At Walmart, high food prices and low wages pave the road to fat profits

From bananas to wild-caught sockeye salmon, food prices at Walmart in Teterboro are higher than at the Costco Wholesale across the parking lot and on par with ShopRite in Paramus. 

By VICTOR E. SASSON
EDITOR

I've been boycotting Walmart stores for years after reading workers are paid so little that many have to apply for food stamps or other government assistance to make ends meet.

On Tuesday, I finally spent a little time in the huge Walmart in the Teterboro Landing Shopping Center, looking at food prices and comparing them to Costco Wholesale, ShopRite and H Mart, the three stores I rely on most.

The food section of the Walmart off of Route 46 in Teterboro resembles a traditional supermarket. 

I didn't walk down every aisle and look at every item.

But after hearing for years about Walmart's "low prices," I was surprised to see that most of the food I looked at was priced higher than at the Costco across the parking lot.

For example, Walmart charges 58 cents for a pound of conventionally grown bananas, so 3 pounds would cost $1.74, compared to $1.39 for the same 3 pounds at Costco.

Costco also offers 3 pounds of organic bananas for $1.99. 

Workers at Costco and ShopRite belong to unions, which are unheard of at Walmart.

Of course, to shop at Costco you are required to pay an annual membership fee of $55 or more, but you can recoup that two or three times over from cash rebates at gas stations, restaurants, and purchases at Costco and other stores.

Walmart in Teterboro resembles a traditional supermarket, and many signs are in English and Spanish.

A pint of blueberries at Walmart was a high $2.64 on Tuesday, compared to $1.99 at H Mart in Little Ferry (a pint weighs about 12 ounces). The Teterboro Costco had 32-ounce containers of New Jersey Blueberries for $4.99.

At Walmart, 1 pound of Organic Spring Mix was $5.98 on Tuesday, above and below, compared to 1 pound of Earthbound Farm Organic Spring Mix for $4.49 at the Costco across the parking lot.

Both Costco and ShopRite offer organic ground beef for less than what Walmart charges.

A half-gallon of Walmart's brand of lactose-free milk is 1 penny less than the regular price for ShopRite's brand of lactose-free milk.

Fresh wild sockeye salmon was $14.84 a pound at Walmart on Tuesday, compared to $9.99 a pound at the Costco in the same shopping center.

Walmart's fresh halibut was $23.94 a pound, significantly higher than at Costco.

Walmart has a far more limited selection of fresh fish than Costco.

At Walmart, a 1-pound box of Barilla Whole Grain Spaghetti, made from 100% whole wheat, was $1.18, but at ShopRite, you can buy 1 pound of Luigi Vitelli-brand Organic Whole Wheat Spaghetti from Italy for only 11 cents more. And the 1-pound box of Whole Grain Penne on the shelf above costs more than a 1-pound package of imported Organic Whole Wheat Penne at ShopRite.

A 59-ounce container of Tropicana Orange Juice, right, costs more at Walmart than at Costco.

Before I started shopping at Costco Wholesale in Teterboro on Tuesday afternoon, I had a large cup of non-fat vanilla yogurt from the food court ($1.35), and sat near two workers from Walmart who had come over for lunch. When they left, they didn't bother cleaning up their table, above.

Wild-salmon price goes down, then up

Fresh wild sockeye salmon is veined with heart-healthy fat.

Costco Wholesale has lowered, then raised the price of fresh wild sockeye salmon from the famed Copper River in Alaska.

This past Friday, we bought our fourth weekly fillet from the warehouse store in Hackensack, and paid $10.99 a pound. 

We paid $13.99 a pound a day after this wonderful fish first appeared on May 24, then $8.99 a pound and $9.99 a pound in the following two weeks.

I add a sprinkle of salt, lime juice, Aleppo pepper, and chopped mint and oregano in that order to flavor the fish, which cooks in 10 minutes or less.

The portions are ready to roast in a preheated 400-degree oven.

The fish comes out rare after 7 minutes, above, and medium after 10 minutes.

Right out of the oven, this fresh salmon melts in your mouth. The veins of fat liquify, and the salmon is juicy and fragrant with garden herbs.

We bought this package on Friday and prepared the fish on Sunday.

Laying in food for the holiday

Image via Wikipedia
At Costco Wholesale, you can find the same Parmigiano Reggiano displayed at this festival in Modena, Italy. The cheese has been made since before the Renaissance. 

