Express! That means fast, right? If you make a beeline for the express checkout lane at the grocery store any time you only have a few items, you might want to reconsider. Apparently there are other issues with the express line that can make the whole experience take almost as long as a regular lane, or in some cases, your wait could be even greater. [More]
supermarkets
Dairy Industry Worried That The Answer To “Got Milk?” These Days Is: “Nope.”
By 12.12.12
Back in milk’s heyday, the cool thing to do in a commercial was proudly wear a white mustache and smirk, “Got Milk?” The idea being, if you didn’t, you weren’t being healthy, as milk was the reigning drink in the health food arena. All you had to do was drink a glass a day and you could claim that yes, you had milk. But with all the energy drinks and enhanced waters flooding the market these days, dairy farmers are worried they’re losing their audience. [More]
Presenting A Handy Map To Every Grocery Store
By 11.30.12
While this map may not physically match every grocery store you’ve ever been to, it certainly contains all the major elements, conveniences and annoyances. [More]
Trying To Get Out Of A Busy Grocery Store Quickly Is Just Tempting Fate
By 11.20.12
Yesterday, we shared the heartwarming story of a Harris Teeter supermarket that let customers leave with carts full of free groceries and not force them to wait around for the registers to start working again. Yesterday evening, sort of the exact opposite of that happened to Dina when she tried to get through her shopping trip to Giant quickly by using the self-scan station. Trying to get out of a crowded grocery store “quickly” is tempting fate, doesn’t Dina know that?! [More]
Sprouts Are Out At Kroger
By 10.19.12
If you’re a fan of fresh sprouts and a Kroger shopper, you’ll have to choose between the two after this weekend, when the supermarket chain sells the last of the little green veggies, which are apparently a pain in the butt to keep clean. [More]
Walmart Has An Incredibly Generous View Of What "Locally Grown" Means
By 9.6.12
Back in Oct. 2010, Walmart vowed to double the amount of locally grown produce it sells at its stores by 2015. But judging by these bags of “Locally Grown” apples, the retail behemoth appears to be embracing a very global view of the term “local.” [More]
Is Customized Supermarket Pricing Gleaned From Loyalty Cards Creepy Or A Good Thing?
By 8.10.12
Whether you’re one of those shoppers with way too many grocery store loyalty cards or just a few, swiping those at checkouts could be doing far more than just giving you a few cents off your favorite cereal. Stores like Safeway and Kroger are building up their research on how their customers shop, developing customized pricing on the things you like the most. So is that a creepy invasion of privacy or worth it if you save money? [More]
I Want My Trans Fats Back: Consumerist Readers Speak Out About Recipe Changes
By 8.10.12
Last week, we asked you, the members of the Consumerist Hive Mind, what prepared food items you’ve abandoned or fallen out of love with due to a recipe or ingredient change. What we learned from reading the responses: Consumerist readers love their junk food almost as much as Consumerist editors do. [More]
Are You Overdosing On Supermarket Loyalty Cards?
By 8.6.12
Just about anyone who has been into a chain grocery store in the last decade is familiar with loyalty programs — and the little barcode cards that can quickly clog up your wallet and/or key chain. But one Consumerist reader thinks it’s time for supermarkets to rethink these programs and just pass the savings on to everyone. [More]
Maine’s Fishermen Facing A Lobsterpalooza Dilemma Of Epic Proportions
By 8.3.12 — Updated: 4.10.13
Want a lobster? Go get it! In fact, why not buy like, seven of them? Do it, really — Maine’s fisherfolk will thank you. Warm weather and good conservation techniques have primed Maine’s waters for a glut of lobster unlike anything the fishing population has seen. It could turn out to be a record lobster harvest — but with this kind of glut, where are all those lobsters going to go? [More]
Should Snapple Sorbet Bars Disclose They Contain Absolutely No Fruit?
By 6.19.12
Fruit-flavored snacks are notorious for their lack of fruit content, but most items with “sorbet” in the name at least use some fruit juice or fruit base. And one might look at the box for Snapple Sorbet Bars and think that the phrase “naturally flavored” implies some fruit content. But a look at the ingredients panel says otherwise. [More]
Should I Be Embarrassed That A Supermarket Cashier Assumed I’m Receiving WIC?
By 6.8.12
Shopping at her local Publix supermarket, Kathleen took some of her wholesome, perishable groceries–dairy and fruit–and put them on the conveyor belt before the rest of her items. This prompted the cashier to assume that since she had put the dairy items first, that she would be paying for those with a WIC check. She could have shrugged, said “no,” and forgotten about the incident. But the false assumption, the volume of the cashier’s voice and the attention that the question drew to her really embarrassed and upset Kathleen. She complained to store management and wants an apology from corporate that is not forthcoming. [More]
L.A. Bans Plastic Supermarket Shopping Bags
By 5.23.12
The movement against plastic shopping bags gained a lot of momentum today after the Los Angeles City Council voted 13-1 to phase out the use of plastic shopping bags at supermarkets. [More]
The Supermarket Tricks You Need To Avoid To Save While Shopping
By 4.13.12
You might have a good set of tactics while shopping at your local supermarket. But are you savvy to the subtle ways food stores (and other retailers) get you to buy more? There might be a few tricks you’ve fallen prey to in the past. [More]
Experts Point Fingers At Europe For Rising Grocery Bills & Gas Prices
By 1.19.12
A trip to the grocery store or to the gas station could start costing more than it used to, as inflation is expected to rise. So who should we blame for higher priced food and fuel? Europe! Experts say it’s their fault for having the nerve to be suffering from a debt crisis. [More]
Don't Buy These Things At The Grocery Store
By 1.19.12
As big box stores like Target and Walmart have expanded to include groceries, so have more traditional grocery store chains begun to offer more than foodstuffs for your pantry. But as tempting as it might be to turn your trip to the supermarket into a one-stop shopping trip, there are some things you might be better off buying elsewhere. [More]
The Most Shoplifted Food In The World? That's Right, "Cheese."
By 10.26.11
The First WorldWide Shrinkage Survey is not about taking a scientific approach to a Seinfeld plot line. Instead, it measures shoplifting around the globe. “Shrinkage,” in retail parlance, is when people take things from stores without paying for them. And according to their study, the most shoplifted item in the world in 2011 was cheese. [More]
Some Supermarkets Don't Want To Touch Ben & Jerry's Schweddy Balls
By 10.21.11
Back when Ben & Jerry’s announced its new Schweddy Balls flavor of ice cream, you might have guessed that some stores might balk at selling the product. And if so, then your prediction was spot-on. [More]
