Socialist groceries.....random rant

[garyk/nm]

Living in a small town, our grocery shopping choices are limited. we gots Wally, Smith's and a mom and pop mexican grocery. The mexican grocery is out of the equation, due to they don't have too much 'murican stuff and it's too hard to get thru the aisles due to the "socialization clusters" (it's a southwest thing, I guess; 2 extended families meet up: instant gridlock)
So that leaves Wally and Smith's. Wally is the new kid on the block and is busy undercutting everyone else's prices. Makes them more attractive from a financial POV.

Point? What point? Oh, yeah, the socialist thing.

Why does Wally seem to think that I only want 2 choices of brand of bread products? (both are high on the suckitude scale) And what's up at the meat dept? Hamburger is available only in 1lb or 2.5lb packages, chicken is similar (how do they get chickens that all weigh the same? I suspect fowl play).

If I have a recipe that calls for 1.5lbs of ground beef, I'm forced to buy more than I need and the remainder usually goes to waste. Clever marketers, those socialists!

Smith's, on the other hand, has their stoopid "Fresh Values" reward card. If you don't want to pay their jacked-up "regular" prices, you have to let them track your purchasing habits. I don't care to have my ANYTHING tracked by anyone, thank you very much! How are they going to use this info? If I buy beer too often, are they going to send me AA literature? If I buy too many gun-related magazines, will I get a visit from the batmen?

What's a libertarian to do?
(told you this was random)

[Chris Rhines]

This libertarian has a supermarket rewards card.  When I filled out the little application, I put down a common misspelling of my real name, a non-existent address, and the phone number of an adult bookstore in Baltimore.    

- Chris

[Antibubba]

Wally isn't a socialist.  He's a capitalist.  He's put out the items that make him the most profit.  If you don't like what he has, vote with your feet.  Or would you insist that he cater to every minority whim (that includes you!)?

Chris is correct-I never put my real stats for those things-though I never thought of using an adult emporium as a contact!

[Pb]

The owner probably saves money by having a limited selection (& off brands) and that is why you pay less there... nothing socialist about it.

[mfree]

There's efficiency in numbers, the more you make of something the better margin can be made available. If you can make 2000 of something for $2 a piece and 3000 of something for $1.90, then having 6000 loaves made of 3 different sets of 2000 each cost you $12,000 and you need to charge $2.20 for a 10% profit. If you have 6000 loaves made of 2 sets of 3000 then you've spent $11,400 and if you charge the same as the other guy then you're making a little under 16% margin.. profit.

This is of course assuming all 6000 loaves are sold.

On the flip side, if you charge the same margin then each of the cheaper loaves is $2.09.

[SalukiFan]

This libertarian has a supermarket rewards card.  When I filled out the little application, I put down a common misspelling of my real name, a non-existent address, and the phone number of an adult bookstore in Baltimore.    

- Chris

Yeah, that's fine unless they have the feature that all my rewards cards have:

"Drop these keys in any mailbox and we'll see that they are returned to their rightful owner."

When your keys wind up in the dead letter office or the porn emporium, you're gonna be S.O.L. and you'll have a lot to explain - "No honey, let me tell you why I didn't put our real address!"


-SalukiFan

[Guest]

Hm, Walmart is just about the polar opposite of a socialist enterprise.

[Felonious Monk/Fignozzle]

We're in a similar situation-- Wally World, Winn-Dixie (which charges EXORBITANT prices in our area), and an old Piggly-Wiggly.  We drive 30 minutes to buy meat.

NEVER buy meat from WallyWorld.  It's cheaper cuts, lower grade, and decidedly second-rate.

[Preacherman]

Simple solution - don't put the card on your keyring.  Keep it separate, use it separately, and if it gets lost, who cares?

[El Tejon]

My Marsh (Indiana grocery) "Fresh Idea" card is registered to a Mr. Daffy Duck, 123 Main Street, South Lafayette, 47666.

[Standing Wolf]

What's a libertarian to do?

Open a real grocery. Laugh at the bums when their half-baked groceries go out of business.

