Supermarkets in Anchorage?

Hi,

We will be staying at the downtown Marriott in Anchorage, what is the nearest supermarket to stock up on bits & pieces we don't want to bring to keep our baggage weight down on the flight?

EG- Shampoo, hairspray, snacks for the bus/train on our cruise tour.

I see a Walmart on Google maps but it looks a good distance away.

The area around the Hilton seems to have a lot of shops & would be walkable? (a few miles is OK), any supermarkets near there?

Thanks.

Your hotel is about a half mile away http://www.simon.com/mall/anchorage-5th-avenue-mallout from the 5th Avenue Mall (list of stores).

I think the closest actual grocery store is a Carr's at 1340 Gambell. which is a long hike. A walk one way and a taxi the other might be a solution.

If you are brand sensitive on shampoos etc I would telephone the stores and ask if they have what you want.

A zillion tourists come to Anchorage each summer and many have the same ideas you have. Many of the shops sell basic items.

Most of what is down town is gift shops or convenience stores.

City Market on 13th Avenue might be walkable... http://www.newsagaya.com/locations.aspx

Or you can take the Anchorage People Mover bus. Route 36 would take you to the big Carrs store at Minnesota & Northern Lights. Route 2, 75 or 102 would take you the Walmart on A Street. The downtown transit center is on 6th, right near your hotel. http://www.muni.org/departments/transit/peoplemover/pages/timetables.aspx

There are not any supermarkets around the downtown area. Your best bet would be to get a cab or ride the bus. New Sagaya is expensive but it is the clostest at 900 W 13th ave. They have specialty foods. The Carrs/Safeway is on Gambel is also close. Further away there is a Costco on Debarr and Boniface, Walmart on C street and 36th, or Fred Meyer is on New Seward Highway and Northern Lights.

Thanks for the replies.

Not knowing the names of the supermarket chains in the US makes it more difficult to search - I only knew Walmart until now! :)

Sounds like the bus & maybe taxi combo would be the best option.

Public transportation in Anchorage can be slow with little service. Make sure you know the schedule before you depend on it.

That's why I suggested shopping where you can get to by foot. You may pay more for items but your lime is valuable as well as your money.

Your hotels will provide you with shampoo, hair conditioner, soap and even toothpaste and tooth brushes if you ask for them at the time of check in.

Just read that you are cruising all the way to Sydney! Brilliant trip planning! Sailing Sydney Harbour is one of my fondest memories. Such a beautiful place!

Bon Voyage and best wishes for a wonderful summer!

Public transportation in Anchorage can be slow with little service. Make sure you know the schedule before you depend on it.

 

That's why I suggested shopping where you can get to by foot. You may pay more for items but your lime is valuable as well as your money.

 

Your hotels will provide you with shampoo, hair conditioner, soap and even toothpaste and tooth brushes if you ask for them at the time of check in.

 

 

 

Have a wonderful trip!

Thanks for the tips.

I won't use hotel shampoo or ships shampoo. I prefer to know what I'm using on my hair as it reacts best to certain types of products.:)

I just didn't want to cart them from home due to airplane baggage weight limits.

I don't mind paying a little more for convenience but I'm not familiar with what sort of products the shops close by will actually stock, I'm after a store with a variety of products to choose from not something like a corner store level of choice.

I don't want to walk 30 minutes to a shop to find it was a waste of time.

We don't arrive at Anchorage airport until 2pm, so by the time we get to the hotel I'm assuming it will be at least 3pm. Not sure what time shops close in Alaska so we may only have a limited few hours to get what we need.

Maybe the hotel staff will know more detail about what stores stock what sort of range?

I get the impression from these boards that options out of Anchorage will be pretty limited? (Talkeetna, Denali, Aleyska)

Thanks.

You are correct that your options outside of Anchorage will be limited. Sad to say but true.

You might want to take a taxi from the airport to a major store like Carrs or one of the others named and have the taxi wait with the meter running while you do a fast shopping haul.

Cheaper than going to the hotel and starting over for both time and money. You don't say what day of the week you are arriving in Anchorage, but the store's WEB sites will give the opening and closing hours. Plenty late enough for your needs! (and maybe a list of brand names for products).

If you can name the brands you prefer perhaps someone who reads this thread can find out if they are sold in Anchorage and where.

I would have at least one tiny bottle (100 ml) of your product choice in your suitcase to get you started.

I would give a chance for the hotel and ship products just in case you like them. I have extremely long hair and am willing to trust hotel products.

Another slightly crazy idea would be to find your products on the US site of Amazon.com, buy what you want and have them shipped to the Marriott in Anchorage. At least take a look at Amazon.com to see what products exist in the US.

Good luck!