Editor's note: Today, I discuss last-minute food shopping at Costco Wholesale, fresh fish at Whole Foods Market and Australian beef at ShopRite.

I was in and out of Costco Wholesale in about 20 minutes this morning, buying ingredients for a big salad we plan to serve to guests on Saturday.


I picked up a naturally raised, fully cooked Niman Ranch ham and large Tiger shrimp on previous visits to the Hackensack warehouse store, so I only had to nibble around the edges of our holiday menu.


I bought a second package of Andy Boy jumbo romaine hearts (six for $3.99), because that wonderful Earthbound Farms Organic Spring Mix sold at Costco doesn't always stand up well until its expiration date.


I also found pesticide-free Euro Farm Fresh seedless cucumbers (three for $3.99), and in view of tomato prices going through the roof, I picked up another 5 pounds of Sunset beefsteak tomatoes for $6.99 or about $1.20 a pound.


The romaine, tomatoes and cucumbers are going into the salad, along with fresh spinach, organic carrot,  sweet peppers and other ingredients I have on hand. 


We're having a Jamaican-American meal on Christmas Eve this year, in contrast to last year's Cuban-style dinner of roast pork, rice cooked with black beans, and yuca with garlic sauce we picked up at La Pola in West New York.


On Friday, we're planning to visit La Pola, at Palisade Avenue and 54th Street, to bring holiday greetings to owner Belarmino Rico, who named his Cuban sandwich shop after the small Spanish town where he was born.


On Saturday, our guests will be bringing curry goat, rice and peas, roast chicken and Jamaican potato salad to supplement the ham, shrimp, fish stuffed with okra and salad we plan to serve.


We've prepared a Jamaican drink from a herb called sorrel, with ginger and rum; and there are four bottles of non-alcoholic sparkling apple cider in the wine cooler.


For dessert, we'll serve fruit and cheese, including Kirkland Signature Parmigiano Reggiano from Italy I picked up at Costco ($12.69 a pound). The part-skimmed cow's milk cheese, aged for 24 months, has been made in Italy since before the Renaissance, according to the package. 


When I got home, I cut off the thick rind, then cut the wedge into three portions, wrapping them tightly.


I also bought organic carrot juice, organic 1% milk, Tropicana orange juice in 64-ounce cartons, crab and corn chowder, 3 pounds of raw almonds, reduced-fat sliced Swiss cheese and fresh Pacific cod fillet.


Go fish in Paramus


You'll find some of the freshest fish around displayed on ice at Whole Food Market in Paramus, and when the store puts seafood on sale, prices are competitive.


On Tuesday, I saw fillets of wild-caught sockeye salmon from Canada on sale for $9.99 a pound -- not much higher than Costco's frozen sockeye salmon fillets from Alaska. The Canadian fillets had been previously frozen.


I also saw whole sea bass landed at Barnegat Light (on the Jersey Shore), which is 63 miles from the store, according to a sign. The price was $9.99 a pound.


Grass-fed beef price cut


Through Saturday, ShopRite supermarkets have dropped the price of free-range, grass-fed Nature's Reserve Boneless Rib Eye Roast from Australia by $2, to $4.99 a pound with a store card. There is a limit of one.

Wild salmon price eases further

Image by swanksalot via Flickr

I picked up some fresh wild-caught haddock from Iceland (not Canada, as I wrote previously) at Costco in Hackensack on Wednesday, and noticed that the price for fresh, wild sockeye salmon fillets has eased further -- to $9.99 a pound. The salmon is from the U.S., but the label doesn't specify which state.

In June, Costco offered wild sockeye from the famed Copper River in Alaska for $14.99 a pound and then $11.99 a pound. It also offered wild king salmon from Alaska for $14.99 a pound.


As I shopped in Costco, my doctor's comment that I eat too much came to mind, and I'm wondering if the large quantities I have to buy at the warehouse store contribute to my overeating. The smallest package of wild-caught haddock I could find was 1.36 pounds, when I would have preferred a pound. Most fruit at Costco is sold in three-pound, four-pound and larger sizes.


I'm planning to bread the fish in chili spices, bake it and serve it with bowtie pasta in tomato sauce and steamed French green beans. Of course, any leftover fish would make good fish tacos or sandwiches.

