CART CHRONICLES
The LA grocery store field guide | Which one's yours?
In LA, ask someone where they buy groceries and you basically know which neighborhood they live in and what kind of life they lead. One store per page: its backstory, how to shop it, and tips.
Translated from Jasmine’s original Chinese. The illustrated slides are on the interactive reader.
Key points
- Gelson's, Bristol Farms: old-school upscale grocers: Quiet luxury: prepared foods, meat, wine.
- Ralphs, Vons: LA's old-timers: Everyday restocks, the pharmacy and fresh flowers, all in one go.
- Costco: The portions are huge, so figure out where they'll go at home, or split with friends.
- Which one's for you? Lots of Angelenos hit more than one a week.
Full text
01 | LA grocery store survival rules
Under California's SB 1053, starting January 2026, stores can't give out plastic bags at checkout, and paper bags are 10 cents each. In a driving city, where the parking lot is often matters more than the store itself. 'Before you head out, put your bags in the trunk.'
02｜Erewhon
It actually opened in Boston in 1966 and moved to Fairfax in 1969; spell the name backward and it's 'nowhere.' The Tonic Bar's collab smoothies and the supplement aisle show you what's trending in LA in one row.
03｜Trader Joe's
The first store opened in Pasadena in 1967, and in 1979 it was sold to the Albrecht family of Germany's Aldi. It still doesn't sell online, and it stopped delivery in 2019; grab a Fearless Flyer when you walk in.
04｜Whole Foods、Sprouts
Whole Foods is Amazon's now, and its 365 house brand is easier on the wallet; Sprouts' roots are a San Diego fruit stand from 1943, and the new Erewhon in WeHo opened in its old storefront.
05 | Gelson's, Bristol Farms: old-school upscale grocers
Gelson's started in Burbank in 1951 and now belongs to Don Quijote's parent company; Bristol Farms started in the South Bay in 1982, and its parent is Korea's Emart. Quiet luxury: prepared foods, meat, wine.
06 | Ralphs, Vons: LA's old-timers
Ralphs opened in DTLA in 1873, the oldest grocery chain west of the Mississippi; Vons started in 1906 as a 20-foot-wide grocery. Everyday restocks, the pharmacy and fresh flowers, all in one go.
07｜Costco
In September 2024 the fees went up to $65 for Gold Star and $130 for Executive; Executive gives 2% back, which only pays off if you spend more than about $3,250 a year. The portions are huge, so figure out where they'll go at home, or split with friends.
08｜H Mart
The H comes from the Korean 한아름, 'an armful,' and it started in 1982 as a small grocery in Queens, New York. Koreatown has two, with a whole wall of kimchi; the Madang one is downstairs and validates parking.
09 | 99 Ranch Market
In 1984, Roger Chen, just arrived from Taiwan and homesick, opened the first store in Westminster; '99' sounds like 'forever' in Chinese. The motto is 'For 100, we try harder,' and the second generation runs it now.
10｜Mitsuwa、Tokyo Central
Mitsuwa used to be Yaohan, and the Torrance store is inside Del Amo, so you can grab ramen and browse Kinokuniya after shopping; Tokyo Central used to be Marukai, and its hot bar has more choices than a bento shop.
11 | Northgate, El Super: Mexican grocery stores
Northgate's founder was a shoemaker from Jalisco, Mexico, who turned a liquor store in Anaheim into a grocery in 1980; for the feel of a Mexican market, make Mercado González in Costa Mesa a half-day trip.
12 | Fun fact: who's behind these grocery stores?
TJ's belongs to Germany's Aldi family, Whole Foods to Amazon, Gelson's and Tokyo Central to Don Quijote's parent company, Bristol Farms to Korea's Emart. 'LA's grocery stores are a world map in themselves.'
13 | Which one's for you?
To see what's trending in LA, Erewhon; snacks and souvenirs, TJ's; a month's worth in one go, Costco; homesick, 99 Ranch; Japanese snacks and a food court, Mitsuwa. Lots of Angelenos hit more than one a week.
14 | Two-city mirror
In Taipei it's the PX Mart on the corner and the convenience store downstairs, grabbed on the way home from work; in LA it's driving, pushing a giant cart, and driving to 99 Ranch when you're homesick. 'Same grocery run; in Taipei it's on the way, in LA it's a whole outing.'
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An original JSLALALAND field guide by Jasmine Chang (@jslalaland).