Associated Fresh Marketplace — Attraction in New York

First and last time I will shop there. These people are so full of it with the bad attitude. I'd advise all city/state/government employees of NY and the US overall to not shop at this store because these people don't respect us. We keep NY moving, show us our due respect for God sake! Very discourteous and rude staff. I asked for a shopping cart because they have the carts all locked up with a chain and no one brought me a shopping cart whie I was trying to shop and get out before they close (this was at 19:25). I told them I need to purchase bulky items that won't fit inside their little baskets. They don't even have the pulley baskets that can hold more and larger items. It's as if they're discouraging people from shopping by deliberately creating this inconvenience. I got to the checkout and I asked for the paper towels that was advertised on their store paper, and the heifer at the register abruptly said, "We don't have it!" she didn't even try to offer me another brand. I complained about cramming and lugging around with heavy items in a hand held basket when I asked for a cart and no one brought one, and before I could finish my sentence, the same heifer abruptly responded, "We lock up the carts 45 minutes before closing time!" I told her, "This is my first time shopping here." These people can't be serious. I made sure to tell them that this will be the first and the last time I spend a dime in this store. The only reason why I didn't walk out and leave everything there on the counter was because I need the items to prepare for a medical procedure, and wouldn't have enough time to drive to another supermarket to shop these items. NEVER AGAIN!!!! These are the people that they let into this dear sanctuary city, and then they disrespect hardworking people who are here legally. "When a place mat become tablecloth." WOW. By the way, I also me mentioned, "Now I understand why yallhet this negative Google reviews." I learned the hard way. Finished writing and editing typos at 20:08. Adding an update tonight with photos. In my rush I realized when I got home that the jello they have on the shelf is expired. The other customers' reviews complaining about the customer service and the the lack of care for the quality of products they are selling to people are 100% facts and my experience proves them correct. Of course I know they will continue uto mistreat customers and sell people expired goods. Normally I'm good with checking the dates on stuff I purchase, but this one slipped by me. It's the job of the grocery store staff to ensure that the goods are fresh. I'd advise people to go to another grocery store, where you're respected...

Food universe competes with a few local supermarkets, most notably the Key Food on 69th ave and 164th street and the Key Food behind the MicroCenter on Kissena Blvd, and serviced mainly the residents of Pomonok and Electchester. The prices are about even for what you would expect from a mid-sized supermarket.

Just to help inform my review, I am a person who specifically frequents supermarkets for fresh fruits, vegetables and meats and makes his own meals, rarely purchasing canned or prepared foods. I also shop at a few locations around the borough to get the best pricing as making fresh meals is healthier but can get quite expensive.

Pros: The line staff are very pleasant and are willing to help anyone looking for assistance, and it's not uncommon for them to take the initiative to open up a register if the lines are beginning to get long without waiting for a manager to direct them to do so. This is especially important with the number of older people who frequent the store.

The guys working the deli department are especially friendly and make for a pleasant experience everyt you shop with them.

This supermarket is also one of the more affordable ones in the area for a one-stop find what you need store. Better prices than the Key Food on 69th ave and much better prices than the Key Food on Union Tpke and Main Street

Cons: There are times where you will need to check the labels, as food may be close to expiring and may not be suitable for storing / freezing. When it happens, it's usually in the meat section. You will notice this when there will be manager sales on meats in this section: cook it the day you bring it home or pass. If your looking for the freshest meats, other Key Foods will have it, and it will be more expensive.

Also, there have also been times where I am looking for specific fruits, vegetables or fresh herbs and the pricing seems less seasonally accurate than usual. When I purchase my food, they tend to be made in 1-3 days and so this is not much of a problem for me. If you shop for food with the intent to fill your fridge and not have to do it again every 1-2 weeks, it can be more...

Don't waste your time going to this place! I'm sick and tired of buying expired food from this store. Countless times I've had to return products because they were expired. The owners and the staff simply don't care about quality assurance. They ignore you at the deli counter, the afternoon/closing cashiers are incredibly immature, they hang out in their cars blasting music from the parking lot after the store closes, this place is a joke. I guess they don't feel accountable since most of the people who shop here are from the projects, and may not have other means of shopping elsewhere. The food is extremely overpriced, they only put sales on junk food never healthy food. The Food Universe in Fresh Meadows off of Horace Harding is a completely different shopping experience. No ghetto bodega vibe over there. Its a shame, I'm glad I bought a car so I can shop elsewhere, but I really feel for the elderly who don't have a means of shopping at another store. Word of advice, IF IT DOESN'T SELL QUICKLY DON'T BUY IT, CHANCES ARE IT'LL BE EXPIRED!

P.S. - Not all staff members act this way, some are very friendly and take their jobs seriously. Its just sad that this level of unprofessionalism is accepted in predominantly African American neighborhoods, as opposed to other neighborhoods where they wouldn't dare perform in...