In Winn Dixie today...

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Walked into Winn Dixie (supermarket chain) today. Right inside the door is a small display packing alot of interesting items. Sterno, hobo stoves, sleeping bags, 5-gallon water containers. Next to that, a huge display of pre-packaged "logs" and starters. Very interesting. I'm gonna try to stop back in and see if anyone actually touches the stuff. By the way, it was way too expensive. 2 cans of sterno, 4.98. Yuck!

Margie

-- margie mason (mar3mike@aol.com), December 02, 1999

Answers

Margie,
Well, the Pig isn't well known for the lowest price around; in my neck o' the woods in South Carolina we have Bilo, Publix, Food Lion, and Super K-mart to keep them more competitive, even then, they rely on greenbax stamps and some "VIP" card as incentives to shoppers. Probably somebody will cruise by, eyeball the stock, and not knowing the market value, pick it up as an impulse item. Yeah, $4.98 for 2 cans of sterno is too much! Way to shop, lady!

-- Jay Urban (Jayho99@aol.com), December 02, 1999.

Krogers has firewood at $6 per cubic foot.

Has gouging started?

-- Bill P (porterwn@one.net), December 02, 1999.


"they rely on greenbax stamps and some "VIP" card as incentives to shoppers"

Since I've been off the forum for some months this may have been mentioned before, but I notice this "VIP CARD" phenomena began appearing in grocery stores right about the same time I became aware of potential y2k problems and also when I discovered the need to stock up on some "edible insurance" (to quote Ed). Call me paranoid, but it seems like a convenient way to track not only how much of what we are buying, but also "who" is buying. Tip for those who might be concerned: Usually you do not have to show any ID when signing up for the card, therefore you could easily give the wrong address.

-Lisa Doe/VIP Card Shopper 10 undeliverable address Anytown, USA

-- Lisa (lisa_dawn@yahoo.com), December 02, 1999.


Buy a couple cans of Sterno, then buy 1-gallon refill cans from a restaurant supply store. In 1-gal size it's about 20 cents an ounce, compared to about 80 cents an ounce for the little cans. Spoon it out into little cans to use it. Or get Alco-Brite from Walton, same price per ounce in 16 ounce cans with clip-on stove.

700 hours, still got a little time...

-- bw (home@puget.sound), December 02, 1999.


While I was at the Dollar Store yesterday,one of the women told me they have supplies with y2k on them and would be putting them out mid December or so.She said they were now carrying water,more paper products and larger sizes of some items.

While I was there the local radio dj said y2k wasn't going to be a problem and that NOTHING was going to happen!

I went to a small store that sold new and used things,I found a chemical toilet for $7.00,still in it's original box.When I was at the desk checking out,I said something about preparing for y2k in case we didn't have water.The two gals said they didn't think anything would happen and of course I stupidly said I did and had been preparing for it for some time.One of them said ,well we know where to go if we need anything.Needless to say I won't be going there again.Learned lesson,will not even bring up the subject with anyone from here on.They don't know me from adam,so I'm lucky.

-- Maggie (song bird@iwon.com), December 02, 1999.



Margie,

A Winn-Dixie in my neigborhood started carrying 5-gallon water containers about two weeks or so ago.

-- Linkmeister (link@librarian.edu), December 02, 1999.


How about this one: In our little town here in SoCal, at an Office Depot (stationary and office supply chain) there are pallets of Arrowhead Water 24 packs, 1/2 liter bottles. Literally hundreds of these pallets.

I'm still wondering why.

-- Uncle Bob (UNCLB0B@Tminus29&counting.down), December 02, 1999.


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