grocery store prices - chain stores

[josantoro]

We have two stores, about 40 miles apart, same grocery chain, but the prices are so different. Naturally the one near me has the higher prices! I thought the whole point of a chain was greater buying power so lower prices for everyone.

Do you find the same thing?

[Ceashels]

I'm in the suburbs so I don't have any answer. I have seen price differences of 20-30 cents between 2 stores of the same chain which surprises me.... and it was Aldi's!

[wunsagin]

for the past few weeks I've gone to Joplin, about 45 mins away and at walmart I'm getting 10lb bag of potatoes for 2.50, I buy 30lb at a time for luncheons. The walmart closest to us, 15miles the same bag is 5.97

[imagine]

I was just ready an article about why CVS says their prices vary from store to store. He said that different places have higher or lower personnel and property (rent mortgage) expenses and these affect the price for items.

Many years ago when I worked walmart I was told that our prices were different from the town over because of our local competetors prices. The other town had different competition and thus different prices.

I believe all the above are in play to set prices and that is why prices are different from store to store even in chains.

[frugalwarrior2]

yeah. We have 2 Krogers 1 mile apart. The sales are diff. and the clearance schedule. I like the meat at one and the meat dept. stinks at the other.
The clientel is vastly diff. just a mile apart. So it makes sense. I just use it to my advantage when stockpiling or getting more than a special allowes or if they run out of an item.

[khaski]

2 grocery stores, same chain (Market Basket), about 20 miles apart. Prices are the same and follow the same sales BUT one marks down the mark down items by only 20-30%, one does 50-75%. They're about equal distance from my home, but I almost always shop at the one with the deeper discounts. My preferred gas station in on the way to there too, with cheaper gas than in my town or on the way to the other store, so I fill up there once a week on the way to get food.

[Jeanna]

I live in a fairly small town. We have three Ingles supermarkets, Bi-Lo, and Walmart. They all have different prices, even the Ingles. I have found over the past couple of months that I actually come out better going to the smallest Ingles for groceries. Milk alone is 50 cents cheaper there than Walmart. I also notices I don't buy as many impulse items, which is what runs up my grocery budget. I do sometimes go to each store and buy the best deals, but as of late my Fibromyalgia has really limited the amount of time I can be on my feet on the concrete floors that stores have.