An Evanston Now reader’s price check suggests customers of the downtown Evanston Target store are likely to pay more for grocery items at the new small-format store than they would if they traveled to Target’s long-established full-size store on Howard Street.
Register receipts from the two shopping trips, conducted on the same day earlier this month, show that a basket of seven items had a price before tax of $27.33 at the downtown store, versus $21.54 at the Howard Street location.
Doritos nacho cheese chips were the only item that was priced the same at both stores. For other items the price downtown ranged from 7 percent more for Quaker Life cereal to more than double for skim milk.
The price difference worked out to an average of nearly 27 percent more at the downtown store.
This, of course, is a very limited check of just a handful of thousands of grocery items, so we can’t say for sure what the cost difference would be for your shopping trip.
The difference in this example, though, does amount to more than the cost of round-trip CTA bus fare to the Howard Street store.
Of course the Target on Howard Street has to compete with the Jewel-Osco in the same shopping center, while the downtown Target’s nearby competition comes from the traditionally pricey Whole Foods and small downtown convenience stores — which may affect pricing decisions.
pricing
Is that really legal? Now that people know this…will they still choose to shop where there is price gouging?
yes it is legal
It is most likely due to the higher cost of real estate in the downtown location. And yes this is legal.
You’re Paying for Convenience
Sure the prices are higher, but for people who live or work downtown (or at Northwestern) and want to walk somewhere for groceries or other items, it’s a nice option. Obviously, if you want to save money then Jewel is the best option… but sometimes it’s worth a few more cents to grab your items from somewhere close.