Grocery Store - Trip Report
Quote: SOOPOOMy wife is the same. She can't believe buffets even exist.
I can't usually find one thing
at a buffet that isn't overcooked
and dried out. The roast beef,
pork chops, fish, have the life
cooked out of them. If there
is a rare beef it's such a poor
cut it's tough as leather. 90%
of buffet food is carbs, because
it's cheap. Potatoes, beans of
every kind, pasta dishes, pizza,
sweet potatoes, stuffing, on
and on. Even the fried chicken
is dry and tough. People don't
notice because the cooking
at home is so god awful the
buffet food looks gourmet.
Quote: SOOPOOMy wife is the same. She can't believe buffets even exist.
Although they opened a self serve salad bar in my local grocery store, it isn't monitored directly by anyone. I've seen everyone from nicely dressed people to panhandlers picking food out with their fingers.
Of course, it's shut down now anyway.
Quote: EvenBobI can't usually find one thing
at a buffet that isn't overcooked
and dried out. The roast beef,
pork chops, fish, have the life
cooked out of them. If there
is a rare beef it's such a poor
cut it's tough as leather. 90%
of buffet food is carbs, because
it's cheap. Potatoes, beans of
every kind, pasta dishes, pizza,
sweet potatoes, stuffing, on
and on. Even the fried chicken
is dry and tough. People don't
notice because the cooking
at home is so god awful the
buffet food looks gourmet.
Check the fresh fruit and salad items - they are cooked to perfection. And, how dare you criticize a buffet - they are letting you steal ALL YOU CAN EAT!
Quote: EvenBobYou do realize Snickers aren't sold
in produce so you can't put them
on the scale. Of course you don't
know that, obviously.. Have you
ever been in a real grocery store?
Can't you just throw a few dozen snickers in with your pilfered avocados?
Quote: standbymymanCheck the fresh fruit and salad items -
Knew a guy 20 years ago who
worked for the health dept. He
said avoid salad bars like the
plague, because they are the
plague. They would test buffet
food for bacteria and most of
it was at the salad bar. Heat
kills bacteria, that's why buffets
overcook everything.
In the late 80's Wendy's offered
a salad bar. I would stop when
I was driving cab and have a
big salad. It only took 2 times
of getting explosive Hershey
squirts 30 min later that cured
me from ever eating at Wendy's
again.
Quote: EvenBobKnew a guy 20 years ago who
worked for the health dept. He
said avoid salad bars like the
plague, because they are the
plague. They would test buffet
food for bacteria and most of
it was at the salad bar. Heat
kills bacteria, that's why buffets
overcook everything.
In the late 80's Wendy's offered
a salad bar. I would stop when
I was driving cab and have a
big salad. It only took 2 times
of getting explosive Hershey
squirts 30 min later that cured
me from ever eating at Wendy's
again.
So, not counting the Walmart avocado giveaway, have any of your experts ever had anything good to say about a company?
Quote: standbymymanSo, not counting the Walmart avocado giveaway, have any of your experts ever had anything good to say about a company?
Oops. That's one too many for you,
bucko. (squinting at the screen
looking for the block feature)
Quote: EvenBobOops. That's one too many for you,
bucko. (squinting at the screen
looking for the block feature)
It's at the top of each page.
Speaking of wiped, toilet paper has been readily available for a long time now. My wife, however, now demands we maintain a surplus. (I think we have a 60 roll buffer.) I'd tell her she's being paranoid but, after this crazy year, it's a hard argument to make in court.
The directional shopping is almost totally ignored now. Lots of the arrows on the floor have come up and not been replaced. A few months back Karen yelled at me for not having my mask over my nose while she was going the wrong way in the aisle of all things. I see about 60 percent compliance, which is no big deal as random is 50 percent.
Curiously, many people including myself are just leaving carts in the vestibule of the store instead of taking them to their car. For the most part I have not made any big hauls so no need to do so. But there are always many left close.
Quote: AZDuffman
Curiously, many people including myself are just leaving carts in the vestibule of the store instead of taking them to their car.
Good for you, I am the guy in the parking lot that yells at people for leaving carts in the parking lot. I have a good technique that embarrasses them into putting it back if others are around to hear it.
