How is your food store treating you in these high price times?

[Buddyboy546]

While I personally am in a position not to worry unduly about prices being comfortably retired, I cringe at some of the common practices of food stores during these times of rapidly increasing prices. Is your local food store going out of its way to help their customers stretch their budget, or is it just continuing its practice of gouging. My local store is Atlantic Superstore but other stores have similar practices.

-I get a lot of money off my grocery purchases by earning PC points, and I mean a lot of money! However, I need a computer to download points. Strike one against the poor.
-I save a lot of money by paying for my groceries using my cash back Visa card. I get over 1% back all the time. That amounts to big bucks. However, the poor cannot afford a cash back credit card. Strike two against the poor.
-A large number of basic groceries are one price if I buy one item, a significantly smaller per unit price if I buy multiples. There are those among us who cannot afford to buy multiples, can hardly afford to buy one. Strike three against the poor.

I could go on. The bottom line is that even in these hard times, our food stores are providing basic food to their customers at cheaper prices if you are better off. The poor are subsidizing the rich. That is immoral in even good times, let alone these hard times.

Your thoughts?

[HermanH]

The stores will continue with business as usual. Always have, always will.

I don't agree with you regarding cash-back credit cards. I pay nothing for my Visa Dividend card and still get 1% back. My mother has a Walmart M/C and gets the same rate, also for no fee.

I find that the pursuit of Optimum points is a pointless and mis-leading endeavour. In my experience, the only points I am offered are for products I do not want to buy in the first place. Also, the points are for items I consider over-priced. So, if I were to buy them, I would be paying a higher price in the first place only to get points back (that I then have to use for more over-priced items.) I rarely buy name-brand items and usually stick to generic produce and meat items (that offer no points.) Of course, your mileage may vary.

If you need a computer to download points, why not use the local library? I don't think that points are a security concern, the way that bank transactions on a public computer would be.

I can empathize on why you might feel that multiple purchases are somehow unfair. I try to look at longer terms. I may have to buy twice as much toilet paper, but I'll eventually need it. So, instead of buying every month, I buy every second month, because I need to buy in multiples of two. It may be a slight stretch or inconvenience, but I am not really out-of-pocket in annual terms. If one cannot afford such small cash-flow challenges, I shiver to think what will happen to them if something calamitous were to happen, such as a car accident or injury.

Rich folks get the luxury of time and convenience. They can buy things whenever the mood suits them. I watch my pennies and plan waaaay ahead. If I find meat for $1-2/pound, I buy Lots and LOTS to freeze. I don't get to eat steak every night, but I get plenty of what I need. I don't get strawberries in December, but I will not die of scurvy. I may only get to choose from what is in season or on clearance, but I am able to swallow my pride and feast on what I find.

[cath007]

I am disagree on the buy mutiples x items to have a good better price or lower...
It is difficult to accumulate pc points with pc programs so I dont count on that anymore that suck before they had good offers in the past years for cheese,charcuterie deli meat and other things that they removed...my points where with that

My maxi and cie is difficult and with coupons now so ..it is not easy to save

So yeah with the price high I struggle.. and I am on a tight budget. a lot..I feel I have nothing for my money...

So yes I sympatize with you!

[Midnight Stealth]

Loblaws corporation stock price is higher than its ever been, these corporations will continue to pass along the costs to consumers to appease their shareholders.

Regarding buying multiples, the less fortunate don't have the space to store buying multiples in their apartment. Whether it be pantry, household items or have a chest deep freezer for frozen meats etc.

Since the pandemic my local Walmart and NoFrills stopped accepting printed coupons and Walmart also stopped price matching.

[GoodBoy]

Mine makes so many mistakes on posted prices I typically get 10$+ on SCOP! :D

[endi2000]

[Walmart also stopped price matching.[/QUOTE]

I thought they stopped price matching over a year ago

[abbasgirl]

Points programs are not intended to help people save money. They are to get people to keep coming back to the store. There are certainly occasions when you do get a good deal with them. But overall it's usually cheaper just to go to the discount stores for each company (No Frills instead of Loblaws, Fresco instead of Sobeys, Food Basics instead of Metro, etc.), as well as to check flyers and most importantly, set aside time to prep your own meals so you aren't overspending on convenience.

[cath007]

Points programs are not intended to help people save money. They are to get people to keep coming back to the store. There are certainly occasions when you do get a good deal with them. But overall it's usually cheaper just to go to the discount stores for each company (No Frills instead of Loblaws, Fresco instead of Sobeys, Food Basics instead of Metro, etc.), as well as to check flyers and most importantly, set aside time to prep your own meals so you aren't overspending on convenience.

I am agree with you .

[Tweets77]

True!

Points programs are not intended to help people save money. They are to get people to keep coming back to the store. There are certainly occasions when you do get a good deal with them. But overall it's usually cheaper just to go to the discount stores for each company (No Frills instead of Loblaws, Fresco instead of Sobeys, Food Basics instead of Metro, etc.), as well as to check flyers and most importantly, set aside time to prep your own meals so you aren't overspending on convenience.

[Ciel21]

At two grocery stores, there are still a few cashiers willing to talk about products in store if I ask or we talk about something of interest during checkout. Sometimes I tell them about a deal found in store or ask if s/he has tried a new-to-me product I saw in the flyer but am not yet ready to buy, since I need more information.

I seemed to have timed my exit from three loyalty programs well as I don't shop often enough or at a $ value to make continuing with those programs worthwhile in carrying the cards around.

Not a huge fan of almost every chain grocer implementing member/club pricing or the buy 2 or more units to get the lower price strategy.
Sometimes where a person can access the Internet at a public location is not in the same area where the planned shopping visit will occur, so as OP posted, persons without their own data plan/Internet/computer or mobile device cannot get loyalty offers added or printed off prior to the shopping.

All these loyalty programs require e-mail addresses. Now even some government entities are requiring e-mail addresses for online accounts in order for persons to continue to have access to those accounts (beyond the telephone notification code one must retrieve for security reasons to even log into said accounts within 5-20 minutes receipt of code-if you have phone near the computer you are using).

I am in the habit 3 out of 4 visits to Fortinos and Longos to check their clearance shelves first for baked treats or sliced bread, pasta and shampoo before I head to the full-priced items if I need them. On occasion, I score treat or food deals in my local Shoppers' clearance area.

[cath007]

I am watching on RDI economy a report on a cost of grocery for a familly of 2 adults 4 chidrens.. 400$ per week at least wow...How they manage to meet the ends?

[endi2000]

[QUOTE=Midnight Stealth;7200609
Since the pandemic my local Walmart and NoFrills stopped accepting printed coupons and Walmart also stopped price matching.[/QUOTE]

Really ? Can they do that? Refuse printed coupons?


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

[HermanH]

I think that they are refusing the coupons printed at your home computer and not the professionally printed variety.

The amount of fakes and fraud (even for professionally printed coupons) is just massive.

[bhlombardy]

Really ? Can they do that? Refuse printed coupons?

Yes they can. Coupons are not legal tender. A Store can refuse coupons for any reason... one of which is they just dont want to accept them. -- or more accurately, they don't need a reason.

"Should" they? Well, that's a fine line, if they intend to keep your business, but there is no legal obligation for them to.

[cath007]

That is true my maxi and cie dont accept anynomore english coupons if the redemption adress is not in QC..so sad about that
Printed coupons are always difficult to pass too...