- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Coffee & Tea |
- All
Marketplace IGA
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 8 am - 10 pm
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
10 reviews for Marketplace IGA
10 reviews in English
-
Review from Jana D.
Ottawa, ON
4/18/2012 2 Check-ins Here
I would give this place a 3.5 stars if I could. It is in a strip mall with NOT good signage - we drove past a number of times, having been directed to go here by a local resident. Although it has an address on Main street, you cannot see the store from there.
On the upside, and the reason I really DO like this store is that although this chain may not have the best prices in town, they do offer great incentives: we spent just over $100 in our first visit here, and the cashier rewarded us with $20.00 in coupons towards our next purchase! This worked; we came back! It was well worth it. -
Review from Sam L.
Updated - 10/21/2011
Depending on the item, IGA is about 25%-50% more expensive than any other large grocery store in Vancouver. No Joke. With the addition of "Marketplace" to their name I think they're trying to put themselves in competition with the likes of Urban Fare, minus the quality. Seriously, a bottle of Tabasco sauce was 50 cents more expensive at IGA than UF. The produce is average, but overpriced, and the baked goods are terrible. The meats are equally as unappealing, yet I find myself here again and again, because it's so close to my apartment.
If you have the option, go elsewhere.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
1/6/2011
IGA, you must be psychic because you are always out of what I need the most! Salt and Vinegar Lays?… Read more »
-
-
Review from SC B.
Vancouver, BC
8/3/2011
I live between an IGA and a By-Low and will usually go to the IGA because of the staff mostly they are very nice. You're rarely if ever in the lineup for long.
Prices on the shelves are probably more expensive than By-Low but the selection is superior and the produce is consistently fresh and well looked after they must have very knowledgeable staff in that dept 'cos everything looks, smells and tastes very good and it lasts to boot.
the meat dept is very good and not as pricey as you'd expect it's all fresh and the staff again are very helpful and will come out from the workroom to answer any question however daft . And unlike a lot of stores they don't have a lot of 'thawed for your convenience' meat & fish & I like that. If you look you'll find a bargain at this IGA I always do -look at the cut-price bakery shelf good fresh and yummy cakes breads and pies, etc. And check out their very good quality own store brands.
Before I forget - if you have a bunch of soft drink or water empties piling up take them to the customer service dept they will take any brand as long as there's a deposit paid on it. There is a limit to how many but 1 or 2 over the limit & the staff is very forgiving. Alternately, you can always give the bottles to the very polite panhandlers who sit outside not bothering anyone. There's one called Cory a young fella from Newfoundland who is very sweet and would appreciate the bottles.
the management is very good to give them the space to sit there. -
Review from Kristin H.
Vancouver, BC
12/14/2010 7 Check-ins Here
Meh. Shrug. It's alright, I guess. This grocery store is kind of like that one boyfriend or girlfriend you held onto for convenience, for a little too long in a sort of miserly existence, reasonably sure there was something better out there, but too lazy to do anything much about it.
Maybe it's just me, and maybe the rest of Vancouver is just as expensive, but I find IGA to be really pricey. I routinely walk out of there spending $60-$70 without seeming to buy much of anything. Considering its small size, the selection is half decent, but they are routinely out of certain kinds of produce, brands of bread I like, good cereal, and other staples like quinoa.
This store would greatly benefit from a bulk section, which they are currently lacking. The layout is also terribly awkward, with a demo counter blocking off an end of one of the aisles, a discount cracker bin making navigation in the last aisle nearly impossible, and more discount bins blocking direct access to the ice cream. The aisles are narrow enough as it is, with barely room for two carts to pass without a collision. Not to mention that due to its small size, staff are constantly having to restock shelves. I know they're just doing their job, but they aren't always conscious of shoppers trying to access the area of the aisle they are working on.
The quality of their pre-made meal options at the deli counter is pretty lacklustre, too. I have tried a couple legume/grain-based salads, and they were unappetizing.
The one saving grace of this IGA, aside from its location a few blocks from my door, is the checkout staff. They are almost always friendly, or at least courteous and polite. The head cashier (her name escapes me), is especially wonderful.
Word on street from the Mount Pleasant Community Plan is that there may be plans for a future expansion of the grocery store, and while that won't alleviate the price issue, it would probably go a long way toward expanding the stock, selection and general accessibility of the store. -
Review from Elle G.
Vancouver, BC
2/18/2011
Why must I always live closest to the most expensive grocery stores!
Unlike Marketplace IGA on Richards, this grocery store actually has room for more than one person to walk down an aisle at the same time. IGA has some decent sales, but the cost of food at regular price is fairly atrocious.
