Confessions of a Grocery stocker .

Barbara

A question from a dumb European:

are they shrinking boxes but leaving the price as it is????
Shock

This is illegal here. You must write the price per kilo by law. So people can do the math instantly. Shrinking boxes of 10 or 20% is illegal.
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**no english mothertongue**
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Objects in the rear view mirror
are closer than they appear.

Byron100

skeptik

skeptik

VMarcHart

FoolYap

Boneless pork loin on sale here for $1.29/lb this week...

I assume prices like this are loss-leaders for a store? Can't be much, if any profit in it.

--Steve

JJ · Heavy Crude Joined: Aug 07, 2007 Posts: 347

work in produce department.
angry customers daily; get cussed out weekly.
yesterday customer wants to know why our produce is always wilted; why our grocery store doesn't use refrigerated trucks.
rants for a while, then i tell her to go somewhere where she'll be happy to shop.
customer gets manager; I have to apologize for being rude.
manager says don't mention gas prices, oil prices, grocery prices; stress how cheap our store is and how much money we are saving them. (?)
(potatoes 2.99 to 7.99 for eight pound bag) coconut milk (which we use a lot of) 2.19 a can, same .70 a can in Austin.

let the lying/deception begin. (although guess we've been doing it for awhile)

VMarcHart

MarkJ · Heavy Crude Joined: Mar 25, 2008 Posts: 179

Here's a typical meat department sale in my region of Upstate New York.

Sales of SPAM must be regional since SPAM doesn't move well in my region due to the relatively high price.

We generally stock up on chicken and/or pork when it goes on sale every couple weeks.

TWilliam · Light Sweet Crude Joined: Nov 28, 2004 Posts: 1705

You know when it comes down to it, these sorts of manipulations aren't a new thing. Reducing packaged weight has been a standard method of passing on price increases for years. Someone posted a pic upthread of the Breyer's ice cream containers going from 1.75 down to 1.5 quarts. Maybe they've forgotten that it used to be a half gallon?

Another similar tactic relates to the nutritional content labeling. When concerns arise over, for example, the sodium content of an item, the manufacturer might reduce the 'Serving Size' listed on the label, thus giving the illusion that the product has less sodium. I mean, who considers one of those little bags of chips you frequently find next to the register to be two servings, for example?

There's a whole lot of psychology that goes into packaging, presentation, arrangement and placement of products in a grocery store. Ever notice for example how when there's a large selection of a particular type of product, that the lower cost items are usually on the bottom or top shelves, while the premium brands are at eye level? Or that the most essential items --typically milk, butter and eggs-- are nearly always the furthest possible distance fr0m the entrance?

Also, more 'basic', or staple non-fresh items (canned and jarred goods) tend to be placed in narrow aisles to discourage both time spent comparing prices and bending for the cheaper stuff on the bottom shelves because of the claustrophobic feeling, while the less essential items (chips, soda, etc.) are in wide aisles, encouraging you to relax and spend more time there.

Lots of other 'tricks' too, but you get the idea...
_________________
"It means buckle your seatbelt, Dorothy, because Kansas? Is goin' bye-bye... "

Lanthanide

jlw61

MidwesternMom · Tar Sands Joined: May 26, 2008 Posts: 32

cube · Fusion Joined: Mar 12, 2005 Posts: 3574

misterno

I am sorry I don't understand it

Howcome Hawaiian pineapple costs cheaper in NY than in Hawaii?

Is this a joke? If not can someone please explain?