14 Grocery Store Senior Discounts You'll Wish You Knew About Sooner
One of the most exciting not so secret methods of saving money at the grocery store is the senior discount. It's a coveted reward for the golden-aged shopper and an exceptional provision established by many grocery stores to earn and retain loyal customers. In a world where wildly rising grocery prices have become status quo (even Walmart has issued a price hike warning), wringing every bit of value out of your shopping experience is necessary to keep your expenses low and make your funds go as far as possible. For anyone nearing retirement age or already living on a fixed income, taking advantage of senior discounts at grocery stores can mean the difference between enjoying the foods you love and making do with whatever you can afford.
How does the senior grocery discount concept work and where can you expect to enjoy this benefit of being a more seasoned member of the grocery shopping set? There are a number of national chains and smaller companies that not only provide senior discounts but also actually promote them as a way to attract clientele in need of a boost to keep their bank balance in check. When used in conjunction with worthwhile grocery store loyalty programs, coupons, sales, and clearance shopping, the senior discounts at these generous grocery stores will help you keep up to 10% of your hard-earned cash in your pocket without compromising your preferred purchases.
Fry's
Fry's is one of the best-known grocers in the Southwest and a common sight throughout Phoenix, Arizona, and the greater Valley of the Sun. The chain may not make its senior discount a prominent feature on its website, but in stores you'll find visual reminders that the first Wednesday of every month can net seniors 55 years and older an extra 10% off of their total bill. If your location is a Fry's Marketplace, that means you'll pay only 90% for your general grocery needs as well as any special departments like bakery or deli. It's a great opportunity to sample items you might not ordinarily purchase so you can find new favorites.
Fry's happens to belong to the Kroger family of grocery stores, and the untold truth about Kroger is that the company's loyalty program offers a robust selection of markdowns, coupons, and multiple buys that can save you a great deal off of your weekly tally. Couple that with your monthly Wednesday senior discount at Fry's, and you can make your shopping money go much further than it would otherwise.
Harris Teeter
The senior discount offered by East Coast grocer Harris Teeter is so exclusive that the company named it Club 60 to add a sense of prestige to the concept of grocery store markdowns. Every Thursday, shoppers 60 years old and older can take advantage of an additional 5% off their main shopping buys. The discount does not apply toward fuel, gift cards, pharmacy, and tickets, making this offer a primary-aisle-only discount, but there are plenty of goods you can grab to ensure that 5% reduction counts. Imagine the savings you'll be racking up when the cashier knocks another 5% off your sale and couponed buys.
And speaking of cashiers ... be sure to show your VIC (Very Important Customer) loyalty card when paying and let whoever rings you up know you're a member of this vaunted age group to get your discount. Knowing you can count on Harris Teeter to deliver extra savings every week will give you breathing room in your budget, something shoppers of all ages can use in these unpredictable inflationary times.
Fred Meyer
If you're 55 or older and you plan your Fred Meyer shopping trip for the first Tuesday of every month, you can look forward to seeing an extra 10% off of the chain's signature brand items come rolling off the total at the bottom of your receipt. This means realigning your shopping habits for this particular day to include store-label items that could make fantastic substitutes for more expensive brand-name products you ordinarily buy. Since these products are usually less expensive by nature and are often subject to electronic coupons and store specials, you can maximize your savings in a visit dedicated to the Fred Meyer brand catalog in one of its more than 100 locations.
Be aware that you won't receive your senior discount for purchases from the bakery, deli, meat and seafood, or produce sections. You may want to do a bit of online research to choose which Fred Meyer items you're interested in and flag them in your smartphone app to create a specialized shopping list before heading in.
Piggly Wiggly
If you've reached the prime age of 60 and you're a regular Piggly Wiggly shopper, congratulations; you may now qualify for an additional 5% off your total grocery spending! With hundreds of locations spread across 18 states, there are plenty of stores to stop into for picking up necessities without using up all your monthly funds. It's your chance to get ahead of ever-shifting grocery prices without having to find a store with more favorable prices to shop in.
