Ward's Supermarket — Local services in Gainesville

Loved Wards, always bought my produce there. Then right before the hurricane we bought Rainier cherries, a pound and a half. We also bought grapefruit a bag, the first bag we picked had a rotten grapefruit in it, so my husband ran back and grabbed another bag while we were at the register. The two days later my husband went to eat some cherries, pulled them out of the fridge drawer and they were almost all bad, like 90% of the bag. Then the day after that, the day the hurricane hit I got out a grapefruit and it was rotten. So pulled them all out of the bag and only two of the five were good. We didn't have power for three days, so I called today to find out what I should do and get a very rude person Stephanie who said I should have kept the cherries and the rotten grapefruit. Luckily, I can dig the rotten grapefruit out of the trash. The cherries I refuse to dig them out of the trash with the used cat litter. Stephanie informed me I could just pick up a receipt and bring it in and say I bought them. I asked if I have the receipt showing the grapefruit and cherries, she said she would refund me for the rotten grapefruit I bring back but not the cherries. Never dealt with this before and I'm actually upset that this is how they dealt with it. Don't know who posted the response but I tried to call the number and I'm not sure who I'm suppose to speak to. I really don't want to speak with Stephanie again. During our first conversation she told me I could have just picked up a receipt from the parking lot and claimed I bought these items. Once we found the receipt, I called her back and asked if I could get a refund for both because the receipt shows we purchased both. That's when she informed me I should dig the cherries out of the very used cat litter and bring them in. I absolutely wasn't doing that. Here's the thing many of us in this area didn't have power for three days. We didn't have phone service. We lost not only our power but internet as well. The last thing on my mind was saving rotten cherries and freezing them as Stephanie told me I should have done. I've thrown all the produce away now, as I have/had no intention of going back to Ward's after that interaction. Also we live 45 minutes from Wards, I'm not making a trip to Ward's...

I really had a very bad experience at wards I was there and I spent $59 in their store on. I believe it was Saturday no March 29, 2024. Some of their spare ribs that I have purchased were bad I mean to the point where when you opened up the package it was real bad smell so I decided to return the bad spareribs and on my return I was subjected to a situation where the lady told me to go back and get a package of spareribs And I did so they were like $12.17 mine you the package that I had purchased was $10.61 on 29 March and I just really felt as though the gas that I spent to patronize wards grocery store I would get some sort of care for shopping there but no I was told them the policy is that if you can’t find $10.51 on the package then we just have to refund your money and they really could care less about how much gas you spent to get there to patronize their business or trying to keep you as a customer I am sad to say that I spoke to the business owner which name is Danielle Ward and I was very very much appalled by her response. I’m 69 years old. I’ve been shopping there for quite a while and never had any problems in the past that I can really remember, but I will no longer be patronizing wards supermarket as of today. I was very very upset that I felt like she really did not care to keep me as a customer and did not offer anything to compensate for my time or gas. My feelings of what I experienced today. I’m no longer going to shop at wards and all I can tell other people who patronize the business make sure the meat is all right before you leave out of there, poke a hole in the package. Or something of that nature because Selling bad meat is not a good thing for a business either. SHOP AT PUBLIX Where they care about...

I've shopped here for years since I moved into the Gainesville for UF, it'll definitely be place I miss a lot when I graduate. There really is a unique charm to wards that no other store in Gainesville has. One of the greatest local stores in Gainesville, I absolutely recommend anyone new to Gainesville to check out Wards.

I can always trust that whenever I walk in anything I buy will not disappoint. Wards really has the best fresh ingredients you can get in town for a great price with a huge selection in this unique local store. All the prices are reasonable, it's like what Whole Foods should be. Good prices, good food, and supporting small farmers and local producers that fits even a college students budget. I'm always impressed the fresh vegetables, they truly are fresh and do NOT rot two days after buying it like in a big supermarket, and they taste great. The fresh fish selection does not disappoint, no smell what so ever, very unique sustainable fishes for sale. Wards sells the fish they get daily from local fishermen catching local fish. You're not buying fish that traveled across the country and across the entire Atlantic. The guys behind the meat counter are the sweetest, they really help me figure out what product I'll like, and focus the meat is a really good quality. PLUS even the dry goods on the shelves are great, there are many many unique local products that you really do not see outside of Gainesville. Many great sauces, breads, just everything really!!!

If you care anything about supporting small businesses, eating sustainablely (without burning a hole in your wallet), and eating fresh tasty ingredients then you should...