Harris Teeter

Almost my favorite grocery store. First and foremost, almost everyone that works here is about as nice as they can be. If you ever spot Richard, who bags and grabs carts, make sure you talk to him. He’s enough to keep you coming back. Now, the store is always clean and well stocked. If there is something not on the shelf, you can ask and they’ll probably find it for you. The produce is almost always very fresh. The selection of items is pretty good, but some specialty items won’t be found. All in all, best grocery store in the area, hands down.

You can tell that Kroger has taken over at this Harris Teeter. Unfriendly cashiers, one even complained «Where did all these people come from?» — while we were standing at the register!
Otherwise, the store is a normal, clean HT.

I’m new to the area and initially was going to bypass Harris Teeter because of the font on their sign. I know, lame. But I hate fonts that look like Comic Sans and it’s a little too close for my liking. When I see it on a business, my thought immediately is «hmm… so this is the best they could offer?» and walk away. I’m glad I let go of that anti-​font bias and walked into Harris Teeter. It’s clean, hasn’t been busy the times I’ve gone, and the employees are super nice.
While some of the prices are a little high, being most recently from South Florida, they haven’t completely thrown me for a loop. Sure, I often find myself going in specifically for a handful of things and walking out with a full cart, but I always feel like I get my money’s worth– especially when you time sales well and are willing to venture from your usual brands. For example, today I bought two boxes of a different brand of pasta than I usually buy (but needed to get two boxes anyhow) and got three more boxes for free. Pair that with BOGO Pasta sauce for the days I’m too lazy to make my own and we have a winner. Usually I just cruise the aisles for whatever deals I can find, assess whether it makes sense to buy something like five boxes of pasta, and go from there. If you’re into planning, the e-​VIC option is super helpful, and I LOVE how green the store is– I don’t even have to print out my coupons since they’re right on my VIC card. Brilliant. Today I saved $ 68 before coupons, and I feel that despite walking out the door spending $ 120, I got my money’s worth.
Of the local stores that I’ve been in so far, I’m thrilled with how nice the vegetables look and how long they last in my house. When it’s been a week since I’ve gone shopping and I can still eat the extra grapes I bought on sale, I’m sold. Now I also know that there are tons of farmers markets and farm stands around, and once I learn more of the area will primarily rely on them for my in-​season produce, but it’s nice to know I can just head to Harris Teeter and find what I need and not be disappointed by it.

I was lingering on 4 stars for a while because the prices are higher than neighboring grocery stores. Despite the lack of local produce, I settled on five stars because of the value. It is the same reason people go to Starbucks instead of Dunkin’ Donuts. Even though both stores offer Starbucks generally offers a heightened experience through better customer service and atmosphere. Harris Teeter offers the same.
Also, if you are a good planner and wait for their weekly specials to cycle through to the items you usually eat and combine them with manufacturer’s coupons (which they double) then you can match or beat the competition.

There are at least three different grocery stores in my immediate area, and more times than not, I find myself at Harris Teeter. The store is laid out well and they carry almost anything you could expect of a grocery store.
Some of the things I like about this store is that it is clean — noticeably clean — and I appreciate that in a grocery store. Another is the seafood and meat counters — I frequently purchase sashimi grade tuna from their counter and have yet to be disappointed as it has always been very fresh and flavorful.
Why not 5 stars? Although the produce section is good, we will often go to the local farmer’s market to get fresh veggies that we don’t find here. The beer & wine section is very good for a grocery store, but again, I find myself going to a competing grocery store for a better selection of craft and local beer.
Harris Teeter is definitely not the cheapest store in the area, but I feel they are competitively priced for the items they offer and the atmosphere they keep within the store. My 11 year old son even likes to go grocery shopping with his mom because there is a Starbucks in the store (he likes to go get a hot chocolate and flirt with the ladies).
Overall, I’m very much a fan of the store and will continue to shop with them.