Grand Mart Inc

After reading some of the reviews, I was really intimidated, but after 3 months, I decided to shop here. Boy was I surprised. I always judge the cleanliness of a grocery store by the smell, particularly the smell of the meat. At some point, I was standing between two bins of fish and smelled very little. This means that the meat is fresh and stored well (at some places, the smell of meat hits you as soon as you walk in the door).

I was also surprised by the variety of foods. Most of the stores in the area cater to only to Latino or (north-east) Asian clients, but here, there was a strong selection of Asian, African and Latino ingredients (there may have been others but I wasn't looking). Moreover the prices were completely reasonable. GrandMart is definitely added to my shopping rotation.

The place is a bit crowded (with both people and inventory), but if in choosing between paying 2.50 at GrandMart and 4.75 for the same product at a place with wide decluttered isles (e.g. Whole Foods), I will choose GrandMart in a heartbeat.

Remember this isn't a Whole Foods-esque store staffed with well meaning but generally unknowledgable staff. Most of the employees are native to Asia, Africa, Latin America and the Middle East which means you get quality advice about products. Unfortunately, many have a limited command of the English language so you have to be patient when communicating with them. If you have questions, its better to go to the store instead of calling (when I talk to my relatives, it is *much* easier to understand them in person than over the phone I'm sure its the same for the employees as well).

Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

I just called them asking if they carried Thai Tea and I get.. "taiwan?" So I tell them No, Thailand as in Bangkok... they still did not get it... just so not worth it!

Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

I used to shop frequently in Grad Mart few years ago, but then for convenience reasons I stopped. I decided to buy few items again last week as I was driving by. The prices are good, they have good variety and different things you will not find in regular stores. I paid with my Visa Debit Card and over the next 2 days, someone used my Debit Card online to purchase international calling cards. While I do not have concrete and indisputable evidence that my card number was stolen in the store by the employees, the fact is I had not used my debit card to make purchases for over a month. I only used it in this store because they did not accept my Discover Credit Card. I would urge shoppers to be careful with their cards and use cash when shopping in this store.

Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Staff not helpful - don't speak English don't try to assist - Quite willing to run shoppers over with their service carts. Great prices and great variety.

Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

I, too, was a lover of Grand Mart on Little River Turnpike--great, varied produce at an excellent price--
until I went to the store this past Saturday, Sept. 15. I bought some boxes of potatoes. As I went to prepare one of the boxes, I was disgusted when I pulled out the sauce pack--clinging to it was a hoard of baby roaches and a big roach fell out of the box!

I called the store and spoke to the manager who said: "No problem. I refund you." I expressed that this was not my concern; he should check the remaining boxes being sold. He repeated "No problem. I refund you."

So, I'm not shopping there anymore because I can't be sure the food is clean. After all, customers don't see the back rooms but there is obviously a roach problem with which the manager is unconcerned.

There's a farmer's market on the West End now on Sundays. I'll go there from now on for fresh, lower priced produce. I'll never go to Grand Mart again.

Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

I shop for all of my produce at Grand Mart. There is no grocery store that compares. They are constantly stocking their amazing varieties of produce. Did I mention price? One of my favorite vegetables are beets. I pay 1/3 the price for them at Grand Mart as I do at any of the other chain grocery stores. I love Grand Mart!

Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Grand Mart is a nice option because they specialize in Asian and International food items. All the items here are of very high quality. Since this is a smaller specialty store expect to pay a little more for your items. This store really gets packed sometimes so you may also may expect a long wait if you going during peak hours.

Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Grand Mart is one my favorite places to go to get my groceries. It's almost always crowded, but there's a reason: they're good! The quality of servie may not necessarily be top notch, but they have pretty good selection of Asian and international foods as well as good selection of pretty good quality produce. Parking can also be a pain at times, especially on Saturdays and Sundays where the lot is filled up during the bulk of the day. They don't have any sort of customer loyalty card program like some of the bigger national grocery stores, but the price is pretty competitive and with the quality of food available, it's worth it. I give it 4 stars instead of 5 because they can try to improve the place a little bit with better service and a cleaner store.

PROS: Good Asian and International food, good produce and meats
CONS: Crowded, parking can be a hassle.

Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?

Grand Mart caters to the asian and latino populations in the area. they have a good selections of meat, especially chicken and beef. their produce is fresh and you see a lot of stuff here you can't see at giant and safeway.

Report Abuse

Was this review helpful to you?