They call them “loyalty” cards, but many of us have stacks of them weighing down our wallets and keychains, from nearly every store we shop at. So does being “loyal” to all, mean we’re really loyal to none? That’s what one of the country’s largest supermarket chains is struggling to figure out. Food Lion introduced its MVP Rewards Card nearly[Read More…]
Do you live in a “pre-coupon tax” state, or a “post-coupon tax” state? Do you even know, and would you notice if your store charged you tax on things it shouldn’t? One Pennsylvania man knows, and he isn’t happy about what he found on his Walmart receipt. So he’s suing the multi-billion dollar company, for overcharging him by 21 cents.[Read More…]
(Be sure to read this update: “Sold! What Will Become of Sweetbay, Harveys and Reid’s?”). If you’re a fan of the Sweetbay supermarket chain in Florida – what’s left of it, that is – better do your shopping there while you still can. Its owners are offering a less-than-rosy outlook for the troubled grocery chain. Sweetbay’s Belgian owners, Delhaize, shut[Read More…]
What’s not to like about low prices on the things you buy most often at the grocery store? Apparently Food Lion customers found plenty not to like. The grocery chain is ending an “everyday low pricing” test and raising prices – so it can have more sales instead. The East Coast chain, one of the largest in the country, has[Read More…]
If you’re going shopping this weekend, and paying with a credit card – watch out. Beginning Sunday, stores can charge you extra for it. Under the terms of a settlement reached last year, stores will have the option of adding a surcharge for credit card payments – passing the cost that they already pay to the credit card companies, on[Read More…]
Kevin the Meatbay Butcher is not amused. The personable, punny public face of the Florida-based Sweetbay grocery chain’s Facebook page fell silent today, so his platform could be taken over for a more pressing matter. The Sweetbay Facebook page became an impromptu counseling session, to help customers and employees take in the news that a third of the chain’s stores[Read More…]
Facebook would love it if you went online and never left Facebook – and, increasingly, so would companies that offer printable coupons. They’re making it easier to access, print and share coupons without ever leaving the social media site. And Facebook itself plans to make it easier to find out what deals your friends have discovered. Last year, Valassis unveiled[Read More…]
If everyone’s prices are low, are anyone’s prices really low? While you ponder that, consider this recent prediction from the retail consultant AMG Strategic Advisors: within three years, the vast majority of retailers will largely ditch sales and promotions in favor of everyday low pricing. Super-savers accustomed to collecting coupons and waiting for sales may shudder at the thought; Walmart[Read More…]
Sure, you like your local grocery store, but have you “liked” them? A roundup of the most and least popular grocery retailers on social media sites (see the full list below) can yield some interesting insights, though it also shows that “likes” aren’t necessarily everything. Florida-based Publix was recently criticized (in “Frozen & Refrigerated Buyer” magazine) for being “technology-challenged”: “Yes,[Read More…]
As more supermarkets expand their selection to include more wine, beer and specialty foods along with the usual staple grocery items, Harris Teeter is taking a different tack. The southeastern grocery chain is planning a brand new store concept that ditches many of the usual staple grocery items altogether, in favor of high-end items that you might need to entertain[Read More…]
