Re: Corned Beef Brisket (and a mild rant)

On 3/13/2025 4:37 PM, Ed P wrote:

On 3/13/2025 3:16 PM, Jill McQuown wrote:

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This is actually a mild rant about those grocery store "loyalty" cards. I went to my usual supermarket (Publix) yesterday.  They advertised corned beef brisket priced at $4.99/lb.  They don't require a "card" to get that price.  Unfortunately, they only had one left.  I bought it and put it in the freezer.
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This morning on my way to work I stopped at Food Lion to buy a couple more and fortunately they still had a few.  But Food Lion requires what they call an MVP card to get the same price as Publix ($4.99/lb.).
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I paid just over $19 each for two of them at Food Lion.  Both slightly over 3.5 lbs.  If I hadn't used the Food Lion "card", it would have cost me $23 more for the two briskets.  It says so on the receipt.  My question is WHY?!
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This is what I don't understand about those loyalty cards/apps.  Let's pretend I was visiting friends or family from a place that doesn't have a Food Lion [insert other grocery stores that require loyalty cards/apps to get the best price].  I'd have no reason to have their "card".  Let's further pretend I decided to go to this grocery store to buy a corned beef brisket to cook for my friends.  Is there any logical reason why I should have to pay $30 for a corned beef someone with the *card* could by for $19?  I can't think of a single reason why they are allowed to price gouge someone simply because they don't have a store loyalty card.
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Jill

 The simple explanation is "because they can"
 

Strikes me as unethical.

The idea is to build loyalty and people will shop there for the discount.
 

Yeah, I get the idea.  They jack up prices to fool people into thinking they're getting a discount.  Imagine what you'd pay for a can of [e.g.] green beans "on sale" if you didn't have the MVP card!  Twice what a can of green beans should actually cost.  Arrgh!

Rather than go to Food Lion, I'd wait a day or two and go back to Publix to see if they re-stocked.  That sale is until next Wednesday.

Normally I would do that, Ed.  Thing is, when I went to Publix after work the day before, the manager seemed surprised they'd run out and wasn't sure if they'd be getting any more.  I'm off work tomorrow and I try to do my shopping when I'm already in town.  So I made the decision to stop at Food Lion on my way to the office.  I didn't know for sure they still had any but it was on my way.  Fortunately, they did have but only a few left.  It still bugs me I had to use the "loyalty card" to get the same price they'd have charged at Publix without using a card. I object to those loyalty cards as a matter of general principle.
Jill