I try to make work so the store has to hire another cart boy.Quote: DRichGood for you, I am the guy in the parking lot that yells at people for leaving carts in the parking lot. I have a good technique that embarrasses them into putting it back if others are around to hear it.
Quote: RahulBrownI purchased some of the deli food yesterday. I only went here twice, but on my second visit one week later the cashier remembered me. It was suspiciously.
Could just be they are that type of person. I know a guy is like that, you could put him on the floor of a casino and soon he would remember people were there before. Not just that but what day they were there. He worked a place where there would regularly be 1,000+ per night and tell a random person "good to see you again, you were here Tuesday!" He had to be told to knock it down a bit as women got creeped. Dude is the most harmless guy you will ever meet but I see how women would not like that.
If the guy worked the eye nobody in the Griffin Book would last 10 minutes in the place.
The building I worked in had a small cafeteria and had recently shortened its hours, so after it closed it would leave pots of coffee out on an honor basis. My foreman, who had over thirty years in, refused to pay for coffee that he said would just get thrown out if he didn't drink it. Several times, our Supervisor and the building management spoke to us about the need to pay, and as I was one of only three summer replacements, I'm sure I was a top suspect.
Finally, after weeks of someone drinking the coffee, a notice went out that anyone caught not paying for coffee would be terminated.
A few days go by, and we are outside on one of our scheduled breaks when our supervisor and two building guards walk up and tell our foreman he is fired and he is escorted in to gather his belongings.
Supposedly, he lost his pension and was denied unemployment.
Quote: billryanOne summer, while in college, I had a paid internship with Western Electric. They would hire a bunch of the execs kids to help out as summer replacements for vacationing staff.
The building I worked in had a small cafeteria and had recently shortened its hours, so after it closed it would leave pots of coffee out on an honor basis. My foreman, who had over thirty years in, refused to pay for coffee that he said would just get thrown out if he didn't drink it. Several times, our Supervisor and the building management spoke to us about the need to pay, and as I was one of only three summer replacements, I'm sure I was a top suspect.
Finally, after weeks of someone drinking the coffee, a notice went out that anyone caught not paying for coffee would be terminated.
A few days go by, and we are outside on one of our scheduled breaks when our supervisor and two building guards walk up and tell our foreman he is fired and he is escorted in to gather his belongings.
Supposedly, he lost his pension and was denied unemployment.
It sounds to me like he got what he deserved. Did you get a bonus for dropping the dime?
Quote: billryanOne summer, while in college, I had a paid internship with Western Electric. They would hire a bunch of the execs kids to help out as summer replacements for vacationing staff.
The building I worked in had a small cafeteria and had recently shortened its hours, so after it closed it would leave pots of coffee out on an honor basis. My foreman, who had over thirty years in, refused to pay for coffee that he said would just get thrown out if he didn't drink it. Several times, our Supervisor and the building management spoke to us about the need to pay, and as I was one of only three summer replacements, I'm sure I was a top suspect.
Finally, after weeks of someone drinking the coffee, a notice went out that anyone caught not paying for coffee would be terminated.
A few days go by, and we are outside on one of our scheduled breaks when our supervisor and two building guards walk up and tell our foreman he is fired and he is escorted in to gather his belongings.
Supposedly, he lost his pension and was denied unemployment.
It amazes me what people will lose their job for. I might have the record as I saw a guy get fired over $0.20! In 1989 or so. Just a grocery clerk but man, if you are going to steal steal big.
Quote: AZDuffmanIt amazes me what people will lose their job for. I might have the record as I saw a guy get fired over $0.20! .
Employee stealing is huge. If their
hands touch money, they will find
a way to steal it. Uniforms dealers
wear have no cuffs or collars
because that's where they used
to stuff money in the old days.
No pockets either.
Quote: EvenBobEmployee stealing is huge. If their
hands touch money, they will find
a way to steal it. Uniforms dealers
wear have no cuffs or collars
because that's where they used
to stuff money in the old days.
No pockets either.
Always has been. I think back to how much I could have made underringing items if I had a partner. Ring out a steak for half a buck. Cigarettes they would eventually catch on to but who knows. Working nights I was alone in front and they gave me the override key. Even with them tracking every sale there was no balance to it all. But I was honest.
