Let’s be honest: Prices and proximity matter when you’re deciding where to shop for groceries, but so do the vibes of a store.

Is the music too loud? Is it always busy? Are the floors sticky? Does it smell bad?

Earlier this month, I went on a mission to find out how much grocery prices have changed since the end of 2022.

I drove more than 90 miles around the Baltimore region to visit 20 different grocery stores in the weeks before and after January’s winter storm. I saw firsthand how stores differ, and figured out which ones I would never set foot in again.

The IKEA of grocery stores

The Graul’s Market in Ruxton was surprisingly not busy two days before the snowstorm, considering the frenzy of shopping at other stores that day.

This location is an IKEA-like maze — once you’re in, it’s hard to find a way out.

This is Banner education reporter Liz Bowie’s favorite grocery store. She raved about the access to freshly cut and ground meats, but noted that she shops at other stores to get basics for less.

“The great thing about Graul’s is the people in there know you,” she said.

This store means something to its community. But the vibes weren’t for me, and as it’s the second-most-expensive store on our list, I won’t be going back.

Safeway? No way.

The Safeway in Charles Village is among the least pleasant stores in the city. Unfortunately, you likely depend on it if you live in the central neighborhoods of Baltimore and don’t want to drive far or don’t have access to a car.

This Safeway is dark, the self-checkout lines are always long because there are so few cashiers, and the store’s anti-theft measures feel over the top.

Banner data editor Greg Morton, who has lived near the store for years, called it “obscenely expensive.”

The reviews online for this Safeway tell a different story. People thank the staff for being informed and for consistently helping seniors get what they need. But there are a number of complaints of expired food.

I often shop here because it’s convenient to where I live. I’d love to see it improve, for the sake of the community it serves.

The grocer with farmers market prices

I swear I heard angels sing when the automatic doors at the Sprouts Farmers Market in Canton split open. It was clean, well-organized and fully stocked.

I grew up with this chain back in my hometown of Los Angeles. Its bulk candy and nuts are memorable.

My experience at this Sprouts was positive. It became the store I want to go back to over and over.

But the prices made my heart and wallet hurt. Sprouts was the most expensive store of the 20 I visited. If you can shop at Sprouts consistently, I envy you. I would love to make this my go-to grocery store, but I don’t think the vibes outweigh the cost.

Your grocery heaven is my hell

Some of you are going to be really upset with me, but I’m going to say it. I don’t enjoy shopping at Wegmans, often considered a grocery mecca.

Visits to the Hunt Valley and Owings Mills locations didn’t change my mind. In fact, I often find myself regretting going in.

The struggle to get into the store because of the number of people walking way too fast to get out, combined with the confusing aisles and overwhelming amount of hot and prepared food options, makes for a bad experience.

Greg enjoys shopping at Wegmans, noting the quality of its store-brand items, its great selection of international foods and the cute model train rumbling around above.

Ellie Wolfe, a Banner education reporter, said shopping at Wegmans “feels like a real treat.” Ellie hits the hot and prepared foods first, and she really enjoys the selection of fresh fruits and vegetables.

I understand some people love Wegmans for its prices, but it’s not the cheapest option. And they put lettuce in their sushi? I’ve seen enough.

Throwing elbows at Trader Joe’s

This Los Angeles native likes, maybe even loves, Trader Joe’s. But that fondness quickly disappeared the moment I pulled into the parking lot for the Towson location.

Parking is always a headache there, and it was especially awful two days before the storm.

I had to fight for a shopping cart, and then fight to get inside as too many customers flowed out of the store. Once I was inside, it was way too small for the number of people and carts trying to navigate the aisles.

I’m pretty sure grocery shopping isn’t supposed to be this stressful.

While Trader Joe’s has a great selection of food, there’s a lot you can’t get. If you plan on shopping there, you have to be prepared for the heartbreak of some basics or your favorite items being sold out.

But the workers are kind and helpful. Checking out is my favorite part of being there, because of my interactions with them (and because I’m that much closer to getting out).

I’m not going to stop shopping at the chain anytime soon. The prices at Trader Joe’s are pretty unbeatable. But because vibes are so important to me, I will take my business to the chiller Pikesville location, some 14 miles away from home, because the larger space and the better parking are worth it.