Safeway's Sweet AirMiles Deals

[kelsie94]

[QUOTE=VEGAS PILGRIM;4553570]Yeah OB...had to reset the password, too.
BTW on the site re-design, you should get Boo to bump up this section up with SDM (OB's AM Deals could be a good title, since Safeways isn't the the only AM, and this would let the East Coasters in). That would solve the hunting around to find this.

I personally would like to keep this thread called "Safeway's Sweet AirMiles Deals". We know it as such, and adding all other stores that offer airmiles will make it way harder to look for your specific store. JMHO! I do agree to making it a 'sticky' though!

[jennrav]

Now if I bought a $50 itunes card could I just buy another $50 worth of groceries and use the b$100g100 coupon????

[myintuition]

Now if I bought a $50 itunes card could I just buy another $50 worth of groceries and use the b$100g100 coupon????

Where is the deal for the itunes card?

[a_1_a]

Now if I bought a $50 itunes card could I just buy another $50 worth of groceries and use the b$100g100 coupon????

b$100g100 coupon can't include gift cards. It says on the coupon.

[operabob]

my,

Look back on P.283

It's in the email.direct

[operabob]

Today's auction is the diamond pendant necklace for 7,500 AirMiles.

Last auction it was 2,950.

7,500 AMs = approx. $800. This item was found last year on line for $800 so this is a lousy offer. I did buy it last time though.

With the 32% reduction in AM value they're asking about 3 times as much.

2 of 3 auctions have failed so far. I suspect it will be 3 of 4 soon enough.

[Larry D]

If 60 people don't agree to activate today's group buy for the diamond pendant necklace, we'll probably see it as an auction item later on. And somebody will bid, like, 10,000 AM for it, defying all logic and common sense.

[kelsie94]

Where is the deal for the itunes card?

The iTunes card is on the 1st page of the flyer, under the flap.

[emax]

2 of 3 auctions have failed so far. I suspect it will be 3 of 4 soon enough.

Yea, so far the Group Buys have been a dud. And the bidding on the auction items is laughable as usual.

I'm tracking the Group Buys on a google spreadsheet if anyone is interested:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...lE&output=html
...tries to include a link to an online vendor for the same product so you can see prices and reviews.

But if this trend continues I'll be just redeeming for some more BW gift cards and call it done. It's almost not worth the effort to figure out the net prices after airmiles anymore, might abandon shopping at Safeway entirely, just go to a no-frills supermarket where the price is the price and you don't have to worry about erosion of loyalty programs.

[Saving Moola]

Yea, so far the Group Buys have been a dud. And the bidding on the auction items is laughable as usual.

I'm tracking the Group Buys on a google spreadsheet if anyone is interested:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...lE&output=html
...tries to include a link to an online vendor for the same product so you can see prices and reviews.

But if this trend continues I'll be just redeeming for some more BW gift cards and call it done. It's almost not worth the effort to figure out the net prices after airmiles anymore, might abandon shopping at Safeway entirely, just go to a no-frills supermarket where the price is the price and you don't have to worry about erosion of loyalty programs.

Thanks for doing the spreadsheet to help us keep track of the items.

[VEGAS PILGRIM]

Hi emax, thanks for your spreadsheet analysis, which confirms my opinions, and those of the public (in that they didn't buy 3 of 4 GB's so far)...but if I understand the method the company running the program for Safeways, there will be some group buys worth buying, probably not much until Friday, when a great deal will presumably be on Thursday's flier cover (of course one would have thought the same last week, and we know what happened.

Yea, so far the Group Buys have been a dud. And the bidding on the auction items is laughable as usual.

I'm tracking the Group Buys on a google spreadsheet if anyone is interested:
https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...lE&output=html
...tries to include a link to an online vendor for the same product so you can see prices and reviews.

But if this trend continues I'll be just redeeming for some more BW gift cards and call it done. It's almost not worth the effort to figure out the net prices after airmiles anymore, might abandon shopping at Safeway entirely, just go to a no-frills supermarket where the price is the price and you don't have to worry about erosion of loyalty programs.

[operabob]

I think only 2 of 28 group buys failed last year. Looks like 3 of 4 already!

[Larry D]

It's almost not worth the effort to figure out the net prices after airmiles anymore, might abandon shopping at Safeway entirely, just go to a no-frills supermarket where the price is the price and you don't have to worry about erosion of loyalty programs.

I'm thinking the same thing, emax.

I'll be shopping for deals elsewhere and claiming my savings at the point of sale. The time and effort it now takes to get a decent deal using Air Miles just isn't worth it anymore.

[VEGAS PILGRIM]

I think the company running this for Safeway is trying to make too much off their deals, and also, they have underestimated the power of the internet (including FB, and sites like this one), in trying to price their deals. Within a few minutes yesterday, people were chirping right on the Safeway FB page (which had just announced the group buy) as to what a crappy deal it was...that's exactly when the group buy froze at 13 purchased, 47 to go. One that hasn't changed...people are misinformed/apathetic when it comes to over-paying for the auction items

I think only 2 of 28 group buys failed last year. Looks like 3 of 4 already!

[operabob]

In the stock market it's known as clearing out the stops.

Here, I think they realize people are way over-bidding the auction. If you have a liability of $0.10/AM normally but people are bidding 4 times the usual exchange rate then your liability drops to $0.025/AM. Safeway is just clearing out AirMiles at bargain basement prices.

No doubt the people charged with running the group buys thought that what was happening in the auctions would carry over. However, people are not as stupid as they think and social media certainly keeps us more informed. Couple that with AirMiles greedy devaluation by 32% and people are walking away. Safeway needs to wake up and put the pressure on AirMiles. People are not as addicted to AirMiles as they think. If the AirMiles no longer give a price advantage to Safeway's higher prices then customers will walk. (Note: Safeway is a unionized shop which accounts for much of the higher pricing).