Being a semi-vegetarian, I've been shopping at Trader Joe's ever since I moved to San Francisco. They carried veggie burgers, and other vegetarian type food. Now Trader Joe's is popular and all over the place according to this Mercury News article, Specialty market carves out niche, FUNKY FORMULA: GOURMET FOOD AT LOW PRICES.

The kind of people that shop at Trader Joe's might be changing, but they haven't changed much at all. They still carry the same kinds of products they did when I first started shopping there.

The same can't be said for Rainbow Grocery. I remember when they used to be at 14th and Mission, and they were small and everyone was really friendly and nice. The lady at the vitamin counter really knew her stuff, and they used to even sell organic clothing. I still own clothes I bought from there.

Since they've moved and gotten bigger, they're just not the same anymore. The workers aren't as friendly, they don't sell the same stuff, and it's just not the friendly and comfortable place to buy health foods that I remember.

Rainbow Grocery better watch out. Whole Foods (whole paycheck) is moving into their neighbourhood; Finally, SoMa gets a supermarket: Whole Foods to open Wednesday on Fourth Street. Whole Foods knows they're known as "whole paycheck", and they've become very competitive on their pricing. Their prices are very close to the prices at Rainbow Grocery.