As a native Western New Yorker, no one loves Wegmans as much as me. It's just not possible. During my college search, I used Wegmans as a filter to weed out schools without this Godly place within a 30-mile radius (Sorry, University of New England). Fortunately, the school I ended up at has an authentic Wegmans right down the street, orange floor tile and all.
Despite how "ridiculous" my love for the store may seem, I'm not alone: It's the one-stop kind of shop us college kids crave since, you know, we've got plenty of homework to do, so we're not fond of running across town to *gasp* multiple stores. So do us all a favor and get us Wegmans gift cards for Christmas. Our instant mashed potatoes-filled stomachs (and our wallets) will appreciate it.
1. They have real soap in the bathrooms.
We’ve all been there: The combination of chilly weather and November sadness hits and you just can’t bear to lose the slippers and venture out to the tundra we call a parking lot for anything we don’t consider a necessity. I’m talking food and alcohol here; hygiene just doesn’t rank high enough on the scale to merit spending beer money. However, the Wegmans restrooms offer a plentiful selection of foaming hand soaps to be tested in their bathrooms, which is what we college students call “good enough.” And they don’t smell like baby shampoo like the soap in most public restrooms.
2. Speaking of beer, you can buy that, too.
Not only can you buy your beer and snacks in the same place, saving you another trip to the distributor where the cashier is rapidly learning your name and how many papers you write a week, but there's a vast selection to choose from. Whether you like craft beers (which you should) or a good ol’ Miller Lite, Wegs has got you covered. You can even create your own pack, the perfect solution for indecisive college students who sometimes need a casual drinking beer for dinner, and other times really need a Smirnoff Ice.
3. Back to the snacks, Wegmans has literally all of them.
Sure, grocery stores have snacks. But how many Giants do you know that carry all five flavors of Ritz Chips all the time? Sour cream and onion cravings have limitless possibilities. You could wander the chip aisle for hours and still come across a kind that you've never heard of before. And conveniently, they have their queso (five kinds!) display in the middle of the rows of chips for your munching pleasure.
4. Two words: bulk candy.
5. The extensive and intriguing international foods section.
6. Wegmans-brand foods are not only cheap (praise!) but delicious.
There's literally no difference between Wegmans brand and name brand items. Except the Frosted Flakes -- no knockoff can measure up to the original in that case. And the best part is that Wegmans has packaged their own brand for almost everything in the store ... and it's a big store. You save money without sacrificing quality, which, as a college student, is a nice deviation from your usual meals of caf food or ramen.
7. The gifts section is perfect for on a whim pick-me-ups.
