Grocery Store shuts down to avoid costs of remediation

greenspun.com : LUSENET : TimeBomb 2000 (Y2000) : One Thread

http://www.onwis.com/WI/9901222000bugareasonforstor.asp

-- Arlin H. Adams (ahadams@ix.netcom.com), January 23, 1999

Answers

Thank you, Arlin, very interesting. Been wondering about all those $$ Billions going to (or *supposed* to be going to) remediation. Has to bite somewhere, come out of something.

Gonna post the text in case the URL goes cybervoid:

2000 Bug A Reason For Store's Closure

CHIPPEWA FALLS, Wis. (AP) -- Cheap Foods said its decision to close Friday was due in part to costs associated with the Year 2000 computer problem.

Costs to update the store's date-sensitive items and competition from larger grocers forced the shutdown, said Polly Deane, a spokeswoman for Super Valu, the company that owns Cheap Foods.

The Y2K problem is a glitch in which computers might interpret the year 2000 as 1900, because they are programmed to read only the last two digits of the year. Computers need to be Y2K-compliant to handle the switch in dates from 1999 to 2000.

"I think it was the two things in tandem," Deane said. "(Y2K) was one of the major reasons. It just didn't make economic sense to keep the store open."

Deane was not able to estimate the exact cost of the upgrades. She only could say costs would have been substantial.
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-- Leska (allaha@earthlink.net), January 23, 1999.


It appears that the company was already having financial difficulties and that the y2k remediation cost was the last straw. I believe that is how y2k will play out for many companies. Those with existing problems will fold. Those that make it through will eventually wind up with a bigger peice of the pie.

Something similar holds holds true with families. Those with inherent weaknesses will weaken or fold under the stress. Others will find a renewed purpose and lead fuller lives despite hardship.

-- Tomcat (tomcat@tampabay.rr.com), January 23, 1999.


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