Sherm's Thunderbird Market provides a great place to shop and good deals on everything from laundry detergent and paper towels to ice cream, fresh produce, and bulk oatmeal. Located in Roseburg, Oregon, it is quite popular with many Douglas County residents, which can be seen by the number of vehicles in the parking lot each time I go there to shop. It is a family-owned supermarket, supportive of the community, and conscientious of its customers. While there are a few things I'd change about it, overall it is an excellent place to shop for groceries for the family.
The store is located in a good place near the central part of Roseburg and is easily accessible from the freeway. Unlike Costco, which Roseburg residents have to drive a few miles out of town to reach, it is more conveniently located for Roseburg shoppers.
If you're looking for good deals on food items, this is the place to shop. Their produce section has a wide variety of fresh vegetables and fruits for some of the lowest prices anywhere in town. Compared to Fred Meyer, another popular store for my family's shopping needs, Sherm's usually beats them in price, not just on the fresh foods, but store-wide. This is the main reason we often choose Sherm's over other local grocery stores.
Sherm's is also willing to tailor to specific customer requests. After talking with a friendly employee stocking apples one afternoon, my dad came home with a highly discounted 25-pound box of "reject" apples that were perfectly edible, except for a few bruises or scars.
This is just one example of the fine people that work at Sherm's. The employees are friendly and helpful. The checkers are especially conversational as you wait in line and always engage with their customers. And the store supports local businesses by selling local products; an example is Umpqua Dairy's ice cream and dairy products. They even sell hand-served cones or dishes of Umpqua Dairy ice cream at the front of the store!
4-H and FFA students are well supported by Sherm's, who buys numerous market animals at the local auctions. Then they market the meat in the store, not to be offensive to those who view this as inappropriate, but to encourage the next generation as they learn how to raise livestock for human consumption. I was a 4-H'er for 9 years and Sherm's owners never failed to participate in every auction held in Douglas County during that time. To me, having a store this big supporting young people and local activities is a huge blessing.
I personally love stores with a large bulk section because I can buy cereals, flour, dried fruits, nuts, candy, and more for much lower prices than pre-packaged items. Sherm's is my favorite place to get bulk foods for this reason. And if I'm worn out after grocery shopping and need a healthy snack for the ride home, there are several varieties of bulk trail mixes to choose from.
One thing I don't care for as much is the cold and drafty atmosphere, with dimmed lighting. But I don't expect a supermarket like this to be quite as nice as Safeway or Fred Meyer. Since Sherm's does not have a clothing section, household furniture, or appliances, and because it is much larger than these other stores, the drafty feeling is somewhat expected.
Another potential drawback to Sherm's is parking close to the store is hard to find during most days. The parking lot is quite large and there is always a place somewhere... you just may have to walk a little ways. For me, this isn't a huge issue, because the prices and outstanding products offered are worth a little walk. And who doesn't need a little more exercise? Since shopping carts are adequately provided, as well as several cart corrals in the parking lot, there isn't much inconvenience getting food to your car or returning carts.
Maybe the biggest downside of this store is bagging your own groceries. There are plastic and paper bags provided in various sizes, but you have to bag items yourself. I have seen checkers helping elderly people, but for the average, able-bodied person, it's all up to you. But I can see how older people could have some difficulty. There are two conveyers at each check stand, so customers can be paying and bagging simultaneously, but if you get behind a person with two carts worth of items and a slow older gentleman with a decent amount of groceries, it can cause delays. This doesn't bother me much, unless I'm in a hurry, but it is something to consider.
Overall, I give Sherm's 4 stars out of 5 for their job in serving Douglas County as a great place for grocery shopping. See you there! read more