TravelTalkOnline Forums Travel and Vacation Forums St. Maarten - St. Martin Grand Marche vs. Simply

We normally shop at Gourmet Marche in Cupecoy because it is convenient but we're staying in Orient this year so either the Grand Marche in Cole Bay or Simply in Hope Estate will work for us. Pros and cons of either...
Thanks.

Try Le Petit Casino in Orient, nice products, nice wine and fair prices !

Grand Marche in general is going to have lower prices. Grand Marche in Cole Bay will be a pretty quick trip from Orient. Simply will have more French wines at good price, and more French foods in general. You could do your large grocery shopping at Grand Marche and get quick items at Simply or at Petit Casino in Orient Village.

Simply is much cheaper than Gd Marche. Gd Marche has raise its price over the year, and really when you compare, specially now with a "stronger" US $ and a change rate around $1.20 to 1 Euro it is more interesting to shop at Simply, Super U, or Leader Price on the French side versus Gd Marche... <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/handshake.gif" alt="" />

I will agree to disagree with you on that one..

My choice would be Simply at Hope Estate. Nice selection in every department. Easy access and adequate parking as well.
Bring your own shopping bag.

A large following of the French come over the border to shop at Le Grand Marche inn Cole Bay. I am in there two or three days a week and there are lots of French shopping. They wouldn't do it if there weren't advantages, would they?

I don't imagine you are spending that much on food for the house on your holidays, so I would go with convenience and selection.

Before comparing Grand Marche to Simply, you should also consider Leader Price, which is closest to Orient. They are great for basic, inexpensive items, and I find lots of enjoyable wines in the 6-9 Euro range. They are opportunistic buyers, so what you buy today, may never be offered again.

Grand Marche offers, IMO, an impressive array of items, some of which are surprising; e.g. Huy Fong's (the Sriracha dude) Chili garlic sauce. Produce looks fresh. Cold cuts and cheeses more American than French.

The strange thing is, the meats we saw in the Cole Bay store looked unfamiliar for the type of cut, with regards to color, shape and texture. I wouldn't buy them. But, the Phillipsburg GM has the old familiar looks to those same cuts. Go figure.

Now, we shop at Simply a lot because their offering of pates, rillets, cheeses and fresh-from-France fish (I only care about the bouchot mussels) is part of the experience for us and unmatched at GM. BTW, don't expect attractive produce at Simply. Some of the stuff is way beyond its shelf life.

So, basically, if you're looking for a more American type items, Grand Marche is the winner. But, if you're trying to capture a more French experience, go to Simply. Because of the difference in kinds of foods we buy at either place, I find it difficult to make a definitive price evaluation between the two.

We really like Super U in Marigot.Also an excellent and well priced bakery in the same complex

I agree on Super U and the bakery at Hovel Shopping Center. It is new and very well stocked. Bakery had the best Galette De Rois (sp) I ever tasted. Their parking has also improved. It may not be convenient from Orient ....

Simply also has (or at least had two years ago when we were last there) a decent cheese counter. We went to Price Leader which is kind of like a generic brand store, but will go to Simply first this time. Well, maybe we will first visit Petit Casino since we are staying on Orient Beach.

Last time we were there we found some great deals at Leader Price. We stay at Oyster Bay Beach Resort and the majority of our time is on the French side and in Oyster Pond. Returning in 18 days and cannot wait to get out of this tundra we call home. -15 tonight!

Thier wine prices and selection is excellent also.We had a sparkling blanc de blanc at 2.88 Euros.Four bottles didn't last long.

Speaking of wine at Simply, I was amazed at the volume they can turn! We went on a monday morning and they had a wine "special" display right at the entrance, 50 or 60 cases of a bordeaux for, like 3 or 4 euros,stacked high. We bought a bottle to test, had it for lunch and liked it, headed back tuesday morning to get more, and the stack was... gone! Good value goes fast, I guess!

Thanks everyone for your input! I think we'll be stopping in Grand Marche and then filling in with stops at Simply or Petite Casino <img src="http://www.traveltalkonline.com/forums/images/graemlins/dine.gif" alt="" />

We shopped at all three last month and were happy with most of the choices at each. However, we did notice that Simply only had one brand of sunscreen and it was really expensive. We went there over Petite Casino thinking it would be cheaper, but once we got back to Orient, we realized it was a mistake. We even found cheaper options at the tourist shops in Marigot. So if you see reliable sunscreen for less than 14 euros (the Simply price), buy it if you think you'll need it.

Where is Leader Price? This is our first time staying in the Orient area. Thanks!

Price Leader is in the same overall commercial center as is Simply... Hope estates. It's on the inland side of the ring road, between Grand Case and the Cul-de-sac round-about. If you're staying in orient village, exit the village on the ring road, turn right, go through the Cul-de-sac round-about, then there will be a turn to the left into Hope estates. You'll see the Price Leader sign on the side of the gray corrugated building.

We like Simply for a couple of different reasons. The French products that we buy ( potato chips, salad dressings, etc) are cheaper than the American products that you would find at Grand Marche. The wine and cheese selections are also great.

I thought Leader Price was between the Cul de Sac round-about and the Cadisco station on the way to Orient. The sign will say Leader Price, not Price Leader.

Thanks Joyfully and bksm, I do remember the area so either way we should have no problem finding it, will definitely have to check it out

Oops, BKSM, you're surely right. My mistake. I'll edit the post above. Hmmm.. no edit option. Sorry about that!