Supermarket Cherrypickers "raping" grocers.

[skids]

Found this in yesterday's Stock Market Watch thread, and thought it deserved a promotion to full thread:

Grocers loathe the shoppers known as "cherry-pickers" -- people who visit several stores on a single grocery run, choosing only the sale items in each. "I remember working with a grocery company, and the head buyer was talking about cherry-pickers. He used terms like 'rape,' " said Edward J. Fox, a professor of marketing at Southern Methodist University. "They feel it's a violation of trust."

<...>

Cherry-pickers get better with experience. A family that cherry-picks on 4.3 percent of its grocery runs, the median frequency, averages $11.93 in savings per cherry-picking trip. But families that cherry-pick 20 percent of the time save an average of $15.76.

http://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/10/business/media/10drill.html?ex=1153108800&en=0150a0a90054ec29&ei=5099&partner=TOPIXNEWS

I don't know about you, but when a supermarket gives me a coupon, I assume they can afford to. If they can't, then why are they giving me a coupon?

Somehow I'm having a hard time working up any guilt about still buying on special even though I had that 15% off coupon from Big Y. That was a good run. The week after I did it they upped the minumum qualifying purchase :-)

[politicat]

1. Wah-wah-wah.... Whatever.

Is not this what capitalism is all about? The consumer takes the best price and features available for the money offered?

If I had a local grocer, I'd give it my business. Instead, I have Albertson's, Safeway and King Soopers (and Costco and the farmer's market and a local meat raiser and a cheese shop and Whole Paycheck and Wild Oats) and they all get a little of my business. And yes, I'm more likely to buy deli items at Safeway when they're on sale than at KS when they're not.

Housewives have been doing this since the invention of the supermarket. DUH.

[calico1]

2. Cherry picker here!

I have 4 different supermarkets within close distance. Actually 6 but I never go to two of them. And you better bet I cherry pick. What? Are we now un American to get the best deals on groceries and not remain loyal to just one store? That is ridiculous.

[NMMNG]

3. Boo hoo

They're cheezed because they feel like the customer is ripping them off where usually they're ripping the customer off? Pardon me if I don't whip out my hanky.

Stores put items on sale hoping people will come in, buy a few sale items, then buy lots of non-sale items. Cherry pickers hurt the stores by calling them on their ploy.

If I ever get the time again I'll become a cherry picker. :evilgrin:

[eleny]

4. Pish! I live for cherrypicking

Let's put it this way - I like to spread the joy of my money around the various stores. :rofl:

[Nicole]

5. I'm a cherry picker

and I'm don't feel the least bit guilty.

In fact I keep my pantry & freezer well stocked so I can cherry pick. If it's not on sale, I'm not buying most of the time. Holidays & company sometimes cause me to change my shopping habits but that's rarely enough to break my food budget.

Long live cherry pickers who take advantage of the loss leaders! :toast:

[phantom power]

6. It's cute when they weep about the death of customer loyalty.

This entire country fetishizes the "social darwinist" version of the free market, and then wails about inevitable and predictable consequences.

[IronLionZion]

7. Well yeah, why wouldn't you?

I always go for the lowest price, especially if the other stores are close by. Just about every store has loss leaders that they use to get you in the store.

So now I can add grocery stores to the list of businesses that hate me. Banks, Credit Card companies, companies who offer rebates, and Gratis (freeipods.com) really loathe me. I just love taking advantage of specials and free stuff.

And some liberals think free market competition is bad. :silly:

[Lydia Leftcoast]

8. However, if you're visiting several stores, you need to factor in the cost

of the gas required to get from one store to another and the time you use up.

Since I hate to drive and work free-lance, I simply shop at my local food co-op for most items. Sure, it's a bit more expensive than a regular supermarket, but not obnoxiously so, and I like their emphasis on local, organic, and fair trade foods.

[no_hypocrisy]

9. This is how to get around that expense.

On Sundays, I organize the various coupons and supermarket flyers. I put them in the car. That way if I'm driving by a particular supermarket, I can stop en route to my destination, and it's not extra driving.

[KitchenWitch]

10. Big cherry picker here!