It's a been a good year for San Diego grocery shoppers.
They now have more choices than ever before with stores like Aldi, WinCo and Smart & Final Extra moving into town.
"It puts a lot of pressure on a Vons, a Ralphs or an Albertsons," said San Diego State marketing professor Miro Copic.
That pressure comes from discount chains selling store brand and bulk items at lower prices.
Some of those stores save money by requiring shoppers to bag their own groceries or by not accepting credit cards. There has also been a growth from surplus chains like Grocery Outlet and 99 Cents Only stores.
Some of these stores have expanded since Haggen declared bankruptcy. The Washington State-based grocery chain closed nearly 30 stores in San Diego.
On top of that, national food prices for things like beef and eggs dropped in 2016 for the first time in decades according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Local
So are local shoppers seeing a difference?
Miro Copic believes so: "In a household you're talking 20, 30 or 50 dollars a month depending on what you buy."
