FTC head wants investigation into grocery stores over inflated prices
FTC head wants investigation into grocery stores over inflated prices
The federal regulator wants to see if grocery chains are ‘exploiting their power to inflate prices’
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I'm going to lay a bit of the prices on consumers. Anecdotal, I know, but I don't have to pay outrageous prices.
We have several grocery stores within 10 miles. The new Publix, by far the most costly option, is packed out everyday. Those same customers could go 1-mile down the road to Winn Dixie for far lower prices. Or, go a few more miles and hit Walmart for even lower prices.
Hell, if you went that far, you already passed Aldi FFS, and they're hilariously cheap. And on the same trip, you would have passed two old, raggedy grocery stores that are as low or lower than Aldi. Just tried another place a little farther along and my beer is 22% cheaper. Everything was cheaper. We packed a grocery cart full of goods, including 3 cases of beer and plenty of meats, for $130. I can put $130 in a Publix hand basket.
Yet the cheap stores are empty in comparison to Publix and Winn Dixie. Guess people are willing to pay double for a modern, brightly lit store instead of going in the "poor people" groceries? Not my problem, let 'em pay for their snobbery.
And before anyone assumes I have 7 choices by living in a big city, my town and the town next door total 36,000, and that covers a lot of square miles out in the countryside. It's anything but urban around here.
The people truly getting fucked are the ones for whom a Dollar General is the only reasonably close store, along with the people who can't afford a car and have to walk to one. While I'm a big fan of them serving (if unserved) rural communities, grocery shopping there is a hella bill.
Nah dude, you're just incredibly lucky to live in a place near so many lower priced options. I live in a very urban area, and the only nearby grocery stores are Kroger, Meijer, and Fresh Market, and the prices are all basically the same. The nearest Aldi's is like 25-30 minutes away.
Also, I guarantee you that prices have been increasing at a similar rate even at the cheap stores.
Lucky?! I think I pointed out that I'm Hicksville, USA. And yes, Aldi is 25-minutes from me as well. Can't be assed to drive that far to save $50? Not my problem.
There literally isn't enough time in the day. I can't spend an hour commuting, plus another hour driving to and from Aldi's, if I want to actually cook any of the groceries I buy there. Putting blame on consumers is asinine when grocery stores have seen more profit than ever these last couple years.
I do my grocery shopping almost exclusively at Aldi and my grocery bills still increased a cumulative 50% at a minimum since before the pandemic.
You're right. The Albersons near my house is hella expensive. Let me just drive farther to pay the same outrageous prices at the other 17 Albertson's.
I know a lot of people at my local Publix shop there primarily for the BOGOs. In my region, you don't actually need to get two. The product just rings up as half price at the register. (Apparently, in some regions, you actually need to get two for the BOGO to work. That's not the case in my region, though.)
You usually get BOGO for half price in my experience. The trick is that you walk in for that BOGO and buy a bunch of extra shit.
Maybe I'm privileged in that I grew up with a Depression area mom. That woman had no idea dad made real money and shopped her ass off. Only one or two stores on grocery day, but I saw her cut a bill in half with coupons. 2-3 times a week she's get a rebate check for a buck or three (in 80s money!). And nothing was bought at full price.
I joke, but having the time to whittle the bills like that truly is a privilege.
You usually get BOGO for half price in my experience.
Not necessarily. In my area, most stores actually require that you get two. Publix is the exception.
Only one or two stores on grocery day, but I saw her cut a bill in half with coupons.
I used to work in a grocery store (not Publix). I once saw someone use so many coupons that the store owed her money. I have never seen that happen since. It blew my mind at the time that that even happened. It still kinda does.