Grocery stores and sale items

carmen

I can't be the only person to notice this:
Being broke as I am, I shop about 5 grocery stores during the week based on the circulars and sale ads. Inevitably, 25-50% of the stuff that stores say they have on sale sold out (even on the first day of the sale.) Every once in a while I can see letting this slide, but I'm becoming convinced that the stores have either almost no supply of these items or sometimes don't even have them for sale at all during the sale time.
Where I'm from in NC, its not unusual for stores to uphold a sale price on a similar item if they're out of something specific (IE- Kraft singles is on sale but sold out so the store will give you the sale price on Sargento instead.) I feel like I may be laughed out of a store if I ask a manager this... is this common practice here?
Am I being absurdly picky?

...this thread if brought to you by a soggy Carmen who spent her morning off trekking through the rain to go to 4 grocery stores and come up empty-handed on 6 specific sale items.

belzjm

what i've noticed lately is that the things on sale (this is mostly at key food on 7th) have expiration dates which have either already passed or are to pass within the next week.

carmen

im ok with stuff thats about to expire (I shop for specific meals usually so I use stuff within a few days) but I hate doing all my circular-stalking online and on paper and then walking all over the place to find them out of stuff. I almost had soggy freakout over some cheese at Steves ha

domino

I have always found that asking the manager for a rain check has been successful. When Key Food was out of the olive oil that was advertised on sale, I asked the manager when the stock would be replenished. I was given a store memo/coupon valid for the same brand within 30 days.

Never hurts to ask.

Also, when I see that the item's date has just expired I also point this out to the manager. I have gotten up to $2 off some items. Caution: the package of chicken that expired THAT day did not smell so good so I ended up pitching it - so much for economics.

stacey

Yes - as Domino said its called a rain check. I always get them - especially if I have an additional coupon for said item.

Now with that said - I go to Pathmark for the specific reason that they accept internet coupons (Key Food on 5th in NS does not). And this is my favorite site for coupons since they seem to have them all in one place:

http://www.wow-coupons.com/grocery.php

delbrians

Exactly........rain check. Ask for it. I've seen Key Foods give them out to people plenty of times.

Although I will lend you my Flip cam or go with you if I can capture you at Steve's screaming "GIMME MY FUCKING CHEESE!" ](*,) :evil:

megalomo

Subject: Welcome to the recession

So now you understand how this recession works. I am sure that all stores make the best effort to get the stuff in, but wholesalers are not offering credit terms, as they used to. because of this product sits in the warehouse longer, thus the short dated products. Another problem, is the sale hunters, if people had store loyalty, then the neighborhood places would have a chance, instead everyone wants to be a hero to Costco or whole foods, or Trader Joes. The result is that the hometowns of these companies will be in great appreciation of your business, but your own neighborhoods will suffer in the process.

I mean really, NC, the supermarkets in North Carolina are closing down like dominos.

che

Subject: Re: Welcome to the recession

Megalomo wrote: instead everyone wants to be a hero to Costco or whole foods, or Trader Joes. The result is that the hometowns of these companies will be in great appreciation of your business, but your own neighborhoods will suffer in the process.

My impression — superficially, and possibly misled — is that the people who own the bodegas in PH don't live in the neighborhood. Since people who prefer to shop at those larger stores don't have any interest in shopping at the bodegas, it seems they wouldn't care if those stores disappeared or their owners did not make a lot of money, right?

bkchickie

I'm not sure that this is a new thing. I remember my dad complaining about stuff like this back in the 80s.

magicube

What's not to like about Costco, Megalomo? They pay higher-than-average wages, they offer part-time hourly employees benefits like health, dental, 401K, etc., and they employ a heck of a lot of people. These are local people making decent wages. That's good for the community.
That said, I shop there because for my $50 membership I can get a 6 month supply of an OTC drug that I have to take for a fraction of the price I would pay for a generic at Duane Reade, Neergaard, CVS, or anywhere else. My savings on that single item alone pays for the membership.
We don't buy a lot there (we're a small family), but we get stuff there, usually, that we can't really get anywhere else locally, or can only get from a major chain anyway. I buy as much of our food as I can at the greenmarkets, the rest at Key Food and a few more at Whole Foods. And my four bodegas get a lot of my cash. And they do not live in the neighborhood, per CHE's remark.

scarlett

Off topic a bit but, it has always surprised me that the Associated and the Met on 5th ave bet 16th and Prospect continue to thrive despite being a block away from each other. I like to see what they have on sale because while I buy mostly produce, and neither has much good of that, I can sometimes get great deals on pantry items.

domino

"the supermarkets in North Carolina are closing down like dominos."

I am??????