[atek3]

here in the bay area, we have "grocery outlet"  which my friends and I call "gross-me outlet".  That place RULES.  No "loyalty cards", just DEALS DEALS DEALS.  You have to discriminate and check expiration dates, but trust me, it's worth it.  My roommates TRIED to break 100 dollars with a shopping cart full of food, I think I got the highest at maybe ~102 dollars.  If you are poor or cheap, gross-me outlet is the place to go. (avoid the seafood and vegetables there)

atek3

[charby]

Here in Iowa most towns of any size (over 4k) usually have two Iowa based grocery stores HyVee (employee owned) and Fareway (family owned chain) Fareway is the most reasonable but only has two choices for most product, name brand or generic, and the stores are not all that large probably twice as big as a large mom and pop. HyVee is about the size of a non super Walmart and has multiple choices. Produce is better at HyVee and Meat is better at Fareway. For the most part Fareway is the cheaper of the two in prices mostly due ot smaller size of store.

We also have a lot of mom and pops in smaller towns, wally world, super target, etc. I usually shop at the two mentioned above or a mom and pop because the money stays closer to home. We also have stores called Aldi's but they are a bargin grocery store and have a very limited selection.

Charby

[Guest]

I was born and raised in the big city, I was also born into a business that dealt with the public.

Free Markets, and  Capitalism , no problem.

The way I see it, folks asked for it and got it. Then Media and Marketers latched onto the whining and wants - folks got what they wanted.

I apprenticed in a business owned by Orthdox Jews. I was born in 1955 and I was around 12 when the Orthodox Jew owner told me upon seeing "sales" other than end of year or inventory sales...

"Some folks would buy a cow chip if was discounted or on sale. They may not need it, don't know what to do with it, but the fact it is on sale means they have to have it.  It also means the poor bastard will pay full price for a cow chip because now having a cow chip is something he has to have".

"Folks are whining and and wanting an easier softer way on gas, groceries, and services. They aint getting it necessarily - just getting it on sale, with a coupon, or rebate makes them think so".

Hard times back then, I would not trade the lessons shared and learned for anything.

$3.50 for a box of cereal, cut of meat, or frozen dinner is still $3.50 spent for that item in the quanity purchased. Makes no difference if it has "family pack" on the label, bought with a coupon, or you get a discount with a card.

$23 for a shirt is $23. Don't blow smoke up my ass, stick a $46 price tag on it and tell me I am getting a $46 shirt for $23 after the "half off sale".   I bought a better shirt , from LLBean for $19.95 and free shipping, and it was 'not on sale'. I didnt' use my gas or have to park either.

I worked in a mall once. I was young at the time. I ever entertain that thought again - shoot me on the spot. I refuse to go to malls, granted ours are closing - one reason is the elderly cannot walk the distances.

Twice a year the mall had a indoor sidewalk sale. Some mdse was actually marked down and a good buy. Greatest percentage was junk. Out of style, fashion, whatever. It had the words "SALE" or "Discount".  Folks bought these 'cow chips', and ran up CC debt.  When the sale was over, mdse was trucked to another mall where the same stores had stores. Just add a few teasers, some mdse they couldn't sell, and cycle this stuff over and over again.  I stuck a label in a Nero jacket once, it cycled back thru 5 times. It either sold or got lost I figure.

Bottom line: What did you get for the monies spent?

I have lived in the Big city, and smaller towns.  They rush out to the gas station on a cold wet rainy day, or dressed in nice business clothes, or perhaps pregnant, or the newborn in vehicle...  wishing they could get full service gas and let someone gas the vechicle, check air and under the hood.

Folks wanted cheaper gas, they got it. Service was the price they paid.  They bitched when full service gas was more per gallon.

Groceries : dumb shits don't  realize it costs money to print coupons, advertise coupons, put in magazines, newspapers, process these, and the store has to wait for reimbursements...
Then if one does NOT  use a coupon for cereal you are punished by paying "full" price.

Tell the Coupon and Marketing folks to shove it, price the damn cereal as it should be - fair price for product and quit blowing smoke up people's asses.

Walmart. I hate the bastards. Thier home office in the NW corner of my state.

Laughed my ass off when in the small towns everyone wanted one. Then the legal hassles, traffic, land grab...then all the junk mail from personal information given out.

Broke my ex and stepson from WM, My mom as well.  I had them write a check out of town/ state at WM, they didnt' need to show ID - Mickyworld has all that info already in a database. I also had them put a Apt # on the form..."we live in a house"...just do it I said. Junk mail comes in with THAT Apt #.

Did the same thing with Kroger.

My ex and mom changed banks, and in the case of Kroger filled out a new form. If you don't have your card - just give them a phone # and in the database they have - they can figure it out. Mom don't know it -Kroger  has the Corp, addy and phone  # for one of them damn teevee preachers she watches for her card now.

