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My local grocery store is a disaster area


maddmaxx

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They are out of so much stuff.  Oh, they have the expensive foods, organic and prepared but no or little basic.  No cat food but for the $1.50 a can stuff.  No litter but for the most high dollar kind.  Very little chicken and mostly the organic $9+ for a package of tenders.

Lots of Christmas candy though on sale.  I laughed and walked out.  I'll go shopping later this week at a different store.

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My LGS had stockers in every isle yesterday and even the store owner was wearing his apron and stalking the dairy isle. They have had help wanted signs up since the pandemic started but they seem to be keeping up somehow.

I checked the dollar store for canned cat food and they were out of the fifty cent kind and only had the over a dollar kind. Owl check Aldis after my eye appointment today. I bought some 9lives cat food at the LGS for 60 cents a can.

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29 minutes ago, Wilbur said:

"90% vs 91% pre-pandemic.  "

You are just imagining empty shelves.  It really isn't so. 

Christmas has been saved!  

:) 

Yeah, I'm going with actual data over anecdotal evidence.  Not jus from the government.  Christmas was saved.   Preliminary NRF numbers are really high.  Mastercard's actual numbers show a spending increase of 2.4% in store and 61.4% online over 2019.  Overall sales increased 10.7% over 2019.  Can't do that if there's isn't inventory.

Though, no doubt the recovery has been quite uneven.  Some stores are having inventory problems, most aren't.  I suspect there's a geographic component, and it's also impacted by individual decision making at the store.

That inventory number will go back down as raw material shortages catch up with inventory shipments.  That's a global problem, not much we can do except stop buying so much stuff

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10 minutes ago, 12string said:

Yeah, I'm going with actual data over anecdotal evidence.  Not jus from the government.  Christmas was saved.   Preliminary NRF numbers are really high.  Mastercard's actual numbers show a spending increase of 2.4% in store and 61.4% online over 2019.  Overall sales increased 10.7% over 2019.  Can't do that if there's isn't inventory.

Though, no doubt the recovery has been quite uneven.  Some stores are having inventory problems, most aren't.  I suspect there's a geographic component, and it's also impacted by individual decision making at the store.

That inventory number will go back down as raw material shortages catch up with inventory shipments.  That's a global problem, not much we can do except stop buying so much stuff

Do you suppose all that christmas spending was in the grocery store?  If it was, then I suppose my bad eyes are at fault again.

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14 minutes ago, 12string said:

Mastercard's actual numbers show a spending increase of 2.4% in store and 61.4% online over 2019.  Overall sales increased 10.7% over 2019.  Can't do that if there's isn't inventory.

Inflation.  So, same or fewer items at a higher price.  I'm thinking in-store spending is up in COST but lower in actual PRODUCT.  For on-line both COST and VOLUME are up - a lot.

As I pointed out in a different thread, if you're doing 20% greater volume of shipping containers in 2021 vs 2019, that product has to be going somewhere. And obviously, too much money in consumers' hands mean more competition for finite resources.

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9 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

Inflation.  So, same or fewer items at a higher price.  I'm thinking in-store spending is up in COST but lower in actual PRODUCT.  For on-line both COST and VOLUME are up - a lot.

As I pointed out in a different thread, if you're doing 20% greater volume of shipping containers in 2021 vs 2019, that product has to be going somewhere. And obviously, too much money in consumers' hands mean more competition for finite resources.

2 year inflation is 8.2%.  Sales increased 10.7%.  It's just math.

Maxx, not saying you didn't see what you saw.  Just pointing out that your experience at a Stop 'n Shop doesn't prove the 91% inventory numbers wrong.

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1 minute ago, 12string said:

2 year inflation is 8.2%.  Sales increased 10.7%.  It's just math.

I guess we'll assume Mastercard's 10.7% (that was MC 2019 vs 2021 number?) matches the inflation calculation you're citing? I'm thinking some inflation numbers would include a lot of items not tracked or paid for by a Mastercard - housing cost, new car purchases, utilities, etc..  Or even just in different degrees?  

