terrible?

Does anybody know how the produce industry works at at the grocery store level?

I would call my self fruit connoisseur. Fruit is God's natural candy for us. Growing up I always had an abundance of fresh fruit straight from the orchard. Growing up in Eastern Washington allowed me to have an abundance and a great variety of fresh fruits.

Now, in my town we buy groceries at Fred Meyer, Walmart, Winco, and Costco - all depending on what we need. These are the same stores we would frequent in the other towns we have lived in. I've come to realize that Fred Meyer has the best Produce by far - not even close. Everything there is awesome. Costco is 2nd except when it comes to apples (why can't they get apples right?), Walmart 3rd, and Winco lags way behind.

In one town how could the quality of the produce be so different? Is it shipping? In house practices? different company purchasing practices?

In every town Fred Meyer is great and Winco is terrible.

I don't get it.

Now if we are talking meat than you got to go to Winco or Costco.