When I needed 125 Corish Hens for a Gun club for a shoot and eat event, I went to a Mom&Pop. Told them what I needed..and I damn sure did not want anything Tyson [ hate them bastards too]. So I gots my Cornish Hens , paid cash up front, and got a break on price, fair is fair and the M&P is entitled to make a profit. Funny thing was  these folks felt I gave them too much for their part...no, fair is fair and I want them around the next time I needed something.  Worked out better than thought, invited them out, they did and had a ball.

My theory is, in small towns especially, we will see a return of Mom&Pop store downstairs and the family living upstairs. Folks will save and time gas in shopping. As our Geriatric Society continues to do, meaning less old folks acutally being able to walk once inside a huge chain store...the M&P will come back. You will see the little pick-up truck doing deliveries again, when the old folks cannot drive, weather is bad, or sick.

Sure Deodorant: Classmate said WM wanted $2.36 , I paid $1.97 at Harvest Foods. I was at HF, why do I want to make a special trip, gas, and have my intelligence insulted going to WM?  

Family Dollar and Dollar General stores are adding more stores around here. Seems my premonition about older folks NOT being able to walk in the big stores is coming true. My mom has problems, she can't.

These "dollar" stores are less expensive than WM or Grocery stores on Toliet tissue, cleaning produts and I paid $1.69 for my Sure Deorderant. They also have milk, bread, eggs, sodas, soups, spices ...for lot less money than WM or grocery stores.

Mom paid $2 and something for Black Pepper at Kroger with her 'card'.

I paid $1 for a bigger container of Black Pepper, and Iodized salt, I got 2/$1.

When I had surgery, Big City or Small town -  I called the Mom and Pops for my groceries to be delivered, and my perscriptions. The Grocery folks even went out and checked my mail for me. The Pharmacy delivery girl took out my trash.  Both called to check on me and asked if I needed anything, since they were going to be out my way...Pharmacy  girl brought me a Chicken Fried steak from the diner, special of the day.

Wally and Kroger don't do deliveries on groceries or meds.

Bottom line, what is it your are gettng for the monies spent?

The price of all goods, customer service are determined by 3 factors: greed, greed, and greed.  More than a economic ideal.

[K Frame]

"here in the bay area, we have "grocery outlet"  which my friends and I call "gross-me outlet".

There's a place like that in my parent's town called R&S. It was started by two guys who were voted by their class as most likely to fail. At least that's the rumor. They now have 8 or 10 of these things.

The joke is that R&S stands for rejected and salvaged, but it's all overstock and seconds.

I routinely go in and buy Swansons or College Inn chicken and beef broth for a quarter, sometimes less, a can.

You can get high end laundry and dishwashing detergent for incredibly low prices, such as the 100 ounce Tide detergents, which are over $10 bucks in the stores, for $2 to $4.

I tend not to buy their meats or cheeses.

[Antibubba]

atek3,  Grocery Outlet is in Sacramento, too-I love the place.  There's an awful lot of high-end stuff you can get there for a lot less than I'd ever see anywhere else.  Canned chili, stew, small regional brands, label changes, closeouts.  Yeah some of it is near the posted expiration date, which means that with reasonable storage it'll be tasty for 1-2 more years, and edible beyond that, if I should neglect it's rotation somehow.  It's a good source for a budget survival pantry.

   There are also a lot of organic and healthy foods that I can't afford to eat at 3 times the cost, like the Cascadian Farms frozen entrees for a buck per.  But the thing that draws me in are the cheeses.  The one near work has the most incredible cheese selection!  Two pounds of Brie for $6.  Cheeses from all over the world and the US.  I am always amazed.   Groceries get panicky when the expo date approaches, even when the dates are conservative and arbitrary.  

   Yeah, I like the place.   :-)

   Aldi's on the other hand, is a bit strange.  They are a discount chain with their own brand-but it isn't like the "store brand" you see in every other grocery in America, which are all pretty much made by the same "generic brand" producers.  Most of the store brands cost less because they don't waste money on advertising.  Aldi's is unique.  If everyone else prides themselves on "GRADE A", Aldi's seems to quietly and thriftily sell "GRADE B"-like less attractive fruits and veggies, and stuff that's going to end up frozen, processed, or canned anyway.  The kind of food you'd expect to find in the steam trays of cafeterias that cater to the over-65 crowd.  There's nothing harmful about it, it just isn't thrilling-just filling.  I always chose to avoid the meats and dairy there, though.