Thanks for starting this thread. Instacart is a nightmare- they treat their workers terribly and there’s inevitably an issue.
Here’s another resource on shopping intentionally during COVID - a full list of grocery stores in the LA area and notes about their ownership. Also resources on shopping smaller/independent shops.
This is an amazing spreadsheet, thank you! I especially appreciate the presentation of the frozen header row- I gotta learn that trick.
Can I ask what the sources were for this information? I understand that likely wouldn’t improve the usability of the sheet if it were present, I just appreciate the information and would like to look up primary sources for additional details if possible.
Select the row or column you want, click on the “View” tab on nav bar. Select “Freeze” Choose your options.
Is there an option to present it diagonally like that? I already freeze rows for headers but sometimes the header description is unusually large compare to the entries in the columns below so I twigged on that particular detail.
Oh gotcha, misunderstood. Select individual cell or row or column. Go to Format in Nav bar. Select Text Rotation. Select options you want. There’s a further sub menu for specific degrees you want titled.
Oh, boy, my spreadsheets are about to turn into a carnival
LOL! I love spreadsheets and pivot tables for data organization and analysis. Look into conditional formatting. That’s when the formatting of a cell changes depending on the value of the cell. One of the common uses is for a cell with a formula. When data changes and affects the output of the formula, the formatting change makes it stand out visually while doing a quick scan of the spreadsheet.
Not to take this too much more off topic, but feel free to message me for any other questions. I’ve trained lots of people throughout my career on how to use to use spreadsheets more effectively. Now with stay at home and laid off, I’ve got plenty of time on my hands. LOL!
fantastic job…
wish we had a co-op, emp owned place closer, i’d go a lot.
also i excel all day but have never made the headers look so nice… what’s this diagonal style called?
You can format the angle to whatever works for you. My previous response above on how to do it.
What are the sources of information for that?
“Independently or family owned” and “Cooperative / private equity / owned by a billionaire” are overlapping categories.
I hate to spoil the fun here but I really don’t understand why the middle of a worldwide pandemic is a time to call out companies owned by large corporations or “billionaires”. I’ve owned a small business and my daughter now owns two that are closed and got no PPP loan funding (because the funds ran out), so I get the preference for small, family owned. It just seems like most people, especially those here, already know the difference between Walmart and that mom and pop place near you. Please enlighten me. Just sayin’.
Sorry to hear about your daughter’s businesses, @Midlife. I currently have a job but my work has been hugely disrupted by the pandemic so I sincerely hope your daughter comes out of this with minimal damage to her business.
Without being combative I can honestly say I’m glad to know more about where I shop for anything (which is also why I wanted to know even more information than was on the sheet).
That’s one column on the sheet and as @robert already pointed out a little clarification would be helpful. I find that and the additional information useful because especially right now I’m trying to make my purchases from businesses that might have fewer resources than those backed by private equity or similar.
It’s definitely clear there’s a difference between Walmart and the family owned tiendita down the street but I certainly am now glad to know the subtle differences between the other places I regularly shop at like Ranch 99, Smart and Final, Jons, Northgate and Super King and I might change my habits accordingly. Just because it’s not the difference between a megamart and a roadside fruit stand doesn’t mean there’s no difference at all.
I find this list valuable because the distinctions are not always clear. The difference between between Walmart and mom and pops is obvious, but others aren’t. I had no idea where stores like Nijiya, Stater Bros and Superior fall in this category. Meanwhile, some people think Trader Joe’s (as much as I love them) is the little guy despite being owned by Aldi.
Thanks. I may be overly sensitive right now because of my daughter’s situation. She was pretty angry to read that she gets nothing and someone like Ruth’s Chris Steakhouse got $20 million. When I first heard about the PPP program it didn’t seem like there’d be enough money to help all the micro businesses on top of large companies. They’d better get another phase appropriated soon. The $1200 per person, and even $600 extra unemployment, isn’t going to be enough to cover Even business rent let alone living expenses.
That’s really awful- I also know a few small business owners (heck, technically I am one for weird tax reasons) and I had those concerns as well. I think we can all agree that the PPP is woefully, obviously insufficient and more clearly must be done.
Thanks for sharing!! One market that is not included in the list is With Love Market and Cafe in University Park. It’s been an absolute life saver… Andrew the owner has bent over backwards to get items for the community that no other places had. When there was no sanitizer. They had sanitizer. When they was no flour. They had flour. This week they got in YEAST! They were one of the first businesses to put into practice social distancing and offer gloves for everyone who wants to walk in (They are happy to do curbside pick up.)
https://www.instagram.com/withlovela_/
Another small favorite of mine that was omitted is Urban Radish in the Arts District has started to deliver. They also have managed to have good stock and hard to find items through this time.
Your information about common ownership of Trader Joe’s and ALDI in the US by Aldi is inaccurate.
Aldi Süd is the parent company of Trader Joe’s in Europe and Aldi locations in the United States.
Aldi Nord owns Trader Joe’s in the States, but the Aldi stores that you see in the States are run by Aldi Süd, which is separate from Trader Joe’s.
The stores are run independently and by different and opposing family members (rumor is a split between brothers). As a matter of fact, from a food manufacturer’s POV both ALDI and TJs will decline to do business with you if they know you are developer or a vendor for the other.
The Aldi supermarket chain was owned by brothers Theo and Karl Albrechet. They had a disagreement over whether to sell cigarettes and split the company in two geographically. Theo owned Aldi Nord and Karl owned Aldi Süd. Each is now owned by their respective heirs. Aldi Süd has branches in the US.
There are no Trader Joe’s stores outside of the United States. Trader Joe’s is owned by the branch of the family that owns Aldi Nord. It has no other connection with Aldi.
Trader Joe’s is a great company and they treat their employees and customers better than most supermarkets.
I went to an Aldi when I was on the East Coast last year and it was shockingly awful. Seems like anything they can do to shave the tiniest fraction of a percent off the price at the expense of customer service and hospitality, they do.