Safeway

Coming from mainland I think this is the worst place on earth. The natives are rude to all other than their own. The customer service is awfull. And forget about going to the deli, the natives there just don’t have the mainland service. And forget about getting a job there, cause they won’t hire you if you’re not a native. They look at you like what are you doing here. And the people who work at night are just as bad.

I only go here for two things only. The flowers if i ever need for occasions (birthdays, Valentine’s, get wells, Mother’s Day etc.) and the produce. They have a big selection of those two things. They have the biggest produce section I have ever been to in Hilo, and have floral things if you need one right away. They also have self-​checkout if you’re into that. I prefer either, which ever line is shorter.

With the newest Fuel station added and the cheapest gas in town, parking lot has become a nightmare with cars zooming thru parking stalls to fuel up.
Definitely need speed bumps there is not 1 speed bump in this parking lot. Also need some kind of parking stall barriers or something to stop cars from zooming across parking stalls.

Cheapest cash price gasoline in Hilo usually by around 10 cents. Waits can be long if you go at the wrong time of day, but worth it.

This review is strictly for the floral department in Safeway. My mom had a terrible experience with a flower company… long story short, the flower delivery she had scheduled a week or so before my grandmas birthday was cancelled the day before (reason: we can’t deliver it)! Mom was beyond mad since driving to their house in Hilo to deliver flowed is not going to happen. But this review is for another company and another time.
First of all, since when did Hilo have a Safeway (and Target)? The parking lot was nice and we went straight to the HUMANGOUS flower section. There were a ton of arrangements to choose from and we ended up with an orchid arrangement.
Esaiah was awesome! He helped to make sure everything was good with the orchid before we left from writing the card to making sure it was freshly watered and wrapped up.
If you need flowers in Hilo, go check out Esaiah in the floral department for great and friendly service.

A man approaches a beautiful woman in a supermarket and asks, «I’ve lost my wife here. Can you talk to me for a couple of minutes?» The woman asks why. The guy responds, «Because every time I talk to a a beautiful woman, my wife appears out of nowhere!»
Okay, I’m not married but I can appreciate the humor. So Safeway is a large, organized, and clean supermarket with plenty of parking. There’s a Starbucks and a Bank of Hawaii conveniently inside for you to grab some cash before wasting half your grocery money on fancy bean-​water. They even have a gas station now! This is where the fambam and I like to go fill up the tank. When you drive a gas-​guzzlin’ truck like I do, you can appreciate saving a few dimes here and there.
Safeway Club is the way to go. Score some discount on your foodie needs. Want something on sale but they ran out? Get a raincheck. Line moving too slow for you? Go to the self check-​out because we all know people are too lazy to ring up their own items so do it yourself. Cutie from the mainland coming to visit? Well I guess you can get her something from the floral department. But let’s be honest, we’re really just here for the gas.

I have a love/​hate relationship with this damned store. On one hand, it’s Safeway and I do like the gas rewards. on the other hand, OMG the crazyness. $ 5 Fridays are like Black Fridays. it’s a hit or miss with prices/​sales. If you live here, you know, you need to become a sales ninja. if there is a good sale just know that they will run out, but not to fret. because rainchecks are your friend. I like that you can do the digital coupons there on your card, then come back again and get the same deal with a paper coupon (if the limit is one on your card). You need to be super save saavy, but if you put in the extra work with the J4u and stuff, you can save alot of money. Never buy stuff that they need to ship in, (i.e., Minute Maid, etc.) try to buy local brands to save money. They almost NEVER have the manager special meats. so if you see a good sale on them, stock up, and move on. super friendly staff, I’ve been going to Safeway for years, my Safeway card is only 4 numbers, I was one of the first ones to get one. so safe to say, out of all the Safeways I’ve been to, these employees are the nicest, yes, even if you use coupons. I’d have to say, on a savings scale. you can work it on a Friday. but either go really early, or be prepared to maneuver your cart on the damned aisle Indy500. Good Luck Kids !

They got deals at times. The customer service at the deli and seafood department is THE worse. It’s like they make u wait for 15 minutes before they actually acknowledge you. That’s pretty terrible.
Other than that the cashiers are nice and friendly. Please fix the bad service in deli and seafood department.
There’s also a Starbucks and a Bank of Hawaii inside the store too. Plus now they got their own gas station! Pretty convenient right?!

$ 3.92 for a gallon of regular gas? This is only one reason Safeway is a great place to shop. Its also clean and always stocked. The deli always has customers due to their impressive spread of hot foods, more choices than other supermarkets. I know that the prices are sometimes high here, but just shop smart and this will be a stop every time. Use their «Just for U» app and save money!

Let me start off by stating that this is a very clean and well stocked store, especially the stocked part considering this is Hawai’i. With that said, they often have incredibly long lines and I have been to many Safeway Stores and even their cousin store «Von’s» many, many times and have never experienced such long wait lines such as this Safeway store in Hilo, Hawai’i.
I have complained to their online customer support «twice» and have received follow-​up phone calls from the Hilo stores manager also twice, reassuring me that he would re-​emphasize to all the store employees what is acceptable, like common sense things, such as taking the next person waiting in an existing long line when they open a new register isle. Or being attentive to calling for additional checkers when the lines are backed up.
Anyway, after these complaints were addressed by me and I was re-​assured that it would be better by the management, I have decided to post a picture, so you’ll be able to judge fore yourself what improvements have taken place.
It’s a shame, because the employees are all nice there, but seem to lack certain business skills. I don’t know what it is?

