Smart & Final

This Smart & Final is the smallest I’ve been to, which is the only reason why I will give it a 3. They do have supplies and groceries, but just a very small selection compared to the other ones like downtown or river park. If I’m around those areas, I’m definitely going to those rather than this one just because they have more produce.
But on the other hand, I like this one because it’s close by my house so I don’t have to travel far to get the things I need. The staffs are very friendly and helpful. They never hesitate to help and instead of having an awkward silence, they have a conversation with you. They will also provide you with information that their store is offering.
My favorite thing about this store is it’s cheaper than going to Food Maxx. Chicken thighs deboned and skinned is only $ 1.19/lb! Imagine spending an extra dollar or two at Food Maxx and having to debone and skinning the chicken thigh. Many of the produce and essentials are the best and cheapest here, so this is your find here! :)

The staff is very kind, answers all questions and is very helpful!
You have to know your prices to compare with other stores but for the most part they are only a few cents off and since they are closer to my house it is worth it to get products there instead of going to a big warehouse store.

Last time I went it was impossible to walk around. They had pallets upon pallets of items to be unloaded with many of us shopping. Wasn’t very close to closing time. I was not the only one. We all were having a really hard time shopping. When I caught eyes with a few people (while we danced around the pallets), they would roll their eyes and/​or sigh, as would I. It was annoying. After I couldn’t go forward with my cart and there was a traffic jam behind me I just got my purse and left. I think they should stock when they close the store, but that’s just my opinion.

Umm… You stink, Smart & Final.
No… I mean it. Your store actually smells bad. I’ve been shopping S&F for years because you do carry bulk catering goods on the cheap, and I usually go between the Clovis store and the Blackstone store, but the last few times I’ve been in the Clovis store, it just smells really bad. Kind of like a cross between a moldy dead dog and rancid refried beans in a used adult diaper…
The first time I noticed it (about two months ago), I thought «Maybe something spilled and they haven’t had a chance to sanitize it yet.» I went about my shopping that day while shallowly breathing through my mouth and made it out alive with my cart full of to-​go containers and ironically enough, cleaning supplies. My very next visit was a few weeks later and again, pee-​freakin-​you! Only this time, you didn’t have the same to-​go containers I needed, and being that I still had an ample supply of lids from the last visit, I didn’t want to buy another style. I tried several times to get an Associate but every one seemed to be busy doing such important things like stacking bananas or talking on their cell phones. It took me asking four different people before someone finally helped me. He basically walked me over to the same aisle I had already pored over and started pointing out the various to-​go boxes. «No Sir, those won’t work for me because they’re not the same size as the close to 300 lids I have left.» His response? «How do you know they won’t fit?»
I asked if they might have them at any of the other stores (in other words, can you please call your other stores and ask?), and his response was «I dunno.» He then walked away to his more important job of rotating mop handles.
I visited the Blackstone store (much more helpful and pleasant smelling) where I immediately found my containers so the next two times, I made the drive to shop there and get better service/​inventory. Just yesterday, I needed to pick up a few last minute things for a catering job and seeing that I was crunched for time, returned to the Clovis store. Nothing’s changed. The store still smells awful, nobody’s around to help, (although the one guy standing in the middle aisle on his cell phone was nice enough to completely ignore me and walk away while I patiently waited for him to be done with his conversation… it seemed to be about whether Derik took Vanessa’s pills and how much he wanted for them) and correct me if I’m wrong but has anyone else noticed that their inventory seems to be getting smaller? They didn’t even have cream this time. Cream. S&F always carries cream.
Overall, I’m happy with S&F, but this particular store seems to be in it’s death throws. Maybe it’s that «One Store» in the franchise where they send naughty Smart & Final employees to work as punishment. Whatever the case is, I’m now «Smart» and that’s my «Final» trip to that store.

Pretend that you are buying for your own restaurant and have at it! Just be careful and know your pricing, sometimes we have found that the larger sizes that they offer are not better than the normal price at the regular grocery stores! Kudos for good staff tho!

