weeks ago who couldn't handle a couple of awkward, simultaneous problems. The bigger issue was that they clearly weren't trained to handle any customer service glitches. Teaching the employees to say, "I'm sorry," would be a good start. We'll worry about the extent to which they chat with one another and ignore customers at some other point in time. The other problem I see with all Shaws in general is a complete lack of staff. I have no idea how they're even staying afloat in this economy. Top, top prices and zero employees on the registers - probably not the best business strategy. I'm thinking it's cheaper to go to a restaurant than to shop here. read more

I've spent lots of time in various Shaw's stores over the past few years. I find that this Shaw's is one of the better stores that I've been to. The store is small enough so that I can run in to grab what I need and be out in a pretty short period of time. The store is clean, the one issue is that it can be difficult to find close parking on weekends. However, it's the greater Boston area, so this is the case most places. There are better stores - I typically shop at Wegmans and Trader Joe's. Despite this, I live nearby and this is honestly a pretty decent place to come for basic needs when you don't have time to run out of Melrose. read more

Decent grocery store in the area if you don't want to spend your entire paycheck at Wholefoods several blocks away. Employees are nice, easy returns, and quick check out lines. Join the mymixx app to get further discounts and sometimes free items too (so far I got free peanuts, smartfood popcorn, cereal). Special review for the cart attendant, Dan, on Sunday (8/21/16 around noon). Aside from taking care of my toddler, I was also pushing a cart full of groceries. He asked me, not once, but three times, if I needed his help unloading the groceries. Parking is tricky because the lot in front is always packed. Try using the side streets or the lot behind the store. read more

So this Shaw's loses a star for the size of the supermarket and another for the front end staff. The store gains a point for being a downtown location (which almost forgives it's size), one for being clean, and one for the general store staff. The small size means it isn't really a full-service grocery store, and sometimes you have to make due without something more obscure or high-end, but it is a cute and clean store (I assume the renovation a few years ago helped). It's way better than the Star Market in my neighborhood and a hell of a lot more convenient to the BF's house than the Foodmaster (and nicer than FoodDisater too!). read more

I used to HATE this Shaw's. I still do a little - the location is hell. Along a one way street? Crummy parking!? UGH. BUT - they remodeled it 4-5 years ago now and it's a lot nicer inside. I used to call the place GHETTO but now it's not so bad. They pulled the whole "Whole Foods" vibe on the inside. Not bad. OK prices too... read more

This is solid choice for people who live in Melrose. Positives: clean, we'll organized, decent selection, staff is nice and they have tasty fish at a reasonable price. Negatives: it is difficult to get help at the fish counter. The self checkout line almost never works properly. Here is some advice for the Shaws chain: please stop wasting our time with dumb games at check out. read more

Shaw's would like to think they're a boutique grocer in Melrose but they fail miserably. Prices are ridiculously high, produce is terrible and store is poorly designed. Only thing I ever go there for is a package of dinner rolls. Otherwise, avoid. read more

The employees are very kind, attentive and helpful. It's small but pretty decent place to go for basic needs when you don't have a lot of time, sometimes can be overpriced unless they are on sale. The parking is ok and the place is clean. read more

See all

Shaws use to have good prices, but since they were bought out... their prices have skyrocketed. I do not shop there anymore, they are even more expensive than stop and shop. read more

Shaw's - Grocery Near Me - Melrose, Massachusetts

Prices are high, even compared with Whole Foods which is right down the street. Produce is rarely fresh, and the meat (steak, chicken etc.) is often spoiling on the shelf. For the meat that is still fresh, it's often cut to thin to grill or make an effective dish with. I'm giving them 3 stars because they're convenient, and there are often sales on ice cream and other non-perishables that are competitively priced. But if you're not in a pinch, there are better supermarkets to be had within 5 miles. read more

