The Fresh Grocer of Grays Ferry — Local services in Philadelphia

This fresh grocer is a piece of work. I went in around 2:45 and was told I can not order from the deli until the next shift arrives. The order screen was shut down and not avail. I kindly asked the elder why would I not be able to order until the next shift comes in. Her response was because you can’t order until the next shift comes in. I asked why once more and she told me in a passive aggressive manner because I told you that you can’t order until the next shift arrives. I told her I can clearly comprehend and understand but it’s not making sense that the store is open for business but I can’t place an order until the next shift comes in. I walked off went to customer service and requested kindly to please speak with a store manager. The female at customer service had a frown upon her face as if she was completely bothered but did respond to me in a respectful manner. The store manager seemed as if he didn’t want to be bothered and told me that he apologize but they have a staffing issue and that the 3:00pm staff arrives late consistently. At this point while speaking with him the security guard was walking up and stood there to listen to my complaint. The store manager told me to give him a moment he will go to the back and meet me at the deli. When I went to the deli department the security walked over to ask the females if they were ok. The one elder responded yes why he said are you sure your 100% ok she indicated yes. The security guard then told her that I made a complaint and be ready for the store manager to come over and walked off. The store manager came had a discussion with the staff regarding closing the deli during business hours. At this point he told me I can place my order that they opened the order screen back. I told the manager that I was not comfortable with the staff now making my order and I just needed for the situation to make sense for me because 100% it didn’t make sense. I would have accepted the fact if the staff was transparent from the beginning and gave an explanation as the store manager did. We are all human I understand that when our shift is up we want to go home no problem. When you come off with arrogance and a passive aggressive attitude and your in the wrong I am going to challenge it which I did by going to customer service to request the store manager. I then came outside to sit in my car to eat the salad that I purchased and seen the same security guard leaving with a staff member. With the attitude that was presented amongst the staff at this fresh grocer clearly shows a lack of culture amongst the business and even possibly nepotism to see a security guard leaving with a staff member. At this point I would never revisit this fresh grocer and I would hope that upper management can get things situated with their suppose staffing issue since it’s a consistency as the store manager mentioned since apparently he isn’t able to do so. Attached is the guard and the staff member walking to get into...

I read hot and cold reviews here and I have to go by what I've experienced in my two years patronizing this location. Fresh Grocer is one of those supermarkets that bridge the gap between the yuppie meccas like Trader Joe's and Whole Foods and keeps just ahead of the SaveALots Val-U, and Cousins type operations. What helps is their product line is piggy backed off the ShopRite brand. Although the workers I've asked say it is separate and made me fill out their own discount card, the ShopRite card works here too. As other reviewers have said, the inventory is well stocked and the landscape is easy to move around in. Once you get used to the bread products being in the front far corner, and many items being in cases that are usually easy to reach in open air refrigerated displays, you can roll in and out quite efficiently.

This Grays Ferry location is in that odd parcel of low land where the Schuylkill River curves sharply, and sits in a shopping plaza that is just about all that area has for economic survival. For the sake of description since it is a major metro, the ethnic make up is diverse. Many walk in some the surrounding streets but many more drive in from the Southwest via a small bridge and from the Penn University region to the North, also over a small bridge of that same bend in the water, and from the South Philly sections that haven't changed much since the days of Rocky. I live in the Southwest, and they catch my business as I get on or off I-76. This is the closest major food mart, with the Oregon Ave Acme and the Quartmaster Plaza ShopRite one exit down at Passyunk Ave. I advise reading the sales flyers to see which store has decent deals one week to the next. Remember to bring your own bags, and as always everywhere, keep your wits about you as you go to...

Today I felt as if I was profiled in a way. I go to this store all the time because it's in my parents area. Its their home grocery store... and now I see why they leave to go outside of Philadelphia to do their food shopping most of the time. Their self checkouts normally have technical issues but today it was awful from the very first item to the middle... I was told to go to the regular checkout isles. I got there and rung everything up. Almost forgot about two toy cars that I had to put in my bag for my daughter so that I wouldn't forget about them while I carrying everything to the next isle. My daughter was also distracted by them so it was just easier to put it there due to everything. Once I remembered, I took them out of my bag and I had them rung up at the end. We got outside (me and my happy 5 yr old daughter) and security came up to me very closely asking me about the hotwheel cars. I had to ask or tell him to walk back with me to ask the cashier about my purchase. I'm very thankful that he was my race and I wasn't tackled or falsely arrested over this. I normally go to that store without my headway but today due to my illness, I'm too tired to pull my hair back or wear it out. I'm a visibly disabled mother. I also never steal. I buy when I enter any store... im hurt by this but it did not affect how I treated the situation. I handled it with grace but plz do better. I will not insert any names nor will I ask for any even if I call the store after this. just do better. Thats all I'm asking. Plz fix self checkout and fix how you handle customers....