MESA, AZ — The sticker shock in the grocery aisles is not letting up, but our Smart Shopper team found a store that's been offering low prices for decades.
American Discount Foods in Mesa feels a lot like your neighborhood grocery store.
"We're a family-owned discount grocery store, mainly grocery liquidations. So, we get overstock. We get short-coded items and we get just the end of the runs on specific things like Halloween candy after Halloween, Easter candy after Easter. We get a lot of products that you know, was maybe not a main flavor of chip that they overproduced," explained co-owner Dj Zehring.
He says they've done all the comparison shopping for customers, and most items are priced at a 40-70% discount.
"We want people to know what they're paying here and what it is at the cheapest place they could find it somewhere else. And so, we'll put the 'Compare at', we'll put the date that we found that compare at. Just so people know the deals that they're getting," added Zehring.
Not every item has a current 'Best by' date, but their goal is to eliminate food waste.
"People don't understand necessarily, the 'Best by' date isn't an expiration date, and so, you know, just because you're a day past the 'Best by' date doesn't mean you need to throw it away. And we just really want to do our part to stop the waste of food all while also giving people a cheaper grocery option," said Dj Zehring.
The store has been part of the Valley for 26 years and also has a product promise.
"We guarantee all of our products 45 days past when you purchased it. And you know, we really don't have issues with people bringing product back. We sample everything before we put it out," Zehring added.
American Discount Foods won't have all the items you need, all the time. So, he advises customers to shop here first and then fill in any missing items at a traditional grocery store.
"So by shopping here first, shopping here before you do shopping at any other store, we're able to knock off a majority of things off your list. Might not be able to do everything, but you can save 40-70% off by shopping here," said Zehring.
"We'll have people that plan all their meals out based off of what we have in stock. So, they don't have to worry about going and paying full price somewhere else," Zehring added.
American Discount Foods has a second smaller location in east Mesa. The business takes EBT, cash and credit.
You can also sign up for the store email blast to get the most up-to-date savings.
For more information visit their website or follow them on social media.