Community Chat

[Spurt]

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@gardenmanwrote:

Supermarkets come and go. I've seen multiple chains disappear long before Amazon or Wal-Mart were around. Right now, part of the problem for supermarkets is competition from convenience stores. My local Walgreens sells lots of groceries, so do local dollar stores, and convenience stores like our local Wawa's. You can be in and out of the smaller stores in a fraction of the time it takes to navigate a full-size supermarket.

I've believed for years that the smart strategy for a supermarket is to build a large, full service store, then operate small satellite convenience stores from that big store. Stock the most popular items in each satellite store, use the big store meat department, bakery, and produce to help stock the satellite stores. The stock in each satellite store could even be adjusted based on what sells well in that neighborhood. A couple of vans/smaller trucks moving stock from the main store to the satellite stores could maintain stocking. Keep prices the same at every location, including sales prices, and you could thrive. Supermarkets are purposely designed to force you to traverse the whole store to buy the most commonly bought items. That's inconvenient for a lot of people and is costing the supermarkets sales. Drug stores, dollar stores, and convenience stores love it though.

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@gardenman

Your scenarios haven't worked here......

Here convenience stores are a last ditch solution--while the quality and products that you use are readily available, you pay about the double the price....

CVS is a bit in trouble because they stocked their shelves with stuff like a convenience store thinking when people come in to drop off or pick up a prescription they would like the convenience of picking up groceries and other things they need, but it hasn't worked out....so now they trying to stock health items that other stores dont offer to see if that works and has customers buying other items and not just purchasing prescriptions......

And Walgreens must be experiencing the same thing, I got a survey to complete that asked me a lot of questions of what other type of items I buy at Walgreens beside prescriptions and over the counter medicines, specific Department items were also asked about, and my overall shopping habits on why I went to Walgreens......They do have a nice variety, even seasonal decor, and the store is nice and clean, personnel is friendly........

As far as satellite stores....Walmart is already trying it with their "neighborhood markets"....these are great stores to run in for something you might have forgotten because no one is shopping there....they are like ghost towns here....and in fact Wal Mart has closed a few of these already.................They are clean and well stocked but dont have everything you need/want....People are just staying away from them....But for me I agree some of the stores stock everything even clothes, and rent some space to boutiques, banks, and cafes....They are TOO LARGE and it takes FOREVER to shop because what you need is scattered all over the place (and like what you said, a clever marketing strategy--you need to practically bring a lunch )

Maybe its just my part of the country where these ideas haven't  worked...or arent working...........

[Puppy Lips]

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@cherrywrote:

I'm worried about my nephew. He manages a Whole Foods and I read they are dumping loads of people ,since Amazon took over

He has a couple of children and I hate to see him looking for work. So far its OK, but I am very leery

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You should be leery.  It is all fine and dandy to love "Amazon", do all your shopping there, and who cares about all the other retailers -- until the Amazon monster starts to affect your job or that of someone you know.  I am not saying this is your view, just the view of so many people these days.  Just wait until they get into health care and banking to see how many more jobs are lost.

[Puppy Lips]

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@Nonametodaywrote:

You better watch Amazon.  Their prices are dodgy.  Some of their items I have found in other stores, not just WalMart, to be 2 to 10 times the price at Amazon as other stores.  Some items are the same, right below, or right above but too many are way higher than other stores.  I will NEVER trust Amazon grocery shopping.

They are trying to take over the world.  We are quickly become a no-competition country and when that happens, bad things happen.

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Exactly.  What will the prices be when there is no competition left?

[puttypiesmom]

I'm not anti bezos and if he does get into the health care business that should be interesting as I'm sure he's looking to make it better.  I am just leery of him due to the fact that I don't see more money in my purse after I shop at WF as promised. 

[Noel7]

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@Nonametodaywrote:

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@Noel7wrote:

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@Nonametodaywrote:

You better watch Amazon.  Their prices are dodgy.  Some of their items I have found in other stores, not just WalMart, to be 2 to 10 times the price at Amazon as other stores.  Some items are the same, right below, or right above but too many are way higher than other stores.  I will NEVER trust Amazon grocery shopping.

They are trying to take over the world.  We are quickly become a no-competition country and when that happens, bad things happen.

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The prices you find on Amazon can vary because they aren't Amazon's, they are from second or third party sellers. You have to pay attention to see who the seller is.  Stick with Amazon selling and it will be a better price.  @Nonametoday

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Beware of Amazon.  If Amazon is allowing it, they will do it.  The items I am talking about were from Amazon, not from any of the competitive sellers. 

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@Nonametoday

I always compare prices.

[Noel7]

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@RespectLifewrote:

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@Noel7wrote:

It sounds like they did it to themselves:

"Tops, a 56-year-old chain with 169 stores in New York, Pennsylvania and Vermont, filed for bankruptcy late last month following years of mounting debt. Southeastern, which owns more than 600 Winn-Dixie, Harvey’s and BI-LO stores across seven states in the Southeast, announced a refinancing agreement on March 15 and says it will file for bankruptcy by April."

I don't like SF grocery stores, we have mainly Safeway and Lucky and they are so behind the times.

I see people here from the East coast talk about their stores and they sound so much better.

The Bay Area is known for fine food and leading foodie trends, but the stores are the pits.

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I agree with @Noel7

At least in our area, Whole Foods/Amazon had nothing to do with Tops downfall.

We don't have the other chain.

Before Wegman's came, Tops was it.  When Weg started building all over western New York, you could see that Tops struggled to compete.

However, we never had a Whole Foods til last spring and it JUST opened and there is only one.  Tops was in trouble way before that. 

I shop 95% Weg and 5% Tops. Tops carries things that Weg doesn't.

I would be sorry to see them go though...you can run in so fast to get something because the store is always empty!  Close parking too. 

Wegman's is mobbed and you get a nice walk through the parking lot.

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@RespectLife

I wish, I wish we had a Wegman’s here! 

[Cakers3]

As far as I have read the only layoffs announced so far with Whole Foods will be with the marketing staff in 2018.

They have 2 weeks severance for every year worked and health benefits will continue until the end of July.

WF is also encouraging those workers to seek other positions within the company.

I have heard nothing otherwise from the workers at our WF.

[GingerPeach]

Just throwing this out there, but if you shop mostly on the outer aisles where there is fresh produce and the like and stay away from the inner aisles that hold pre-packaged convenience foods, it doesn't take long to shop at all.

[ALRATIBA]

I mentioned this on a thread the other  day ...

I was at the local chain supermarket looking for a particular Roland olives product.  Market carries Roland brand ... but not this particular product.  Supermarkets in Manhattan are very small stores.  

Manager said I should check Amazon.  Apparently, not everyone is afraid of Amazon.

[Cakers3]

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@puttypiesmomwrote:

I'm not anti bezos and if he does get into the health care business that should be interesting as I'm sure he's looking to make it better.  I am just leery of him due to the fact that I don't see more money in my purse after I shop at WF as promised. 

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@puttypiesmom  I agree about the $$ situation with WF but I am totally unsure if Bezos getting into health care is a good idea.

I know he wants to start an Amazon brand of OTC meds.

We shall see.  I really dislike what is happening with WF since he took over.