Discussing politics and religion

[highup]

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Snorty and the Bandit.

 

[highup]

16% of American's wages are keeping up with inflation according to an Investor's Business Daily poll.

38% of the 38% that approve of Biden are lying to make the polls look better.

 

[Floorist]

Well from my perspective. One of the signs of what is to come, in 2008 when Obama was in office and the economy tanked, the first thing to get hit were the flea markets and craft shows. Those are starting to shut down again. Some of the craft shows we did, never came back. People quit buying things to look at and only buy things they can use,

 

[Incognito]

Well from my perspective. One of the signs of what is to come, in 2008 when Obama was in office and the economy tanked, the first thing to get hit were the flea markets and craft shows. Those are starting to shut down again. Some of the craft shows we did, never came back. People quit buying things to look at and only buy things they can use,

Something like that phenomena shows up in national retail sales stats. Walmart and other stores have had to heavily discount their more profitable, higher-end merchandise. It's been sitting on the shelves too long because people cant sqeeze any more money out of their paychecks after taxes, rent, gasoline, insurance, utilities and food costs.

Of course most folks spend their whole check and more-----going into debt. (estimates of GDP do not minus debt???) But I guess when those credit card payments are stretched too thin they'll pass by that "luxury" upgrade item on the shelf. They're buying the generic beans instead of Cambells. I started getting "Sticker Shock" at the grocery store many years ago and my response was to boycott the ridiculous prices------and even worse Shrinkflation----by switching to the "no frills" items. Actually, I've done that most of my life but in the past 5-10 years I'm prone to buy ever fewer brand names unless I can really appreciate a quality difference.

 

[Floorist]

Something like that phenomena shows up in national retail sales stats. Walmart and other stores have had to heavily discount their more profitable, higher-end merchandise. It's been sitting on the shelves too long because people cant sqeeze any more money out of their paychecks after taxes, rent, gasoline, insurance, utilities and food costs.

Of course most folks spend their whole check and more-----going into debt. (estimates of GDP do not minus debt???) But I guess when those credit card payments are stretched too thin they'll pass by that "luxury" upgrade item on the shelf. They're buying the generic beans instead of Cambells. I started getting "Sticker Shock" at the grocery store many years ago and my response was to boycott the ridiculous prices------and even worse Shrinkflation----by switching to the "no frills" items. Actually, I've done that most of my life but in the past 5-10 years I'm prone to buy ever fewer brand names unless I can really appreciate a quality difference.

Many years ago, I was the produce manager in a supermarket. But I also did a lot of stocking can goods. To show how dumb the public can be, we ran Double Luck green beans 6 for $1 or 25 cents a can. Most people would buy 4 cans. Double Luck were just Del Monte with a different label. The Del Monte guy said there was only 2 grades of veggies, #1 and #2. He said all canned ones are #2. #1s all went to fancy restaurants. Most can veggies are processed by just two companies.
Just like gasoline. There was a depot in Oklahoma that filled a dozen different brands. Remember the DX super Boron? There was one gallon of that additive dumped in a tanker truck and yet people believe that they are all different.

 

[highup]

Something like that phenomena shows up in national retail sales stats. Walmart and other stores have had to heavily discount their more profitable, higher-end merchandise. It's been sitting on the shelves too long because people cant sqeeze any more money out of their paychecks after taxes, rent, gasoline, insurance, utilities and food costs.

Of course most folks spend their whole check and more-----going into debt. (estimates of GDP do not minus debt???) But I guess when those credit card payments are stretched too thin they'll pass by that "luxury" upgrade item on the shelf. They're buying the generic beans instead of Cambells. I started getting "Sticker Shock" at the grocery store many years ago and my response was to boycott the ridiculous prices------and even worse Shrinkflation----by switching to the "no frills" items. Actually, I've done that most of my life but in the past 5-10 years I'm prone to buy ever fewer brand names unless I can really appreciate a quality difference.

Since I started shopping at Fred Meyer instead of safeway, I started buying Fred Meyer's house brand, everything from cheese to breakfast cereal. Most everything that's house brand is every bit as good as any brand name. Freddy's is a Kroger owned store. I think Kroger is purchasing Safeway.
That's how business works right? Two or three companies buys up all the other stores in an effort to...
...to "benefit" the customer. Yeah, they're doing it for us.

