Price Chopper and Hannaford are among the more well known supermarkets in the United States. They cater to the same customers and sell the same types of items. However, if you are deciding between the two, you may be wondering which one is cheaper and better for you.
To help you with these decisions, I took a look at common factors that most shoppers consider before they pick a store. These factors are:
- Price
- Quality
- Variety
By the end of this article, you should have a much better idea as to which one of these stores is a better choice for you.
Which is Better: Hannaford or Price Chopper? Hannaford is about 9% to 54% cheaper than Price Chopper for their beverages, canned goods, dry goods, and personal care. However, Price Chopper is around 8% to 13% cheaper for dairy, frozen goods, and cleaning products. In terms of product quality, Price Chopper has slightly higher quality products, according to the FDA.
Is Hannaford Cheaper Than Price Chopper?
Most customers would say that price is the most important factor when it comes to comparing stores. In this case, you are probably curious to know if Hannaford is cheaper than Price Chopper or vice versa.
To see which store is cheaper, I compared the most commonly purchased store brand items and logged their prices. Below is a table that shows which store has the cheaper items per category on average.
| Category | Hannaford Brand | Price Chopper Brand |
| Beverages | ✓ | |
| Baking Goods | ✓ | ✓ |
| Canned Goods | ✓ | |
| Dairy | ✓ | |
| Dry Goods | ✓ | |
| Frozen Foods | ✓ | |
| Personal Care | ✓ | |
| Cleaners | ✓ | |
Hannaford is cheaper than Price Chopper for a majority of common shopping products. Both stores’ pricing are quite similar, but Hannaford slightly beats Price Chopper.
Hannaford is anywhere from 9% to 54% cheaper for their beverages, canned goods, dry goods, and personal care products. Price Chopper is 8% to 13% cheaper for their dairy, frozen foods, and cleaner products.
To give you a better visualization of the price differences between the two stores. I created a bar chart that directly compares the average prices of each story in every shopping category.
As you can see, there are only a couple of instances where the prices are significantly different. Most notably, the personal care section is where the two stores differ the most. Other than that, there is not too much of a difference between the two.
Despite this lack of a substantial price difference, you are likely going to save the most money at Hannaford. So, if you are a shopper that prioritizes price, then Hannaford is the better option for you.
Product Quality: Hannaford vs Price Chopper
The quality of products is as important as the pricing. So, when comparing Hannaford and Price Chopper, which one has higher quality products? To find this out, I took a look at the FDA’s product recall database. This database allows anyone to view how many recalls a store has had in recent years.
So, the store that has more product recalls is likely to be the one with lower quality products.
| Category | Hannaford Recalls | Price Chopper Recalls |
| Animal & Veterinary | 0 | 0 |
| Biologics | 0 | 0 |
| Cosmetics | 0 | 0 |
| Dietary Supplements | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 0 | 0 |
| Food and Beverages | 11 | 7 |
| Medical Devices | 0 | 0 |
| Radiation Emitting Products | 0 | 0 |
| Tobacco | 0 | 0 |
According to the FDA, Price Chopper has had less recalls recently, which means that they likely have higher quality products to shop from in comparison to Hannaford.
For reference, most grocery stores have anywhere from 10 to 22 product recalls, so Price Chopper is noticeably lower than the average, which is quite a good statistic to have on their side. So, if you are a shopper who enjoys buying quality products, then Price Chopper is a better option for you.
Product Variety: Hannaford vs Price Chopper
The options that a store provides is also something to consider before shopping there. You want to make sure that you will be able to get all of the products you need, a high amount of product variety almost guarantees that you will be able to get everything on your list, without having to go anywhere else.
| Total Hannaford Products | Total Price Chopper Products |
| 30,000 | 30,000 |
Both stores carry the same amount of items. This means that you are likely to find everything you need at both stores. For reference, the average grocery store has around 31,000 products available. So both of these stores fall just shy of that average, but their overall product variety is more than most customers need anyway.
What Does Each Store Sell?
Each store generally sells the same types of items. You will not only be able to find big brand names, but each store does sell their own private label items, which typically sell for lower prices.
Despite the fact that neither store really specializes in any type of product, they still do offer specialty items, such as health-conscious foods and dietary focused foods.
Which One Should You Shop At: Hannaford vs Price Chopper?
When to shop at Hannaford: If you only care about price when it comes to shopping at a grocery store, then pick Hannaford. They offer lower prices for a majority of shopping categories, so you are almost guaranteed to save money when you shop there.
When to shop at Price Chopper: Despite not having the lowest prices for every item, Price Chopper does offer better quality products. So, if you don’t mind paying a bit more money for your food and produce, then Price Chopper is where you should shop.