Fresh Thyme, A review

Fresh Thyme is Washtenaw County's newest grocery store.

Last week, I somehow manged to end up shopping at the new Fresh Thyme grocery store 3 times. The store, which opened February 1st, is located on Washtenaw at Golfside in Ypsilanti Township which makes it the closest supermarket to Casa Damn Arbor. It's about the size of Lucky's Market--a little bigger than Trader Joe's, smaller than Kroger.

The store features a large, well stocked produce section. 

Fresh Thyme is a chain of grocery stores. Meijer is the primary shareholder of the company. According to this article in FoodNavigator USA, a grocery store trade publication, unlike most larger supermarkets which cater to "pantry re-stockers" Fresh Thyme caters to folks who want to pop in and pick up something fresh after work. Approximately 40%-50% of the chain's sales come from fresh produce and other perishable goods.

The produce section is large and prominently featured in the store. They also have a salad bar, hot food bar and a good selection of prepared food.

Fresh Thyme also has a bulk food section featuring spices, grains, and nuts. 

Fresh Thyme is nice. It has a good selection of produce at a reasonable price. It's closer to me than Meijer or Kroger, so it's convenient. It also has a nice atmosphere. Nothing makes produce look sexier than some nice halogen lighting. The shopping carts are real nice too, with a real streamline look and a little sportier than the standard fare. If shopping cart races were still a thing that happens around these parts, I think Fresh Thyme's carts would make great race carts.

It terms of where Fresh Thyme fits into my personal grocery schedule, I think it will probably take the place of my occasional runs to Meijer. The strange thing about Fresh Thyme opening is it's making me reconsider my own shopping habits and whether I should be supporting more locally owned businesses. I'll definitely swing by Fresh Thyme, I can't say no to produce like that. But I'm also going to use this as an opportunity to try to shop more at the Ypsi Food Co-op. I've been thinking like whether I should