You can clip coupons, you can look for discounts, you can shop at stores that offer everyday low prices. But the best way to save some serious money on your groceries is often to simply wait. By waiting until the items on your list are buy-one-get-one-free, you can stock up on your favorites at half the price.
And, good news for believers in BOGOs, some grocers are offering more of them than ever.
Catalytics, which tracks retail circulars, promotions and coupons, has found that several of the country’s top grocery and retail chains are engaging in a “battle of BOGOs,” using the eye-catching deals to boost business. Others, however, are sitting out.
Catalytics examined top retailers’ promotional mix over the past couple of years, to see what percentage of their advertised deals were BOGOs and whether that percentage was changing over time. What it found was that Publix is the BOGO champion, increasing its share of buy-one-get-one-free deals from 30% of its promotions two years ago, to nearly 40% today. A recent Publix ad in its hometown of Lakeland, Florida featured a whopping 140 BOGO deals. If you were to buy each and every one of them, you’d spend $1,059.31 less than you would if you bought all of the advertised items at full price.
In a distant second place, but growing quickly, is H-E-B. Just two years ago, only 17% of the Texas-based grocery chain’s promotions were BOGOs. This year, that’s surged to 26%. And many of its BOGOs are far more creative than just two-for-one deals. H-E-B’s “combo loco” sales feature complimentary items like buy instant mashed potatoes and get a gravy packet for free, buy a frozen pizza and get bread sticks for free, or curiously incongruous deals like buy air freshener, get a bottle of barbecue sauce for free.
The growth of buy-one-get-one-free deals at H-E-B shows that it’s “increasingly using BOGOs as a competitive lever against both Walmart and regional players,” Catalytics suggested. Its embrace of the strategy also places H-E-B firmly in second place in the BOGO battle, ahead of a national retailer whose reliance on BOGOs is declining.
That retailer would be CVS. Two years ago, the drug store chain was actually at the top of the list, beating out Publix with more than 30% of its deals in the form of BOGOs. Today, that percentage has dropped to about 25%. Still, the sheer number of such deals “is particularly remarkable for a drug chain,” Catalytics noted, “signaling that CVS positions BOGOs as a traffic driver in categories like snacks, beverages, and personal care.”
The rest of the retailers that Catalytics tracked are far down the list, and their BOGO percentages over the years are relatively unchanged. Meijer is a “steady, moderate BOGO user,” where “BOGOs are important, but not overused,” Catalytics found. Fred Meyer’s BOGO strategy is described as “volatile,” with their number of buy-one-get-one-free offers fluctuating over time, “making them less predictable in shopper expectations compared to Publix or H-E-B.” Albertsons is not big on BOGOs, with their share falling to just 2.8% this year. And ShopRite and Brookshire Brothers are “minimal players” when it comes to two-for-one deals. “BOGOs are not part of their brand identity,” Catalytics concluded. “Shoppers do not associate these banners with buy-one-get-one deals in the way they do with Publix.”
Publix has long been closely identified with BOGOs. Its regular prices tend to be notoriously higher than the competition, but BOGOs are the tradeoff. When you can get two for the price of one, Publix devotees know it’s time to stock up for less than you can get the same items anywhere else. And unlike H-E-B, where many BOGOs come in the form of coupons, Publix’s BOGOs can be stacked with coupons for even more savings. When Walmart once dared to compare its prices to Publix to show how much shoppers could save in its stores, Publix fought back for years afterward with in-store signs comparing its BOGO prices with Walmart’s regular prices – and there was no contest.
Publix’s move toward offering even more BOGOs appears to be a sign of the times, “reflecting a growing focus on high-value promotions that appeal to cost-conscious shoppers,” Catalytics noted. Standard sale prices make up 33% of Publix’s promotions, down from 41% two years ago. And x-for-y deals, like “2 for $5,” are down to 16%, from 22%.
As grocery inflation, tariffs, concern about personal income and other factors influence how and where shoppers get their groceries, “the battle of BOGOs will undoubtedly remain a key area of focus in the quest to attract and retain customers,” Catalytics concluded.
Nothing beats the cost of living like a well-stocked, low-priced grocery stockpile, filled with items purchased when they were on sale. If you haven’t started building that stockpile yet, it’s never too late. All you need is a Publix nearby and about $1,059.31 to spare – and now might be a good time to start.
Image source: Publix
