Ralphs and Albertsons are two substantial store chains in the United States. With more than 2,600 locations in total, they help hundreds of thousands of customers annually. While they both sell very similar items, they do have their differences. So, if you are choosing between these two stores, which one is best for you?
I looked at 3 primary decision making factors that many shoppers consider to help you decide which one is right for you.
- Price
- Product Quality
- Product Variety
Shoppers consider so many things when deciding on what store to shop at. Some prioritize savings, some quality, and others variety. So, by comparing the stores on these 3 factors this article will help you decide which one is best for you.
Which is Better: Ralphs or Albertsons? Ralphs is 3% to 56% cheaper than Albertsons for their store brand items. However, Albertsons does offer more product variety and higher quality products for customers to purchase.
Is Ralphs More Expensive Than Albertsons?
Price point is one of the biggest decision making factors when it comes to deciding where to shop. Generally speaking, most customers like to shop at the more affordable store, or the store that will give them the best ‘bang for your buck’
So, between these two stores, which one is the cheapest?
| Category | Ralphs Brand | Albertsons Brand |
| Beverages | ✓ | |
| Baking Goods | ✓ | |
| Canned Goods | ✓ | |
| Dairy | ✓ | |
| Dry Goods | ✓ | |
| Frozen Foods | ✓ | |
| Personal Care | ✓ | |
| Cleaners | ✓ | |
When it comes to price, Ralphs is cheaper than Albertsons. More specifically, Ralphs is cheaper in the beverages, baking goods, dry goods, frozen foods, personal care, and cleaner categories. Albertsons is only cheaper in the canned goods and dairy categories.
It seems that Ralphs is anywhere from 3% to 56% cheaper than Albertsons.
So, if you are someone who prioritizes price over other factors, then Ralphs is the better choice for you.
Product Quality: Ralphs vs Albertsons
Product quality is another factor that many shoppers consider before they go to a store. To get a good idea of which store typically carries higher quality items, I decided to look at the FDA’s product recall database.
This database shows which store has had more recalled items in recent times. So, between these two stores, which one has the better quality items.
| Category | Ralphs Recalls | Albertsons Recalls |
| Animal & Veterinary | 0 | 0 |
| Biologics | 0 | 0 |
| Cosmetics | 1 | 0 |
| Dietary Supplements | 0 | 0 |
| Drugs | 1 | 0 |
| Food and Beverages | 8 | 8 |
| Medical Devices | 0 | 0 |
| Radiation Emitting Products | 0 | 0 |
| Tobacco | 0 | 0 |
Ralphs: 10 Total Recalls
Albertsons: 8 Total Recalls
Coming from the FDA’s website, Ralphs has had more product recalls, albeit by a very small margin. More specifically, they had 2 more product recalls than Alberstsons. Both stores had a majority of their recalls in the ‘Food and Beverages’ category.
So, if you are someone who prioritizes product quality, then Albertsons is likely the better store to shop at.
Product Variety: Ralphs vs Albertsons
Product variety is another factor that customers consider. Although it may not be as big of a decision making factor, it still does make a difference in where people shop. So, between these two stores, which one offers more options to pick from?
Both are considered supermarkets, which means that they should generally sell the same types of items as well as a similar number of items. But between the two, which one sells more.
| Total Ralphs Products | Total Albertsons Products |
| 10,000 products | 12,000 products |
It seems from their websites that Albertsons typically carries more items in their stores than Ralph’s. The difference between the two being about 2,000 products. While this is not a huge difference, it still does make an impact when you are shopping.
So, it is clear that Albertsons is the right choice for you if you prefer having more options to pick from.
What Does Each Store Sell – Product Type
When taking a look at what type of products each store sells, they are quite similar. Both sell similar big name brands, as well as their own private label brands. So, there isn’t that big of a difference when it comes to what types of products they sell at their stores
Which One Should You Shop At: Ralphs vs Albertsons?
When to shop at Ralphs: Ralphs offers cheaper prices than Albertsons in a majority of shopping categories. So, if you are someone that likes to shop at the store with lower prices, then you should shop at Ralphs.
When to shop at Albertsons: Despite not having the lowest prices, Albertsons does have better quality products and more product variety, so if these are two things that you like in a store, then your best choice is Albertsons.