Grocery Shopping

[+ bigjoey]

From the vegetables past their prime shelf I managed to buy two heads of cauliflower, a large leak, eight carrots and three zucchini for $9.20 which I thought was a pretty good price.

 

Food prices are expected to rise by 4% in Canada over the next year, with general inflation hovering at about 1/2% maybe.

Food prices will rise (as will the prices of many other things) as stores and companies spend money on preventive measures against the virus. For example, stores and offices will go through more cleaning; companies will furnish hand sanitizer and wipes; etc. These extra costs will get passed along.

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

Last night I got a little sweet tooth, so I did my grocery shopping in the evening rather than waiting for this morning. I chose to go to Giant Eagle and I have to admit, it felt 'empty.' While there were other customers in the store, no one was really talking. At 5:00 p.m., the produce department was lightly stocked; I got the last head of lettuce. The prepared meat section had sufficient ground meat choices - - lamb, pork, turkey, chicken, beef, bison - - but few of the finer cuts other than family sized packaging such as 8 pork chops. The store was quiet with no one talking. I couldn't wait to get out of there.

[mike carey]

I walked past my local supermarket this afternoon—I was at the shopping centre for other things—and extra Perspex had gone up. Early in the piece, they had put screens up at the checkouts that are staffed. In the self-checkout area up till now they had every second machine closed for distancing, but now they are all open because now they have installed Perspex screens between each of the registers.

[handiacefailure]

People really are idiots. I needed a lemon last night and there's a small mexican grocery store a few blocks from my condo I like to walk to if I just need one or two things and like that they require masks. They have signs in both English and Spanish that state a mask is required to enter the store. A couple are arguing with the manager when I went up to pay for the lemon. They were told they had to wear masks and were telling the manager that the sign said all customers were required to wear a mask to enter the store and they put there's on when the cashier told them but it didn't say anything about required to keep them on. SMH

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

People really are idiots. I needed a lemon last night and there's a small mexican grocery store a few blocks from my condo I like to walk to if I just need one or two things and like that they require masks. They have signs in both English and Spanish that state a mask is required to enter the store. A couple are arguing with the manager when I went up to pay for the lemon. They were told they had to wear masks and were telling the manager that the sign said all customers were required to wear a mask to enter the store and they put there's on when the cashier told them but it didn't say anything about required to keep them on. SMH

 

It is for these guys that all of my purchases have those silly warnings: Do not place children in the dryer, plastic bags should not be placed over your head, and remove from wrapper before eating. I'm guessing that within five years, these two guys will be nominated for Darwin Awards.

[MikeBiDude]

I did see this...for a while.

 

But yesterday and today things I’ve ordered are back on 2-3 day delivery. I suspect local warehouses and the employees there may make this a local variable issue.

Replying to my own post....

Amazon has been stumbling a bit again in my SoCal area. I’ve had one 2 day shipment get “lost”, and a few shipments I’m getting that “sorry your shipment is late....but it’s on the way” nothing critical to me, but a weekend project did get delayed due to some parts that were promised Saturday and didn’t arrive until Monday.

[+ bigjoey]

Normally, I have been grocery shopping at “off hours.” When there are few customers in the store. Most of my shopping has been done late in the evening before closing.

 

Yesterday on my walk around the neighborhood, there were few cars parked at the grocery store in the earl afternoon when in weeks past it had always been crowded. I went inside and bought some fresh vegetables and fruit and inside the store was back to “normal” as far as the number if shoppers.

 

I then thought that because people here are returning to restaurants to eat, they will be buying less groceries. As I looked at the local restaurants, I saw many people have returned to their old habit of eating out. I talked to several of my “older” friends and they confirmed that with proper precautions they are starting to eat out (and mostly where there is outside seating).

 

If this trend continues, watch both the number of people in the grocery stores decline (which makes them safer for those of us still practicing social distancing).