At my company, we inventory cigarettes weekly. When It became apparent we had a theft problem I increased spot checks on particular items until I narrowed down to a small enough time frame for loss prevention to get video evidence. It took a while but we never had that problem since. It got to a point I was spending most of my free time checking. I still cant believe the person who was doing it kept on stealing even though they would see me multiple times checking counts. I never said what I was doing but still...geez.
Quote: cmlotitoI have worked in a grocery store most of my adult life. Any wrong doing perpetrated by anyone will eventually be noticed if repeated enough times. There have been many instances I have caught on to either suspected employee or customer theft. I will usually monitor what is goin on until I am sure I know what or how it is being done. I would then pass my finding onto loss prevention. Those guys are usually overwhelmed and appreciate my "hot leads" Employee dishonesty is almost always reacted to quicker then customer theft. I guess the numbers say we lose more money to employee theft than customers.
At my company, we inventory cigarettes weekly. When It became apparent we had a theft problem I increased spot checks on particular items until I narrowed down to a small enough time frame for loss prevention to get video evidence. It took a while but we never had that problem since. It got to a point I was spending most of my free time checking. I still cant believe the person who was doing it kept on stealing even though they would see me multiple times checking counts. I never said what I was doing but still...geez.
Cigarettes were and always will be a hot item to boost. They always indicated to us that employee theft was the bigger thing. The hard thing to catch is bleeding. Cigarettes are hard because they watch like hawks. Instead think about razor blades. Say I cut a UPC off a can of beans and put it on the razor blades then go to the person I know to check out. Mixed in with a few other items and make sure nobody is bagging the items and it is fairly easy thing.
The thing we had at the time was checks. They gave a card for one store but the clerk could write four more stores in on it for a total of 5. If you had an inside man who made a card or three you could clean up. Go to each of 4 stores once in early AM once in evening to avoid same people on duty. Load up with cigarettes, razor blades, meat. And best was you could write for $20 over (this was about 1989, that is worth $50 today.) Do it on a holiday weekend. Fri, Sat, Sun, Mon. That is $100 in over cash per cycle, two cycles a day for $200 times 4 days = $800 in cash plus all the swag you could use or sell to friends. By the time they find out you are long gone.
Of course you would need someone inside the bank to avoid getting arrested for hot checks. But they were so open I am amazed they never got hit.
Surprised at the different quality of grocery stores
Travelling across the country in my RV and I like to cook
Some areas just dont have good grocery stores (bakery dept, meat dept, really fresh vegatables, clean)
I guess Publix grocery store in FL spoiled me
I was in Tulsa several weeks ago. So disappointed. Had to go to one of those Walmart grocery stores I dont like
In Santa Fe and they have some good store with a really common name, Smith
Quote: billryanSmiths are okay, but if you get to an area with Fry's in them, try one out. They aren't like Wegmanns or Publix but they are the best in the west that I've found, not counting Trader Joes which isn't really a supermarket. I have one Safeway, about fifteen miles from me, otherwise it is Dollar General and Family Dollar. I make the 80 mile round trip into Sierra Vista about once a month and try to stop by Fry's if I'm headed directly home.
Fry's is Kroger. I went from Wegman's to Frys was like going back 20 years.
Quote: terapinedTraveling across the country
Surprised at the different quality of grocery stores
Travelling across the country in my RV and I like to cook
Some areas just dont have good grocery stores (bakery dept, meat dept, really fresh vegatables, clean)
I guess Publix grocery store in FL spoiled me
I was in Tulsa several weeks ago. So disappointed. Had to go to one of those Walmart grocery stores I dont like
In Santa Fe and they have some good store with a really common name, Smith
Smith's are popular in Las Vegas but they really seem to vary from one store to the next. The Smith's by my house is very nice and I would say it is similar to a Publix. The Smith's about 10 minutes from me is very pedestrian (I am guessing that is the one that Bill went to on Sunset).
My last store visit I found the toilet paper section to be perhaps 95% back to normal, with only a few name brands in certain quantities unavailable. Today I go shopping and find the paper aisle practically empty.
I guess the talk and rumors of big lockdowns going into flu season is causing another run.
Quote: GialmereWow.
