Grocery Stores

Grocery – Kids Gotta Eat

Whether your student is living on campus with a meal plan, or living off-campus and having to “forage for themselves”, they will eventually find the need to go to a grocery store. UGA has great options right around campus, and options for every budget. If you are familiar with the South, then you already know about the following stores: Kroger, Publix, Piggly Wiggly, and Bell’s Food Stores. They are all there! Be sure to have your student sign up for each store’s digital coupons and discount programs. They can help them save when on a budget. Adding their app makes it easy to add items they purchase for a discount.

No matter where they live on or off-campus, Kroger is most likely the closest grocery store to them. If they live on the Baxter side of campus, they will probably go to the Kroger on Alps, whereas the College Station kids frequent the Kroger at College Station. It’s very popular with students because they offer fuel points that can be used at gas stations at Kroger and Shell gas stations.

Let’s start with the higher-priced, more specialty stores. Daily Co-op, and The Fresh Market all have freshly prepared foods along with lots of vegan and gluten-free products. They do offer weekly deals and have loyalty programs as well. Trader Joe’s is also in Athens and offers signature and store brands that lots of people love. Daily Co-op is a member-run grocery cooperative on Prince Avenue. Anyone can shop there, and it’s open to the public. They have lots of local specialties and a deli section with lots of vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free options. EarthFare, a health-based grocery store located in 5 Points, offers 5% off on Tuesdays to UGA students with a student ID. Fresh Market offers 10% off every day.

Larger retailers that sell groceries in Athens include Target and Walmart. Walmart offers grocery delivery and curbside pickup, so be sure to check with the stores for fees and options. Kroger has these services as well.

Aldi has two locations on the east and west sides of Athens. This discount grocery store has their own store brands at lower prices than typical stores. To keep prices down, you will need an actual quarter (yes, $.25) to unlock a grocery cart, which you will get back when you return the cart. You will also need to bring your own bags, and bag your groceries yourself.

How To Get There

If your student does not have a car or does not want to lose their coveted parking spot, UGA’s bus service has routes for a lot of stores.

The College Station Kroger can be accessed by the UGA Vet Med bus route.

Daily Co-op is along the UGA Health Sciences bus route, near the stop at Grady Ave.

Other stores can be accessed by the Athens Clarke County Transit System, otherwise known as the city bus. UGA students ride for free with a student ID.

Can’t make it to the grocery store? Shipt will deliver their groceries right to them (for a fee, of course). There is also Instacart which delivers from Publix, Aldi, Sam’s Club, CVSW, Kroger, The Fresh Market, Sprouts, and Target. This comes in handy when your student is too busy studying, is under the weather or cannot get to a store.

Get the App

Have your students download the apps for any of the grocery stores that offer them. Many of these stores have digital coupons. Taking a little time to check off the coupons they may use saves them, and possibly you, some money.

Publix also sells a two-part gift card that you can load from your local Publix onto your student’s gift card. It is another option if your student buys most of their groceries at Publix.

Athens is a great area for farmer’s markets. Some are seasonal, so be sure to check their websites for times, dates, and locations.

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