The Andersons

i 100% agree
food is a bit more pricey than many places, but the selection and staff are top notch. its great to support local businesses that are actually better than the national chains

I support Andersons because they are local, have some great employees, and are close.

I've had some bad customer service(not often) and paid a little more, but I'll support them.

jim30529 you must be lying about the prices being lower than WalMart because all the fanatics I know say WalMart can’t be beat. ;)

I love me some Andersons. When I first bought my house I was there all the time, especially in the paint department and they always went out of their way to find out exactly what I needed. I remember browsing the area rugs once while waiting for them to mix my paint and I found one that was discontinued so it was marked down from 300 to 30 bucks! Had to pick that up even though it wasn’t what I was really looking for. The wine department can’t be beat either.

Ryan.... They were cheaper than wal Mart on a gallon of primer I had bought, a drill, and even a 12 pack of pepsi...!

Oh I believe you. I have proven things like this to people and they still go to Wally World. I think they are brainwashed, lol.

I agree they are brainwashed... not to mention Wal Mart is not local... Shop

I like shopping at Andersons also. They usually have anything you need if you cannot find it somewhere else. The only thing I won't buy there is paint. I prefer to go to my paint store for that, but other than that I buy anything else there.

As a side note if anyone ever needs precast concrete steps I know owners who have the contract with andersons for them. My dad and a couple friends make them.

What's your thoughts on there Sylvania Food Store?

I love the Sylvania store. That's where I do my major bi-weekly shop. Not cheap, but Meijer brands, and especially Kroger brands take up so much room on their respective shelf spaces that they don't leave hardly any room for variety. Kroger is by far the worst at reduced variety. I hate Krogers. Period. Meijer's meat is generally lousy but their produce selection is hard to beat. So, Sylvania Anderson's has it all, variety, excellent meat and deli, and good produce selection.

the sylvania store is awesome. I wish they would open something like that in central toledo.

downtown!

I like the Andersons well enough. I even worked there for a while. I mostly go to Wal-Mart though because of the wider selection of the types of things I usually buy.

It's true that Wal-Mart is not a "local" company but the employees themselves are local, so there is that to consider. It's not as if the workers are bused in from Arkansas.

"It's not as if the workers are bused in from Arkansas."

no... but the profits sure as hell are bussed out... to Arkansas and China... But if that sits well with you, keep on keepin' on.

I've said it once, i'll say it again. I will not shop at wal-mart.

I made my usual Friday morning rounds this morning.....Wal-Mart, Costco and The Andersons.
For bulk sizes and meats it's Costco all the way. I have not bought any steaks, roasts or ground beef anywhere else since Costco opened.
Wal-Mart because some of the items are the lowest prices. Not all and not all the time but I do save enough to make it worth my while going there.
And lastly The Andersons on Talmadge. My purchases there numbered 12-15 items, including Black Jewell Popcorn, not readily available just everyhwere. I think by far The Andersons is one of the absolute best local busineses in the Toledo area, bar none. One stop I did not have to make?? The dreaded Kroger's, Thank God! Only purchase from them in the last several weeks has been their coffee, which I unfortunatly like....but, it was on sale so I stocked up on it.

FYI- As I have stated before, I'm not a defender of Wal-Mart but out of neeed to save some $$, I do go. Last weekend, the owner of the new LOCALLY MADE AND PRODUCED "Stadium Salsa" was set up in Wal-Mart doing taste samples. I tried it, I loved it and bought some. Was nice to see a LOCAL business promoting in there.

Until they force him to sell his product at ridiculously low prices making it so he can no longer operate.

Just sayin’.

Hey, Ryan, how would Walmart "force" him to sell the product at such low prices?

Couldn't he just say no? Hmmm.......

Sure, and then he would lose being in the biggest monopoly there is. They do it to a lot of vendors, it is common knowledge. Speaking of The Andersons………..

So, Ryan, you agree it is a choice?

Nonetheless, I like Anderson's nursery. They seem to combine good prices, good variety and good quality.

The fact that it is a choice means nothing. Big companies sell their goods at WallyWorld and when forced to meet a certain price it cuts into their profits, resulting in people losing their jobs, period.

Choice means nothing! Yikes! Companies have the right of refusal. What do you think about that right? Does that mean nothing as well?

What do you think of the big companies that CHOOSE to comply with Walmart's pricing?

Your venom is misdirected!

Speaking of the Anderson's, right?

As Ryan stated, Walmart will apply pressure to the companies of the products they sell, forcing them to sell at lower and lower prices. If the company does not comply, Walmart will not sell their products. Now that company has lost one of their biggest outlets to sell their products. Business sense would make you think that you would want your products on the shelves of one the largest stores in America. It's cut throat, it's dirty, and it's bullshit.

They did it to The Andersons, that's why I said that. They screwed them down so far on their fertilizer it caused people to lose jobs.

I've said it once, i'll say it again. I will not shop at wal-mart.

posted by tm2 on Feb 06, 2009 at 01:37:20 pm #
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That makes two of us. Aside from the common 'kills local businesses' argument', I think they sell a lot of junk, plus just plain don't like the way the stores are set up. WaAAAyyyy too huge for me. These old feet don't want stores any bigger than K-Mart.

My one Daughter got me some flannel shirts there (Wally World)a few years ago for Christmas-three or four washings and they were coming apart.

Typical Chinese-made "goods".

They do sell mostly junk, IMO.

On the other hand, there's no place cheaper to regularly buy pop. Which unfortunately I drink. A lot. I'm not a huge Wal*Mart fan -- and yes, I have read all about their contracts with distributors/manufacturers which require that for each fiscal year, the supplier MUST decrease the price of their goods to lower than the price was the year prior -- but yes, I'll make regular stops there to buy a small handful of items that are truly cheaper there than anywhere else.

I want to be a responsible consumer but I also have a budget to keep in mind. I also want value for my money. It doesn't make sense to buy something I want to last a long time from Wal*Mart, because the quality just isn't there. However, for pop which will be gone in 3 days, yeah that makes sense to buy it at the lowest available cost. Sorry Kroger! But you can take your $4.29 for a 12-pack and bite me with it. !!!

Sometimes you just have to think outside your own wallet to realize what is for the best.

Just sayin'.

End all your misery and shop here: www.qvc.com

Support for Wal-Mart is support for low wages. It all comes back to bite everyone in the end. Just sayin.

Most retail jobs pay low wages.

I managed a locally owned specialty store for most of the five years I worked there, from 2000-2005. I started at $7/hr and topped out at $10.

I happen to know someone currently in management for Wal*Mart, locally, and they make over $60K a year.

Few and far between my friend.

Sure. I was just giving one apples-to-apples comparison.

I have to be careful not to share another person's private info here, but let's just say that supporting this particular Wal*Mart manager's salary has the direct result of supporting MY current salary at another small, locally owned business. Her wages have a direct impact on me keeping my current job. (Which is no longer in retail, thank goodness. Retail management is not for the weak! LOL.)

Are you a gigolo?

Ha, no. With apologies to David Lee Roth. ;)

Anderson's deli is top notch! I love to go there for Christmas, too, for their stocking stuffers. Great local business to support. I know one of the Andersons, too. Very nice. Not stuck up or arrogant.

ROTFL

Man I could fill that whole thing if I went to the Wal*mart on navarre.