Donald’s Market

This local grocery store has a lot of good items but the prices are a little higher than the big box stores and some other Chinese grocery stores. The organic section is definitely expensive. They have lots of specials and sometimes the fruits are a good price. They have a decent bread selection. They pretty much carry everything you will need for everyday eating. They have an ok frozen section too. It’s always busy here as sometimes the line ups are long.

The place was neat organized and had a couple of inexpensive items for produce.
Their cashiers were quick and fast.
The only thing I can say is that bad is I wish their prices were cheaper for their meats.

Donald’s is an awesome local spot to grab your necessaries. They always have some great specials on, which is good as it is a little pricier than the big box stores — but it’s so convenient and has a lot of smaller, local brands so I don’t mind!
The store is a little crowded, but there are aisles with clear descriptions of what’s what that helps you navigate. Their produce is usually really great, with a decent selection of organic, too. The staff are always busy and bustling, which means the long lines at checkout move pretty fast!
The location combined with the consistently good products makes this a must for everyday grocery shopping.

Good prices and I like that it’s small & local ;-)

I probably came on the wrong day, at the same time my sweetie was looking for some grocery items and we stepped in here while the Italian Day festival was going on outside. That said, this place was a zoo to get through, it’s a Donald’s Market, that is for sure from the great produce and goods they serve. From good fresh organic produce to some good name brands, an example would be the bread they carry (Bread Affair, etc.). This place is not as big as the other Donald’s locations and depending on what you expect from a name like this you may not the experience. I did find that they are utilizing the space to the max, that can be a problem though, with almost no room seperating the cashier to the front wall to the next isles, lineups can look very ugly, especially if you have to go to those isles to look for certain goods, knowing that they are narrow, and also people who are lining up probably have a good basket of food that, with themselves, is taking up space.
Space management, that’s one thing this place doesn’t have, if you come here when it’s empty, it maybe a good shopping experience, when it’s packed… that’s a whole different story. The prices are just like all other DM’s, so not to fear, and a good addition to the drive, especially the Southern end. Close to a Skytrain, you can just hop on out and to your destination is another advantage of this location.

Face it, you don’t shop here because there’s ample free parking (backlot and street is available) and you don’t shop here because it’s huge store for a one-​stop shop… But, you will love shopping here for value and selection. No one has better prices, particularly for organic foods and environmentally safe cleaning stuff, great but small, meaning fresh, meat & fish selection, including organic, and really wonderful staff.
This is out first stop now and we go to Whole Foods & other stores for the items Donald’s don’t have, or we go to the Hastings & Nanaimo store for a monthly shop (it’s 3 times the size of Commercial).
Where else can you buy ANY non-​dairy beverage like Almond Breeze or organic rice or soymilk for $ 1.99 everyday? Nowhere! Locally & family owned and it shows.
And they always seem to have some new items that we see here first and then at Whole Foods or Famous Foods 6 months later. They really seem to be focused on keeping their shoppers coming back for the best prices and an unmatched selection of unique food items.
**********5 Stars*******

This small but perfectly formed market has every grocery item you could need. The quality and price of the fruit and veg is some of the best I’ve seen and it’s got a massive selection of health food, gluten free, diary free products. I go there for the veg though, and the seen better days bin is a great and inexpensive go to if you’re planning on making a soup or a pie.
Sure, it can get a little crowded during busy periods, and I’d love if it opened later than 8 but the happiness it brings to my eyes and my belly as I pass it, especially on a sunny day, can’t be beat.

This is my one-​stop grocery store. I no longer live in the ‘hood but I make the drive over here because of the prices, quality and selection. Yes, it can get VERY busy but if you come at a quieter time (eg mid-​day or just before closing) you can avoid the lines.
The quality and prices on the produce in particular is what keeps me coming back here. Yes, you can find slightly lower prices at some of the other stores on the Drive, but the quality is just not the same.
There is also a fantastic selection of gluten-​free, non-​dairy and sugar free options. If you want to eat healthy, this is a great place to do a lot of your shopping at very reasonable prices.

Donald’s is great… see my review of the hastings store…
BUT this location needs an over haul! If they have more that 4 people in the check out line, it pretty much prevent everyone else from shopping in the store. Renovations? Reorganisation? I don’t know. It needs a change.

Donald’s Market: mini! It has almost all the selection of the larger market at Nanaimo and Hastings, in a smaller package! This place has evolved service-​wise over the years but the quality of food has stayed the same — that is, it’s stayed excellent. Prices are comparable to other Drive grocery stores — higher on some items, lower on others. You can definitely find what you’re looking for here, moreso than some of the other shops in the area. It’s my choice for a one-​stop shop, though I rarely need to do that with so many other grocery shops nearby.

This location has to be the worse of the Donald’s Market’s chain in the city. The place is crammed, line ups are typically long to pay and limited selection compared to their New Westminster and East Hastings location. This location get’s 2 stars, the others would get my 4 star rating.

Busy, great selection of fruits and veg even when many things are out of season — you can find stuff here.
Reasonable prices.

Easy to find organic foods, the choice for vegetables and fruits is great.
Very good location, 5 mins walking from Commercial skytrain station.
However, it is a very confine place and if you do your groceries around 5 PM, be ready to find a crowded place.
The price are pretty good.

