Norman’s Fruit & Salad

Norm’s is a special place for me as it was the very first grocery store I found when I first moved to Vancouver — then when I moved to Commercial Drive, My new roommates happened to live 2 doors down.
The store is smallish and it has that family run feel to it. The staff are friendly and helpful. It’s clean and well lit.
They have a large selection of fruit and veggies as well as select grocery items all at really decent prices.
The produce is always fresh and colourful. It is constantly being replenished, watered and tended to.
They also have a very generous return policy so keep your receipt !

I used to have a sentimental connection to this store but the disinterested staff
and neglected interior kept me away for a few years. I think the cashiers are better chosen now and the produce is fine but be careful of the expired packaged food which is put on special near the door but not identified as expired. Sometimes by as much as two years.

Very nice mom and pop grocery store. If you’re not worried about aesthetic looking fruits and veggies and need the basics in produce at a very reasonable competitive rate to other main store box chain stores on The Drive, this and a few other’s in the hood is the place to go. Don’t be surprised if you meet some of your friends on The Drive here.

When I first moved into my place near the Drive quite a while ago, my landlord told me that Norman’s was the best place around for fresh produce. A year and a half later, having visited probably EVERY grocer in the neighbourhood during ALL of the seasons, I can confirm he was correct. Yeah, Norman’s may not be pretty and sparkly, but damn if it doesn’t have the best prices on produce. I know people who will drive across town (even as far as North Van!) to shop here, and if you’re used to supermarkets, yeah, it’s worth the trip.
Off the top of my head, here are a few of my staples that I have oddly memorized the price for (at least the price at the time of writing):
1. Cilantro & spinach — 69 cents/​bunch
2. Lettuce (multiple varieties) — 69 cents/​head
3. Grapes — $ 1.99/lb
4. Pint of cherry/​grape tomatoes — 2 for $ 3 (compared to over $ 4 at Safeway for ONE!)
5. Avocados — 99 cents — $ 1.29 each
6. Lemons — 3 for $ 1
7. Corn on the cob — 2 for $ 1
On top of their produce (the main reason most folks shop here), they also have decent prices on a few other staple items. Beans are always in my cupboard, and many hover at around $ 1 per can (though not quite as good as Superstore’s $ 0.79/can). They also sell the organic Que Pasa tortilla chips that are a favourite of mine for just over $ 3 per bag.
Norman’s is a neighbourhood gem, and is definitely worth stopping in. Don’t go expecting pretty displays and wide aisles, and you will be just fine (but then again, that goes for pretty much all of the grocers in East Van).
PS: Wow, this review makes me out to be a crazy coupon-​clipper lady. I promise I will try to be cooler with my next review (‘try’ being the key word here –no promises!).

Cheap vegetables and fruits? Check. Pasta? Check. A jovial employee singing to himself. Check!
Fruits and veg are generally much cheaper here than Safeway. Red peppers for 99c/​lb? Sign me up anytime. They also sell some Italian dry goods and Chinese/​Asian products. Certainly not the largest grocery store on the Drive but at least the singing man makes you feel better when you leave the store.

I love the Drive. I love that the produce is cheap and plentiful at most of the shops, but this one is truly a gem.
Sometimes when I am desperado and need some produce, I buy produce from the pretty markets, where I am sure the prices are triple what I would pay on the Drive. I regret it and take my bag in shame, but that’s what desperation does.
I normally walk in the other directions towards Santa Barbara, but since I didn’t need anything from the deli this week and only had to get produce, I ran to Norman’s. This place isn’t pretty. It doesn’t need to be because the prices are rock bottom… not on everything, but I don’t feel ripped off like I do when I leave a chain store. Cilantro is stil $.49, so are green onions… Avocados that are close to being ripe are $.69 rather than the rock hard avocados in the bags that are four for $ 4. I venture inside and there is a plethora of canned and dry goods. The Asian Home spice packets I buy here are cheaper than any place else. Same with the boullion cubes.
Now, it may seem like I am nickel and dime-​ing, but it really adds up. This place makes my pennies go further so I can spend them on cake. That’s right, cake…

I recently discovered Norman’s as I was walking southbound down the Drive after a trip to Santa Barbara. My coffee consuming companion and I had been pleased to find Lavazza coffee at Santa Barbara for a more than reasonable price (after ditching the pricier alternative… whole bean coffee), but skipping past Normans with my bags stuffed with coffee and cheese, a sign in the window caught my eye… Lavazza coffee, $ 2.99! Could it be true? I wandered in to see if my eyes deceived me. And indeed, nestled in amongst boxes and bags of equally well-​priced teas, that blue and red brick beamed at me… I immediately proceeded to buy three.
I’d say run, don’t walk to Normans if you’re a Lavazza fan, but that same sale has been going on for what seems like weeks now. However, on my return trips, I’ve been equally as delighted to find unbeatably low prices on many of my other favourite items. I can’t speak as to the produce though, as I don’t normally buy much here. I’ve taken to looking at the expiry date before buying anything perishable, but I’ve found that this works in my favour… I recently bought a tetra of rice milk for a dollar that still had a good few weeks left.
I haven’t had negative experiences with the staff… on the contrary, I was rather charmed on my last visit by an employee singing jovially to himself as he worked. Cash and debit only!

Growing up on the West Side, I always loved when my mum would pop me in the car and head over to the Drive to grocery shop. We always went to Norman’s, and now that I live over here, it’s still my go-​to grocery store.
They don’t have the best prices on EVerything, and I definitely make regular stops at Triple A, El Sureno, Mediterranean Specialty Foods, La Grotta de Formaggio and even Super Valu. But if I just need to pick up a veggie or some fruit quickly, I know that Norman’s will probably have it, and it will probably be one of the cheapest places to get it, not only on the Drive, but in the entire city.
When I do have time to do some comparison shopping, Normans tends to have the best prices on about three quarters of what I’m looking for. So I’ll pick up one or two things at other shops, and then load up on the bulk of my list at Norman’s. Highly recommended for anyone looking for fresh, varied produce at fantastic prices.

Sure the staff may not be super friendly, but that’s not the point. it’s cheap! Stash tea for $ 2.99? Apples for 39 cents a pound? Free range eggs for $ 3.69 a dozen? Pasta for 99 cents a bag? These people could insult me mercilessly and I’d still go back. The produce selection is great too.

I shop at Norman’s nearly every day. I love that I can grab fresh produce for dinner on my way home! The selection and prices are good and I’ve found that my produce from Norman’s seems to stay fresher than when I stop by one of the other markets on the street.
A tip though, if its on sale, its past its prime. Plan to use it right away or don’t bother buying it.
The staff is mostly indifferent, but helpful when needed. Norman’s is a Drive staple.

I used to shop at Norman’s all the time, even after I moved away from the Drive. However, since Norman retired the quality of customer service has taken a nose-​dive. Norman was warm, friendly and vibrant and always welcoming. This current crop of young guys now working there I have found to be rude, and even abusive towards customers. When I called them on it they became even ruder, so I no longer shop there. It’s too bad, because the prices, quality and selection of produce and other food are still very good. It would also be nice if the current management and staff would learn some social skills.