Thursday, November 3, 2011

misc.consumers.frugal-living - 5 new messages in 2 topics - digest

misc.consumers.frugal-living
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living?hl=en

misc.consumers.frugal-living@googlegroups.com

Today's topics:

* price matching groceries - 4 messages, 4 authors
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/8495465f53483410?hl=en
* a Rave about Radiant Heating! - 1 messages, 1 author
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/aab5c905aa805fb4?hl=en

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TOPIC: price matching groceries
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/8495465f53483410?hl=en
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== 1 of 4 ==
Date: Tues, Nov 1 2011 11:46 am
From: "Malcom \"Mal\" Reynolds"


In article <4eb0083c$0$17650$882e7ee2@usenet-news.net>, Ohioguy <none@none.net>
wrote:

> I was buying up a bunch of snack size slim jim boxes at Wal-Mart the
> other day for $2.99 each (box of 16) for Halloween, when I thought I
> would go over to the local Kroger and give them some of my business. It
> was also partly because the strawberries at Wal-Mart were not in good
> shape, and I knew I'd probably be able to get better ones at Kroger.
>
> Anyway, Kroger had the same box of slim jims for $4.29 - 43% more.
> They also had some pepperoni flavored ones. I went up to the service
> counter and asked what their price matching policy is, and was told "We
> don't ever match competitor prices".
>
> Wow. I didn't expect that. Most places I've given business to, when
> told that their prices are much higher than other local stores, will
> price match to help keep you as a regular shopper.
>
> Up until recently, I've done most of our grocery shopping at Kroger.
> However, I've noticed that their prices seem to range from 10% to 45%
> more on a variety of items.
>
> In your experience, will most stores price match local competition,
> or do they just brush you off like Kroger did when I pointed out how
> high their prices were?

If the major grocery chains did price matching, they would advertise it very
prominently


== 2 of 4 ==
Date: Wed, Nov 2 2011 8:54 am
From: SMS


On 11/1/2011 7:54 AM, Ohioguy wrote:
> I was buying up a bunch of snack size slim jim boxes at Wal-Mart the
> other day for $2.99 each (box of 16) for Halloween, when I thought I
> would go over to the local Kroger and give them some of my business. It
> was also partly because the strawberries at Wal-Mart were not in good
> shape, and I knew I'd probably be able to get better ones at Kroger.
>
> Anyway, Kroger had the same box of slim jims for $4.29 - 43% more. They
> also had some pepperoni flavored ones. I went up to the service counter
> and asked what their price matching policy is, and was told "We don't
> ever match competitor prices".
>
> Wow. I didn't expect that. Most places I've given business to, when told
> that their prices are much higher than other local stores, will price
> match to help keep you as a regular shopper.

I've never heard of a grocery store that does price matching. There are
so many loss leaders at grocery stores that it would not work.

A lot of non-grocery stores will match advertised prices, but of course
this is not all that useful since you have to have an ad that shows the
prices at the other store.

Target and Walmart do price matching and they do not exclude groceries,
so you could get regular supermarket ads and have Target and Walmart
match them, but they would be of limited value at Walmart since their
prices are almost always lower than standalone supermarket prices. At
Target it might help since Target's grocery prices are very high.

== 3 of 4 ==
Date: Wed, Nov 2 2011 2:19 pm
From: "h"

"SMS" <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote in message
news:4eb167ae$0$1697$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
> I've never heard of a grocery store that does price matching. There are so
> many loss leaders at grocery stores that it would not work.
>
> A lot of non-grocery stores will match advertised prices, but of course
> this is not all that useful since you have to have an ad that shows the
> prices at the other store.
>
> Target and Walmart do price matching and they do not exclude groceries, so
> you could get regular supermarket ads and have Target and Walmart match
> them, but they would be of limited value at Walmart since their prices are
> almost always lower than standalone supermarket prices. At Target it might
> help since Target's grocery prices are very high.
>

I make custom clothing and sell it on my website and I am ceaselessly amazed
when someone emails me saying, "So and so sells the exact same thing for
half your price. Will you match it?" Answer is no way. Most of the time I am
familiar with the other artisan's products and they are NO WHERE near my
quality, nor are they made to the client's measurements and specifications.
Most of my "Handmade in the USA" competitors I know for a fact have their
stuff made off-shore with inferior materials in generic sizes and colors.
Plus, I draft all my own patterns from my own designs, so there isn't anyone
else who sells "the exact same thing".

Bottom line, unless a store promises a price match guarantee don't expect
one.


== 4 of 4 ==
Date: Wed, Nov 2 2011 8:25 pm
From: Michael Black


On Wed, 2 Nov 2011, h wrote:

> "SMS" <scharf.steven@geemail.com> wrote in message
> news:4eb167ae$0$1697$742ec2ed@news.sonic.net...
>> I've never heard of a grocery store that does price matching. There are so
>> many loss leaders at grocery stores that it would not work.
>>
>> A lot of non-grocery stores will match advertised prices, but of course
>> this is not all that useful since you have to have an ad that shows the
>> prices at the other store.
>>
>> Target and Walmart do price matching and they do not exclude groceries, so
>> you could get regular supermarket ads and have Target and Walmart match
>> them, but they would be of limited value at Walmart since their prices are
>> almost always lower than standalone supermarket prices. At Target it might
>> help since Target's grocery prices are very high.
>>
>
> I make custom clothing and sell it on my website and I am ceaselessly amazed
> when someone emails me saying, "So and so sells the exact same thing for
> half your price. Will you match it?" Answer is no way. Most of the time I am
> familiar with the other artisan's products and they are NO WHERE near my
> quality, nor are they made to the client's measurements and specifications.
> Most of my "Handmade in the USA" competitors I know for a fact have their
> stuff made off-shore with inferior materials in generic sizes and colors.
> Plus, I draft all my own patterns from my own designs, so there isn't anyone
> else who sells "the exact same thing".
>
> Bottom line, unless a store promises a price match guarantee don't expect
> one.
>
Of course, it's silly when people expect you to price match. The concept
is about identical items, so if you were going to buy that calculator at
Store A, but see it at Store B for a lower price, Store A would rather
lose the slight difference than lose the sale completely, so they'll price
match.

It can't apply to things unless they are identical, because a vague "this
calculator is sort of like taht calculator" doesn't mean it is the same
one, and if it's different, the price can be different. SOmething you
make can't be matched, because nobody else is making it. Even a 'sort of
like this" cant' qualify, since you have no idea of the other person's
costs and such.

Of course, some stores seem to latch onto this, I gather buying products
that aren't quite the same as sold to other stores, so not only is it not
so easy to compare, but they can get out of price matching since "well
this calculator isn't exactly like that one".

Michael


==============================================================================
TOPIC: a Rave about Radiant Heating!
http://groups.google.com/group/misc.consumers.frugal-living/t/aab5c905aa805fb4?hl=en
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== 1 of 1 ==
Date: Wed, Nov 2 2011 1:07 pm
From: Forrest Hodge


On 11/1/2011 1:33 PM, Mr. K wrote:
> We heat our home with a radiant heat source. Just like the Sun, that
> heats the Earth w/o heating the air in between. Radiant heat heats the
> objects in your space and prevents you from losing your heat to them.
> Very, in fact, the most efficient way to heat a space.
> Look into it. Then you won't have to spend so much to be comfortable.

Umm, there is no air to speak of between the earth and the sun, space is
largely a vacuum.


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