Don't buy anything at Kroger's

[Blue Full Moon]

Went there today. It's local grocery store. They dropped the prices on a lot of things. They are manipulating the election. The prices are not from supply and demand or stock market but by their whim.

[Hope22]

1. You might want to check.

I think Biden has been working on this already!

[Blue Full Moon]

3. After the election

[Hope22]

33. No....before...

[tritsofme]

2. We used to call that a "sale"

This is really getting silly.

[Jk23]

5. Before the election Turkey was 1.49 a pound

And now it is 79 cents a pound... Conspiracy I am telling you...

[TexasBushwhacker]

15. Turkeys have always been a loss leader

Get folks in the store to buy EVERYTHING for Thanksgiving dinner, but sell the turkeys for cheap.

[niyad]

31. Yes, the dastardly conspiracy known as Thanksgiving, when holiday-

related items, including food and gift items go on sale. EVIL!!!

[mahatmakanejeeves]

39. This has been Big Turkey's plan all along. NT

[JohnnyRingo]

4. Thank You Joe Biden! Better late than never.

They can't stand to cut into their profits and prices will rebound after DJT takes the oath.

[Hope22]

9. It's taken four years and T hasn't really been held accountable yet.

Yet Biden is supposed to work magic!

[Dennis Donovan]

6. From August:

Newsweek - Kroger Executive Admits Company Gouged Prices Above Inflation

Published Aug 28, 2024 at 3:52 PM EDT
Updated Aug 31, 2024 at 9:11 AM EDT

A top company leader at Kroger has admitted during an antitrust trial the company gouged prices on select items above inflation levels.

While testifying to a Federal Trade Commission attorney Tuesday, Kroger's Senior Director for Pricing Andy Groff said the grocery giant had raised prices for eggs and milk beyond inflation levels.

"This is not at all surprising," Drew Powers, the founder of Illinois-based Powers Financial Group, told Newsweek. "Companies across multiple industries have been posting record profits since the COVID-19 crisis while consumers have faced the highest inflation in recent history. The math can only point to companies raising prices above the general level of inflation. As the old saying goes, 'Never let a good crisis go to waste.'"

The questioning came during a court hearing for Kroger's FTC suit after the retail giant announced it would be acquiring top grocery competitor Albertsons.

/snip

[Hope22]

7. Thank you for posting this.

[marybourg]

8. Prices go up and down. Got a notice this morning from Whole Foods

that the 1 thing I buy there just went down $.50 or 5%. Something I ordered from Amazon today also went down $.50 or 10%. Everything else I ordered today stayed pretty much the same.

Do you have any proof that Kroger is actually manipulating prices and their wholesale prices have remained the same?

If things go up in price too much, I buy something else, or nothing. Can’t stop shopping at the only large supermarket in the area and one that offers both pick-up and delivery. And even if I could I wouldn’t. Not based on their prices going down, anyway.

[Blue Full Moon]

10. They also admitted to backing republicans

Republicans cause inflation and it gives them maximum profits. They are giving everyone the impression that trump lowered the prices and not Biden.

[blm]

11. Publix was doing the same throughout Sept and October

The prices on meat were nearly doubled in N.C. It was apparent they were manipulation perceptions for the election.

[Autumn]

12. I shop there. I will continue to do so.

Everyone of them do that shit. We live in a corporate controlled country. It's not going to change by shopping somewhere else.

[Emile]

13. Wow, dropping the prices on Joe Biden's watch. Joe is doing great!

Noticing gas prices dropping too, Joe Biden did that!

[MayReasonRule]

14. I Empathize With Your Sentiment... Never Suffer To Show That You Care... It's Literally Self Defeating...

We embrace value wherever we find it...

We were reared within one of the many sects of the Abrahamic blood cults of 'Christ'.

Even they recognized from the letters of Saul/Paul that they ought to eat whatever was offered to them without guilt... it was totally acceptable for them to nourish their selves with food that had been previously offered to idols.

If it bothered them... Saul/Paul suggested that they just not ask...

[Cowpunk]

16. ALDI lowered their prices a few months ago, then raised them.

It’s hard to judge what their motives are, but profit seems to be the most obvious. ALDI got some good press, which brought them new customers. It was a short lived marketing gimmick. Corporations like these are constantly testing the waters to find the highest prices their customers will tolerate.

[Blue Full Moon]

17. Another one

The gasoline prices have dropped a little after the election. The WSJ had article That stated that oil prices dropped after trump elected. But while the republicans were crowing the reason isn't really a good thing. The dip is because of the fact that trump tariffs are going to cause the companies and manufacturers are not going to need the oil. The manufacturing is going to decline because of the high prices caused by the tariffs.

[onenote]

30. Gas prices dropped a lot before the election.

Which runs counter to the stubborn "wisdom" here on DU that the oil companies raise prices to hurt Democrats. Well, the prices in six of the seven swing states were lower a month before the election than they were a year before the election, sometimes by more than just a bit, and were even lower the week of the election. Only one state, Georgia, had gas prices that were somewhat higher the month and week before the election than a year before, and even in Georgia the price was lower the week before than the month before and was lower than the national average as well.

[multigraincracker]

18. I'm a true inflation fighter. Retired with lots of time, so....

I shop at least 3 different stores and buy the items I need at the cheapest prices.

[marybourg]

20. If you have the time and energy, that's the best answer.

Not all of us do, so we have to just muddle through as best we can. But this is the first time in my long life that anyone has encouraged me to boycott a store because they lowered their prices.

