Re: Grocery Store Stock Issues?

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

Supply chain issues are real. I know there are a lot of people who don't see it where they are, or some that don't want to see it, but it's real.

In my area, it has been inconsistent. There are some stores that are almost always reasonably well stocked, or do a good job of spreading out what they do have to make the shelves look full, even when lots of choices from the past are not there.

Other places have long periods of vastly empty shelves, or only a few of many items available, week after week after week. I see shelves being fronted, with nothing behind them. I see the stores spreading out huge sections of what they have, to cover space once used for products they just can't get or can't get much of.

I firmly believe that there is a form of self rationing going on with the stores. Here, the cheaper the prices at the store, the more empty it will be. The stores with higher prices, have much fuller shelves. The prices are regulating the supply. Here, if you go to Walmart or Aldi, lots of empty shelves. Go to Giant Eagle or Kroger, and they are much more stocked, as they are much higher priced.

The baby formula shortage is very real here as well. We continue to search to help our son with the grandkids needs. Luckily one is now off formula, and the other has maybe four months to go before she can come off of it. Because we have always lived and taught preparedness, they had several months worth of formula stocked before this hit and we are now just looking for enough to ensure she makes it to the 12 month mark.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@Bookplate wrote:
@ID2 wrote:
Have you not been to a grocery store in a while? The nationwide grocery store chains are all bare. Just another sign of these lovely times.
I have been to four different grocery stores in NYC in the past week (when you don't have a car, you shop frequently) and no even remotely bare shelves. That is an incorrect generalization.

At the risk of being beat up for this, I'm going to put it out here anyway, because I know it is true, it has been a tactic used throughout history, and I believe is being used at least in some areas today.

Major metropolitan areas will be serviced first and get stock first. There are massive amounts of people in a relatively small area, and the powers that be don't want uprising and conflict to occur, and in order to avoid it, will move supplies to the most densely populated areas first. More rural areas will see supply shortages first, as there is much less population to serve, and people are more self sufficient with gardens and raising animals, and will feel the shortages less, as well as cope with them differently.

Take it for what you will, but it is a real practice, that has been used in the past world wide, and either is being employed today, or will be should supplies become scarce.

Mominohio · ‎08-08-2010

@Spurt wrote:
@Bri369 wrote:
I never know what will be out of stock or in low supply when I go to the grocery store. I've become so accustomed to it that it's just a normal part of grocery shopping for me now.

I know on Mondays the stores are not well stocked. I try to go mid-week.
@Bri369

Yep, I found out the hard way about Mondays---never again....I usually shop on Thursdays and Instacart tells us to request a 10 AM or later delivery to assure the best stocking of inventory

I'm an in person shopper, and I can tell you that I have seen, even in our more small town/city area where pickup or delivery for groceries really wasn't much of a thing till March of 2020, that competition for what is on the shelves, especially sale items, it really tight these days. I've always been an early morning shopper, but even at 7 am, I'm finding myself fighting the 'shoppers' or pullers for pickup and deliver services for product and space. It used to be so quiet and peaceful to shop early morning and mid week, but now the aisles are full of the employees pulling for pickup orders or delivery orders. It seems to only get worse the later in the day or the later in the week you shop.

Best choices are available mid week and very early in the day, in my area anyway.

Boehm Collector · ‎03-09-2010

The grocery store I go to has always had problems restocking shelves.....since WAY WAY before COVID19. Now they are even worse.

Toppers3 · ‎10-25-2016

@depglass wrote:
Our market is very good at disguising outages. They just fill in the spot with something else and you don't realize it until you try to buy that exact item. I can usually find 5 or 6 items per trip on my list that are out.

The same here.

The supermarkets have been shortening the shelves, and then they'll just keep moving items around the shelves and the store.

They'll spread out what they do have, too.

For example, if they have a lot of paper napkins, they'll spread them out across a whole shelving area.

In spite of doing this, you'll still see bare shelving areas and bare refrigerator and freezer sections, too.

This is across supermarket-to-supermarket, too.

I'm in Wisconsin, and this has been happening for some time now.

Porcelain · ‎02-19-2014

Grocery stores don't have enough staff to keep the shelves stocked. That's been going on for a little while now. Not a popular job, for good reason!

When you’re accustomed to privilege, equality feels like oppression.
"Power without love is reckless and abusive, and love without power is sentimental and anemic." - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr

Tinkrbl44 · ‎08-23-2010

@SharkE wrote:
probably thieves taking it all knowing they can't be stopped.

@SharkE

??? Why would thieves "know" they can't be stopped? They are still arresting shoplifters in my area of the country, so I don't understand your comment.

SharkE · ‎08-19-2010

Because you don't watch the news. In Cal nothing happens unless you take at least a 1,000 worth. Security stands there and watches them run or ride bicycles out the store.

In other places that do take you in your out in 30 minutes.

You like to argue, I don't. I state my piece and leave it alone I've been

banned more then once. Your welcome to keep going.

chiclets · ‎07-01-2012

@SharkE wrote:
Because you don't watch the news. In Cal nothing happens unless you take at least a 1,000 worth. Security stands there and watches them run or ride bicycles out the store.

In other places that do take you in your out in 30 minutes.

You like to argue, I don't. I state my piece and leave it alone I've been
banned more then once. Your welcome to keep going.

Amen

I stand with you. They loot and take what they want and walk free. It happens in drugstores and that is why Walgreens had to close so many stores. It happens all over. It is REAL.

proudlyfromNJ · ‎05-01-2010

It's not happening where I am. I would know as husband belongs to every club in the area and we get all the news on towns FB covered by a town person, not next door or fb things like that. I'm not saying that it doesn't happen in cities as it does, but don't say it happens in every town. Yes, I see the news. My town has never once been on it.