You are correct that your options outside of Anchorage will be limited. Sad to say but true.

 

You might want to take a taxi from the airport to a major store like Carrs or one of the others named and have the taxi wait with the meter running while you do a fast shopping haul.

 

Cheaper than going to the hotel and starting over for both time and money. You don't say what day of the week you are arriving in Anchorage, but the store's WEB sites will give the opening and closing hours. Plenty late enough for your needs! (and maybe a list of brand names for products).

 

If you can name the brands you prefer perhaps someone who reads this thread can find out if they are sold in Anchorage and where.

 

I would have at least one tiny bottle (100 ml) of your product choice in your suitcase to get you started.

 

I would give a chance for the hotel and ship products just in case you like them. I have extremely long hair and am willing to trust hotel products.

 

Another slightly crazy idea would be to find your products on the US site of Amazon.com, buy what you want and have them shipped to the Marriott in Anchorage. At least take a look at Amazon.com to see what products exist in the US.

 

Good luck!

I'm not sure if RCCL will be collecting us from the airport as the hotel stay is included in our cruise/tour.

But if we have to pay our own way then a taxi via the supermarket may be an option.

I have naturally curly hair, it goes out of control if I don't use a shampoo/ conditioner & a bit of product made to retain high moisture levels or made for curly hair.

Seems I may have to bring enough for the 12 days then stock up in Vancouver when we spend a week there, before we board the ship again for the cruise via Hawaii back to Sydney.

We are away for 6.5 weeks so that was why I wanted to buy larger size products on arrival. Something made by international brands like L'Oreal or Schwarzkopf for curly hair would normally be fine.

I'm not keen on buying online & hoping it turns up or isn't lost at the hotel, too complicated.

Hmm, not as easy as I was hoping it would be it seems.

Carrs is open 24 hours a day. Fred Meyer is open until 11pm.

I would avoid the Carrs on Gambell. It's pretty small and is in a rough part of town. The Carrs at Minnesota & Northern Lights is not that much further away.

We have L'oreal brand products, but not the other you name.

I would look at Amazon.com to see if you can recognize your product.

I would some how or other print out a picture of the product whether from a bottle you own or from a WEB site.

Shopping in Vancouver BC is easy. Large, wonderful drugstores in many locations. I usually shop at London's. WWW.londondrugs.com. Yes, that is a .com address in Canada.

Carrs is open 24 hours a day. Fred Meyer is open until 11pm.

I would avoid the Carrs on Gambell. It's pretty small and is in a rough part of town. The Carrs at Minnesota & Northern Lights is not that much further away.

I had a walk through on Google street view & yes some parts of town look a bit dodgy!

So Fred Meyer is a supermarket chain, is it located closer to the hotel than Carr's on Minnesota?

I had a walk through on Google street view & yes some parts of town look a bit dodgy!

 

So Fred Meyer is a supermarket chain, is it located closer to the hotel than Carr's on Minnesota?

My mom lives about 3 blocks from Carrs on Northern Lights Blvd and she shops at both Freddy's and Carrs. I Google mapped the distance from your Downtown Marriott Hotel both stores. Either will work Carrs is a 5 min drive and Fred Meyer is a 10 min drive. FM is a big box store and is my preference and will have everything you could possibly need as it is huge. Carrs on Northern lights is a very big supermarket and likely will have what you need also. Because Carrs is so close to my moms I go there first.

Carrs is at 820 Northern Lights and Freddy's is at 1650 Northern Lights, so close to each other. BUT ... Do not walk between the two, this is a very busy street and not my favorite part of town.

Weather has been gorgeous in Anchorage and unseasonably warm, however it is Alaska... Wait 5 min and the weather will change.

If the cruise line is picking you up from the airport, send your hubby with bags to hotel and grab a taxi... Run to the store, both are VERY close to the airport and then meet your hubby at your hotel.

Have a great cruise!!! Safe travels ..

My mom lives about 3 blocks from Carrs on Northern Lights Blvd and she shops at both Freddy's and Carrs. I Google mapped the distance from your Downtown Marriott Hotel both stores. Either will work Carrs is a 5 min drive and Fred Meyer is a 10 min drive. FM is a big box store and is my preference and will have everything you could possibly need as it is huge. Carrs on Northern lights is a very big supermarket and likely will have what you need also. Because Carrs is so close to my moms I go there first.

Carrs is at 820 Northern Lights and Freddy's is at 1650 Northern Lights, so close to each other. BUT ... Do not walk between the two, this is a very busy street and not my favorite part of town.

 

Weather has been gorgeous in Anchorage and unseasonably warm, however it is Alaska... Wait 5 min and the weather will change.

 

If the cruise line is picking you up from the airport, send your hubby with bags to hotel and grab a taxi... Run to the store, both are VERY close to the airport and then meet your hubby at your hotel.