[niyad]

19. "local"??? kroger is a national chain.

[marybourg]

22. And a huge one at that.

[Blue Full Moon]

28. For here unless not local as owned by

[niyad]

32. ??? could you please explain?

[hlthe2b]

21. King Soopers is part of Kroger's and yes. I shop after the dog park at 6AM. Everyone is stocking but it is empty

otherwise. I had about two dozen things in mind to buy and dutifully viewed each item or their non-brand alternative. At least half the things on the list were on special and though more expensive even on sale than even a couple of months ago, that didn't especially phase me. But then about 8-10 items had increased by 30-40% in price since only the last time I bought them (again about two months ago). I didn't buy them again. I probably could have, but the sense of outrage and depression--thinking about what this would do to those on food stamps just made it impossible for me to even consider buying at that price.

In Colorado, we have the triple problem with eggs if that is still the "thing" that people are squabbling over. While I do like that the legislature approved for only non-caged eggs to be sold, between shortages on that score, and the impacts of the past Avian Flu on poultry farms meant the refrigerated cases were almost empty and have been for the past several trips. Just some large quantity eggs at more than $5/dozen and some really small eggs at $3. I can't blame Krogers or anyone else really for that. Shortages are just that.

But, bottom line, as good as the economy is on the macro academic level, it takes very little to see the pain if you look and don't have someone else doing the shopping/buying. Still, if they were trying to manipulate to help Trump, well they aren't coming down at least here.

Goddess help us if that damned merger gets approved.

[haele]

23. Don't mistake seasonal markdowns as proof of price gouging.

I shop at the DECA Commissary (On base, typically MSRP + shipping prices and not "for profit" ), the local IGAs, and Target or Albertsons.
Since I started regularly shopping at the Commissary in the late 1990's, the mark-up difference between the Commissary and the corporate stores typically ran (on average) between 25% on staples and up to 45% on brand names and specialty products.
Between 2021 and early 2023, the difference was around 50% staples and 60% brand names and specialties.
Now, it's back down to the 25/45 % levels. Just at a higher price point. Probably closer to where it would be with normal inflation, but it's difficult to explain to people who don't deal with managing procurement and lifecycle costs.
And loss leader/seasonal sales always skew people's impression of what the cost of a product should be. Always a dip in some items around holidays and "party season/travel periods"
When I cost out labor, shipping, and consumables on a project, I generally add 2 - 3% inflation each year out for at least 5 years.
But most people look back when estimating costs, not forward.

Haele

[KT2000]

24. They expect to get their merger

through with trump. They were being stopped by a trial because 9 state AGs and the FTC were against it.

[Hope22]

25. November is the cheapest month for food!

Thanksgiving prices drop like a rock.

[bif]

26. It's the only grocery store around.

So I'll continue to shop there. But you do what you want.

[ProfessorGAC]

27. At Our Supermarket...

...prices have been falling on a LOT of everyday items for months.
Meat is down, milk is down, breads are down. So is bottled water, though we don't buy that.
Specials on fesh meat & frozen seafood have been stellar.
Not so much salty snacks, but they haven't gone up. Same with juices, with a couple exceptions that went up; though that seems the case at all stores I've been to, so I think the manufacturer and/or distributor raised wholesale prices.
This is a small chain based in the Chicago exurban market. I think they have 15 stores.
Around here, prices going down aren't election related.
As to gas prices, 2 cents lower since the election, but they went from $3.799 to $3.129 between mid October, with it sticking at $3.159 from just after Labor Day until mid October.
Again, not election related.

[Blue Full Moon]

29. From another poster

Machine Pun Kelly
Does anyone else suspect that corporations were artificially inflating prices to blame Biden to help Trump win the election so they could get even lower tax rates?

Cuz it sure as fuck looks like that happened.
9:25 AM · Nov 12, 2024

[Texasgal]

34. Just so you know...

Presidents have NOTHING to do with the price of GAS.

[Raine]

35. That'll teach them a lesson. 🤣 nt

[Meowmee]

36. I don't think we have any Krogers here

Although I think I saw one yesterday on a trip further maybe. We shop mostly at Aldis now which usually has the lowest prices but which doesn't have everything I need, bjs, costco, target, and a few others but almost never the regular supermarkets except for Shopright when they have sales, and they are close when I leave work. The produce at Aldis is significantly lower priced and seems to be in better condition most of the time as well. My old fav stopnshop is very pricey for everything now, especially produce and theirs goes bad fast. Aldi has the best apples around, they stay crisp for a long time.

I discovered a new Aldis on the trip which is huge, and so clean compared to the two near us, and which has self checkouts. I keep forgetting my quarter for the cart, so I had to use a bag. Bjs and Costco are still cheaper for things I buy in bulk and they have frequent coupons. Overall prices have not come down much from pandemic inflation/gouging etc. but have improved.

[niyad]

40. Perhaps under a name like King Soopers, CityMarket, Baker's, Fry's, Ralph's, etc?

[Meowmee]

41. No

None of those either. I looked it up and apparently there are none here in New York. However, I thought I did see a sign for one when we were driving on the highway but I was exhausted so maybe not.

[Mountainguy]

37. I heard that the day after Thanksgiving...

A lot of stores are going to be doing the same thing.

Dastardly.

[notroot]

38. Pathetic. This is what DU has come to.

[bif]

42. Care to elaborate?

Or just make a blanket statement.