Skyway Park Shopping Center — Local services in Renton

Since I keep shopping here, Google keeps asking me to review the store, so here goes. First, as you can see from the various pics that have been posted, this is an unusual grocery. The owners obviously love to collect kitschy mid-century stuff, and they share with their customers. Lots of Boeing memorabilia and they keep adding to the displays. Makes it fun when you bring kids, plus it just gives the place a nice homey feel.

That friendliness is borne out by the staff. I've always had good experiences when asking a question or chatting with the cashiers. Since it's a family owned store, people tend to multi task. For instance, there are a couple of older guys who do security, collect shopping carts, greet customers, help people take stuff to their cars, and handle other tasks when needed. They are super friendly and manage to do their jobs while making people feel really welcome. But not in a "greeter" way, but with genuine interest in the customers.

And I haven't even talked about the actual business of the store... Groceries! The prices here are often unbelievably low. If you've never been, it's a great place to find specialty items like organics and whatever new food fads are burning out. You know, suddenly there are hundreds of new (and high priced) "gluten free" or "low carb" products on the market and only a fraction of them will succeed. So what happens to the stuff that doesn't sell? It goes to GO! I'm not talking about closeouts that are near their "sell by" date, but discontinued items or stuff that can't go to chain stores because of a misprinted label. Lots of reasons and GO capitalizes on those failed ventures and sells the stuff at incredible discounts.

The thing to remember is that each store is individually owned, which means they all have a different "feel." It also means that, as the new stores settle into a community, they start to adapt and customize to reflect that area and the people who live there. I remember when the first GO opened in Seattle (it was displaced by the light rail construction and never reopened). They had hardly any produce and fresh meat. But the corporate HQ clearly realized that, if the stores beefed up their inventory of "regular" grocery products, people would be able to do ALL of their regular grocery shopping there, instead of just going to GO for special stuff and still shopping at the big chain supermarket.

Which is what I do. Granted, there are some things I can't get there, so I still have to go to my Asian store (Viet Wah) or the giant warehouse store that carries all sorts of imported products (DK Market), but almost all of my day to day functioning depends on GO. The meat and produce departments are still smaller than at one of the big chains, but what's there is usually affordable and I can get what I need. And the dairy and deli sections are fabulous. Everyone knows this is where to go when you're making a meat and cheese tray. And with the end of the year holidays coming up (I'm writing this in early November), I'll be doing my holiday meal planning around what I can get at GO.

So, if you are anywhere near Seattle, try to pay a visit to the Skyway GO. Even if you only go to check out the displays, I'll bet you see the low prices and...

This particular Grocery Outlet does stand out. First, a young woman working at the register was extremely generous - while checking out, I was actually 3 dollars short from my entire purchase and although that's not a lot at all - I explained something would have to go back and she graciously pulled out her own debit card and personally paid the remaining balance. 2nd, the display items are like a bunch of old collectible items, which aren't so outdated it's not like nobody knows who any of the characters are. 3rd, this store is always...

I stopped here because I saw the Grocery Outlet Store there, and I needed a few things and eat thing to go shopping anyway. The parking lot here is a little off-putting. It is not very well lit and here seen to be quite a few people milling about looking aimless in theirs but reason for being there. No one approached me and nothing happened to my car while I was inside shopping, so it could've been my imagination, but I see from other reviews here that others have noticed the same thing. I doubt if I'm be...