Signs of hard times

[Origisaurus]

The supermarkets are price-cutting, engaging in a market-share war.  Today's Denver Post had a piece about Safeway joining the fray big time.  And King Soopers (Kroger subsidiary) has been low-balling for a couple of months.

I'm spending less and less on groceries.

[The Gorn]

They may have had more room to fall in your area (IE: the chains there may have been used to screwing local consumers). In my area, the groceries all have pretty much held the line, except that certain individual items seem to be constantly discounted.

Examples of prices I generally see:

Store brand Kroger's moloko-plus (milk ) - usually 5 1/2 gal for $6 or 1 gal for $1.88. (sale prices but perpetually on sale - BTW, screw dairy farmers who have to make a living )
Bananas .39 - .46 / lb
Store brand hot dog or burger buns $1 a package of 8
Greenleaf lettuce $1.99/lb
Broccoli 3 for $5 or $1.66/bunch
Cauliflower $1.99/bunch
Stouffer's individual frozen entrees - reg price $2.79 or something stupid like that, sale price 5 for $11 or $2/apiece

It hasn't changed much in 6-8 months. Last winter grocery prices eased from some all time highs commensurate with the increase in oil prices.

Ah, and in my town, a long planned Aldi's just opened up across the hiway from Kroger. So they must have seen clear opportunity even now.

[Aussie]

.....is when all the tellie channels start making heaps of comedies instead of freaky forensic CSI shows, chick-flicks, and assorted downers.  Remember all the comedies back in the early to mid 80's?  I haven't seen that happening yet.

[TRexx]

That's because scripted programs with professional actors are expensive.  It's a lot cheaper to round up some "real people" and film them acting like idiots.

And it's even better if you can convince them to do something really stupid (like crashing the White House or pretending to set your kid adrift on a balloon) without paying them a penny.

[I D Shukhov]

And it's even better if you can convince them to do something really stupid (like crashing the White House or pretending to set your kid adrift on a   balloon) without paying them a penny.

In a country with 300 million people, there are going to be a few who sit around all day coming up with schemes to monetize publicity stunts.  It works because it's easy money for the media -- "reporters" just have to comment about how awful it is that anyone would do such a thing.  No journalism is required, which is hard work and costs money.  The "reporters" themselves become pseudo-reporters, just like the reality show "actors" are pseudo-actors.

[Origisaurus]

They may have had more room to fall in your area (IE: the chains there may have been used to screwing local consumers). In my area, the groceries all have   pretty much held the line, except that certain individual items seem to be constantly discounted.

Remembering that your average chain grocery nets about 1% to 2% on gross sales, the game they all play is to cut the popular items and staples to zero margin, and hope to make it up on the other items.  I think they keep each other fairly honest by competing.  Either they look alike and compete at the margins, or have a USP like Aldi's.

Last Friday, I paid for store brands -

1.5dz eggs, 1.92
1lb butter, 1.99
1lb Zesta saltines, 1.67

$2 for Stouffer's frozen entress is good.  15 years ago, I though $2.75 was about right, compared with the $4 and up in the company cafeteria - they make great brown bag lunches if you have access to a microwave.

[HiredGun]

Well first the Ace Hardware disappeared in the night, now have to treck to lowes, wont shop home desperate as they are really bad business and screwed me royally after I paid them off on time. Well actually before Ace the Alberstons anchor store moved to the other end of the block to be near a busier intersection. That killed the booze store across the parking lot but they died a long slow death. They had even bought the building - a real kiss of death. So a year later I am driving by and the bloody relocated Alberstons is not gone completely. Meanwhile down the street you cannot find parking at king supers and checking out is a major hassle. I never have really seen local businesses go under like this in my life.

[The Gorn]

What I see now is that consumers generally abandon local stores and independent restaurants in hard times. Even when the products, performance, and value are superior with the locals. Even in some instances when the charged prices are lower than the chains.

Now, truthfully - many/most small retail type businesses are run myopically and the owners often just don't have the schooling or experience to tweak their business model successfully. Or it may just be too hard and cumbersome for them to do so.

I'm sure that the boneheadednesses that I experience with small technology companies are paralleled with small retail and food providers.

The big chain versions of everything are prospering around me. There's no indie grocers, there is Kroger's, Aldi's, and Wally World. With a couple of exceptions the only restaurants that last here are fast food and casual dining chains, which seem to be continually downsizing their quality and support staffs.

I'd say what is happening is cheapening and consolidation of everything across the board.

[Aussie]

....to be perfectly Francis with you, the recognised sign of hard times is when the newspapers start running bingo cards.  Particularly when the prize is a year's supply of petrol.

But maybe I'm just channelling the 70's.

[unix]

I only buy organic milk   at 5.50/gallon in WholeFoods... the local Safeway just raised the price of  it to 6.25 after declaring it's on sale versus 6.50/regular.

I did  find a local farmer who sold me milk for maybe half that... Not sure it was treated in any way. I am still waiting to drop dead.

[The Gorn]

I did find a local farmer who sold me milk for maybe half that... Not sure it was treated in any way. I am still waiting to drop dead.

You're probably better off drinking the local unpasteurized stuff. It will toughen your immune system and provide healthy probiotics.

[John Masterson]

I only buy organic milk at 5.50/gallon in WholeFoods... the local Safeway just raised the price of it to 6.25 after declaring it's on sale versus   6.50/regular.  
 
  I did find a local farmer who sold me milk for maybe half that... Not sure it was treated in any way. I am still waiting to drop dead.

"No matter how clean the cows or the barn, all milk contains fecal material", says William Keene, senior epidemiologist in Oregon's Acute and Communicable Disease Program, "This is what happens when you hose down a cow and then put a vacuum down at the south end of it."  

...this is a dangerous game, public health officials say.

 

• In June, more than 58 people in Wisconsin became ill with Campylobacter jejuni from unpasteurized cheese curds.

 

• In January, five people became ill with campylobacteriosis after drinking raw milk from a dairy in Larimer County, Colo.

 

• In December 2005, six children in Washington state were infected with a potentially deadly form of E. coli O157:H7 bacteria from drinking unpasteurized milk.

 

[DG9]

We pay 1.49-1.99 on sale and definitely less than 3.00 the rest of the time in the midwest...  Am I missing something?

[I D Shukhov]

Unix was referring to organic milk, which is at least twice as expensive as regular milk, but worth it as far as I'm concerned.

[Aussie]

....was to do with the transmission of TB.  Course I could be wrong, maybe that is more controlled by the screening of the cows by the vet.  At any rate, as a kid I used to stay with relatives and friends who kept a few house cows, and the first thing you learnt as a little kid was the routine:  head secure in the crush, leg-rope if she's a kicker, wash the teats, then all-systems go, then put the calf on at the end. Oh, and see if you can squirt any of the cats that may be hanging around full in the face if you're a mean-widdle-kid   It's been a while, did I forget anything ?