I have been shopping in my local grocer for many years, but lately I am getting absolutely fed up with it. It’s not just because I’m old and cranky either. This little independent grocer used to be a great store, with acceptable prices for its goods. However, over the last couple of months I have been particularly disgusted at its prices — they are jumping quicker than a crack-addicted kangaroo.
I started taking particular notice of the price hikes. Everything appears to be going up! Every week when I’m doing my shop I notice more and more products are dropped and are being replaced by the store’s own brand, with a higher price than the known brand. It is a bit cheeky, if you ask me. The pet food I buy for my dog, jumped a whopping 30 cents in one week, while paper towels went up by $1. Did the store think its customers wouldn’t notice? I did!
How can it justify selling parsnips for $18.99 a kilo. I needed one for soup, I held it up, it was soft and it dropped like a 95-year-old man’s appendage. I tried the rest and they were all the same. That’s not fair. Sure, the store’s specials are good, but they are not what they use to be and they are not good enough to balance the rising prices on the every day purchases that one needs.
This store also needs to get real with the bags of washed potatoes it stocks. It would be fairer to the consumer if a sign was placed on them saying: ‘$2.99 Washed Potatoes. Maybe they will all be good, maybe they won’t. Life is a gamble.’ I’d have a fair idea of what was in the bag. It would be better still if the bags were completely clear so that the spuds are visible. Who is packing these things anyway?
When the ‘use by’ dates are up, but someone wants to buy and asks for a discount, don’t say ‘no’ then say yes when the customer offers to pay full price. That’s not right. With all that profit you are making some could go on donating food to the homeless.
It has become a lot cheaper for me to catch a bus and go to one of the major shopping outlets — Coles, Woolworths or Aldi — but I admit it is far less convenient. I no longer have to consider selling a kidney on the black market to pay for food. However, there are members of the community who, for whatever reason, are unable to drive or take public transport, relying on the smaller, neighbourhood grocers. When I see independent stores such as this one taking advantage it highlights that money and greed really are ruling the world… and our community independent grocers.