My First Trip to Woodman’s
Woodman’s opened a store in Menomonee Falls in October 2010, and I’ve been meaning to take a trip there ever since. The store is about 15 minutes away from my house, so it has been easy for me to make an excuse not to pay a visit to the deep discount grocer. Finally, I decided to take a trip to the new Woodman’s to see if the prices were as good as many people have been telling me.
While I was driving to Woodman’s I thought about the cost of my trip and the value of my time. My local Pick ‘n Save is only five minutes away from my house. On a 10 minute round trip I probably use about 25 cents worth of gas. On the other hand, Woodman’s is at least a 30 minute round trip, so I figured I’d use about a gallon of gas to get there.
When I pulled in to the Woodman’s parking lot the first building I saw was their gas station. (I later saw a sign in their grocery store that said gas was $3.399 a gallon, which was in line with several other local gas stations that evening.) And I saw a car wash with a big sign that advertised a $4 car wash. A $4 car wash seemed like a great deal, so I immediately had the impression that this trip was going to be worth my while.
Stepping Into The Store
Woodman's Vast Aisles
When I first walked into the store I was slightly overwhelmed. I didn’t know where the various departments were located and didn’t have a plan of attack. Normally when I shop at Pick ‘n Save I am armed with an organized list in order of the departments that I would pass through. I immediately thought “wouldn’t it be great if Woodman’s had a map on their website” and recalled visiting their no-frills website which essentially just lists all of their store locations. I should have looked for a map inside the store or asked someone at the customer service counter for more information.
I immediately started to examine the prices. One of the first few items I saw was a 16-ounce jar of Red Gold Salsa for $0.98. That looked like a great deal, so I bought a few. Selection wasn’t an issue as there were mild, medium, and hot varieties to choose from. Some discount stores, like Aldi, keep their varieties minimal to save on costs. Not Woodman’s. I could tell immediately that there were a variety of name brand products available.
After passing through some sale items located near the entrance, I found myself in the bakery aisles. Again, there was a great variety of brands to choose from and the prices were very reasonable.
Woodman's Produce Department
Then I headed to the produce section. I had previously read several comments about the low quality of Woodman’s produce so my expectations were low. I was pleasantly surprised at the quality of the fruit and vegetables. The only item of poor quality that I noticed was the fresh lettuce. However, there were plenty of bagged lettuce options, all at very reasonable prices. A sampling of prices included bagged bananas for $0.39 a pound, three kiwi for $1, and $2 for a large cantaloupe.
I continued to pass through the meat, dairy, frozen, and dry goods aisles. Prices were great and basically all of the name brand items I typically buy were available. Unfortunately, this caused a small problem – I spent about twice as much money as I had intended to! However, a lot of the food I purchased could be stored in the freezer, or had a long shelf life in a pantry or refrigerator. A few good prices I found: a gallon of milk for $2.09, Lang frozen juices for $0.99, and Boca chicken patties for $2.50 per box.
Checkout Time
When it came time to checkout, I remembered that Woodman’s does not accept credit cards. I didn’t have enough cash on me so I used my debit card. The checkout went very fast – much faster than other grocery stores I’ve been to. A cashier and bagger were assigned to each checkout and they really hustled! Another minor detail that impressed me were the screens at the cash register which showed the cumulative total of the purchase as the cashier scanned all the items. It was nice to double check what each item was ringing up at, plus I liked not being in suspense of what the total cost was going to be.
As I loaded up the groceries into my car I was grateful to see that the plastic bags were of good quality and would make for nice garbage bags at home. (The plastic grocery bags I get at Pick ‘n Save are so thin and cheap they often have holes in the bottom by the time I unpack my groceries at home.) The bagger double-bagged numerous items and the groceries were bagged in a logical order – frozen items together, general merchandise separate, etc.
Will I Return?
On the drive home I wondered if the extra time and gas was worth the deals I found at Woodman’s. I concluded that I’ll definitely be back to load up once again. However, my goal will be to try to schedule my next trip if I’m around that area for other reasons. I’m also looking forward to going back in summer because I will be buying a new refrigerator and moving the old one to the basement, which will give me more freezer and fridge space, and will make it easier to stock up on great deals. Now that I have an idea of what products Woodman’s carries and how the store is laid out, I’ll have a better idea how to organize and prepare for my visit.
Do you shop at Woodman’s? I’d love to hear about your experience(s)! Please feel free to leave a comment here!
Comments
9 Comments on My First Trip to Woodman’s
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Rose on
Mon, 4th Apr 2011 8:45 AM
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Michelle on
Mon, 4th Apr 2011 3:20 PM
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Mon, 4th Apr 2011 7:19 PM
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Mon, 4th Apr 2011 10:22 PM
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Tue, 5th Apr 2011 7:57 AM
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Tue, 5th Apr 2011 10:34 AM
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Donna on
Wed, 10th Aug 2011 12:40 PM
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Tara L on
Mon, 21st Nov 2011 3:05 PM
I never go out of my way to shop at Woodman’s. I do not see a huge difference in price between Woodman’s and Walmart. The store is too big for my taste. It is overwhelming and I feel like I need to fill up my cart to make my trip worthwhile. So in the end I spend more on groceries and end up buying items that were not on my list. Now if they would just build an Aldi across the street from my Walmart, I’d be set 
I felt overwhelmed the first time I went to Woodman’s too. You’ll get used to it after a few trips! I go to the Oak Creek store. It is a little out of my way, but the savings are worth it!!