That being said, I live five minutes away, so I'll remain bitterly compliant with your high prices because I can easily carry my groceries home.
The exit is in the side parking lot, so it can be uncomfortable if its dark and empty. -
Review from Kreag S.
Vancouver, BC
12/16/2008
Is it just me or is this the most expensive grocery store ever??!! I have stopped in a few times in the past week just to pick up some staple items for the kitchen..you know..mayo, Peanut Butter etc..and every time it costs me like $50...not matter what I buy or how few items..it's like they have a minimum fee...
I will give you an example..we wanted to try out the new bbq the other night so I ran to IGA to grab a few things...burgers, ketchup, buns, pickles, and some cupcakes for dessert......it cost me $57.34...what...the...eff??? I just about asked if she ran something in wrong and go forget it..and walk out. I didn't 'cause I was hungry..but come on!
Also..finding someone to help you is next to impossible...they didn't have any hamburger buns that I could find so I wanted to ask if there were some more...but who do I ask?? It was the most annoying thing..like all the staff were just cashiers...ggrrrrr...I did finally flag someone down but I had to practically huck a can of tuna at them to make them stop and notice me...save your self the grief and some cash and shop some where else...Listed in: Just Skip It
-
Review from Jennifer C.
Vancouver, BC
8/21/2008
"Grocery store? Huh? Where?" This is what friends visiting from other 'hoods often say when trying to pick up pre-potluck supplies from Main Street's IGA. And the answer is, yes, there's a grocery store! It's just tucked in behind the mini-mall at Main and 14th. A typical IGA, it's got all the usual grocery store things. Worth mentioning, however, is the brand-new quality meat selection - this IGA now stocks organic and free-range cuts, as well as some interesting choices like bison. They've also improved their cheese selection, adding some higher-end varieties of the stinky stuff. The produce is good, too. And if you're a regular shopper, you can save up stamps on your IGA card to get super-exciting prizes like knife sets or tableware.
-
Review from Nadine N.
Vancouver, BC
9/4/2008
I don't particularly like shopping at this IGA. There are always plenty of employees around, but they are often so focused on talking to each other or to whatever task is at hand that they you feel like you are in their way as the customer. On several occasions, in and around the produce section, I've been nearly run over by some employee who is wheeling fruits or vegetables through the area. The Buy Low down the street on Broadway feels like less of an obstacle course and has a much better bulk section.
-
Review from Richard W.
Vancouver, BC
Updated - 2/2/2011
I come here because it's in my neighbourhood. I wish there was a No Frills close by for my grocery needs. It's pretty expensive for what you get here and just don't expect much when it comes to variety either. The barbeque chicken is actually really good especially when they put lots of spices on the skin!
1 Previous Review:
-
1/26/2011
Too expensive for the little amount of stuff you buy here. $20 just won't get you anything.
-
-
Review from beki L.
Vancouver, BC
5/18/2010
i have stopped coming here for a while due to the rather low selection of gluten-free, organic and specialty food items they had for the whole foods off cambie st...
but found myself here just yesterday because my friend had to get a bottle of wine to celebrate and since this was just next store, we came here to buy some groceries.
i must say, i am a bit impressed with the growing selection they have now! their produce is pretty much the same...you can only get the 'usual' (apples, pears, peppers, cauliflower, carrots...some leafy greens, a few root veggies and fresh herbs) but since i have been so accustomed to whole food prices, i will admit, they're prices are a tad-bit better.
as my friend ventured off to find some gluten+wheat packed breads and juicy red meat...i steered towards the frozen section and found a rather modest yet adequate portion dedicated to glutenfree breads and other various frozen items (pizza, frozen meals...)! i hummed and hawed about getting a loaf since a friend had mentioned they are just a bit better tasting than cardboard..but i decided to anyway. (it ended up be VERY yummy when toasted!)
they have 2 aisles full of organic and gluten friendly items like nut spreads, rice/nut milks, cereals, pastas, cookies..snacks... i even saw a bunch of indian styled 'quick-meals'...i eyed those for a while and wondered how good those can really be. (mental note- give it a try another time...)
i found a bag of gluten free potato puff chips...that was my treat since she forbade me to linger in front of the ice-cream section and basically chased me away from the bakery aisle. =P
it looks like i will be coming back here for some basic grocery shopping, but i will stick to whole foods for the excellent wild fish and specialty vitamins/proteins/supplements since theyre selection is amazing (plus their service is top notch compared to iga)