Though Piggly Wiggly honors its golden shoppers with a senior citizen discount, the program varies by location, which means your best bet for getting in on the action is to contact the store where you shop to make certain you know the details. For example, Piggly Wiggly River Run in Birmingham, Alabama, offers its senior discount to anyone age 60 and up every Wednesday, while Piggly Wiggly University Boulevard in Mobile, Alabama, provides its discount to shoppers 62 and older on Tuesdays. A quick call to the store you favor will let you know if and when you can count on your senior savings so you can plan accordingly.
Albertsons
One of the largest grocery chains in the U.S., Albertsons generously offers its more time-seasoned shoppers ages 55 and up an additional 10% discount on the first Wednesday of each month. While any patrons old enough to have shopped in the first Albertsons store when it opened in 1939 may not have received this benefit back then, it's now a great draw for customers who like keeping their bank balance high without having to limit their grocery purchases. Used in conjunction with the digital savings app and the Albertsons for U program, you can count on holding back a cache of cash.
To make sure your area Albertsons is in on the deal, give the location a call and shore up the details before heading in. There are more than 2,200 stores in operation, and the discount isn't found on the website, though the customer service folks and store employees will be more than happy to confirm the particulars for your locale.
Safeway
Safeway stores may have been in existence for more than a century, but you only have to be 55 or older to receive an extra 10% discount on your groceries the second Wednesday of every month. Well-considered in-store brands like Lucerne, Signature Select, and Busy Baker are often given additional markdowns and electronic coupons or sale prices through the store's digital app and its Safeway for U savings program. Play your grocery shopping cards right, and you could be playing with house money by the time you roll your cart through the checkout lane!
With nearly 1,000 stores in 17 states and the Washington, D.C., area, there are plenty of opportunities for you to pick up some Safeway senior discount savings. Be sure to call the location you frequent and make sure it's up-to-speed on the senior discount situation. Then, plan a special visit for Wednesday on the second week of the month to make your haul. Even if Safeway isn't your usual store, you can create a special shopping plan to make your food money work even better.
Bashas
A boutique chain of grocery stores found in Arizona and New Mexico, Bashas is a family-owned grocery store that honors people 55 and up with a 10% percent savings on purchases made the first Wednesday of every month. You'll need to use your Bashas Thank You loyalty card in order to see the register chip off the savings, but that's a small requirement that you're likely already doing during your regular shopping trips. You'll also need to provide ID proving your age.
A unique twist in this program: The discount covers items made in a single purchase, which means you should go in with a prepared list to make sure you don't forget anything. In the event that you make a grocery shopping mistake and miss an item or two, you can always hold off until the next month to make the purchase if you're interested in receiving the discount for that particular item.
ShopRite
Senior ShopRite customers can cash in on a discount that may vary by location, which makes it crucial to call and find out before shopping. The Canton, Connecticut, location offers an extra 5% off its grocery bill on Tuesday visits to onsite shoppers who provide ID showing they are at least 65 years old. The store's mobile app and digital coupons will help ShopRite seniors take their savings to the max, provided their location has a discount in place. Similarly, the store in Chews Landing, New Jersey, offers shoppers 62 and older a 5% discount on Tuesdays, though there are restrictions you can learn about by contacting the store.
With variations on the program depending on the store, your best bet is to call your location and ask about days and amounts. The program may also require customers to have a Price Plus loyalty card to receive the discount, something to bring up before rolling your cart down the aisles.
Brookshire's
Though you may have a personal view on the worst day of the week to grocery shop, a day on which you miss your senior discount is by far the worst day of all. That's why if you're 60 or older, you can plan your Brookshire's shopping trips for Tuesdays and Thursdays and save an additional 5% off of your grocery bill. Verbiage on the company website notes that this benefit is available at participating locations. If you're interested, you might call and inquire at your preferred store to find out if the savings are valid there. If not, scout around at other stores in your vicinity to find one that participates and arrange your shopping trip to accommodate your new source of senior discount groceries.
Exclusions to the Brookshire's senior discount program include alcohol and tobacco products as well as front-end items like gift cards, lottery tickets, and postage stamps. Even with these restrictions, the good news is that general merchandise and health and beauty purchases are subject to the discount, which can mean considerable savings.