 

Have a great cruise!!! Safe travels ..

Thanks for the details.:)

We have L'oreal brand products, but not the other you name.

I would look at Amazon.com to see if you can recognize your product.

 

I would some how or other print out a picture of the product whether from a bottle you own or from a WEB site.

 

Shopping in Vancouver BC is easy. Large, wonderful drugstores in many locations. I usually shop at London's. WWW.londondrugs.com. Yes, that is a .com address in Canada.

I frequently use Schwarzkopf products and Allure downtown has them. There are a few places in town that have Deva Curl, too, if you like that line for curly hair. I know Salon Ivy on 6th has them.

Allure is a great place and easily walkable if they have the products that you need.....Ivy is a bit farther out but not that far.....Stay away from the Carr's on Gamble.....it's dicey....

Downtown is not set up for sundry, grocery, or pharmacy as residents have multiple choices for that kind ofvthing.

Your closest choice is the 5th ave mall where you will find several hair salons, a body shop and sephora, Nordstroms and Penney's. There are several stores with tourist style snacks-popcorn, candy, etc. You can also find sausage and cheese at Wild Berry. The mall is several blocks from your hotel.

K street deli has a very very small grocery inside for basics like crackers. It might have peanut butter. It is up the street from the Marriott across from the Captain Cook Hotel. There is also a wine store directly across from the Captain Cook on 5th.

Sourdough on 4th between H and G has sundries like toothpaste, aspirin.

These places may save you from cabbing it to Carr's/Safeway or the other bigger stores outside of the downtown area. If you don't mind walking around. If you have mobility issues a cab will better. I recommend City Market just because it's a really cool market.

Thanks for all the replies.

I think I may just walk about downtown & see what turns up.

We don't need much in the snack range, definitely not a sausage sort of person, more like unsalted nuts, natural foods, fruit etc rather than processed foods.

From our experience in the USA several years ago many of your foods have a much higher sugar content than we are used to, even the bread tasted sweet to us, it was quite unusual. So keeping to natural foods with little processing for snacks is our aim this time round.

Thanks for all the replies.

 

I think I may just walk about downtown & see what turns up.

 

We don't need much in the snack range, definitely not a sausage sort of person, more like unsalted nuts, natural foods, fruit etc rather than processed foods.

 

From our experience in the USA several years ago many of your foods have a much higher sugar content than we are used to, even the bread tasted sweet to us, it was quite unusual. So keeping to natural foods with little processing for snacks is our aim this time round.

You are correct about the sugar and salt in our foods. Not good for us!

You will a hard time finding fresh fruits and vegetables downtown. You'll find the occasional apple, banana, or orange. You can get a boxed salad at Subway in the 5th Ave Mall.

Do visit City Market at 900 W 13th Ave. If the day is nice, it will be a lovely walk. It has outstanding produce, including natural foods. I'm a vegan and shop there easily. It has a heavy Asian influence and is full of imported items from all over the world.

A cab would be relatively inexpensive.

You are correct about the sugar and salt in our foods. Not good for us!

Australia has it's fair share of garbage food as well, but luckily we seem to have stricter controls & don't use high fructose corn syrup as sweetener, sugar is bad but that stuff is a shocker.

I even found it in the 'seemingly healthier' low fat Granola the ship offers at breakfast!

All those people sucking away at their soda flasks on their unlimited drinks packages on board is always a shocker to me, soda or soft drink as we call it is just hollow calories that quickly boost your blood sugar levels, spiking your insulin which in turns causes you to lay down fat deposits. Nasty stuff.

But don't get me started on the low calorie alternatives! Chemical city here we come....:D

You will a hard time finding fresh fruits and vegetables downtown. You'll find the occasional apple, banana, or orange. You can get a boxed salad at Subway in the 5th Ave Mall.

 

Do visit City Market at 900 W 13th Ave. If the day is nice, it will be a lovely walk. It has outstanding produce, including natural foods. I'm a vegan and shop there easily. It has a heavy Asian influence and is full of imported items from all over the world.

A cab would be relatively inexpensive.

Great info, thanks.

Subway salad is familiar to us & the market sounds good. Especially if they offer organic fruit/nuts etc.

Sounds like we have a plan for the snacks at least.

I just don't want to be stuck eating garbage foods whilst on the bus/train because I didn't prepare in advance.

And if you go to city Market, go an extra block or 2....G and 14th Ave and stop in Fire Island Bakery. Lots of goodies there, and the best bread in AK....There also is a fruit vendor who sets up in the weekend market...as well as a creperie in the market. I know they have gluten free crepes and their savory crepes are made with buckwheat flour...Much better for you...