Re: Target unit pricing - Here's the real point

On Jun 27, 11:49=A0am, zekfr...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
 (GregS) wrote:
> In article
<a1919ffc-ab39-49d0-94cb-d1a9fb89b...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>, sarge137 <rbooth9...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
>
>
>
> >On Jun 27, 1:02=3DA0am, Jack Bauer <j...@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote:
> >> the zak wrote:
> >> > Target unit pricing shelf labels for paper goods like paper
> >> > towels and toilet tissue list the unit price per 100 sheets
> >> > instead of per 100 square feet as do other stores.
> >> > It's inaccurate. Sheet sizes vary. Converting unit pricing
> >> > from per 100 sheets to per 100 square feet is difficult
> >> > to do in the aisle of the Target store.
>
> >> I have been in several different stores trying to figure out the unit
> >> pricing on bottled water. =3DA0They will have all different sizes and
> >> brands, but in the end they are all just bottles containing water,
> >> right? =3DA0But the unit pricing is by the each, liter, ounce, you
nam=
e it!
> >> =3DA0 Whatever units they can come up with to make it all more
confusi=
ng.
> >> You can't compare.
>
> >Interesting. =A0We shop at two different stores on a regular basis.
=A0A
> >Kroger chain store and a military commissary. In both cases every
> >beverage (water, soft drinks, fruit juice, etc) they sell is unit
> >priced per ounce, regardless of the packaging or volume of the
> >package. =A0In fact, I don't remember ever seeing a unit price shelf
> >label that wasn't expressed per pound or ounce so long as the label on
> >the product is expressed in those terms (which is pretty much
> >everything on their shelves). =A0Even the OTC drugs they sell are unit
> >labeled per dose.
>
> >I guess I don't understand the compulsion to buy what's cheapest visa-
> >a-vis what's best (a matter of personal opinion). =A0In most cases
you'd
> >have to buy in pretty large quantities for the difference to matter
> >much. =A0For example: =A0We eat canned albacore tuna packed in water. =
=A0Our
> >regular grocery store carries three national brands. =A0We've tried all
> >of them, and I personally see no difference, but my wife has a
> >preference which happens to be the most expensive. =A0The price per
> >ounce between the cheapest and most expensive is about 15 percent.
> >Not enough to matter given the volume of the stuff we buy. She buys
> >what she likes.
>
> >> And the WHOLE POINT of unit pricing, as they told us back in the
70's,
> >> is that it SHOULD NOT take a college grad with a slide rule or
> >> calculator to figure this stuff out. =3DA0You should be able to look
a=
t all
> >> the similar products and quickly figure out which is cheapest based
on
> >> the unit pricing shown on the labels.
>
> >Absolutely right! =A0But, another example of a feel good law with no
> >real intention of enforcement. Take a look at some of the discussions
> >of the National Do Not Call Registry you can find in the groups.
>
> >> But you can't. =3DA0So who do we contact to enforce the unit pricing
l=
aws?
>
> >Your best bet would be to contact the Consumers Affairs Division of
> >your state Attorney General's Office. =A0But, unless they've got an axe
> >to grind with the business for other reasons don't expect much
> >response
>
> Unit price. Seems I forgot all about that system.
>
> Kroger food ? I grew up with them but they have been long gone
> for many years here.

Yeah the Kroger brand is gone from many markets.  But, Kroger, Inc. is
alive and well.  They operate almost 3,000 supermarkets between the
midwest and west coast.  And many times that many convenience stores,
delis and bakeries.  Check Wikipedia, or the Kroger cor****ate web
site.  You may actually have a Kroger store in your area that goes by
a different name.

> I often buy the cheaper Giant Eagle brands, which I find in most
> cases are better than the other brands, and cheaper. Got the gas
> perks also.

I agree.  I buy many store brand items.  But it's because I think
they're superior, not because they're cheaper - though they almost
always are.  We also get the gas discount - 3 cents per gallon just
for scanning their shopper's card, and 10 cents per gallon if you've
bought at least $100 worth of groceries on that card in the past
month.  And as a bonus their "street price" for gas is the lowest in
the area.  The down side of that is that the lines at their pumps are
sometimes so long that I'm not willing to wait 20 minutes or more to
save 30 cents to a dollar on a ten gallon fill up.