Donald’s and I met about 6 years ago when I moved into the area, and refused to have a long-​term relationship with that seedy Safeway.
I immediately fell in love. I think it was a combination of the personality, the low prices, the efficiency and the fact that he had so much to offer that won me over. And I’ve been seeing him regularly (sometimes several times a week) since then.
Donald’s Commercial Drive is deceiving. From the outside, it looks like one of those little neighbourhood grocers that are still sprinkled throughout the west side of Vancouver. But you get to know him and, WHAM!, you are blown away by everything he has stored inside. From a good selection of quality produce (some organic), to green household cleaning supplies and an incredible range of specialty items, Donald’s usually has it — at a lower price.
Local, Green, Organic, Vegan, Gluten-​free, Dairy-​free is all available here. At first I cheated a bit by still seeing my old friends Capers/​Whole Foods and Choices for specific items, but now Donald’s is always my go-​to.
Another thing I love: he’s quick. There’s no messing around, getting lost while trying to find things. Even when lots of other people are visiting, the cashiers are efficient and lines move quickly.
It’s true he does bug me at times. All that stock in small quarters means you relinquish your personal space, can’t use a buggy to shop with (he only has baskets) and have to maneuver around staff stocking shelves — often at peak times. [Tip to new moms: don’t even think about bringing your BOB stroller for a visit in right before dinner. It’s an exercise in frustration that your hormones won’t handle very well.]
But everyone has their quirks, and his benefits outweigh them.

I’ve been noticing a lot of people walking around with a forest green grocery bag for a while now and finally managed to get a glimpse of what that logo was on that bag. Having finally identified the name of this market, I did what everyone did — check it out on Unilocal!
I don’t live near any of the three Donald’s Market, however, I now realize why these green grocery bags are making their way around the city!
First off, the variety of items they have in their store is amazing! They have brands you cannot get any where else in that area! Their prices are amazing compared to Safeway (just a few blocks up)!
Although the isles are a little cramped at times, the people there are friendly and other consumers don’t seem to mind — how could they since they’re saving so much more money compared to the other big chain stores?
It appears that most of the items in the store consists of fresh organic, gluten-​free and lots and lots of products locally grown or made — which is a huge plus as I am a huge supporter of local businesses who supports other local businesses!!!
It is also very good to learn that Donald’s Market is huge on giving back to the community!
Chatting with the lady at my check-​out lane, they say the other stores are not 100% identical and caters to the taste of their community — which is very intriguing to me and makes me want to visit the Hastings & New West location!

I come here so often! They have organic and local produce (as well as regular) — and often very good prices. I’ve been buying lots of cherries here since they’re cheaper.
They have gluten free items and baking supplies. Also they sometimes have really good deals on things that may be expensive elsewhere. For awhile they had sweet potato chips 2 bags for 2 $. And they were the kind of chips you pay 5 $ a bag at other places.
I usually buy my olive oil here since it’s also cheaper. And it’s just a fun store to look around since they have so much stuff. The service is always good but sometimes it’s quite busy and there is a bit of a wait at the till. It all depends on your level of patience — I don’t mind it but if you’re in a rush it could be annoying. The line usually moves fast.
My only wish is that they had cheaper avocados. I buy them somewhere else for cheaper but it would be nice to have them be the same price so I didn’t have to go to another store. Ah well — can’t have everything right?

I had heard of how cheap the grocery stores on Commercial were before moving to the area, but i always assumed they would be stores along the lines of Buy Low Foods, where half the veggies are rotten and everything contains ingredients with names like dextomorphetrinolinfructolaxativeclose. Turns out i was mistaken, because Donald’s carries all the same high quality, healthier foods that my old grocery store Choices does… but CHEAPER! Way cheaper. Like, wtf-​Choices-​why-​did-​you-​rip me-​off cheaper.
The produce has always been Safeway quality with Dollar Grocer prices, and their packaged foods are way below Safeway’s prices. Take for example my favorite flax seed bread by the brand Mack’s. It is about $ 5.50 at Safeway is only $ 3.50 at Donald’s. THAT IS A BIG ASS DIFFERENCE. If i bought candy with every single 2 bucks i saved not buying bread at Safeway, i would be as big assed as the savings. (See that clever word play there?)
It is a pretty cramped store, but i’d way rather shop here than a big supermarket, especially since i’ve never left here and had to go to another grocery store to pick up items i couldn’t find at Donald’s. They don’t have a deli counter, but who needs one on Commercial anyway?!

Donald’s Market is probably the best one-​stop shop for groceries on Commercial Drive. Being right near the skytrain station, it’s über convenient to stop by and pick up a few things on the way home from work. The freshness of their produce is probably one of the best on the Drive, and you can buy free-​run chicken for the same price as you would for caged/​farmed chicken at a major grocery store.
As with many Commercial Drive shops, Donald’s has a large section of vegetarian/​vegan specialty items available at a reasonable price. They also have a nice selection of enviro-​friendly cleaning products, and a pretty decent bulk section. Unlike so many other places on the Drive, you can actually do a complete grocery shop here without getting majorly ripped off. Not too shabby, Donald’s!

Best selection on the Drive. Affordable prices. What’s not to love?
Well, Sunday afternoon shopping with oblivious parents bringing their oversize strollers into already crowded tiny aisles, but besides that Donalds is the shiznit.

This is the place for fresh vegetables and fruits, super cheap and in season! Everything is plentiful and colourful here, but beware — I am not sure they should be trusted on things like dairy and breads. I bought a loaf of bread from there that tasted stale… and in a wierd way, I have heard flour can be stale, so that must’ve been it. Another time I bought milk only to find out once I left that it would expire in 2 days… this would never happen at the bigger chains. But vegetables are great and super cheap, and all the condiments (jams, mustards, honeys) are in good selection.
They are open 9 – 8 every day, and open at 930 on Sundays.