A FRIENDLY cashier is a an important part of the shopping experience (Shutterstock).

So, there I was in Aisle 17 trying to decide which dog food was best for Shadow, the flat-coated retriever, when it occurred to me that I was semi-consciously comparing the many supermarkets which we frequent.

The thought occurred to me that newspapers – that fast-fading remnant of an ailing industry – could profit by shifting their coverage to something that almost everybody does: shopping and especially, grocery-shopping.

I mean, The Tribune regularly runs reviews of movies, but how many people go to cinemas? We review plays, but how many people go to live theaters? We write about local government, but … aw, thats’s too depressing.

Maybe we can connect with Joe and Jenny Typical by reviewing supermarkets, noting the plusses and minuses. Just my opinion, of course.

  Albertson’s:  Most of the older stores in this chain have closed, so those which remain are bigger and with a superior assortment of goods available. Most have pharmacies as well. So, not as convenient location-wise, but with better selection than most.

  Ralphs: Generally good service and breadth of choices, but aisles are crowded and often hard to navigate. The front of the store is the most jammed. It takes longer to shop there than its competitors.

  Sprouts: Not exactly a supermarket – you can’t buy Pepsi or Charmin there – but a strong contender because the produce, meat, etc. are superior. More expensive but not as pricey as Whole Foods (also known as “Whole Paycheck”). Pleasant and cozy ambience.

  Stater Bros: This chain has retained a lot of the classic charm of supermarkets in their heyday. Generally smaller stores (but some are newer and larger) with superior customer service. Cashiers and other minions friendlier and more helpful, but less variety of stuff.

  Target: Limited – but not awful – selection in grocery items, but the appeal of this chain is that it’s practically a mall all by itself with everything from pharmacy to furniture. Good customer service, but checkout is a problem because most cashier stations are unstaffed, meaning long lines. 

  Walmart: Like Target, the principal appeal is its size. Prices appear to be a bit lower than most supermarkets, but choices aren’t as good as they are. Produce selection – as with Target – is too small. The stores can nevertheless become quite crowded.

  Vons: This is our traditional family favorite (bias alert!) and is solid in all departments. Most tend to lack popular amenities like pharmacy and the number of stores appears to be contracting. But very clean, competitive prices and pleasant people.

I didn’t rate Aldi’s, Food 4 Less, ethnic markets, etc. because we don’t frequent them. I welcome your thoughts about the pros and cons of the area supermarkets.