Harris Teeter and Safeway are among the largest grocery stores in the country. They sell thousands of products to even more customers. But if you are deciding between the two stores, which one is better?
To help me figure this out, I took a look at three, decision making factors that most customers consider when going to the grocery store:
- Price
- Quality
- Variety
By the end of this article you should have a much better understanding as to which grocery store is right for you, Harris Teeter or Safeway.
Which is Better: Harris Teeter or Safeway? In terms of price, Harris Teeter is anywhere from 6% to 47% cheaper than Safeway. However, Safeway does have slightly higher product quality, according to the FDA. Additionally, Safeway has more product variety available in their stores.
Is Harris Teeter Cheaper Than Safeway?
Price is one of the biggest consideration factors that most shoppers think of when they are picking between grocery stores. Customers want to make sure that they are going to be saving the most money at the grocery store. So, between Harris Teeter and Safeway, which one is cheaper?
To figure this out, I recorded The prices of commonly purchased store brand items. I didn’t average those prices out and listed them across their respective categories. Below is a table showing the average price for each shopping category I looked at.
From what I found, Harris Teeter was anywhere from 5% of 47% cheaper than Safeway.
| Category | Harris Teeter Avg Price | Safeway Avg Price |
| Beverages | $0.89 | $1.25 |
| Baking Goods | $1.99 | $1.99 |
| Canned Goods | $0.69 | $0.99 |
| Dairy | $3.39 | $3.59 |
| Dry Goods | $0.99 | $1.25 |
| Frozen Foods | $1.69 | $2.49 |
| Personal Care | $1.99 | $1.99 |
| Cleaners | $4.50 | $5.99 |
There are two categories where both stores have the same average price. These two categories are the bread categories and personal care categories. To further show the difference between these two store prices, I created this bar chart below.
As you can see, it is clear that Harris Teeter has cheaper prices. So if you are a price conscious shopper, then Harris Teeter is the better option for you.
Product Quality: Harris Teeter vs Safeway
Another big decision making factor is product quality. Shoppers wanna make sure that the grocery store they are shopping at is selling safe products. So which one has better quality products. Harris Teeter or Safeway?
To figure this out, I checked the FDA’s product recall database. This database shows how many product recalls a certain store has had in recent years. So, by seeing which store has had more product recalls, we will in-turn be able to see which store has the lower and higher quality products.
| Category | Harris Teeter Recalls | Safeway Recalls |
| Animal & Veterinary | 0 | 0 |
| Biologics | 0 | 0 |
| Cosmetics | 0 | 0 |
| Dietary Supplements | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 0 | 0 |
| Food and Beverages | 14 | 13 |
| Medical Devices | 0 | 0 |
| Radiation Emitting Products | 0 | 0 |
| Tobacco | 0 | 0 |
In total, Harris Teeter has 14 product recalls whereas Safeway has 13. Although there is a slight difference between the two, we can infer that Safeway has higher quality products due to this.
Noticed that all of the recalls for each stores are in the food and beverages category. This is expected, as the main products that each store sells are food and beverages.
So, if you consider yourself someone who is primarily concerned with product quality, and Safeway is a better option for you.
Product Variety: Harris Teeter vs Safeway
Another consideration factor that most shoppers have is product variety. Customers wanna know that the store they are shopping at has enough options for them to pick from. So when we look at Harris Teeter and Safeway, which store has more products?
| Total Harris Teeter Products | Total Safeway Products |
| 30,000 | 33,000 |
Harris Teeter has a total of 30,000 products, whereas Safeway has a total of 33,000 products. This means that Safeway has more product variety.
So, if product variety is something you prioritize as a shopper rather than shopping at Safeway.
Which One Should You Shop At: Harris Teeter vs Safeway?
When to shop at Harris Teeter: if price is the only thing that you are concerned with, then look no further than Harris Teeter. They are cheaper than Safeway in practically every single category. This makes it the most cost-effective store in this analysis.
When to shop at Safeway: if you don’t mind paying a little bit more for slightly higher quality products, then Safeway is a much better option for you. Not only do they have higher quality products, but they also have more products to pick from.