Wegman’s a grocery store chain in the northeast has addressed the issue of the grocery shrink ray, and shed some light on why even store brands are affected by its malevolent beam. Wegmans says that their store brand merchandise is manufactured by companies that also make products for other stores — so they have little say about the size of their products.
Customers have asked why at least on Wegmans brand, we couldn’t keep size the same and just increase price (or better yet, keep size and price the same!). Wegmans brand suppliers often make products for other retailers (different recipes but same package size). It’s more costly for them to produce varying product sizes for different customers. So they often limit production to only one size; when costs rise sharply, it’s a new “smaller” container.
Well, that was refreshingly honest.
Up or Down? [Wegmans](Thanks, Aaron!)
(Photo: Tom Simpson )
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@Jigen: Right. My cousin was an accountant at ConAgra. All store brands are made by the same company as brand names. Sometimes, they lower the input quality, but many times, it’s the SAME product.
This is also true for *GASP* organic products. No difference between organic and non-organic but the box, can, or jar. That’s what happens when there’s no enforceable organic standard or anything other than voluntary attestation. Obvious caveats for Cali, Wa, etc.
@TechnoDestructo:
I don’t think price fixing would apply here. It’s really more of a supply issue, specifically manufacturing supply. That likely affects the cost that the supermarket chain incurs, but it doesn’t specifically determine price. As long as the various manufacturers aren’t acting together, I think everything is technically above board.
@DAK:
Apparently they ARE acting simultaneously in a similar manner, else the supermarkets could opt to not go along with it. That doesn’t necessarily mean they’re acting in concert, but it’s suspicious.
And I was not suggesting that supermarkets are price fixing (though if the manufacturers are colluding, the supermarkets COULD be in on it), I was assuming they were also the victims here.
Wegmans is the greatest reason to live in Rochester.
all this talk about wegmans is making me homesick.
Intill this thread i had not heard of this supermarket chain.
Sounds like a lovefest heeh get a grip fellow humans it is a store no better or worse than any other upscale supermarket in the country.
@Human947: You have no idea. People around here have a hard-on for Wegmans. Kids seriously go there to hangout even. I’ve never understood the Wegmans love myself.
Wegmans is the greatest supermarket ever. They have such a ridiculously wide selection of just about everything.
Yep, I completely love and miss Wegmans. There’s really nothing quite like it here in SoCal.
@Human947: NOBODY UNDERSTANDS MEEEEEE.
Ohhh, Wegmans, you made my childhood in Syracuse so wonderful in every aspect. And you put Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s to shame. I miss you dearly; please move to NYC!
And that is my love letter to a grocery store.
@snowburnt: I do agree that ther is something different between the Fairfax store and the Dulles store. I actually think that part of the problem is that the flow of the Fairfax store is a bit different than any other store I have been to (I am a Rochester Native, and Former Wegmans employee). Combine the different flow with people coming in to “sightsee” and not really paying attention to where they are going and you get the situation you describe.
@Human947: I think that part of the problem stems from the fact that many people from Rochester/Buffalo/Syracuse area (either born & raised or went to college there) think that Wegmans is the way that a “typical” grocery store is, so we actually don’t think of Wegmans as an Upscale supermarket, it is “Just the way things are”. When they leave the area and move to other parts of the country, they realize that Wegmans is not your average grocery store, and even some of the upscale grocers pale to the quality and selection of products offered. Combine that with the fact that every Wegmans store carries Upstate New York oddities (Zweigle White Hots, Grandma Browns Baked Beans, & Real Buffalo Wings (or at least acceptable in the DC area) and you start to establish a cult like following.
Afterall, what grocery store can honestly state that for their grand openings they have people camping out in the parkinglot and holding a tailgate party!!!
@Raziya: ugh, we had one in Wilmington, MA. I would rate them below Stop and Slop, almost as bad as Dog Food Lion.
@halftank: Hey, f you and your generalizations. anyone that generalizes like this shows ignorance in spades.
@snowburnt: Well at least you have good reactions. I tried to run you over in the parking lot, but you dove out of the way so fast. I’ll keep trying though.
@Jigen: There is radiation involved in the cooking process in most cases too. I have even been told that the sun generates radiation. Can you believe that?
I don’t have a Wegmans near me but when I visit my sister in VA we go to one of 2 Weggys (what we call it) and sometimes I don’t even buy anything, I just like walking around the store. It’s a great store, we’ve spent over an hour just walking around and looking, sure beats the hell out of Giant in MD. Almost everytime I go to Giant they’ve changed the layout of the store and put things in odd places. Took finding a worker to figure out why the kidney beans weren’t with veggies, oddly they had put them with coffee beans? Apparently the (I believe) Dutch owners don’t understand kidney beans are veggies, not the same as coffee
@papahoth: DON’T TALK SHIT ABOUT WEGMAN’S! >:-<
Wegman’s is the best grocery store in the world. I dare somebody to say something bad about them.
I want consumerist to start a best company in America competition so that we can have more posts about Wegmans.
Its odd how everyone here pretty much loves Wegmans. I think a reason for this is that it is still a privately owned company by the Wegman family. There are no greedy “investors” to squeeze the company for profit, i.e, making prices go up…
I’m getting a kick out of these replies since I submitted the article
Wegmans is great, and great for admitting that they can’t control what happens to their store brands.
@ibored:
I took my fiance to the Mega-Wegs in Pittsford on one of our first dates about 4 years ago. Gotta love the 24 hour grocery stores. And their Cheese selection is awesome.
@BigPapaCherry: You haven’t seen consumerist commenters when a Costco story is posted, have you?
Wegmans is a damn grocery store. Stop gushing over it.
The one near me has incompetent, slow, and often surly cashiers. I buy rolled oats that rarely scan correctly, and grood’s stories about getting stuff for free are BS. I’d go to the Whole Foods but it’s quite a bit more expensive.
@provolone: learning to follow links is a good thing to do if you are to survive out here with your manhood intact
@WillClark: given how responsive they are to customers, i find anything you are saying hard to believe, but then i also found it hard to believe that will clark was more than an average player once he moved to the superior junior circuit either.
I sometimes wonder if the people here actually read the articles before they write their comments.
This story is not about Wegman’s quality, beauty or it’s ability to be a place to date.
This story is all about the shrinking package sizes of their products which are made by someone else.
Geeze they give you folks the ability to vote. I guess that is the disadvantages of a public school education? You do not learn to read.
Now we know why China is taking over and our country is going down the drain.
Wegman’s is a nice place but their prices are a little ridiculous. Not to mention they don’t carry products such as Entenmann’s brand cakes, pies, etc because they don’t want it to compete with the Wegman’s store made brands.
Also has anyone else noticed their truck drivers drive like maniacs? They almost ran me off the road once.
ShopRite FTW!!!
I moved to Portland OR and have to go shopping at numerous stores
(Safeway, Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, New Seasons) to get the same
selection found in one Wegmans’.
And no supermarkets here are open 24 hours!!! WEGMANS is the best!!!
@BelBivDevolkswagen: Don’t forget W’up! =P
@papahoth: You are right, I sincerely apologize. I guess my love and devotion for Wegman’s got the best of me and I reacted too quickly
I was only kidding anyway and trying to make a joke about people’s love for wegman’s. I think my manhood is as safe as ever.