We had a fantastic experience stocking up here before our stay in Pahoa. Not only did they have everything we could have wanted, but the prices were way lower than we had anticipated finding in the islands. Sure, most items were more expensive than on the mainland, but there were a few things we picked up that cost us less than we’re used to spending at a Safeway/Randall’s in Texas. Granted, they are one of the most expensive major chains…
Still, it was nice to have such an assortment of products available before heading to such a limited market further South.

New store is clean. Biggest problem is how expensive the products are. Pros
Excellent cuts of meat. Only butchers who no how to properly cut meat. Generally meat taste good as well although fish is scary
Clean clean and clean
Wine selection pretty good
Free wireless
Always have a cart as staff keeps them in store and out of parking lot
Staff friendly with some exceptions
Cons
Expensive
Lines can back up out the door and management to incompetent. Or just doesn’t care enough to open another cash register
Shopping at Safeway Hilo for 8 years. Butcher shop (depending on whom you get) plays the we no talk to Houlee (white guy). Several of the butchers will cut meat to your taste. But two others that no can do. Irritating, you get use to it in Hilo but its prevalent in butchers dept. note several others are great and on my Christmas card list for the help they give us
Management. Always out of sale items after several hours. Always. Long lines. Produce out of date. Never available when needed
Our choices are limited in Hilo. We’re add monkeys. We follow the adds.
For Hilo. Buy produce at KTA. Fish as well as they have best selection
Meat cuts best at Safeway. Foodland sells local beef but cuts are small. But big island beef Ono

Friendly, genuine customer service here. They recognize you and greet you warmly. They always have beautifully marbled meats that make your mouth water. «Kalapana» and «spicy» poke are my favorites here, though the freshness can be questionable at times because its not always made with locally caught ahi :(. I would love to see them support more local fisherman rather than import their supply. Although I would rather encourage and support buying local (the farmers market always has better produce than any grocery store), Safeway is my go-​to grocery store. They have everything to satisfy my cravings and needs. Their club card and just-​for-​you programs offer some unbelievable deals, and the store is definitely always clean, neat, and shoppable.

Pros:
New and fresh.
One stop shop.
Self Check Out (sometimes).
Starbuck’s inside.
Bank of Hawaii inside.
Florist.
Pharmacy.
Lots of parking.
Video rentals.
Fresh Deli sandwiches.
Fresh Sushi.
Fresh baked breads and desserts.
Large meat department.
Large beer and wine selection.
Great place to go to cool off on a hot day.
Clean bathrooms.
Very friendly and helpful employees.
Have computers set up to load your Just4U card and print out your shopping list.
Has a small lounge area with WIFI
Cons:
High priced, especially the produce and fruit.
13 check out lines, but they only open 3, even during high volume times.
Wear your jacket on cool days. This place is c-​c-​c-​ca– COLD.
The parking lot is confusing and people cut through stalls. DANGER!
Just4U usually works but sometimes you get over charged for items.
Always have to check receipt before leaving the store.
When something goes on sale and is wiped out, you won’t see it again for months.
It’s a long walk to the opposite side of the store if you forget something.
Their wagons have that stupid locking wheel and anti wheelie bar device.

I had to drop a star. They ran out of my favorite yogurt and two days later they still haven’t restocked it. boo!

I only really go here when orange juice is on sale but the last experience was particularly bad.
It was the evening of July 3^rd, the night before the biggest BBQ day of the year, and there were 3 employees in the entire store.
Two of them were manning the register’s as the lines backed up well into aisles, all self checkout lanes had been closed, and the store security guard was bagging groceries.
The third employee was either a. not capable of operating a cash register or b. on a treasure hunt with a very important piece of paper in his hand which limited his field of vision to the point that he was not aware of the 30 or so customers waiting to check out.
I’d shop here more often if I was on food stamps or had lots of money and didn’t care about the prices being twice what they should be.
p. s. the produce sucks, you are better off at the farmers market where you can spend $ 10 for a week’s worth of veggies.

Great big grocery store with almost everything you need. They even have some locally grow/​baked/​made goods to buy to support the locals!
The employees are super helpful and courteous. Clean. Plenty of parking.

Best thing about this place is the self check out. I would come in, get my ideas, and leave quickly. Customer service is good too as I have returned items with no receipt and got store credit.
Large, clean store, and well stocked.
Cheaper than KTA for mainland staples like apples and spinach.
Very convenient too that there is a Bank of Hawaii inside.

Safeway is Great for Several Reasons:
1. It’s New with a Huge Parking Lot & very Spacious inside = a Large Aisle, no more pulling over to the side with eye’s rolling, lol! and you know who you are?
2. Starbucks located in the store, so you can get your caffeine on and not drag ur A** around the store.
3. Lot’s of Safeway Club Specials to save you $$$.
4. It has a Excellent Beer and Wine selection for your so called «Happy Hour».
5. They have a Food Court with a small dining area inside, that has a Sushi Bar, Chinese Food, and a Deli to name a few (for those day’s ur A** is too Lazy to cook).
6. Full Service Florist (=Roses) to get something for your «Honey Bunny», hint, hint, lol!
7. Bank of Hawaii to cash your Cha Ching’s $$$ to spend on your «Honey Bunny».
8. Full Service Bakery to Carb Load for more Curve’s, he he!
9. Full Service Meat & Seafood Dept. for that mouth-​watering BBQ, Party!
10. Full Service Pharmacy for you Addicts! (only joking, ha ha!).
Plus, Their Customer Service is Outstanding and I never once had to wait long in line to pay for my groceries.
They also have an easy Self-​Checkout option too.
Need I say more?

Newly opened in March 2011, this location (next to Target) rivals any other grocery with its huge selection of foods and groceries. Parking lot is massive and makes coming here worthwhile. Store has a pharmacy, flower shop, Bank of Hawaii and Starbucks. Lots of giveways this grand opening weekend!