If a recent debate over U.S. military commissaries is any indication, the future of the government-subsidized grocery stores is an emotional issue. Many leaped to the commissaries’ defense this week, and some worried their Commissary was effectively getting ready to hold a going-out-of-business sale. You can fault some of the coverage, that may have overly simplified a complex and nuanced[Read More…]
“Fresh & Easy”? More like Costly & Failing. The British owner of the California-based, no-frills grocery store chain says it may be time to pack it in. At a time when ALDI is taking the U.S. by storm, Fresh & Easy represented another foreign-owned small-format grocer when it arrived on U.S. shores five years ago. It expanded to about 200[Read More…]
Starbucks may be peddling its most expensive coffee, and its most expensive gift card, ever – but hey, the coffee chain still wants to give you a deal. Soon you’ll be able to earn coupons for free coffee just by shopping at your local grocery store. The company announced yesterday that it plans on expanding its “My Starbucks Rewards” loyalty[Read More…]
Blink and you missed it – after four weeks, the fourth season of “Extreme Couponing” that started off relatively strong has come to a lackluster end. The final episodes attracted some of the lowest ratings of the entire series, which raises the question – could the just-ended season be the last? The season premiere of the TLC series last month[Read More…]
(Dec. 6th update: Read the latest developments here: “No, Your Commissary Is Not Closing. Not Yet, Anyway.”) (Dec. 18th update: And read even more here: “Commissary Comments on Coupons, Customers – and Closing”) If U.S. service members want to save on their groceries, shouldn’t they just clip coupons and shop the sales like the rest of us? That’s the gist[Read More…]
We’ve all heard it before, and now a national TV audience has heard it – it’s time to get over extreme couponing. Author Christy Rakoczy appeared in the above segment on “Good Morning America” today, making the argument that she first made in a MoneyCrashers.com article back in October. In “6 Reasons Why I Stopped Extreme Couponing“, and on the[Read More…]
One year into a plan to wean its customers off coupons, a national retailer says the plan is working. And no, we’re not talking about JCPenney. In November 2011, Jacksonville, Florida-based department store Stein Mart embarked on an effort to reduce coupon usage by half. “It became clear that we needed to make some significant changes to return our company[Read More…]
Hostess may be no more, but what would you think about “Great Value Twinkies”? “Market Pantry Ding Dongs”? Or Kroger putting “Wonder Bread” labels on its store-brand bread? It could happen. As the snack maker goes through liquidation, and eager fans grab what few Hostess treats remain on supermarket shelves (read: “Twinkies Sell Like Hotcakes”), the company says there’s a[Read More…]
You should find two coupon inserts in your Sunday newspaper this weekend. You can also find some of these coupons available as printable versions in the Smartsource and RedPlum sections of our Printable Coupons page. And now, as provided by Sunday Coupon Preview, here are the coupons to watch for this weekend: SmartSource coupon insert – 12/2/12 Axe $1/1 4oz[Read More…]
