Students from a business-statistics class…

Food

Students from a business-statistics class at Seattle University conclude farmers’ markets are a better deal than supermarkets. I have a feeling that's not true in my part of Manhattan, but maybe I should try out a little experiment and see. There are four supermarkets within walking distance of the Union Square Greenmarket. It wouldn't be hard to do some sleuthing.

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8 thoughts on “Students from a business-statistics class…”

  3. Only four? I can think of at least 7 (if you go down as far as Bleecker, which is walking distance for me!)–2 Gristedes, Associated, D’Agostino, Food Emporium, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s. I’d guess the greenmarket is nearly equal to the standard grocery store prices, but more expensive than Trader Joe’s. Actually, that Associated isn’t so outrageous either. (Whole Foods is probably more expensive, at least for organic.) Anyway, I hope you do the test–I’d be really interested to see what you find.

  4. Hmm, I’m not familiar with the 2 Gristedes and Associated. I guess there’s a Gristedes down on University, past D’Ag, right? Where are the others?

  5. Wow, maybe it’s just a matter of what you buy. I can get a 5lb bag of potatoes for $1.29 at my grocery store. Wonder what 5lbs of potatoes would cost at Union Sq.
    The thing Farmers Market has going for it is the assumption of quality. Even as a hater against all things more hippy/sustainable, I’m already going to say farmers market probably has better food than say the Dag on University or the supermarket by Beth Israel on 14th st.
    Anyway, anytime you start buying stuff like beef, the supermarket is going to win on a price per pound basis (without regard to quality). Economies of scale wins out for mass produced goods
    Strawberries also strikes me as something that is also insanely expensive at farmers market. Sure, different variety than the standard Driscoll that is at many grocery stores, but man alive… one time I saw a pint of strawberries for $7 dollars at the farmers market at Grand Army Plaza in BK. It’s like $2-$3 for a pound in Chinatown.
    There is a Gristedes on Univ. by 8th st next to BBQ. There’s also one by Mercer St. There’s an associated on Bleeker, but it’s one block away from Houston. Who walks that far for groceries? I guess there’s also fresh direct too.

  6. Yeah, well, I live near Bleecker but I regularly go to the Greenmarket, so I consider the Gristedes at 3rd & Mercer and the Associated on Bleecker walking distance from Union Square. But granted, if you live on 14th, you aren’t going to go to these. The second Gristedes is on University just north of 8th St.
    And don’t you belong to the same CSA that I do (Washington Square)? In which case, these grocery stores are fair game.
    (I know, this wasn’t the point of the post at all. But I still hope you do the price comparison, wherever you go!)

  7. I’ve been contemplating doing a cost comparison between the food I get from the CSA all summer and the comparible cost from the local Stop&Shop (it’s folly to even do it with Whole Foods… the prices would be astronomical anyway, and I may be accused of picking my data to support my argument right? 🙂 Already I’m two pickups in, and I think I’ve eaten over $20 in organic salad greens alone… never mind the turnips, the green onions, and the lettuce. Now that strawberry season is upon us (see the haul from last year) I expect to get at least $100 worth of strawberries from a few hours work! Since my share of the CSA was $240 for the whole summer, it’s a heck of a deal.

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