I headed to Albertsons last Wednesday morning (Sept. 15) to pick up a few groceries, and while I was there, I got my whooping cough booster so that I can play with my new grandson when he arrives.
Then I did my grocery shopping. Much to my dismay, Albertsons is adopting a “club” format, and I overheard the cashier telling the customer ahead of me, who had declined to enter her phone number, that one must now enter a phone number in order to receive the club prices and specials. I hate to see grocery stores become exclusive. We should be able to buy our food without such superimposed rules, especially in those areas that serve all walks of life. My Albertsons is a small store located on Highway 12. What about people who aren’t regular customers but just stop to pick up a few items as they travel?
“Many people just don’t want to enter a phone number,” said the cashier in confidential tones as I punched mine into the machine. As I’ve waited in the check-out line, I hardly ever see anyone entering a phone number. I suppose Albertsons/Safeway has studied the situation and knows what they’re doing, but I wonder if they’re killing themselves. If you know the area, you know that Walmart is just a block away.
And today, as I checked out at Albertsons, the cashier casually mentioned that in ten days they will begin charging for plastic sacks. JoAnn’s is already charging. Again, I try to remember to take my reusable shopping bags, but I don’t see other shoppers providing their own bags.
And then there’s Walmart, and they mess with the system in their own way. Sunday morning, Mike and I went there to buy dog food and a few other items. The store is upside down and inside out as they “remodel,” whatever that means. The beauty supplies, which used to be right inside the south door, are now on the opposite side of the store. School/office supplies are in the garden center – probably temporarily. Pricing labels cannot be trusted, and the employees are as clueless as the customers. We got the dog food and left. We agreed it had not been fun and vowed not to return until the remodel is complete. Then we will have to relearn the store.
We went to the farm for a few hours on Saturday. Mike bought a new 4-wheeler from a dealer in Spokane Valley, so we went to the farm to get the trailer and bring back the 4-wheeler we had borrowed from son Clint.
My zucchini squashes are misshapen – a bulbous stem end tapering to a point that tends to have blossom-end rot, but the plants still look good. I picked half a dozen ripe tomatoes. The pears are now falling from the tree and the deer have indeed been eating them. KW
I don't mind entering a phone number, but I don't want to carry around cards and I don't want to be signed up for phone calls or emails. Fred Meyer sends me coupons for things I actually buy and Safeway tracks my points toward fuel discounts. I'm okay with these things.
ReplyDeleteI'm okay with entering my phone number, too. I get gas points at Albertsons and they send a weekly email that includes special pricing for some of the things I buy. I find digital shopping a little more time-consuming than I would like, and some people don't like it at all.
ReplyDeleteI think Washington has a mandate for charging for bags. I remember reading that it was going to go into effect soon. I've had the phone number thingy with Safeway for years and before that I think Tidyman's had a similar thing. I have no problem with the phone number, either, but use my landline which we don't even bother to answer. :-) I ignore the emails as I usually shop at Winco except for a few items that are Safeway brands that I really like.
ReplyDeleteYes, I believe Washington does have a mandate regarding bags, and while I said "plastic" bags, I'm not sure that's the case. I thought plastic bags had to go away altogether.
ReplyDeleteYes, Tidyman's had a card, I think, and they also had "club price" signs throughout the store. I was shopping there one day -- because I shopped there almost every day when I had teen-age boys -- when a stranger to the store asked me what "club price" meant. This is one reason I formed the opinion that it's at least somewhat counterproductive for grocery stores to adopt this format. On he other hand, if they want to reward me for giving me a better price on items I buy regularly, why should I complain?