I admit, I was kinda scared to check out this place after reading Peachy’s review. But the skinless chicken breast sale ($ 1.67/lb!!!) reeled me in.
The shopping carts were kinda not pristine, but the staff was very friendly and courteous!
Smart and Final is not your typical supermarket– there are some off brand and some brand name products, and some of those products are big bulk items you’d find at Restaurant Depot. Like gallon maple syrup jug deals. The produce section and a refridgerated section with eggs and such are all the way in the back on the right. Some prices are competitive and some are rock bottom, like the chicken and 35 cent/​pound melons. I probably won’t go back until there’s another chicken sale, but I thought I’d raise the rating because my shopping experience was very satisfactory.

where do i even begin? well, sensibly, let’s start with the exterior of the place. it’s awful. it’s sidewalk and building itself were disturbingly dusty and dirty; the windows were smeared with, um, i dunno what; the carts were stored out on the sidewalk during business hours which totally stinks for sidewalk pedestrians — not to mention the fact they were scattered everywhere and were full of pedestrian garbage including a wad of used tissue!!! in the first cart i grabbed; the signage is old, faded and tattered; and a banner of some sort was hanging sadly by it’s left side while the right dangled in a puddle of water. i hope it was water. i immediately looked around the entrance for the now commonplace sanitizer. none, natch. of course i had some in my purse and whipped it out like my hands had been dipped in boiling tar.
i haven’t even made it inside the store and i’m wondering why i chose to spend my money here. and if i’m going to need to see a doctor when i leave.
the interior of the store isn’t any better, at ALL, than the exterior. i know these stores are done on the cheap to keep prices low, and lord knows we can all use a bargain right about now, but brooms are fairly inexpensive and incredibly effective. i hear storekeepers have been using them for a number of years now.
as i grasped the handle of my cart which was clad in several hand sanitizer cloths, i pushed bravely on in search of… yes…the proverbial gallon of milk. i’m old school. vitamin d whole milk or nothing. i swear i’d eat cheerios with water before i’d eat it with 2%. at any rate, not knowing exactly where said milk would be located in the store, i spied an official looking person making their way down the center aisle towards me. hopeful, i poised to ask which direction the milk might be, but froze as she slipped behind a rolling flat of boxes that were stacked so high i could not see her head and began wheeling them RIGHT AT ME!!!
i jumped back and dragged the cart to the side as she glided by. oblivious. i managed to slow my heart rate back down to a normal shopping rate and croaked ’ excuse me’. she pulled the flat to a stop and turned back to me, one hand on her hip and one hand on the flat handle, and said ‘yeah?’ unaccustomed to such hound dog behavior, i stuttered like a thief in church, but finally managed to ask her where the milk was. she sighed heavily as if i’d asked her to detail pi to the billionth decimal and waved her arm over her head, spun on her heel and carried on with her parade of one.
alrighty then. i’m on my own. picking my way through the displays and spilled items, i did manage to find the milk. realizing that i was no longer on an adventure but caught in some sort of weirdo social terrarium, i abandoned my cart and quickly hurried to the register. a quick exit was not to be.
there were four registers. one was completely covered with papers and clipboards and things that reminded me of the inside of a hobo’s front pocket. some of it was dusty, so i know it’d been there for a while. yes. my mother taught me to notice dust in a store. only one of the other 3 registers was open. the poor young man at the helm was overwhelmed with five of us now in his line and Unilocaled for help over the PA, practically begging the manager to come to the front for register assistance. i thought he might cry.
the manager came. guess who it was? you guessed it. the lady with the milk over her head. she sauntered over to his register and peered at what he was doing, looked down the line of 5 people, jingled her keys really officially and stepped up in some sort of grocery store dj booth, holding the little elf door open with her back and leg. she took a beverage of some sort off a tiny little elf counter, opened it and took several swallows, looked at her watch, fiddled with a piece of paper and then stepped out. but not to a register. she just walked away. lol. it was incredible. i quickly looked at the cashier to see if he was exhibiting any signs of his inevitable oncoming conniption fit.
and oh i was not disappointed. he slammed some drawer shut with a loud bang, leaned over, looking incredibly ridiculous, and used a key on a chain around his neck (???) on the register. maybe he was locking it and disabling it or something. i have no idea but he looked ridiculous. he stomped off after the manager. it was really fantastic! those of us in line just stood there. i’m sure our mouths were open. and no one was saying a word. i couldn’t help it. i just started laughing.
it was contagious. every single one of us was cracking up. the crying kind of laughing. it was the most ridiculous thing i’d ever seen. after about 3 or 4 minutes, a couple of people left. then one more. then me. forget it. i’m not standing in the middle of this tacky store with a jug of milk waiting on y’all to work your drama out.
do i recommend the store? absolutely not.
did i enjoy my experience there tonight? LOL YES, despite it all.