Paper or plastic?

	First Impressions	Customer Profile	Jumbo Savings	Distinctive Offerings	Checkout Line Temptations	Red Delicious Apples
Safeway 1410 E John/Capitol Hill	empty acreage, Volkswagen-sized carts, clean floor, no Starbucks!	harried dads with small, runny-nosed kids	4-lb bag of navel oranges, $1 with Club Card	Wells Fargo Express (open Sundays!), video rental, wall o’ doughnuts (38 cents apiece), huge public bathrooms, Tax One tax preparation area	candy, kids’ toothbrushes	2 lbs, $1
Madison Market 600 E Madison/Capitol Hill	like being inside an earthenware pot, earnest and serene, at one with the universe	androgynous singles with bike helmets, hemp clothing, backpacks, piercings	annualized, co-op membership is just 6 cents a day!	“Demo Dude” cooking demonstration area; do-it-yourself bulk grains; customer service counter with plug-in fountain; espresso and deli; bottle-yourself herbal remedies; freedom to browse through latest Deepak Chopra books	incense, lip balm, Shambhala Sun, Vegetarian Times	$1.69/lb (organic)
Red Apple 2301 S Jackson/Central	in minimall with Army/Navy recruiter and temp agency, loud R&B	Rainbow Coalition, well-dressed seniors on their way home from church	green beans, 48-oz Crisco for $1.88	lottery tickets, bonsai sale display, pi� candy, wicker baskets of apples, deli with enticing macaroni and cheese, Mexican and Asian aisles, wide variety of greens	Little Tree car fresheners, Black Family, Tootsie Roll pops	99 cents/lb
Admiral Thriftway 2320 42nd SW/W. Seattle	sign advertising specials on Chateau Neuf de Pape and mussels	the cast of Frasier— in fleece	take-away Blue Plate Special (ham and biscuit dinner), $5.99	“The Kiosk” cooking demonstration area; chest-high produce; salad bar with fountain; truffles ($41.87/oz!); sushi bar; espresso-juice-tea-pastry bar; cigars	Fran’s chocolates, breath mints, shortbread	88 cents/lb
Trader Joe’s 100 W Galer/Queen Anne	small, crowded aisles; in-house brand reigns; shrink-wrapped produce	under-40 single male oenophiles in baseball caps	animal crackers, $1.99/454g	exotic frozen foods (sorbet-filled lemon and orange skins); half the store devoted to wine; comprehensive, J. Peterman-esque catalog to browse for specials	soy protein powder, zinc lozenges, bulbous soup cans	2lbs, $1.59
PCC 716 N 34th/Fremont	center of the natural-food universe; metal tubs of organic apples; politically correct	quietly intense bearded people, animists, Wicca priestesses	hard-boiled egg, 50 cents	sit-down area with espresso, newspapers, bus routes, bulletin board; fresh soups; beauty supplies; hemp clothing; vitamin alley; BBQ tofu; the reassurance that your shopping does not oppress the indigenous peoples of the Third World	Sea Kayaker, Fine Woodworking, Ricola lozenges, Odwalla bars	79 cents/lb (organic)
Fred Meyer 915 NW 45th/Ballard	airplane hangar; where’s the food?; cartoon fruits and veggies	blue-collar families in parkas	10-lb bag of Russet potatoes, 58 cents	Washington Mutual branch, Starbucks, Vista Optical, stamps, ticket outlet, Western Union, 16 checkout lanes, demo area, sushi bar, individually lit shelves	52-piece First Aid Kit ($4.99), Easy Knitting, phone cards	89 cents/lb
Safeway 3920 Stone Wy N/W’ford	down-and-out; a relic of late-night beer runs past	older women, empty nesters, panhandlers (outside)	three large yellow onions, 72 cents with Club Card	Caffe D’Arte espresso cart outside, two parking lots, outside benches	The Star, The National Enquirer, gum	50 cents/lb
Albertsons 6900 E Green Lake Wy	Radio broadcast of Seahawks game blaring over PA system	friendly septuagenarian shoppers from nearby senior center	gallon of milk, $1.29	handsomely designed private label canned fruits and vegetables; whole, farm-raised steelhead; Quick-Fixin’ Ideas take-away products; chocolate and real cigars	Family Circle, Children’s Orthopedic Hospital calendars	79 cents/lb
Whole Foods 1026 NE 64th/Roosevelt	produce, produce, everywhere; the nagging suspicion that Martha Stewart would shop here	Volvo-driving, U-Dub professor couples with golden retrievers tied up out front	NOT!!!	espresso and juice bars, deluxe deli departments, bakery, gratuitous olive bar, spectacular cheese island, vast restrooms, overwhelming newness, permissive atmosphere for sampling	sensory overload makes it impossible to notice	$1.19/lb (organic)
Larry’s Market 10008 Aurora N/n. end	giant corrugated tin shed—where’s the entrance?	sweatsuits and cell phones; multiplex riffraff	four bags of Tim’s Cascade chips, $5	orange juicer, Lotto, produce section the size of a minimall, immersion bath to chill wine, dozens of varieties of chutney	chocolates—Fran’s, Godiva, Dilettante; caramel popcorn	$1.28/lb
QFC University Village	the mecca; a pavilion of lights in a sea of SUVs	UW frat row meets apr賭ski Laurelhurst	eight rolls of Bounty paper towels, $5.99	pharmacy, H䡧en-Dazs, Cinnabon, Noah’s New York Bagels, Juvenescence Juice, Starbucks, natural food section (wooden floors), Quality Fun Center (babysitting), Parent Information Exchange (bulletin board), Convenience Center (Lotto, cigars), Bank of America, floral section, fireplace seating area, cell phone kiosk	Women’s World, Sunset, Cosmopolitan, candles, Pez	99 cents/lb