Grocery Guy checks Safeway's new prices

You may have seen the ads on television: a major grocery store chain says it has lowered prices on thousands of everyday items.
 According to Safeway division president Greg Sparks: 
  Today and tomorrow, we believe we have the best value. That customers won't need to shop multiple outlets to find bargains on the items they're looking for. We think we have the right items at the right price everyday."
 We wanted to perform a little test, so we priced a handful of items -- 11 different products -- at four grocery stores. We checked Safeway, Fred Meyer, Albertson's and QFC.
What follows are the prices of a variety of arbitrarily chosen products.

Cranberry Juice -

Safeway - $3.49
Fred Meyer - $2.50
Albertson's - $3.99
QFC - $4.69

Granola Bars -

S - $2.50
F - $2
A - $2
Q - $3.49

Pasta Sauce-

S - $2.59
F - $2.49
A - $2.99
Q - $1.69

Cereal -

S - $3.99
F - $3.99
A - $2.00
Q - $2.10

Corn Chips -

S - $3.49
F - $2.48
A - $3.00
Q - $2.99

Bread -

S - $2.50
F - $4.19
A - $4.39
Q - $4.29

TV Dinner -

S - $3
F - $2.50
A - $2.49
Q - $2.99

Shampoo

S - $1.69
F - $1.89
A - $2.29
Q - $1.59

Mac & Cheese -

S - $1
F - 79-cents
A - $1.39
Q - 99-cents

Vegetable oil -

S - $5.99
F - $4.29
A - $5.29
Q - $4.49

Ketchup -

S - $4.19
F - $3.99
A - $4.99
Q - $5.29

As for the totals, here they are:

Safeway - $34.43
Fred Meyer - $31.11
Albertson's - $34.82
QFC - $35.00

Interestingly, Safeway's Sparks acknowledges that, sometimes, his store may not tally the lowest total. He says that the kind of test we performed depends on which items are on sale that week.
He says the key -- and this is the advice everyone should take -- is to pay attention to "the tags." Tags is defined as those items that are on sale.
"I even tell my wife all the time: shop the tags," Sparks says.