Sobeys

The Russell Lake Sobeys was one of 3 new Sobeys that opened fairly close to each other in Dartmouth around 2008/​09, with Tacoma and Penhorn being the others. Even though this one is the longest distance away from me, it has been my regular Sobeys store for a while now. I like it here. Why?
First, in the early days it was as if I was the only customer. That has changed somewhat since, but even now the parking lot usually is easy in, easy out, unlike the madness that is Tacoma, for instance. This store is not as large as some of their other new ones, but that is OK for me. Even though their assortment is not as large as other places, it has everything I want, and they usually are not slammed on specials so things are almost always in stock. It has a nice bakery, though I miss Randy the baker, who was a real character. I find the staff friendly and helpful, especially the deli and ready-​to-​eat dept. crew. I have come to recognize some of the cashiers and most are pretty friendly and nice.
When Sobeys opened their Wyse Rd store it was so close to where I live that I switched allegiances, but that store quickly drove me away with poor shopping experiences. So now I am back to the RL store, and don’t mind driving a little out of my way to go there. They do a good job.

This Sobeys is alright. Still a moderate sized natural foods department but lacking a bit on some of the selection for vegans. They do offer Sol Cuisine, plant milks, Nature’s path cereals, and more.

For a Sobeys it’s not a bad store. A little cluttered and the layout isn’t very similar to other stores. The store itself is a bit far from me and there’s nothing special about it so there’s no reason for me to make a special trip to come here.

Not all Sobeys stores are created equal, maybe they should be. This is my least frequently used Sobeys store, mainly because I’m not in the area very often so not as convenient.
I’m okay with this store, being smaller it may not have as large a selection but generally I can find the basics I need. They also tend to have a decent supply of the specials for the week.
Honestly, the checkout experience can be hit or miss on any given day at any given store on any given day. It’s not a deal breaker for me if the cashier doesn’t have personality plus. What is most important is that my purchases are put through quickly and accurately. No matter where I shop I try to keep an eye on the purchases as they go through because once in awhile even the best of us can make an error.

As one of the newer Sobeys on the scene, this is a weird one. While all the others are being built with tons of space, sprawling aisles, and room to breathe, this one seems to have been built based on the older model… and that makes me confused.
Before even visiting, I had high hopes that this grocery store would be a secret weapon against cluttered aisles and rousing games of shopping cart chicken, given that it has been built for a subdivision that hasn’t really been finished yet. Unfortunately, the old school layout and organization drove me crazy the two times I tried them out.
Being a regular Sobeys shopper (although I’m not entirely sure why), I should be able to get my bearings pretty quickly in one of their locations, but instead I found myself floundering around the produce section trying to find the non-​organic veggies so that I wouldn’t need a second mortgage to make my soup.
It only got worse from there.
And by ‘it,’ I mean my mood.

Store location is great for me. It is in a relatively quiet section of Russell Lake but easy access from Woodside, Portland Hills and the Circ. Plenty of parking and has other stores (Lawton’s, Kent, All Yoga) close by to interest me.
The store is clean and fairly well organized. I could get into the poor produce offerings but all Sobey’s in my experience suffer the same fate.
Lots of choice around all regular grocery items. They have a pharmacy, natural food and other offerings.
My review is based on a series of shopping outings there. I am a reluctant grocery shopper so any chance for some levity is welcome. I routinely chat while getting during checkout as standing there blankly staring at someone using a scanner seems ridiculous. Do I ask them to recite the first three pages of Pride and Prejudice — no, but a «Hey, how’s it going? Busy today?» conversation kinds keeps the awkwardness at bay and honestly kills time.
So, how was Sobeys? They weren’t terrible but they were not fantastic either. I don’t think management understand that the last impression an individual has is during the check-​out process. So a marginally cordial but completely unenthused staff member just kills it for me. Do I expect a juggling act? Nope, but a smile and at least an attempt to be nice works lots.
See this is why I do self-​checkouts… If the person scanning is not happy — I only have myself to blame.

This is one of the newer grocery stores in Metro — replacing the Sobeys that used to be on Pleasant Street. The four star rating is to recognize that this place is always quieter and more relaxed than the other more well know locations. Even on a Saturday morning at 11:00, there is plenty of room to move through the isles to shop. There is always lots of parking close to the door — and it is close to the 118 for quick and easy access.