Safeway Food & Drug

This Safeway is horrible.
Never more than two cashiers open. Wilted produce. Everything is on clearance and has an expiration date of a week or two from when you purchase. You have to check EVERY item. My husband bought mayo a couple weeks ago, then we noticed the expiration date… its already expired! Bought juice boxes for a party for my daughter… got home, and saw they were expired right as I was about to serve them. Bought eggs… expired a day later. Abandoned deli department. Stale bread in the bakery. Does have a decent corner of organic/​natural products, but I don’t buy anything because it will likely expire in the 12 hours after I buy it. We avoid this place unless totally desperate for one or two quick items because it is so close to our home, and then we end up flipping a coin as to who actually has to go. The most depressing market ever… except for the time I went and two of the managers were having Rascal races in the motorized scooters. I should have been annoyed by the lack of professionalism, but it was at least a sign of life in there. Yuck.

The pharmacy department has completely failed in customer service and even giving incorrect information about drug usage over the last three months.
I switched all my business to another grocery chain. Will not shop there again.

This store has a lot of good points and bad points… So I’ll start with the good.
Good:
–Small neighborhood store, so almost never anyone in it, and even when it’s busy, there aren’t that many people there.
–Friendly service, everyone always says hello, and has a smile on their face.
–Store is very clean, never felt that there was a dirty spot (almost to an OCD level of clean, maybe the employees are bored from the lack of traffic?)
–99% of the time they have everything I need in-​stock, and if they don’t, they usually do a few days later.
–Always has carts in the cart holding area by the front door, and very rarely more than just a few out in the parking lot.
–Has a gas station with great prices for 85, 87 and 91
–Has FREE WIFI that covers the entire store (Don’t count on it being super fast though, but it will work for basic needs.)
–Discount using Safeway card
–Parking lot is usually pretty empty, so you can normally get a good spot.
–If you live in Heritage Eagle Bend you can take a «neighborhood vehicle» (aka golf cart) to this shopping center instead of your car, potentially saving on gas.
Now for areas of missed opportunities…
–Always playing horrible country music (PLEASE stop playing country, or at least mix it up and play a little bit of everything). This has gotten to the point of I wear my own headphones (earbuds in at least one ear so I can at least hear things around me).
–Normally only has 1 or 2 checkouts open. I understand this is a low traffic store, but please put in a few self checkouts for those of us that only need 2 or 3 items.
–Gas station doesn’t have E85 or Diesel (and having a diesel this forces me to use the 7 – 11 just up the road)
Overall a good store, but has room for improvement to speed things up a bit.

This Safeway store is big and beautiful. I didn’t buy much here, so I can’t tell you details. It’s pretty much like any Safeway in that regard. They have a larger-​than-​usual Starbucks (for a Safeway store) and nice, clean bathrooms.

All Safeway stores are pretty much identical, and they are my second-​favorite chain after Sprouts for groceries. They consistently have decent staff, clean stores, and a good variety of products. It’s always easy to find what I’m looking for on the fly, which is why this is my go-​to grocery chain. This store offers the same, consistent experience that I’ve found at other Safeway stores, and that experience is consistently good.

I have waited a long time to write this review and finally reached my boiling point. If 0 or negative stars were an option I would select it.
I’ll start by saying the ONLY time I go to this store is if i need something quick as it is only 5 minutes from our house and I would have to drive an extra 10 minutes to get to the next closest (Albertson’s). I pray that this store shuts down and King Sooper’s takes it over. Whoever manages this store should be fired, banned and have their mangers card revoked for life.
EVERY time I go into this store, their is an issue. For those reviewers who say that it is never busy, they are correct. IT IS BECAUSE THIS STORE IS TERRIBLE. However, for as empty as it always is, you are always waiting in line at check out. No self check, and the only lane ever open is an express lane so if someone is there with the week’s groceries, you stand behind them with your one item until they are finished.
There is never anyone at the service desk, EVER.
They advertise fresh bread in the evenings every hour starting at 4pm or it’s free. If you want free bread go in at 4, 5, or 6. Never fresh bread. The last time I went in, the «fresh bread» in the bakery looked and felt like it was a week old. I asked the person at the deli counter (I was actually shocked someone was there) where the baker was and she said they have had some staffing issues and it is not open every day during business hours any longer. I about fell over. A grocery store bakery is only open certain hours during the week???
Now, this happened just a week after I went in to buy some cole slaw for dinner. Looked in the deli counter hoping to get fresh cole slaw and I saw a half a scoop left. Guessing it was a week old, I went over to the prepackaged cole slaw and found a couple containers. Picked them up and started walking to the lovely 1 lane checkout and noticed the date said 4÷20÷13. I stopped and thought, what is today? APRIL 27^th! Unbelievable. I went back to the section and there were no others. Walked out very angry.
These are just a couple of examples. I have about 2 years worth of stories. All of them very similar. Expired food, not enough lanes open and too long of a wait, no fresh deli or bakery items.
I won’t be returning any more. I’ll drive the extra 10 minutes. Please King Sooper… If you are reading you have a gold mind waiting. Lot’s of people in this area begging for a well run grocery store. If you are the mgr of this store you should be ashamed and your mgr should be ashamed.

Good in a pinch, but this store gets so little use that quite a few of the products are not exactly fresh. I’m always amazed how it feels like a ghost town when I go shopping here. There is a Safeway gas station out in front of it that often has the cheapest prices around.

this story is always empty — I wonder how it stays in business

This is one of those stores I never go to unless I am passing by and I need one item and don’t want to go out of my way. Maybe because I don’t come in here a lot I find it altogether confusing.
For one, the produce section is not as you immediately come in, like most groceries I go to, it is actually the exact opposite side. No biggie. I just never remember that and am perplexed for a moment. I also think their check out lanes are a bit confusing. No self check out — definitely docked a star for that! And once again they seem to have the express lanes in a weird spot and they tend to be busy all the time!
Now the store is clean and has a nice feel. However, I think their prices are a bit high. Still, it works in a pinch. So if I need something and I am over there, chances are I will be stopping in!