(Photo: Fish market display of Copper River salmon)

Copper River salmon now at a lower price

Image via Wikipedia

The first wild sockeye salmon fillets from the famed Copper River in Alaska appeared on June 12 at the Costco in Hackensack. The price: $14.99 a pound. A few days later, wild king salmon from Alaska showed up, also $14.99 a pound.


Today, I went looking for king salmon for dinner, but found only the sockeye (photo). The surprise was a lower price: $11.99 a pound. Last year, Copper River salmon was sold for $9.99 a pound at Costco.


I also picked up a pound of Earthbound Farms organic spring mix ($4.49) and two pounds of those beautiful, round Campari tomatoes on the vine ($4.59) that are hot-house grown without herbicides. Pasta Prima-brand lobster ravioli were $11.99, enough to feed three at two meals.

Wild salmon seen near Hackensack River

Image by The Consumerist via Flickr

At Costco in Hackensack today, the fresh seafood case was unusually crowded. There were big slabs of the usual farmed  salmon, and farmed steel-head trout and tilapia. But for the first time, I saw wild king salmon from Canada at $14.99 a pound. That is also the price for the fish next to it -- wild Copper River sockeye salmon from Alaska.

The wild king salmon appeared fattier, but didn't have the rich color of the stuff from Alaska I bought on Saturday. In addition to fish, Costco offered big scallops, Black Tiger prawns from Vietnam ($14.99 a pound, about eight prawns), Little Neck clams and big lobster tails (treated with preservative, unfortunately).

Thirty-five, half-liter bottles of Poland Spring water are now $4.35 -- about a dollar less than a few years ago.

Last week, we tried the vegetable souffle I bought at Costco, but one of the two sealed portions had large and small mold spores, and I threw it away. The one I heated tasted fine, but I don't think I'll be buying more any time soon.

How generous is Fairway?

I drove up to Fairway Market in Paramus on Monday to stock up on salted cod fish and buy a couple of other items, planning to use a coupon in the sales circular for 48 small bottles of imported mineral water -- free with a $75 purchase.

As I put my items on the belt, a well-groomed man in his late 60s or 70s who was ahead of me, and accompanied by his wife, asked the cashier for the bonus mineral water, but was told he had to have the coupon to claim it. 

When I looked at my receipt, I saw that the two cases of mineral water I received had a total retail value of $5.98. Couldn't the store employees just give the man the water? This is the kind of New York attitude that leaves a bad taste in people's mouth.

I also noticed small signs on Fairway's shelves: "Ask any New Yorker. High-end food, low-end prices." I thought, I'm in New Jersey, for crying out loud. Why would I have to ask a New Yorker? Can't they make separate signs for the Paramus store?

I do have to praise Fairway for offering coffee beans each week for $4.99 a pound. And I love the Spanish fig cake with nuts -- an item I have seen before only in the old King's store in Fort Lee.

Imported items at ShopRite

ShopRite in Hackensack has wonderful pasta made with bronze dies in Italy for $2.99. These are oversized pieces, such as the large corkscrews called fusiloni I bought on sale today for $2.49.

Another great imported item is sparking, 100% juice from Spain, on sale at $2.29 a bottle. I picked up red grape, white grape and apple cider. Sometimes, the store also has sparkling peach juice.

I also took a look at the packages of free-range, grass-fed Australian beef on sale this week for $4.99 a pound with a club card. Most of them were 5 pounds or more. Although the ShopRite label carries the Nature's Reserve name, another name was stamped on the plastic package.

Contradictons at Costco

A salmon farm in Finland.

Image via Wikipedia

For about six months every year, Costco sells wild salmon and artificially colored farm salmon side by side. You'll also notice this in the chicken and meat sections -- organic poultry and organic or grass-fed meat mixed in with a much larger selection of their conventionally raised counterparts.

Yestersday, on my weekly visit to the Hackensack warehouse store, I saw a woman put a large tray of farmed salmon in her cart, and I asked her if she knew it is artificially colored. She thought the farmed salmon at Costco might be different, but it isn't. I told her she could find wild Alaskan sockeye salmon fillets in the freezer case and I have found that steaming them yields a fish that would fool many people into thinking it is fresh.