Yuck.... I go to this store constantly since it is right down the road but I literally have to check every item because the majority of the stuff on the shelves is expired....the only time they have a sale seems like when things are old and about to go bad....they never have anyone to bag so I feel like a worker there bagging my own groceries.....the staff is mixed....some are so ignorant...I saw one kid literally weigh one banana because a lady gave one to her child prior to checkout however I thought they had a free fruit giveaway thing for kids???? I bought chicken that was supposed to be marinated and as far as I thought marinated meat would be cut and cleaned....I found so many "fatty vein type things" I threw it away read more

place is not clean, prices are much higher then stop shop and produce is awfull the check out counter . workers kinda strange not really freindly rather rude over all i wont be going back there. read more

This place is OK for when you quickly need one or two things. But the prices are insane & i have bought EXPIRED food over 4 times from this Shaw's location. So double check when buying food from any department (I've purchased expired salad dressing & other snacks like chips and crackers). Overall, probably just stay away from this place & go to Market Basket a few minutes down the road in Reading. read more

no fried chix at 7pm shaws sucks. i guess they dont think people eat dinner after 6pm shaws is pathetic read more

BEWARE SHOPPING AT ANY SHAW'S DELI COUNTER THIS WEEK. The front page of this week's flyer lists $2.00 OFF a pound of Primo Taglio Meat and $1.00 OFF a pound of Primo Taglio Cheese. But make sure you look at the condition pointed in 4 pt type at the bottom of the ad - "must buy 1 lb." I didn't see the notice and only discovered the condition when I ordered a half pound each of cheese and meat. When I found this out, I declined to purchase both items. At that point, the deli man tried to shame me into buying the items telling me they would otherwise have to be destroyed. That was a LIE, because the items had never even reached me led alone left the store (it's unsealed products that are returned AFTER leaving the store that are destroyed). True, I did not see the condition in fine print. But I did not see it because I was not looking for a condition, and I was not looking for a condition because NEVER IN MY FIFTY PLUS YEARS OF SHOPPING HAVE I EVER WITNESSED A SUPERMARKET CHAIN IMPOSE A MINIMUM WEIGHT PURCHASE TO OBTAIN A SALE PRICE ON A CUT TO ORDER DELI ITEM. Read my words carefully. I am not objecting to the traditional discount for a bulk purchase, e.g. "hamburg $2.99 a pound, 3 pound minimum purchase". I am objecting to the institution of this practice at the deli counter which is entirely a different matter. It's time to stop this practice now, at its incipient stage. If you feel as I do, you can call Shawls complaint line at 877-276-9637. WE DON'T NEED SHAWS AS A 2019 VERSION OF 1984'S BIG BROTHER IN OUR LIVES, DICTATING WHAT WE CAN PURCHASE AT THE SALE PRICE WHEN WE SHOP AT THE SHAW'S DELI COUNTER.IT'S NEVER HAPPENED BEFORE SO WE NEED TO STOP THIS PRACTICE NOW. ASK THE QUESTION: WHY SHOULD A CUSTOMER HAVE TO SHOP WITH HIS/HER BACK TO THE WALL WHEN SHOPPING AT SHAWS? read more

The food is not good. They robbed me one time I spent $50 and got NO monopoly tickets. Then I had a free movie ticket on monopoly.com and the corporate took it away for no reason. I sent 4 emails,no response,so ignorant. Won't be back! read more

Every single time I come to this store I am overcharged for something. Every time. I'm not exaggerating.

When they're having a sale, the prices are okay. But for the most part, this store is very overpriced. The produce department doesn't seem to have the best or freshest selection but they're okay if you're in a pinch. In a nutshell, the quality of the food is not worth the high prices you're paying . The deli counter - dear lord, they run on two speeds. Slow and Slower. Some of the deli workers are just plain rude on top of being super slow so that's a nice little double whammy as you're standing in line waiting.....and waiting......and more waiting.... And parking sucks. read more

So nice to live close to a grocery store that has almost everything I need. Super convenient.