 

[Incognito]

Since I started shopping at Fred Meyer instead of safeway, I started buying Fred Meyer's house brand, everything from cheese to breakfast cereal. Most everything that's house brand is every bit as good as any brand name. Freddy's is a Kroger owned store. I think Kroger is purchasing Safeway.
That's how business works right? Two or three companies buys up all the other stores in an effort to...
...to "benefit" the customer. Yeah, they're doing it for us.

Well, with Kroger they're working on a very low margin and competing with Walmart and Amazon. Only way to do that is slash out savings at every possible level. One of those levels is middle management. Buying up smaller competition allows you to take over their business, keep all the core workers and delete countless floors of middlemen wearing suits and ties pushing paper (now a computer mouse).

You and I essentially force them to do this by shopping for the best price. God Bless America.

 

[Floorist]

In a town about 20 miles from here, there is a small locally owned grocery store. Walmart can't beat him. Price Chopper built a new building and they could not run him out. Then Woods, an area chain, moved in and they could not make it either. He is still doing well.

 

[Incognito]

In a town about 20 miles from here, there is a small locally owned grocery store. Walmart can't beat him. Price Chopper built a new building and they could not run him out. Then Woods, an area chain, moved in and they could not make it either. He is still doing well.

He must be very efficient. I cant even figure how a small guy could get merchandise at competitive prices. The only thing that comes to mind would be a very loyal and consistent customer base where he can nail the inventory to the degree nothing effectively goes in the waste bin.

 

[Floorist]

He must be very efficient. I cant even figure how a small guy could get merchandise at competitive prices. The only thing that comes to mind would be a very loyal and consistent customer base where he can nail the inventory to the degree nothing effectively goes in the waste bin.

He also has a fantastic deli and still cuts his own meat.

 

[highup]

He also has a fantastic deli and still cuts his own meat.

In small towns, customer loyalty can override anything a larger chain store can offer. Believe it or not, I don't like walking a quarter of a mile from the parking lot to the farthest corner in Walmart to get a quart of oil.

 

[havasu]

I park adjacent to the Walmart auto service center, then walk in the back doors where the oil is located. Since they have a cash register right there, I don;t have to view any of those "Women of Walmart" creatures.

 

[highup]

I park adjacent to the Walmart auto service center, then walk in the back doors where the oil is located. Since they have a cash register right there, I don;t have to view any of those "Women of Walmart" creatures.

The ones that scare me are the cashiers and the workers at the self checkout. The Wally world dress code is different than any other store in town.

 

[Incognito]

My Favorite News Story of 2023

Good Guy With a Gun..........and a six -pack

-----stops 3 time convicted felon from an armed robbery with 7 shots three of which hit the criminal. Best part is the hero never puts the 6-pack down.

You cant make **** like this up!
_____________________________________________________
UPDATE---

The Cass County Prosecutor's Office announced the man who fired his gun will not face charges for shooting the suspect.

Prosecutor Victor Fitz said the customer carried a legal "Conceal and Carry" license and his actions were "lawful and justified" when it came to defending himself and the store clerk.

 

[Incognito]

Interesting headlines.....coincidence?

Walmart Drones To Serve 60,000 Dallas Homes​

UPS drivers’ new $170k per year deal shows that unions (and Joe Biden) may just save the middle class after all​

Sometimes it's not so hard to predict the future. The real hard part is getting the time and intensity of trends so you can lay down your bets. How long before drones replace the Amazon driver/Fedex/USPS/UPS for those deliveries where it makes sense? Can you imagine the skies all full of drones dropping crap off onto people's lawns and patios? I wonder if I'll live that long.

 

[Floorist]

FEDEX has already lost one package for me this week and the replacement is 3 days late. I have had UPS deliver packages to the wrong street and house number. USPS actually broke a steel trailer hitch on its way to me. Could drones do any worse?

 

[Incognito]

FEDEX has already lost one package for me this week and the replacement is 3 days late. I have had UPS deliver packages to the wrong street and house number. USPS actually broke a steel trailer hitch on its way to me. Could drones do any worse?

I'm just confounded with the dystopian image off all these drones flying to everyone's house with a roll of toilet paper.

 

[MSLI]

I'm just confounded with the dystopian image off all these drones flying to everyone's house with a roll of toilet paper.

My image sounds like a shotgun Get those hard hats ready because here comes another skeet ( ) being shot down by teenagers, and ex-delivery drivers.

 

[highup]

Just wait til grocery stores deliver eggs and milk with drones.

 

[havasu]

Just wait til grocery stores deliver eggs and milk with drones.

Who can afford eggs these days?