She also had one of the store's rotisserie chickens, which also are raised conventionally. The one time I asked the employee tending the rotisserie, he couldn't tell me anything about the chickens, inlcuding the brand. My frugal friend Jay, who has tried almost every rotisserie chicken in North Jersey, says the antibiotic-free, vegetarian-fed bird from Whole Foods Market in Paramus gets the crown.

Yesterday, I saw Coleman-brand organic skinless and boneless thighs at Costco, but they were in pouches -- not one of those foam trays -- and when I picked them up, the feel of the formless meat was unpleasant and I didn't buy any.

The contradictions continue throughout the store. At Christmas,  I was all set to buy the first Costco ham raised without antibiotics or growth hormones, but when I looked at the label, it listed harmful preservatives used in curing. I would have bought an uncured ham. Most of the cold cuts offered also have sodium nitrates or nitrites as preservatives, though I have noticed expensive imported prosciutto without them.

Though they are pricier, wild fish and organic poultry taste better.This morning, I used part of a frozen wild salmon fillet I had steamed for dinner last night in my breakfast sandwich, stacking it with Costco's smoked wild salmon, herbicide-free tomato slices and organic lettuce. I also used Dijon mustard, though pesto or hummus would have tasted good, too, as would have a slice of Swiss or shavings of Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese. (Sockeye salmon is shown).

A sockeye salmon.

Image via Wikipedia

 




With the sandwich, I had some lemony, Hannah-brand taboule salad from Costco ($4.99 for 21 ounces), a relatively new item, and Arirang kimchi, an MSG-free brand made and sold in Englewood. Costco recently put out jars of kimchi, but unfortunately, they are made with monosodium glutamate, and it's not worth the couple of dollars I would save.

Why you can't shop in one food store

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

If, like me, you do most of the food shopping in your family, you dream of that one store where you can be assured of getting fresh, healthy food at great prices. Don't hold your breath.

Even a random sampling of how food prices are all over the place will discourage you. At Fairway Market in Paramus on Friday, a 3.5-pound bag of Spanish clementines was $5.99, compared to $3.49 at H Mart in Little Ferry. Fairway's price for one pound of Earthbound Farm organic spring mix was $6.99; at Costco in Hackensack, it's $4.49.

Costco sells three cans of wild sockeye red salmon from Alaska, but you get better value buying one can of Bumble Bee wild sockeye salmon at Fairway or ShopRite for $4.99 (just under 15 ounces). ShopRite no longer discounts this red salmon during its Can-Can Sale, when it has been as low as $2.99.

My wife just called to report the pomegranate she bought for 99 cents at H Mart in Englewood is $2 at ShopRite in Rochelle Park, where she is shopping today.

I'm not sure what you can conclude from these examples and others I am sure you have seen yourself. All I know is that a food shopper's work is never done.

Alaskan wild salmon for breakfast and dinner

Here it is October, and I am still enjoying fresh wild salmon from Costco. The price is the same as the Northwest sockeye fillets I started buying in June ($8.99 a pound), but now this Alaskan fish is coho, a variety with less of those beneficial Omega-3 fatty acids.

I'm wild over this salmon because of its deep color, great taste and how you get a nutritious meal after only 10 to 15 minutes in the oven, seasoned with salt, Aleppo pepper (coarse, red, with a little heat) and fresh chopped herbs. I like my fillet on the rare side.

I cut my $11 fillet into six portions. For dinner the first night, we baked red potatoes in the microwave, heated up organic mixed vegetables and made a salad of organic greens. The remaining three fillets went into the fridge, ready for my mid-morning sandwich on toasted whole-grain bread with pesto, organic greens, sliced tomato with the herb mixture called za'atar, and Parmigiano-Reggiano cheese.

Smoked wild salmon comparison

Image via Wikipedia

If you're looking for an alternative to Costco's 1-pound package of smoked wild salmon, you might not find it at Trader Joe's. 


I bought a 4-ounce package of smoked wild coho salmon from Trader Joe's and found I didn't like its pale color and smoky taste. Neither has preservatives.

Costco uses sockeye salmon to Trader Joe's coho ($3.99 for 4 ounces). That obviously makes a difference in color if nothing else. You can also taste Costco's salmon, not just smoke. 


You'll pay $13.99 a pound for Costco's Alaskan salmon or the equivalent of nearly $16 a pound for Trader Joe's Pacific salmon.

Last year, I tried Trader Joe's smoked wild king salmon, which comes from much bigger fish, and found it way too salty.