Heather (and Becci) vs The Harris Teeter

Here in Greensboro, there are no good grocery stores. None. Selection is generally limited and prices are high.

I wish I had a take-back for every time I complained about how pricey Copps was or how dirty Woodmans was because I'd gladly shop either in a heartbeat again.

The most convenient grocery store to our house is The Harris Teeter. (Yes, I refer to it with a capital The. Much like one might refer to The Devil.) It's a southern chain (www.harristeeter.com) and the one near our house it touted to be the nicest around - it has the nickname "Taj MaTeeter". So nice in fact that they are building a nicer, bigger one ("The biggest Harris Teeter ever!" people like to note with glee) right next door to the current one which they will then close down.

It is extremely over-priced ($6 for 5 leeks) with pretty poor selection ("I'm sorry ma'am, we're out of green onions.") and a ridiculous lay-out (the bread aisle is in the produce section and mixed in with your WonderBread is the teeny little selection of peanut butter and jelly products, not to mention that the pimentos are with the canned veggies - not by the pickles) - but the most infuriating thing about it is that it's actually NOT a grocery store.

It is, in fact, a social hour. You walk in the door and it's a total schmoozapalooza - people chit-chatting all over the place, stopping their carts in the middle of the aisle to have an hour long conversation with their NEXT-DOOR NEIGHBOR.

No joke. Just last week I needed to buy a jar of salsa and waited patiently for 5+ minutes while a mom and 4 teenaged girls chatted in front of/completely blocking the salsa selection. Sooner or later, they noticed me waiting there and the mom said, "Oh, ma'am you'll have to excuse us. We had an unexpected reunion here in this aisle. If you need anything you just need to push past us."

Hmmm, right. Trouble is - I can't see what I need BECAUSE YOU ARE STANDING IN FRONT OF IT. Come to think of it lady - the Taj MaTeeter offers a full Starbucks cafe, adjacent to the produce section (not far from the bread!), perhaps you'd be more comfortable adjourning your "unexpected reunion" to one of their tables?

So - we're trying to figure out a way to boycott The Teeter. The other grocery stores aren't much better and they're further away but I'm getting close to a Punch-Out/Throw-Down at The Teeter and I figure it's better to boycott than be banned.

Oh, Woodmans. What I wouldn't give to shop in your dirty produce section again to buy my yellow onions out of a giant cardboard box and dig through your large but dusty spice selection to get my favorite Mexene's Chili Powder. And, Copps, dear Copps, whomever says you're overpriced has never met The Harris Teeter - you go Roundys Corp!