My last store visit I found the toilet paper section to be perhaps 95% back to normal, with only a few name brands in certain quantities unavailable. Today I go shopping and find the paper aisle practically empty.
I guess the talk and rumors of big lockdowns going into flu season is causing another run.
The flu?? Maybe. Maybe not. Your situation in SoCal may be significantly different than most of the other states.
Johns Hopkins Univ. reports California is only 1 of 10 states with C-virus positivity levels under 5 percent, the safe-to-open benchmark. Not so for the other 40 states, where C-virus is spreading "like wildfire," as Dr. Fauci predicted. But, California's positivity level is rising, and savvy SoCal shoppers may be preparing for wildfire-prone California to be next with runaway C-virus.
Quote: AZDuffmanAlways has been. I think back to how much I could have made underringing items if I had a partner. Ring out a steak for half a buck.
When I had the bar I would occasionally
hire a professional spotter. Give him
20 bucks and free drinks and he would
watch everything the bartender rung
up to see if he was under ringing
and pocketing the rest. Never caught
anybody.
In big stores they watch the cashiers
far more than the customers for fraud.
A good team can take a store for
thousands.
Quote: EvenBobWhen I had the bar I would occasionally
hire a professional spotter. Give him
20 bucks and free drinks and he would
watch everything the bartender rung
up to see if he was under ringing
and pocketing the rest. Never caught
anybody.
In big stores they watch the cashiers
far more than the customers for fraud.
A good team can take a store for
thousands.
See at night I was not really watched at all. Daytime would have been hard. Today at WMT you would need to be insane to try to steal at the register. I helped install cameras a couple nights. Amazing stuff. Casino grade or better. You can read the serial number on the bills!
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Quote: odiousgambitAll of us who went *tsk tsk how silly* at the people who were hoarding toilet paper in the beginning of all this now owe them a huge apology, that's for sure. I still wonder 'how did they know?'
[deleted the rest of this if you saw it. Might reappear at DT]
I've been stocking extra for years. I have been stocking food for years. Everyone should start copy-canning at the least. The most basic prep.
I like how the Mormons keep 1 year (or is it 2?) of supplies on hand. When this thing broke 260 days ago I hit the store to buy just a couple fill-in items, but I could have easily survived had they closed the stores instantly not the several day wind down we had.
Now my stocks are down but I could still last 1-2 weeks. I keep meandering between emptying to get fresh and staying stocked because it is not over and some power somewhere decides to close things again.
Meanwhile all the directionals in the grocery store are gone and people shop as before. So glad that grocery shopping is near normal. In April it felt as if I was on some pass for house arrest or "my turn" under an occupation by a foreign army. I was in and out faster than ever before in life, and always very early on a Saturday.
Quote: AZDuffman
Meanwhile all the directionals in the grocery store are gone and people shop as before. So glad that grocery shopping is near normal. In April it felt as if I was on some pass for house arrest or "my turn" under an occupation by a foreign army. I was in and out faster than ever before in life, and always very early on a Saturday.
All of the grocery stores that I go to still have the directionals.
Unclear what 25% capacity for Safeway is, but the store will have only one entrance open.
Quote: zippyboyAs of today, Washington State has increased restrictions. All grocery stores and retail can operate at 25% capacity. Bars are closed, indoor dining at restaurants is closed but delivery and take out OK. All gyms, theaters, museums, etc are closed.
Unclear what 25% capacity for Safeway is, but the store will have only one entrance open.
The Safeway in Bisbee is the only supermarket for about 35-40 miles and went to 25% capacity months ago. They made getting into the store a bit of an obstacle and had two people posted outside with a clicker to count people as they entered and left. I personally never had to wait but read grumblings on facebook and the like. Just last week, they removed the obstacle course but still have reduced capacity. The one way aisles still remain, but the US military has had them in their stores for years and I think they are a great idea.
Quote: ChumpChangeI'm always going the wrong way down these aisles. I'd lose my pedestrian license quick.
Some lady said to me "hey, you are going the wrong way!"
I told her she had no idea where I was going.
That's a joke. But a Karen once complained my nose was not in my mask as SHE was going the wrong way.
12 oz Rice Krispies: $3.79
24 oz Rice Krispies: $1.50
Same endcap shelf!