I'm just in the middle looking at the variable and not trying to toss out political bombs like Wilbur.  We can't keep him from going into P&R at every opportunity, but we can discuss the real topic at hand instead.

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2 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

I guess we'll assume Mastercard's 10.7% (that was MC 2019 vs 2021 number?) matches the inflation calculation you're citing? I'm thinking some inflation numbers would include a lot of items not tracked or paid for by a Mastercard - housing cost, new car purchases, utilities, etc..  Or even just in different degrees?  

I'm just in the middle looking at the variable and not trying to toss out political bombs like Wilbur.  We can't keep him from going into P&R at every opportunity, but we can discuss the real topic at hand instead.

In the interest of fairness, the numbers from Mastercard don't tell the whole picture.  We'll have to wait for Q4 numbers from retailers.  But from what I've seen so far, everyone is reporting the same - the 91% inventory number is real.  The warnings about Christmas (which I also heeded) never turned into an actual problem.

What I haven't seen is breakdowns by type of inventory.  Just surmising here - long term goods, like TVs and stuff have been in the pipeline for a while.  Efforts to ease the shipping issue got that on the shelves, and it doesn't turn over quickly.  Short term, things like food, with near instant turn over, are far more susceptible to interruptions.   So it could be 98% inventory at Best buy but 80% at the Acme.

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16 minutes ago, Razors Edge said:

I'm just in the middle looking at the variable and not trying to toss out political bombs like Wilbur.  We can't keep him from going into P&R at every opportunity, but we can discuss the real topic at hand instead.

Touchy, touchy!  I don't remember you being so sensitive a year ago. :)  

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4 minutes ago, 12string said:

In the interest of fairness, the numbers from Mastercard don't tell the whole picture.  We'll have to wait for Q4 numbers from retailers.  But from what I've seen so far, everyone is reporting the same - the 91% inventory number is real.  The warnings about Christmas (which I also heeded) never turned into an actual problem.

What I haven't seen is breakdowns by type of inventory.  Just surmising here - long term goods, like TVs and stuff have been in the pipeline for a while.  Efforts to ease the shipping issue got that on the shelves, and it doesn't turn over quickly.  Short term, things like food, with near instant turn over, are far more susceptible to interruptions.   So it could be 98% inventory at Best buy but 80% at the Acme.

Yes - it is more nuanced that many folks want it to be, but I just see it in bikes :angry:  I still see a real shortage of bikes with the newer Shimano DA or Ultregra 12sp gruppos. Seems many bike brands like Specialized expanded their SRAM builds, and the previously "common" Ultegra builds plummeted.  That's gotta be tied to supply chain issues - manufacturing slowdown and then a shipping slowdown - so we'll see if it starts letting up soon.  It's been two years of bike supply wackiness, and I look forward to seeing that let up.  I, like many (most?) Americans, have a lot of money in my pocket waiting for stuff to BUY BUY BUY. 

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Getting a refrigerator was challenging, but it happened. Now I need tires.

The grocery stores here are well stocked when they have enough staff to do the work.

I found the local stores well stocked with inventory for the most part. The bookstores had most of what I wanted. I went to a local ski shop and the owner said inventory is lower than they'd like and some things will arrive in May, but I was able to get some skis for my GF. She bought boots and poles there too. 

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1 minute ago, denniS said:

The grocery stores here are well stocked when they have enough staff to do the work.

When I had a pub in Banff, we had to supply housing and hire Temporary Foreign Workers, primarily Aussie students to fill the positions.  No locals could afford to live and work there. 

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2 minutes ago, denniS said:

The grocery stores here are well stocked when they have enough staff to do the work.

Conceptually, that's another problem with too much darn money in the wrong people's pockets.  Why work two jobs or overtime if you don't need to?  

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Just now, Wilbur said:

When I had a pub in Banff, we had to supply housing and hire Temporary Foreign Workers, primarily Aussie students to fill the positions.  No locals could afford to live and work there. 

