wall(steal)mart

[riptorn]

Went food shopping a while ago almost had a stroke. 
Over 2 weeks since my last time in the store. Every where they had sign's saying sorry about price increases.  
One example was eggs, box of 5 dozen , 2 weeks ago $4.88 , today &11.88 , 
That was just one example of the many nearly 3 fold increases in there grocery dept.
Just over half my grocery list & 2 packs of smokes $222.53, 
in 4 months when I buy a new phone card I'll be prepared to drop S T if there going to price gouge there too. That will be the next time I enter wm.
You will not convince me they're not taking advantage to catch up on lost revenue

 

[waldenbound]

There are serious disruptions to the food supply chain. Dairy farmers dumping milk, meat plant closings, plowing ripe tomatoes back into the soil. There are going to be prince increases and shortages.


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[user 423]

On the other hand: Gas prices are way down, insurance companies are giving partial premium rebates and most people are spending a lot less on eating out.

The Walmart workers deserve the $2/hour increase and we're lucky they and other grocery workers are doing their jobs!

The stimulus will help with those higher prices,too. I'm on SS and I'm not complaining.

 

[ByeBye]

Well, not to defend Wal-Mart but increase in cost of business usually gets passed along to customer.
I have been using small grocery stores

 

[Qxxx]

You'll notice they just closed down a meat packing plant in Sioux Falls SD, due to rampant corona cases. Here's hoping the big guys like Walmart, Amazon, and others finally come up to speed, and start protecting their employees. An ounce of prevention is worth 10 pounds of cure anymore.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/south-da...t-half-cases-food-shortage-stay-at-home-order

Last week I ordered groceries from both Walmart and the local Smiths for home delivery. The prices did not seem especially gouging, but many items were out of stock. Eg, many canned, rice, beans, ramen, etc. Delivery was $9.95 from Smiths and "free" from Walmart for orders over $35. Due to various wait-for items, Walmart ended up sending < 6 > separate boxes, all via UPS. Not bad for free delivery.

 

[maki2]

You don't know for sure where it the literal "food chain" the price increases began. You only know the last link of the chain. But for sure they are going to add their price margin onto any increase that happened in the chain. Each step of the way multiplication is used. The end result is of course a huge jump in the price rather than a small increase.

 

[riptorn]

Correct packing houses have shut down for cleaning some because so much of there work force is out. And I've seen on tv where there're having to dump milk 
But things I buy routinely , instance to day 1 4lb 93% hamburger (I repackage into 8 ziplocks) only went up $1 a package , 2  1gal hole milk only went up pennies , 3   2lb packages of butter didn't go up but pennies also. Those are thing's I expected to see a substantial price increase on. and it wasn't there.
 Like the 6 jumbo roll bounty costing what the 8 roll package cost last time I needed, before that I can see. 
Did I miss where all the laying hens went on strike for more money

 

[vanbrat]

Some of the increase is due to product increase I'm sure, but not some of the things I see at our store. I hope some of these stores that are taking advantage of us shoppers will think about when this is all over. I won't go back to some if I can ever help it. Really am I supposed to believe the cookies have to be that much more! And to the store that was charging a dollar a roll for unwrapped TP rolls!... now that the stores are getting it back in stock. No I did not buy tons at the start of that craziness. We have bulk bought for years and still had some from our last stock up. (I had a home based business and that was just part of the business.) Now that we are living more and more off the stock I'm not worried to much about us, but feel bad for those who are stuck paying those prices. And I will remember the stores that did that. I understand some increases but seriously.

 

[user 423]

The prices at Fry's in Sierra Vista (a Kroger affiliate) haven't changed at all.

I tend to buy the same items so I"m familiar with what the prices should be.

That's for the food items anyway. They haven't had toilet paper or hand cleaner for over a month.