Weis Markets
At Weis Markets on the Eastern Seaboard, every Tuesday offers a jackpot savings of 10% savings for shoppers 60 years old and older. The discount applies only to Weis brand products, which means creating a separate shopping list to make sure you get what you're hoping for at the reduced price. But that can also mean discovering counterparts to the pricier national brand items you're used to buying, often without much difference in quality. If it means keeping 10% of your grocery money in your pocketbook, it could be worth the effort.
Instructions on the Weis Markets website indicate that shoppers who qualify can show their proof of age at the customer service desk and a clerk will connect the discount to their Weis Rewards Card. Once you're hooked up, you can count on receiving your rollback without having to show your ID at every visit. Of course, you should always check your receipt to make sure your extra 10% has been applied and alert the cashier if you see any discrepancies.
American Discount Foods
If getting markdown goods at American Discount Foods isn't fantastic enough, you can shave off another 10% every Monday if you're a shopper age 62 or older. Though this specialty two-store chain is only found in Mesa, Arizona, it gives golden-age shoppers there a chance to spread their grocery funds further while enjoying a slew of sensational items. You'll find your favorite brands waiting to hit your cart for less than you'd pay at the larger chains, a worthy side trip for anyone in need of extra help with their grocery budget — which is pretty much everyone these days.
To get even more bang for your buck, work your way through the American Discount Food ad to find sale items and incoming bargains to form your shopping list. The Deals page of the company website shows comparative prices to alert you to your standard savings. Take an extra 10% off of that on your Monday visit and you'll be winning the grocery savings game.
HyVee
If you're a HyVee shopper and you've noticed that prices creeping ever higher has become a grocery trend for 2025, give your location a call to see if it provides a senior citizen discount. Certain locations like the one on 156th and Maple Street in Omaha, Nebraska, provides an extra 5% off your total bill on Thursdays if you're 55 or older. Other stores like the location farther north at 2107 Taylor Avenue in Norfolk, Nebraska, provide an additional 3% off on Tuesdays for shoppers 65 and older. Your store may have a different layout for its senior discount program.
Beyond the usual percentage off your bill, some HyVee stores offer bonus-style senior benefits, such as Senior Wellness Days that reward anyone 60 or older who gets a COVID-19 vaccine with a $20 in-store gift card. To make sure you get the discounts you deserve, check in with your nearby HyVee if you're a shopper to see what sort of senior discount is offered and which day of the week it happens.
Publix
If you're a Publix shopper in search of a senior discount, figuring out where you can receive one may be tricky business. Though there's currently no corporatewide discount in place, corporate customer service confirms that the program is offered in stores found in the Carolina regions. If you happen to shop at one of these stores, you can receive a 5% discount every Wednesday if you are 55 years and older. Stores where the program is in place sometimes display signage reminding shoppers to ask their cashier about the discount when checking out. If you don't find signs in your Carolina Publix, make a note to inquire on your next visit.
What happens if you're not a Carolina shopper and you're still interested in a senior discount? Publix stores in other regions may offer a replacement discount that helps you keep your spending in check. To find out what kinds of benefits are in play, give your local store a call and ask for any senior specials so you can work them into your future grocery shopping plans.
New Seasons Markets
Rewarding your hard-earned wisdom with grocery discounts is a benefit New Seasons Markets takes to heart. With weekly Wisdom Wednesdays, shoppers age 65 and older can take 10% off most items in the store, a sweet way to compound your savings while still loading up your cart. You can also sign up for Neighbor Rewards to get free offers for special items on Fridays. With a little tricky scheduling, you can wrangle additional savings throughout the week and breathe a sigh of relief when you double-check your checking account.
This Pacific Northwest specialty grocer doesn't specify which items qualify for the discount, so make sure you inquire before you get your heart set on anything in particular. You can subscribe to the weekly flyer to make sure you get your ducks in a row ahead of your visit. Once you know what you're in for, you can shop with confidence and look forward to paying 90% of what you'd pay during the rest of the week.