I’d like to send a supermarket gift card to a relative who just started grad school in Seattle and is tight on money, time and everything else a grad student is tight on. I’ve never been to Seattle, and I live about 1,600 miles away. Can anyone tell me the big supermarket chain(s) in the area? Not looking for Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods or a gourmet store – just a place with a lot of locations where he can stock up on ramen noodles and Spaghetti-os.

Thanks!

If you know the person's address, you can put it in mapquest and grocery store in the find a business box before you hit search.

It will show you the grocery stores nearby and their locations.

Thanks -- good info. I don't have his address yet, but I'm hoping to have it e-mailed to me very soon. Just thought I'd get a jump start. Thanks.

I know lots of folks don't like them for a host of reasons, but WalMart could give the recipient the most bang for the [giftcard] buck.

It would enable them to get groceries or anything else they really need.

I did a fast search on walmart.com and it showed several locations around Seattle.

Deb

Aside from Whole Paycheck and Trader Joe's (both of which have branches near the Univ. of Washington if he's attending there) the main chains with numerous stores are Safeway and two Krogers labels, QFC and Fred Meyer. Fred Meyer is more like a Wal-Mart in that it carries general merchandise in addition to groceries.

Definitely wait til you have an address. Walmarts have a few locations in WA, but nothing really close to downtown Seattle at all. QFC's are popular, as are Safeway and Fred Meyer.

Safeway or QFC

(since you don't want to do Trader Joe's which would be my best suggestion)

I am a bit curious about the "no Trader Joe's" bit. You seem to lump them in w/ Whole Foods and other "gourmet" (expensive) grocers.

TJ's is for great bargain shopping. Sure - they have gourmet stuff - but also the best cheap packaged mac & cheese/ramen-type things. Plus the cheapest prepared foods anywhere.

TJ's would be my 1st choice since it would stretch the money farther.

Do you have a Trader Joe's in your area? Agreeing with the above it is so NOT a Whole Foods!!

TJ's has the cheapest prices on all kinds great things. He can stock up on something a bit better than ramen or canned spaghetti and at an even better price.

Agree with the others about Trader Joes - it is budget friendly, and lots of tasty food that the other big chains don't offer.

Otherwise, Safeway or QFC.

I'm not a fan of Fred Meyer...the one nearest to me (in Ballard) is kind of icky.

Agree that Walmart is a poor choice since none are convenient to Seattle proper.

I shop at Safeway and QFC, which is part of the Kroger chain.

Fred Meyers has a reputation for good value, but there is none near me.

Albertson's is another popular chain in this area which your relative might use if one is located near him or her.

Thanks, everyone -- I really appreciate the help. We do have both Trader Joe's and Whole Foods in our area, and while I love TJ's (and realize it's quite different from Whole Foods and gourmet stores), I really didn't feel it offered the simple, one-stop shopping experience that fits his current, time-strapped lifestyle.

That said, I do agree it's a great store with some definite bargains on delicious and different items. And a plus would be that I can just buy the card at our store here, rather than having to order something. So maybe I will do TJ's after all -- I'll check to see if there's one near his home. If not, I'll go with Kroger or Safeway.

Thanks, again. I appreciate everyone's input!

If he lives near the UW(?) there's a Trader Joes right there 45 & Roosevelt.

An easy way to locate stores near your relative is to go to maps.google.com, type in his address, select "show search options," pull down "businesses" and type in "safeway," "qfc," etc.

Thanks -- gotta love Google Maps. Turns out there's a Trader Joe's a half-mile from his house. Thanks, everyone, for the info!