Needler's Fresh Market — Local services in Richmond

Needle's is not a huge market so variety of selection can be limited, but it is adequate as a "neighborhood market".

Prices are generally higher than other area grocery stores, even when on sale. However, they do have some very good prices on a handful of items every week. Their clearance or just expired / expiring soon items are usually reduced enough to warrant buying a few for stocking up (for example, things that can be successfully and safely refrigerated or frozen to extend shelf life and items such as bottled or canned foods that have only reached their "best by" date but are actually good for much longer.)

Their weekly coupon specials that are available via the special mailing (with the refrigerator magnet) are very good, but only if you happen to be going there anyway. (There is usually a limit of 1 or 2 per customer. They usually require a minimum purchase. Usually the minimum purchase negates the coupon savings because of the overpricing of the other items in the order.)

You have to have a shopper's card to take advantage of their sales, but once you sign up you don't have to carry it along. Your phone number on account is sufficient.

Pay close attention at the checkout, especially with clearance items because very often they place the clearance stickers wherever they want to instead of over the regular bar code where it should be, causing the item to be rung up at regular [full normal] price.

In conclusion, if you are a careful shopper and not in a hurry you can save money...

Bit pricey but great grocery store! This is what I used to say about this store until today. I borrowed money from a friend so, I could get by for a few days. They have change kiosk but it was full, because people are going through hard times. So I took it to the customer service desk and spent 20 minutes counting it and wrapping it with lottery numbers paper because I didn't have rolls. They waited until I got it all counted and rolled up and said they couldn't give me the cash for them. I've been going to this store since I was a young kid. I will never go back, I said its people like you who makes life hard for people,I took it to the gas station and they gladly gave me the little $36.00, I had. She called the other lady up and said the same thing. It's disgusting, I had a few choice words for them and left. As I was leaving the lady with long black hair and a gap between her teeth was sitting in her car smoking which I didn't know until I was leaving and she screamed f-u-bi#$$. I pulled back around and told her to search me out when she clocks out of her job. With that said I will never go back... They still owe me the $3.00 the kiosk kept of my change which I got the number to call them, they can just send me a check. Their prices are too...

It's convenient. Hence 2 stars. The produce is TERRIBLE. A small cauliflower with mold is $3.99. (They're $2.99 at Kroger, without the mold). I can't find 3 sweet potatoes that haven't dried out, or 2 yellow onions without bad spots. The white onions looked okay but not for $2.19 per pound! When I went by there today every single package of 18 eggs on the shelf had either expired a week ago or would expire in 2 days.

What's really bad is that if you don't double check every single price at the checkout lane you can easily end up paying an extra 15% on top of the high prices. Last time I was there I corrected the prices on half the stuff in my cart and brought my total bill down from $71 to $60. Of course, I didn't get back any money that I'd spent the previous week when the same thing happened but I didn't notice it until I checked my receipt at home.

If Kroger opened a store on this side of town, I think Needler's Market would go out of business immediately. There's absolutely nothing to recommend it besides...