Why can't we just have simple sales?

**dcompton** · 11-19-2009, 10:53 PM

I am becoming nostalgic for the uncomplicated days when sales were just so much off and that was that. Today I spent an excessive portion of my remaining life at one of our grocery stores, not one where I am in the habit of shopping often, so, first of all, I had trouble finding things. But that's obviously not their fault.

One of the things I went for was one of the deals: 5 free Green Giant canned veggies, if you buy any ten of the following items. You know how those go. I am down to three cans vegetables total in the stockpile, and the choices for the items to purchase were good. Some real food, at sale prices, that I had coupons to double/triple, making it a good deal.

I made my list, pulled my coupons. Then the fun begins. They are out of this, or have only this flavor instead of that, but with coupons so much off two, etc, I'm just standing there trying to make the list work and then backtracking in the store to make the changes. It turned out to be an awfully lot of work for 5 free cans.

I'm happy with what I ended up with, but it increasingly feels like planning a foreign invasion campaign just to buy groceries. Ah, for the good ol' days. Guess I'm showing my age.

**scrappinmom30** · 11-20-2009, 07:27 AM

I agree with you totally. My store does this all the time, and nothing sucks more than thinking that you got all the items and get to the register and something is wrong. So frustrating!

**steelergal** · 11-20-2009, 07:34 AM

I can totally relate! And there is always the chance that you may get a rain check- but not a chance to get that sale (with buy so many get these for free!)! I think there is one store in my area that specifically does that (has the weird flavors instead of the originals!).

**Grainlady** · 11-20-2009, 07:47 AM

Our local Dillons store likes to do the 5-$5 or 10-$10, and had frozen vegetables on sale recently. Next to the so-called sale veggies were larger bags of store brand frozen veggies for 90-cents/bag.

I watched a lady pile 10 bags of the sale item into her basket, so I pointed out the others were a better buy and the quality was just as good. She looked at me like I must be nuts, and said "No, it's not cheaper, it's NOT on sale...." So always being a teacher, I proceeded to show her the unit price as well as pointing out the difference in the size of the bags. She put the 10 sale bags back and bought the store brand and thanked me for saving her some money. She said she just assumed things on sale were always the best bargain. And so does the store (LOL).

Dillons also had a similar "hide-and seek" method described by dcompton. I thought there must be madness in the method. I'm math stupid anyway, so this just frustrated me to no end.

**JenMarie** · 11-20-2009, 07:54 AM

And not just the grocery! The department stores drive me nuts too with their coupons (with lots of exclusions) , sales that start at weird hours..etc.

**thefrug** · 11-20-2009, 08:11 AM

It's not that they're out of it. It's that their priorities are screwed up concerning stocking. They stock during shopping times, stuff that doesn't need stocked! I don't know how many times I've seen stockers trying to shove as many bags of cheese onto the rack or stacking meats so high they won't stay stacked, but the canned foods aisle is desperate for stuff!
It makes you wonder just who the he!! is running the store. And if they even have retail experience.

**Contrary Housewife** · 11-20-2009, 10:52 AM

I've been doing this a lot more lately, too. Our new store seems to be badly run. I've had to get a raincheck for a sale item almost every week during the past month or so. I've had to grab an employee to help me find more than one item every week, stuff they either didn't tag, don't have stocked, or have hidden someplace odd. (want to tell me why the Keebler snacks are in the candy aisle and not with the rest of the crackers or in the cookie aisle?) And half the time the person I have helping me has to go find a store manager to find out what is going on.

At least they have all been very friendly and pleasant about it.

**AnW819** · 11-20-2009, 10:57 AM

I hear yah! Today at Acme I had some of those problems. It is so complicated but saving money is saving money so I do it anyway.

**TigerGirl1226** · 11-20-2009, 11:14 AM

Yeah, I hear ya...I'm about to head to Albertson's and they are famous for this junk. I'm sure I'll have a rant to add when I get back, lol.

**nancycg56** · 11-20-2009, 11:15 AM

I so agree with you! This drives me buggy ~ standing in the aisle trying to figure out which is the best buy. If it's too complicated, I just pass it by.