Albertson's does that here. Lots of J1s mostly from Russia. I used to live near little Moscow as they called it. That's been on hold because of covid. Depending on when you go, the shelves might be empty, but there are boxes on the floor in front of the shelves. That's normal here even before covid. 

There is no available affordable housing so every business is short staffed to some degree. 

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1 hour ago, 12string said:

2 year inflation is 8.2%.  Sales increased 10.7%.  It's just math.

Maxx, not saying you didn't see what you saw.  Just pointing out that your experience at a Stop 'n Shop doesn't prove the 91% inventory numbers wrong.

Are the online Christmas sales covering a lack of food in the grocery stores?  There are reports that even restaurants can't get enough chicken for making tenders.  Produce quality as well as quantity is poor around here.

I'm not sure where cat food is canned, but a storewide shortage of several brands has to indicate some sort of supply chain problem.  Litter is in short supply as well.  Prices on beef have gone through the roof.  There is lots of toilet paper and paper towels though.  :P

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6 hours ago, maddmaxx said:

I'll go shopping later this week at a different store.

Or... you were there the day before 1 or 2 truck loads stuff arrives. 

I've noticed it matters what day of the week we go to our LGS.   The wrong day, and the bread that WoBG likes won't be there.  Generally later in the week, they will have lots of the bread.

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50 minutes ago, jdc2000 said:

My local shops seldom have a better sale price, and are usually much higher even when the shipping is added.

 

Fixed it for me. ^^^^

The last set of tires for WoBG's 97 Prelude was an online purchase for wheels and tires from Tire Rack.  The UPS guy didn't mind... he rolled the tires (mounted to the wheels) to my garage.

Most of my tires have been purchsed from Discount Tire.   They rotate for free and add air for free....  but unless I'm near the store (it's 45 miles away), I'll either use my floor jack and do the rotation myself or just have it done when the local mechanic (I don't work on my cars any more, I gave that up...) does what needs to be done.   I still add air with my air compressor, when needed.

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2 hours ago, Bikeguy said:

Fixed it for me. ^^^^

The last set of tires for WoBG's 97 Prelude was an online purchase for wheels and tires from Tire Rack.  The UPS guy didn't mind... he rolled the tires (mounted to the wheels) to my garage.

Most of my tires have been purchsed from Discount Tire.   They rotate for free and add air for free....  but unless I'm near the store (it's 45 miles away), I'll either use my floor jack and do the rotation myself or just have it done when the local mechanic (I don't work on my cars any more, I gave that up...) does what needs to be done.   I still add air with my air compressor, when needed.

I don't like to rotate without balancing. Some places like to rotate tires when doing other jobs, but I pass on the offer. Driving on gravel roads, particularly in the spring can cause some problems with mud accumulation, etc.. I think the nearest discount tire center  for me is in Billings, 150 miles west. Tire Rama provides 'free' flat repair, balance, and rotation, locally. 

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2 hours ago, Bikeguy said:

I still add air with my air compressor, when needed.

 

Wait...  You're not saying that you capture Free Range Air, without a Permit, and pen it up in a lightless, confined space that severely limits freedom of movement for long periods of time with little hope of release except under potentially catastrophic circumstances??? 

:runcirclsmiley:

 

 

 

;)

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19 minutes ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

Wait...  You're not saying that you capture Free Range Air, without a Permit, and pen it up in a lightless, confined space that severely limits freedom of movement for long periods of time with little hope of release except under potentially catastrophic circumstances??? 

Yes...  

But the summer air did get an early release.  Winter air is now in solitary confinement until late spring time.   Summer air now has legal representation, and has filed a lawsuit against me to only use non-seasonal air.   Something in the lawsuit mentioned inequity that summer was confined for nearly 8 months in the last year.  :scratchhead:

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6 hours ago, Thaddeus Kosciuszko said:

 

Wait...  You're not saying that you capture Free Range Air, without a Permit, and pen it up in a lightless, confined space that severely limits freedom of movement for long periods of time with little hope of release except under potentially catastrophic circumstances??? 

:runcirclsmiley:

 

 

 

;)

Nominated.

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