Publix I Think You Are Slipping A Bit When It Comes To Offering New Products On The Market. Great Job Ingles For Offering New Products. Be Cautious That You Are Being Charged The Correct Amount At The Checkout Counter.

I have noticed a few times now that I find a new product that is out there in the market at Ingles. When I go in search for that very product if I am at Publix  they do not carry it. This has happened on a few items, that is not good. If one tries something and one wants to purchase it again what an inconvenience it is to the customer that is at a store ready to buy and you do not carry it. That just happened to me the other day, in search of the Wheat Thins Dill Pickle snack crackers. I went to the snack cracker aisle and did not see it. I then got a manager and inquired about it. As I was talking with him it dawned on me that Publix didn't even carry that and I got it at Ingles. I also mentioned about the great competition out there with the new Sprouts Farmers Market that has joined the grocery store competition in the area. Why would I purchase fresh cherries for $1.99 per pound when Sprouts offers them for $0.98 a pound in their weekly advertisement. The manager response to me was"Were they as large in size as ours?"
I was told once that competition is good, it is good for you and it is also good for your competition out there. Competition keeps the grocery stores out there on their toes so to speak. When they realize that their revenue dollars are down they will adjust pricing, etc. to bring back or bring in that business that may have started branching out and shopping else where. Ingles, I have found is very good in the market when it comes to introducing the latest in products that are out there for the consumer to try.
The other day I was able to get two items at no charge from two different grocery stores (Ingles & Kroger.) Do you want to know why/how that happened? At each store the store policy is, the item is given to you free (there are parameters of the dollar amount at each store, you need to check with the store in regard to their policy.) if it is scanned and the wrong price shows. In one instance I had the check out clerk go to the aisle where the product is located and verify that the sign read correctly and sure enough it did. I then reminded them of the store policy and free item to me. Sometimes you have to be on your toes to catch it. They may not always say the item is free. Do not feel bad reminding them of their store policy. In the end it will make them stronger as an organization. I would trust they are keeping track of these free items given to customers. I would  hope this will help them either get them into the system correct or if signs should be taken down they should not be displayed if the sale is over. I do not know what the circumstance was in this instance. The other item was at another store. Self checkout was used and I keyed in the proper item number on the sticker on the item from produce. On the screen came up a different dollar amount, not what they were on sale for. Right away the clerk was most helpful and agreed that the item came up under the item number listed on the item I was purchasing. When advertised 4 for $5.00 is a big difference compared to the other similar item they sell at the other price point.
In one day I was given two free items from two different stores. Imagine how much this happens (and if it occurs frequently) that has to be costing the store money. What happens then? I would imagine that that free item is either written off for the year or it is tucked into price increases the consumer then absorbs. I might be wrong but then again I just might be right. Someone, somewhere, somehow has to absorb this cost. Moral to this story, always check as they are checking out your items at the register to make sure the right dollar amount is charged to you. Also, grocery store chains make sure the price amounts are properly entered into your system to ring up the right amount along with checking that sale signs are tagged correctly. Remove the sale signs when the item is no longer on sale for the sale amount advertised on the shelf by that particular item.
One more moral to the story...there is definitely a grocery store tug-of-war going on out there. With more and more options out there for the consumer, offer to them the latest and greatest new items out there. It is frustrating to the consumer that wants to purchase an item and they are already at a store, to find that they have to leave that store and go elsewhere. I actually had cherries in my hand and would have paid $1.99 a pound since I was there, but I left with nothing to purchase and went elsewhere. People work too hard for the money they earn and they are cautious on how they spend it also. I hope this insight helps you today. If so, it can become a win-win for all of us right?
One more thing and then I will be done with this today. A lot of grocery stores are now changing their weekly advertisement to a week day as opposed to a weekend day. I must commend Publix and Aldi on this one, they still continue to place their weekly advertisement in the Sunday newspaper. Kroger and Ingles please go back to placing your advertisement in the Sunday newspaper. Not everyone wants to go online to view the advertisement. Some like to have a hard copy in their possession to view it and circle what they need from that store.