 

[travelaround]

I'm living in a small remote mountain town and the only place to shop is at the market (or the liquor store that does have some groceries but they are very expensive) . . . anyhow I shop at the market and haven't noticed any price increases. TP is in short supply and I was excited last time I was there to get some hand sanitizer after they'd been out of it over a month (and that was something I normally used in my van life.) I also buy online from Walmart or Amazon if I can't find things I need locally, and have noticed some price increases but I don't buy those things if they look abnormally expensive. I think this all shows that we're better off when we can produce our own food. Not a great solution for vandwellers, however. Taking care of a garden, hens, etc. means not traveling.

 

[ByeBye]

You know, we're just a few zombies short of an apocalyptic Netflix series about right and a lot of the game rules have changed.

I try to grieve, rage and then realize we're never going "back" but we can focus on what brings us joy and live there, outside of fear.

 

[Spaceman Spiff]

 . . . a lot of the game rules have changed.
 . . . then realize we're never going "back" 

I'd be interested to know why you think that and what "back" is never returning?

We saw no real changes to lifestyle from the the Spanish flu (1918) or even the H1N1 pandemic (2009, remember that?).

 

[crofter]

....we're never going "back" but we can focus on what brings us joy and live there, outside of fear.

I agree. There are changes I have made to my lifestyle that I will not change back. In the future I plan to stay out of any big boxes that I used to enter. You can really do all of your business online, and have anything delivered. Easier to price compare online and avoid the gougers. 

I did notice big box pharmacies are now charging cash price for medications. Is this in addition to payments from the insurance or what? An alternative is to use naturopathic practitioners and get out of the big pharma ripoff altogether.

Living an isolated life does not help you with immunity though. That is a process your body does as it is exposed being out in community.

I try to enjoy being in nature every day. Flowers, birdsong, sunsets are experiences to cultivate, while avoiding the negative experiences found in big boxes.
-crofter

 

[crofter]

...We saw no real changes to lifestyle from the the Spanish flu (1918) or even the H1N1 pandemic (2009, remember that?).

True. There was no quarantine going on with H1N1 and it was over fairly quickly. In 1918 there were local quarantines but nothing national. In both cases the economy was not shut like it is now, and disruptions to supply chains did not happen as is happening now. 

Also a difference in access to medical care. Currently you cannot get routine medical care in the US. From cardiology to allergy appointments, you cannot get the service. 

-crofter

 

[nature lover]

re "routine medical care" If any of you believe in the power of prayer I ask you to remember my little brother Tom (60 year old) who has been fighting non-hodgkin's lymphoma for several years. They found a good donor match and planed the bone marrow transplant for March 10. Of course they destroyed his immune system with chemo and radiation in prep for the operation. Now he is on hold and still on chemo until when? Their house is posted with quarantine signs all over no one goes in or out. Thank you.

 

[Qxxx]

. . . then realize we're never going "back"

Only adapt.

 

[Dingfelder]

I'm worried about prices getting high and staying high as the "new normal."

This has been happening for years already, for instance selling things in smaller packages for the same price as the large ones were at. It can even be hard to find larger sizes of some things at any price sometimes. You just have to settle for paying more for less as your new normal.

 

[travelaround]

Yeah, all day with a mask on must be very uncomfortable. My daughter also works in a market with a mask on.

My son is more fortunate as he's working in the open air on fiber optic cable installations... communication being considered a necessary employment still. Of the three of us I'm the only one isolated alone most of the time. I did go out today to the post office to meet a young woman who made masks for community members. Got a nice one from her!

Anyhow, I'm so grateful for you who are still working in grocery stores. I am also grateful for the food supplies... there's not much I can't get still, in this area.

 

[cyndi]

I'd be interested to know why you think that and what "back" is never returning?

This article can answer that question
"... Pretty soon, as the country begins to figure out how we “open back up” and move forward, very powerful forces will try to convince us all to get back to normal. (That never happened. What are you talking about?) Billions of dollars will be spent on advertising, messaging, and television and media content to make you feel comfortable again. It will come in the traditional forms — a billboard here, a hundred commercials there — and in new-media forms: a 2020–2021 generation of memes to remind you that what you want again is normalcy... "

https://forge.medium.com/prepare-for-the-ultimate-gaslighting-6a8ce3f0a0e0

 

[Cammalu]

So sorry about your brother nature lover. That’s tough.


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