Quote: AZDuffmanSome lady said to me "hey, you are going the wrong way!"
I told her she had no idea where I was going.
After reading the above I imagine you go shopping like this these days:
Quote: AZDuffmanExplain how the virus caused this?
12 oz Rice Krispies: $3.79
24 oz Rice Krispies: $1.50
Same endcap shelf!
It didn't. Pricing like that has been going on for years. Manufacturer gives good price on one size versus another to a grocery chain which can lead to a question like yours. I'm surprised it still catches people off guard.
I work in an affluent suburb outside of Washington DC. Cleaning supplies have been in short supply since March. As have the "good" paper products (Bounty, Brawny, Charmaine). Our company seems to be rotating which stores get the name brand paper products since March. It doesn't matter what we order, they just send us what they send us. When we do get the name brands then people snatch it up quickly. My favorite off brand toilet paper name is Sweety. First time I saw it I thought it said Sweaty. Made me chuckle.
People in my stores neighborhood have the money to buy us out and are not afraid to panic buy before people in other areas even begin to think about it. Our sales skyrocketed in February and full month before the NBA closed. It was a good time. Lines down the aisles like it was a snow scare, unlimited overtime and didn't have to wear a mask. In fact I didn't wear a mask at work until it was mandated by the Governor.
I was pretty sick, for me, for about a week and a half back in late January. Did I have C-19? I don't know. But I went home from work early twice and missed another day entirely. Only other time I missed that much work was from kidney stones.
Business has been picking up lately. Not sure if it is just pre-Thanksgiving buying or something more.
Quote: cmlotitoIt didn't. Pricing like that has been going on for years. Manufacturer gives good price on one size versus another to a grocery chain which can lead to a question like yours. I'm surprised it still catches people off guard.
I get some of it but same endcap? Now, if you looked fast you would assume the smaller one was the sale price. One one hand it is flipping blatant. OTOH, if you are too stupid to not read the sign, well, I file that under the same as casino does not force anyone to play Keno. Same store had Werther's Originals for like $4.95 but ringing for $1! As good as a gaffed slot! I sheared not skinned the sheep for about two weeks until they caught that one.
Meanwhile, Dollar General had I forget what on sale for, get this, $0.05 off! Of about a $2 item!
No wonder the 6:5 tables get play.
Quote:I work in an affluent suburb outside of Washington DC. Cleaning supplies have been in short supply since March. As have the "good" paper products (Bounty, Brawny, Charmaine). Our company seems to be rotating which stores get the name brand paper products since March. It doesn't matter what we order, they just send us what they send us. When we do get the name brands then people snatch it up quickly. My favorite off brand toilet paper name is Sweety. First time I saw it I thought it said Sweaty. Made me chuckle.
People in my stores neighborhood have the money to buy us out and are not afraid to panic buy before people in other areas even begin to think about it. Our sales skyrocketed in February and full month before the NBA closed. It was a good time. Lines down the aisles like it was a snow scare, unlimited overtime and didn't have to wear a mask. In fact I didn't wear a mask at work until it was mandated by the Governor.
I was pretty sick, for me, for about a week and a half back in late January. Did I have C-19? I don't know. But I went home from work early twice and missed another day entirely. Only other time I missed that much work was from kidney stones.
Business has been picking up lately. Not sure if it is just pre-Thanksgiving buying or something more.
Of course there is some pre-Thanksgiving, but I think that stocking up is happening. Maybe not the wholesale we saw in March, but at the least lots of copy canning. Preppers like myself tend to keep most staples in stock, the public may finally be getting into prep.
Fortunately, I only needed paper towels and was able to get a pack of napkins a few aisles over where the paper plates and plasticware are sold.
Surface cleaners are the same, they are limited in quantity and all no-name brands.
Everything else seems normal. Pasta is all there, canned soups are fine, meat, vegetables, cheese, dairy, eggs, everything seems pretty much okay. Laundry detergent and dish detergent are all fine.
My car broke down on the way to work today. I called AAA and waited an hour for the tow truck. Once my car was loaded, the driver informed me that, due to covid, I couldn't ride with him in his cab. There's a new procedure.
As I write this, I'm sitting in my car on the back of the flatbed being transported to the auto shop.
It's cold.