[handiacefailure]

I noticed red peppers have skyrocketed. I made roasted red pepper soup in my vitamix a lot and two months ago they were 75 cents each and then jumped up to a $1 and then $1.25 and Saturday they were up to $2. $2 is too expensive

[handiacefailure]

I noticed red peppers have skyrocketed. I made roasted red pepper soup in my vitamix a lot and two months ago they were 75 cents each and then jumped up to a $1 and then $1.25 and Saturday they were up to $2. $2 is too expensive

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

I had an emergency today when I decided it was too warm for coffee in the morning and decided to have a diet Coke. The when I had my lunchtime diet Coke, the refrigerator was bare. As soon as I finished my last conference call I dashed to the grocery. While I was there, I noticed all of the employees were wearing masks; however, I was the only one of ten customers I saw that was wearing one. I didn't expect that everyone would be masked, but I was surprised that I was the only customer.

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

I had an emergency today when I decided it was too warm for coffee in the morning and decided to have a diet Coke. The when I had my lunchtime diet Coke, the refrigerator was bare. As soon as I finished my last conference call I dashed to the grocery. While I was there, I noticed all of the employees were wearing masks; however, I was the only one of ten customers I saw that was wearing one. I didn't expect that everyone would be masked, but I was surprised that I was the only customer.

[+ azdr0710]

https://local.theonion.com/second-meal-after-grocery-trip-a-severe-drop-off-from-f-1843971757

[+ azdr0710]

https://local.theonion.com/second-meal-after-grocery-trip-a-severe-drop-off-from-f-1843971757

[RealAvalon]

Just a minor thing that annoys me. When products made from rice say they are "gluten free." We know. Rice.

[mike carey]

Just a minor thing that annoys me. When products made from rice say they are "gluten free." We know. Rice.

Or olive oil that's cholesterol free. It's the equivalent of the 'contents may be hot' on coffee cups.

[+ bigjoey]

Just a minor thing that annoys me. When products made from rice say they are "gluten free." We know. Rice.

 

I just got some oatmeal that makes the same claim?

[Epigonos]

At my local Smart & Final except for Clorox and Lysol Disinfecting Wipes everything seems relatively back to normal. They don't expect these two items to be back in stock until mid July. As I've stated elsewhere on this thread the employees at this store have been wonderful to me. Yesterday I made six dozen ginger snaps which I dipped in white chocolate and took them over to the employees along with twenty $5.00 gift cards for Starbucks. The manager was quite shocked but seemed pleased. It was the very least I could do for all the wonderful service I have received from these outstanding people.

Edited June 11, 2020 by Epigonos

[+ Charlie]

I have tried to find Clorox and Lysol Toilet Bowl Cleaner at three different stores in the past few days, with no luck.

[Epigonos]

Charlie I know I'm sounding like a sale rep for Smart & Final but I have found that their band of toilet bowl cleaner is excellent.

[+ Charlie]

Charlie I know I'm sounding like a sale rep for Smart & Final but I have found that their band of toilet bowl cleaner is excellent.

But I buy whatever my housecleaner tells me she prefers to use.

[rvwnsd]

Just a minor thing that annoys me. When products made from rice say they are "gluten free." We know. Rice.

The labeling on rice doesn't annoy me, as not everyone knows that. However, when a package of beef has that label...

[+ deej]

Interesting factoid:

Stocking items on a retail shelf in cut-open boxes is called PDQ Master Packing. It was developed by WalMart to speed up stocking shelves. PDQ stands for “Pretty Dam Quick.”

(Whisper: it's the way we did it when I worked in a grocery store in the 1970's. )

[+ sam.fitzpatrick]

(Whisper: it's the way we did it when I worked in a grocery store in the 1970's. )

 

The grocery I worked at from 1980 - 86 envisioned itself as a classy shopping experience. (The aisles were carpeted.) As such, the PDQ stocking option was not possible. The one thing you did not want to see when you checked your stocking assignment for your shift was the baby food aisle. Getting all of those small jars to stock neatly was a royal pain. A close second was the cat food in the days of the tin cans before the pull top aluminum cans current used were available.

[RealAvalon]

The labeling on rice doesn't annoy me, as not everyone knows that. However, when a package of beef has that label...

and when it's on the lube … sheesh

[rvwnsd]

and when it's on the lube … sheesh

You are so not going to believe this.

 

Or this.