Shaw’s

This is the worst Shaws I have been to in the Boston area. I just moved to Malden and this is the only grocery store close to me besides Stop and Shop (which I haves always considered to be a sub-​par grocery store). I have never, and I mean never, found good produce at this Shaws. The produce always appears to be in low stock and I have gone on various days and times, and what produce they do have is always moldy or almost rotten. I have started shopping at Stop and Shop because I can find marginally better produce there.

Lovely employees. This is a smaller Shaw’s and lines get busy but they have all the essentials. Prices are high (compared to Market Basket) but it’s good for all the essentials in a pinch. Parking can be tough. There is a lot across the street, behind the building and on the street but sometimes you might have to wait a few.

When they’re having a sale, the prices are okay. But for the most part, this store is very overpriced. The produce department doesn’t seem to have the best or freshest selection but they’re okay if you’re in a pinch. In a nutshell, the quality of the food is not worth the high prices you’re paying .
The deli counter — dear lord, they run on two speeds. Slow and Slower. Some of the deli workers are just plain rude on top of being super slow so that’s a nice little double whammy as you’re standing in line waiting… and waiting… and more waiting…
And parking sucks.

The worse Shaws/​Star Market that I have been to in the greater Boston area. The meat manager Jack is rude, loud, and obnoxious and the people who answer the phones treat you like there is something wrong with you if you complain despite all the other terrible reviews this location has not only within Unilocal but on Foursquare, Google reviews and elsewhere. You can never find parking there and often times the fruit and vegetables have gone bad but they put them on the shelves anyways.

The last few months I have noticed Shaws in Melrose have really stepped up their game. Produce looks great, more choices and healthier options at a good price. I bought fish today and noticed the display of fish and now meat is larger and it is a lovely presentation. I realize there is competition down the street but the changes made so far will make me go back to Shaws instead of WF.

So nice to live close to a grocery store that has almost everything I need. Super convenient.

I’ve spent lots of time in various Shaw’s stores over the past few years. I find that this Shaw’s is one of the better stores that I’ve been to. The store is small enough so that I can run in to grab what I need and be out in a pretty short period of time. The store is clean, the one issue is that it can be difficult to find close parking on weekends. However, it’s the greater Boston area, so this is the case most places.
There are better stores — I typically shop at Wegmans and Trader Joe’s. Despite this, I live nearby and this is honestly a pretty decent place to come for basic needs when you don’t have time to run out of Melrose.

Very expesive! And does not have a reward card like stop and shop. I feel its worth it to drive to Saugus or Malden to a Stop and Shop for a better price on better stuff. That being said, if you live in Melrose this place works for a quick run.

This is solid choice for people who live in Melrose. Positives: clean, we’ll organized, decent selection, staff is nice and they have tasty fish at a reasonable price.
Negatives: it is difficult to get help at the fish counter. The self checkout line almost never works properly. Here is some advice for the Shaws chain: please stop wasting our time with dumb games at check out.

The store is small and dirty – and the selection is limited. There are any number of better options, including Whole Foods.

Watch the register closely or look at your bill because something is ALWAYS rung up wrong or mis-​marked. The service desk is happy to fix the problem but its a pain. The produce is not always good.

I have started shopping this store and it is the best choice in the area. i save a lot of money by using my rewards card and coupons too. The prices are starting to come down to compete with the competition. The staff is extremely helpful and very knowledgeable. This store is not as big as some other supermarkets but still carries everything I need. With its convenient location right downtown, this makes for a very easy shop.

Not a large selection. Limited parking. Does match coupons up to 99 cents

I am old enough to remember how instead of Shaws there was a non-​corporate owned Ciritanis store which was awesome in a small community like Melrose (yes, I am a Melrose resident) Every time I venture into Shaws here it is a disaster. Everything is overpriced (even compared to Stop and Shop which I though for a long time was quite expensive). On several occasions I was «helped» by Marisa who lectured me on how I misread price tags (they do practice deceptive advertisement on occasion by placing tags in a way that customer thinks he/​she buys at one price just to be «pleasantly» surprised at the cash register) and I should do this and place an item here instead of there. Even when I press button“need help” Marisa, who stands 2 feet away, turns around not to see a customer who needs help and starts walking away. What had happened to «exceptional customer service» here in America? Is that just me or other people also see how our standards, values and beliefs are declining right before our eyes!

Every single time I come to this store I am overcharged for something. Every time. I’m not exaggerating.

Without a doubt, the Melrose Shaw’s is the worst grocery store in the WORLD.
Idiotic, slovenly-​dressed staff, outrageously high prices and a very annoying system for those of us who want to check ourselves out with reusable bags make each and every shopping experience here pure hell. If you do choose self-​checkout so as not to have to deal with said idiotic staff, you have press a «skip bagging» button for each item and then, of course, the machine gets confused and thinks you’re shoplifting. Apparently the geniuses who designed these relatively new self-​checkout stations never heard of the word «sustainability.»
I had a hideous encounter with two teenage cashiers three weeks ago who couldn’t handle a couple of awkward, simultaneous problems. The bigger issue was that they clearly weren’t trained to handle any customer service glitches. Teaching the employees to say, «I’m sorry,» would be a good start. We’ll worry about the extent to which they chat with one another and ignore customers at some other point in time.
The other problem I see with all Shaws in general is a complete lack of staff. I have no idea how they’re even staying afloat in this economy. Top, top prices and zero employees on the registers — probably not the best business strategy. I’m thinking it’s cheaper to go to a restaurant than to shop here.

I used to HATE this Shaw’s. I still do a little — the location is hell. Along a one way street? Crummy parking?! UGH.
BUT — they remodeled it 4 – 5 years ago now and it’s a lot nicer inside. I used to call the place GHETTO but now it’s not so bad. They pulled the whole «Whole Foods» vibe on the inside. Not bad. OK prices too…

I live in Malden and compared to the Stop and Shop in Malden this place is heaven.
It does however have drawbacks. I agree with one reviewer the staff is very nosy. There have been two times I have been questioned why I am buying something!!! Or why I am back in the same aisle. Once I was buying Rubbing Alcohol and Hydrogen Peroxide for a first aid kit and the cashier held up the items and was like «Is someone hurt?» and he said it in a mocking way it was weird. I looked at him like ««yeah stfu and scan my items» They are a bit pricey at times and sometimes are out of the stuff I need. All in all though I would go to Shaws over stop and shop any day of the week. I don’t have many options. There is nothing overly bad about this place and I get a 5 $ off my order coupon all the time. Works for me.

So this Shaw’s loses a star for the size of the supermarket and another for the front end staff.
The store gains a point for being a downtown location (which almost forgives it’s size), one for being clean, and one for the general store staff.
The small size means it isn’t really a full-​service grocery store, and sometimes you have to make due without something more obscure or high-​end, but it is a cute and clean store (I assume the renovation a few years ago helped).
It’s way better than the Star Market in my neighborhood and a hell of a lot more convenient to the BF’s house than the Foodmaster (and nicer than FoodDisater too!).