Friday, August 15, 2008

Shopping the sales

Went to Randall's this week to pick up a couple of essentials (milk, bread) and get some items that were on sale. As usual, it got harder and harder to walk as I made my way through the store, so I was most pleased with the helpful attitudes of those whose assistance I needed, specifically the manager who showed me to the heirloom tomatoes and the young butcher who took me right to the things I wanted to get.

More than simply showing me what I needed to get, they each went that extra step. The manager fellow and I discussed the heirloom tomatoes: he wanted to know what the heck they were, and I allowed as how I sorta knew but was really going to take a couple home and try them out. He offered to cut one open right there so I could taste before I bought. Nice. The young butcher brought me what I ordered from his domain and then some, adding an extra pound to one of the items for which I had a rain check--which was only supposed to let me have 2 pounds at that price. Very nice.

Randall's, however, is not a place where we can afford to do much shopping, so I was extra careful in picking out vegetables and weighing them. I decided not to get broccoli, even though that would have been a nice addition to tonight's vegetables. I only got 2 potatoes, even though I usually get a large bag. These and other veggies are cheaper at other stores, so I just got the essentials to carry us through the next couple of days.

I did, however, intend to stock up on canned vegetables. Randall's sales flyer advertised Green Giant canned vegetables at 2/$1. Imagine my joy (not) when I found the shelves almost empty of the 3 (count them) actual Green Giant products that they had stocked: whole kernel corn, green beans, and green peas. I had to do way too much bending and reaching to the backs of shelves to get this pitiful selection.

I found it ironic that the sale brand had so few choices while there were other brands (Del Monte, Safeway) with a much broader selection of vegetables (creamed corn, french cut green beans, etc.). Ironic, that is, that those brands with the broader selection were still filling the shelves, while the sale brand (with such poor selection) had almost disappeared from the shelves. I understand the use of sale items to get customers in the store in hopes that they will buy other things, but what happened to the benefit of selling in volume?

As aggravated as I was by this part of my shopping trip, imagine my delight when I found boxes of Cheetos in little 100 calorie packs! I picked up 2 for Big Kid Cousin. Now all I have to do is keep My Prince from scarfing them down before I make my way back to Houston.

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