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badvertising
Bumblebee Tuna Tricks You Into Watching Commercials At The Grocery Store
Must we put video screens everywhere? Reader Grey says that he was fooled into pressing a button above a tiny video screen at his local Safeway — only to be subjected to a very low-res commercial for Bumblebee Tuna. More » -
peer pressure
Reader Isn't A Bad Person, Just Doesn't Want To Round Up His Grocery Purchase
Dustin isn't a jerk, really. He just feels like one every time he shops at his local Vons, because they're always pushing him to donate his change to charity. He wants to know whether your local Vons, Safeway, or other grocery stores do this to you, too. More » -
food safety
Grocery Store Just Can't Stop Selling Expired Yogurt
Esther doesn't want much. She just wants to buy some yogurt that hasn't expired. It seems that's too much to ask of her local Safeway near Baltimore. More » -
If you recently bought organic brown eggs from a Costco, Safeway, or Pack 'n' Save in California or Nevada, you should check to make sure they're not part of yet another salmonella recall. [MSNBC] (Photo: Bonzo McGrue)
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supermarkets
Supermarkets Begin To Shrink
The New York Times reports that several supermarket and retail chains, including Safeway, Walmart, and Whole Foods, are beginning to experiment with much smaller store sizes that emphasize things like cafes, prepared meals, and produce. The idea is to emphasize speed over choice, and was apparently triggered by UK competitor Tesco, which has launched over 70 small-format supermarkets in Nevada, Arizona, and Southern California over the past year. Of course, the stores also require less shelf space for products than they did a year ago. More » -
safeway
Safeway IDs Everyone In Your Party When You Buy Beer
Daniel went to his local Safeway with his brother to buy some beer. Daniel had his ID, but his brother didn't—but that's okay, because Daniel was the one buying the beer. The cashier, however, felt otherwise, and wouldn't complete the transaction without carding both of them. The store manager told him "the policy is, at the discretion of the clerk, to check the ID of every person present." More » -
bad deals
Do Not Be Fooled By Safeway's 2 for $7 Milk Trick
Reader Michelle says she witnessed someone fall for this clever milk trick performed by Safeway. Luckily, she knows that $7 is more than $6.59. More » -
grocery shrink ray
Lucerne Yogurt Fails To Escape The Clutches Of The Grocery Shrink Ray
Nothing is safe from the Grocery Shrink Ray: not babies; not household brands backed by expensive ad campaigns; and apparently, not even discount private labels.
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shrink ray
Grocery Shrink Ray Unleashes Its Fury On Safeway Bakery
In an attempt to cut expenses on donuts and signage, this Safeway in Oakland, CA. reduced their "dozen" from 14 to 12, reader Leonard discovered. We would have preferred a new sign or no sign at all. The "14" crossed out with a Sharpie simply mocks us.
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complaints
Safeway Tries To Sell You Meat Substitute That Expired 37 Days Ago
Reader Daniel wrote to tell us about his potentially unsafe purchase from a Safeway store in Daly City, California. When Daniel arrived at the checkout counter, he quickly checked the expiration dates on his Yves vegetarian sandwich meat only to discover that one of the packages had expired April 18th, 37 days ago, while the others had expired 4 days ago. He even took a hostage-style photograph with the expired product next to a stack of current day newspapers to help substantiate his claim. We would expect that when confronted with this information that a Safeway employee would promptly be instructed to scour the shelves as to prevent other hapless shoppers from buying the expired imitation meat, but apparently we expect too much. Daniel's letter and photos, inside...
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wildlife
Birds Live In Virginia Safeway Store
Jose writes,I thought that the long lines and the produce always being out of stock was bad enough, but then I noticed the small family of birds living at my local Safeway (Nutley St, Fairfax, VA). I wrote a letter to Safeway's corporate offices about a week ago to complain about the poor state of the store, but I guess that management really doesn't care enough to act quickly. My question is, if there's no birdbath inside Safeway, then where do the birds bathe?
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pr
Safeway Takes Rusty Nails In Your Bread Seriously
WHO: Safeway
WHAT: Just before making grilled cheese sandwiches for her family, woman finds rusty nails in her loaf of bread.
WHERE: Woman finds nail in loaf of bread [Contra Costa Times]
THE QUOTE: "We have been in contact with the customer... She was satisfied that we were taking this seriously and investigating the issue."
BONUS QUOTE: "I'm frustrated by the lack of information they've given me about what they're trying to do to determine where the nail came from or make sure it doesn't happen again."(Thanks to DoIReallyNeedAUserName!)
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above and beyond
Eagle-Eyed Safeway Cashier Catches Bobbled Coupon
Reader Amy writes in to praise a Safeway cashier that saved her $1. One dollar might not seem like much, but it shows how little is required for someone to go above and beyond. Amy writes:I went to my local Safeway today and picked up a package of Boboli bread that had a $1 off coupon attached. I made a mental note to remember to remove the sticker and hand it to the checkout clerk, but forgot.
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identity theft
Safeway DVD Kiosk Comes With Credit Card Skimming Device
Crafty identity thieves attached a credit card skimming device to a DVD kiosk at a Colorado Safeway. The 2-inch skimming device was discovered only after a customer asked a Safeway employee for help after his card wouldn't scan. More » -
class actions
Organic Principles, Regulations Ignored By Nation's Largest Organic Dairy
Consumers in twenty-seven states are suing Aurora Dairy, the nation's largest organic dairy for selling milk that failed to meet basic organic standards. The suit is bolstered by findings from USDA inspectors, who found that between December 2003 and April 2007, Aurora: "labeled and represented milk as organically produced, when such milk was not produced and handled in accordance with the National Organic Program regulations." More » -
get what you pay for
USDA Says Some Organic Milk Is A Rip-Off
If you're going to pay twice as much for milk because you like the idea that the cows have a yard to play in—that's your business—but you'd better be getting what you pay for. More » -
unacceptable food
These Red Baron Frozen Pizzas Could Be Rounder
Cap in California bought three deformed Red Baron frozen pepperoni pizzas from his local Safeway. One looks "half-eaten," and another sports a mysterious speck of "weird red/black dark matter" that Manfred von Richthofen would reject as pepperoni. Cap writes: A quick warning for those in the Sunnyvale, CA area buying Red Baron frozen pizza: Don't.
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food safety
Safeway Recalls Ground Beef Due to E. Coli Contamination
If you live in Arizona and bought ground beef at Safeway, you'll want to return it for a refund or discard it. The following products are included: More »

















