WineLovers Discussion Group

Okay, here's my rant...
It drives me crazy when grocery stores put things on the end caps for display and fail to put them in the place where they would most often found. For example, certain potato chips that we buy. Oh, they aren't with the other potato chips and snacks -- they are on the end cap near the picnic baskets! Gee, I didn't notice them there.
Or, parchment paper. Instead of putting it with plastic wrap and foil, or even the baking aisle, it's on a little metal hangy thing on the aisle with the oil and salad dressing. Why didn't I think to look there??

Here's something that happened to me at Fresh Market the other day. I saw raspberries on special for $3.99 a container. So I took two. They rung up at $5.99 each. I told the cashier that they were supposed to be $3.99. She said, "Oh, that's the regular raspberries. You have the organic." So I run back to the produce area (luckily no one was behind me at that point) and don't see anything there EXCEPT the organic berries. So I leave my two boxes there, go back to the cashier and tell there are only organic berries on display, and she says, "Oh, sorry. You can have the organics at $3.99 then." That was a very nice thing for her to do, but now I have to go back to the produce area to get the two containers again! At that point there was a line behind me...

I thought I'd join in on the ranting, since my wife says I'm so good at it anyway.

What really bothers me is when one has to search through older, less fresh produce to find the good stuff at the bottom. My most recent example was my search for Rosemary the other day. In the herb section, the store has a large basket of banded Rosemary and all of it was browning and brittle, but in the back of the large basket, and underneath the old stuff, was very fresh, brightly colored Rosermary. In my opinion, the older stuff should have been removed. I know "the bottom line" is what makes a store do this, but it does irritate me.

She (yes, most of the time it is a woman), stands there mezmerized and immobile for a full 10 minutes or so while the cashier is scanning the order. Finally the cashier finishes and say that will be $4,765.29. The customer finally awakes from their coma-like trance with a look of "Oh, I gotta pay?

Haha, this made me laugh, as it's what my wife does. Not quite the same way, but when we're together at the grocery store, she seems to completely zone out at the checkout. This wouldn't be so bad, but she pays with her credit card (She works and is putting me through law school, so we use her card) and I always have to wake her from her coma to pay the cashier...or worse...find her because she's wandered off.


Finally, though, to end on a positive note, I have to share a story that worked out in our favor the other day. We were in Whole Foods and they had their specialty salts on sale and available to taste, including Fleur de Sel. My wife and I are in our late 20s, relatively new to the hobby chef scene, and certainly still learning, so this would be our first purchase of Fluer de Sel. It was on sale for $14.99. As we were checking out, my wife just happened to say, "hmm, look at that," regarding the whole foods promise that if an item was scanned for a price more expensive than listed, the item is free. Seconds later, the Fleur de Sel rung up at $18.99. Our lucky day, free Fleur de Sel. Now I don't feel bad using it more liberally and often.

When I lived in Minneapolis, I liked shopping at the two upscale grocery stores: Byerley's and Lund's. I remember the former had chandeliers, wall-to-wall carpeting, and women shopping in fur coats. Fabulous selection of stuff, though.

In the early 90s, Heinz must have been doing a marketing trial on their "Spicy Ketchup." I bought a bottle and tasted it at home. I couldn't taste any hint of "spiciness," so I closed my eyes and focused very hard on the taste--absolutely nothing. The only thing spicy was the word on the label. (MN: where Miracle Whip is a spice )

Yes, the Lunds is where the bad Rosemary is. But I forgive them, as they are a very good store in every other regard. And, yes, Byerly's is the one with carpeted aisles, etc. Very nice...and as they say in MN: "Spendy."

(MN: where Miracle Whip is a spice Laughing

Haha. Absolutely. My wife and I have only been here for 18 months, so we've made that observation as well.

My personal favorite (today at least) is when they advertise Cheerios 2/$4.00 select varieties. When I get there the only one on sale is regular, NOT honey nut. The Halloween cupcakes 2 packs of 6/$4.00 turned out to be sprinkes on vanilla & chocolate icing - not orange & decorated. The store I went to yesterday had the decorated ones, but vanilla instead of chocolate cake. And, of course, it is raining! AARRGGGG! I went ahead and got the ones with the sprinkles. Don't feel like making them, and only wanted 6 anyway.

I could go on and on about this sort of thing.