The first time I went to Woodmans I didn’t like it, but I wasn’t prepared- no list, no budget, no idea what I wanted. Now I exclusively shop at Woodmans. I can FILL my cart for $100 compared to a quick run for just a few meals to Pick n Save that sets me back $60!! Woodmans is the only grocery store for my family of four!…Not to mention the ethnic variety! You can literally get anything at Woodmans!!
I shop several different grocery stores, sometimes several in the same week. I go to Woodmans about once every other or every 3rd week. While there I stock up on items that I use a lot of that I know are much cheaper. Example, we eat a lot of ground Turkey and at my regular close store it is 6.99 per package, at Woodmans it is 4.59 a package. I use a certain taco seasoning and at Woodmans it is .79 and at my regular store it is 1.29. Sometimes I find really good deals and then I can use a coupon as well. But often times the things I buy and have a coupon for end up cheaper at my normal store. I also go to Woodmans with a friend, so it makes the trip worth it, when both of us go. It is big and overwhelming, but after a few trips it is fun because there is so much stuff.
My husband and I shop at Woodman’s. In fact, we on occasion jokingly have a ‘date night’ there. The prices are good. The variety is excellent. As the article stated, one tends to spend more because of the unique and interesting items available. We figure it costs us about $100/hr. to shop there, but we don’t purchase frivolous items, and the values are good. One thing we’re most impressed with are the unusual fruits and veggies and the fact that there is a sushi chef who makes their fresh sushi. It’s tasty and much less expensive than going to a sushi restaurant. We’ll definitely be back! (Woodman’s has replaced both Sendik’s and Pick ‘n Save for us!)
I work a couple blocks from Woodman’s. I go there for EVERYTHING now! First, it is most convenient to go get my weekly shopping done on my lunch break. Second, I compare prices quite often and used to go to Pig for their sale items, P&S for their sale items, Wal-Mart for canned and boxed and Aldi for dairy and produce. Woodman’s is a one stop shop!!! I am not sure I found one item that was more expensive at Woodman’s than Pig or P&S! In fact, I have seen a lot of what I buy is DOUBLE in price or more at Pig or P&S! Prices are very comparable to a mix of WM and Aldi I think. 5 limes for $1, 4 lemons for $1, 4 kiwi for $1, red pepper $0.79, green pepper 2/$1! Just a sample of the prices. I love that place. Gas is always lower for me there too since I live to the north. Usually about $0.10/gal. less give or take.
I have created a standard grocery list. Items I need to create meals 7 days a week. We rarely eat out with 3 children and 2 adults. The cost savings of using my NESCO, the deep freezer I found on Craigs List, and using my grocery list have allowed me to study prices between stores. I am already a fan of Aldis for their canned vegetables & soup stocks. I visit the store once a month. Woodman’s is done weekly in Oak Creek. I can spend $80-90 and know I have everything I need. I do bring along coupons in case there is an in-store special that I can double play the deal. I would have had to pay nearly double to shop my list at Pick N Save. I refuse. PNS double coupons on Sat is absurd and not worth my time as I will not spend $25 at a store just to double my coupons on 5 items. My list is on iGoogle, my husband can see it, we very rarely purchase items off of it, and our budget for groceries can remain steady. I’m thankful there is a store like Woodman’s around!
Woodman’s may seem to be a very large store, but it is very worth your time and money. Especially if you have children that have food allergies. Their prices are extremely cheaper then Walmart for some stuff. Especially personal items. I can spend a little under $ 300 and shop for four people for the whole month. And I love the customer service. They have such a large variety you can find things there that you can’t find anything where else. I am a true blue Woodman’s shopper. I would just like to thank Woodman’s for keeping their prices down and keeping their store so very clean. It’s the best place to shop especially for holiday parties or special occasions . I can’t say enough about them.
Hi there, I have yet to shop at the Woodman’s near me out in the Falls. I do however, plan to take my first trip there tomorrow morning. I lready have my list written out, and will hopefully stick to it. I’ve been hearing and reading great reviews for the past couple of days. And believing the rumors in regards to the crowdiness of the store, I think it best if I leave at around 4AM. I live out in Brown Deer, so it’s only about a 10 minute or so drive. What I’m hoping that I’ll find is a variety of “wheat-free flours”. I made a decision to go gluten-free approximately a month ago, and although I feel a million times better, shopping for certain items at my local P&S, is almost impossible. I mean sure, they carry almond and coconut milk (I’m also dairy-free as well) but other GF products that are available are beyond expensive; really almost non-existant. I will check back in here to write an update once my shopping trip is complete.
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