If you’re worried that grocery store loyalty and discount cards let retailers amass a detailed profile of you and use your buying habits for marketing purposes….don’t worry. Safeway, at least, doesn’t actually seem to be paying attention. That’s the conclusion you can draw from the coupon that Steve says printed out during his shopping trip for his Passover seder. [More]
Grocery Self-Checkout: Blessing Or Scourge?
By March 18, 2010
Our sister publication ShopSmart asked their readers today what they think of grocery store self-checkout systems. Would you rather stand and watch someone else scan and bag your groceries, or do you prefer to buy your Oreos and hemorrhoid cream without another soul knowing? [More]
D.C. Has Customers Pay For Grocery Bags, Law Cuts Down On Waste
By March 12, 2010
A Washington, D.C. law mandates shoppers shell out a nickel for each grocery bag they use, and the regulation has caused people to stop taking as many unnecessary bags and reduced waste, the Baltimore Sun reports. [More]
General Mills To Axe Product Lines, Won't Say Which
By December 4, 2009
General Mills announced a chilling statement as it announced it will spend $24.1 million in restructuring expenses this quarter. [More]
Consumers Forgo Restaurants, Cook Fancy Steaks At Home
By October 31, 2009
Americans love steak. Now, in a recession, we still love it, but we’ve shifted to buying and cooking delicious high-end steaks at home instead of eating them in restaurants, thanks to greater availability of fancy cuts of meat to consumers.
A Stingy Scoundrel Explains How To Save On Groceries By Price-Matching
By October 19, 2009
I wrote a (hopefully) humorous money-saving book called Secrets of a Stingy Scoundrel: 100 Dirty Little Money-Grubbing Secrets. The New York Post called it “required reading” Sunday, although not everyone’s a fan.
Grocery Aisle Coupon Fairies: Nuisance Or Nice?
By October 3, 2009
You reach for an item at your local grocery store, and notice that on the shelf next to it is a coupon thoughtfully left behind by another shopper. But wait, is this a thoughtful way to keep clipped coupons from going to waste? Or just a way for shoppers to feel good about themselves, but create more litter for grocery store employees to clean up?
Recession Scenes At Wal-Mart: Beef, Peanut Butter, Toilet Seats
By May 6, 2009
Wal-Mart’s management is watching their customers during the recession. What have they learned? More shoppers now make lists, instead of buying on impulse. Sales of frozen vegetables are up; sales of Angus beef are down. And mysteriously, $5 white toilet seats are a hot item near Denver.
