Giant and Stop & Shop are considered two of the largest grocery stores in the country. They both sell hundreds of thousands of items per year to a similar customer base. But if you are deciding between the two of them, which one is better?
To help you decide, I compared these two stores based on three major decision making factors:
- Price
- Quality
- Variety
By the end of this article you should have a much better understanding as to which store is right for you.
Which is Better: Stop and Shop or Giant? Stop and Shop is anywhere from 8% to 14% cheaper than Giant for Baked Goods, Canned Goods, and Cleaner, whereas Giant is anywhere from 6% to 44% cheaper than Stop and Shop for Beverages, Dairy, Frozen Goods, and Personal Care items. Giant also has higher quality products compared to Stop and Shop, according to the FDA.
Is Giant More Expensive Than Stop and Shop?
Price is one of the biggest consideration factors when it comes to picking a grocery store. Customers want to know that the store they pick will give them the most savings possible. So, between Stop & Shop and Giant, which one is cheaper?
To figure this out, I collected and averaged out the prices of the most commonly purchased items, and categorized them below.
As mentioned above, Stop and Shop offers more savings if you are shopping for baked goods, canned goods, or cleaner. Giant offers better savings if you are buying beverages, dairy, frozen goods, and personal care items.
| Category | Stop and Shop Brand | Giant Brand |
| Beverages | $0.88 | $1.00 |
| Baking Goods | $2.29 | $1.50 |
| Canned Goods | $0.89 | $0.50 |
| Dairy | $3.69 | $3.69 |
| Dry Goods | $0.88 | $0.99 |
| Frozen Foods | $1.39 | $1.50 |
| Personal Care | $1.29 | $2.19 |
| Cleaners | $3.49 | $3.29 |
To better illustrate the price disparity, I created the bar chart below. It is very easy to see which store has the cheaper prices in which category. Something to note is that in the “dry goods” category, both stores have the same price.
Depending on what you purchase, one store may be more beneficial than the other. You can coordinate your shopping schedule so that you can visit each store to buy their cheaper items and optimize your savings.
Product Quality: Giant vs Stop and Shop
Product quality is yet another one of the major decision making factors that most customers consider when picking the best store. So which one has better quality, Stop & Shop or Giant.
To figure this out, I checked out the FDA’s product recall database. This database allows you to see any and all product recalls that a store has had in recent years.
The store that has a lower amount of product recalls is likely the one with higher quality products.
| Category | Giant Recalls | Stop and Shop Recalls |
| Animal & Veterinary | 0 | 0 |
| Biologics | 0 | 0 |
| Cosmetics | 0 | 0 |
| Dietary Supplements | 0 | 1 |
| Drugs | 0 | 4 |
| Food and Beverages | 22 | 19 |
| Medical Devices | 0 | 0 |
| Radiation Emitting Products | 0 | 0 |
| Tobacco | 0 | 0 |
In total, Giant has 22 recalls and Stop & Shop has 24. Well the difference between the two is not large, it does show that Giant likely has higher quality products. So, if you prioritize product quality, then Giant is the right store for you.
Product Variety: Giant vs Stop and Shop
Product variety is another consideration factor for most shoppers. Customers want to know that the store they are shopping from has options to pick from.
| Total Giant Products | Total Stop and Shop Products |
| 30,000 products | 30,000 products |
Both stores have the same amount of products, which means that they have the same general amount of product variety. No matter which one you shop at you are likely to find the same amount of items.