Haggling over food at the grocery store

[CourierDriver]

If you enjoy high prices for food at the grocery then this is not for you. Between N.Y. and L.A. some folks may not like paying high food prices. A Plan, just haggle over each product in your basket when you check out. So 12 registers, 20 folks per register in line times over 500 products and maybe u might get a traffic jam going in the store.. so whats the big deal in this, nothing. We haggle over buying a home, and over car purchases

at a dealer, and over stuff at a flea-market. Well its a thought, maybe the occupy crowd could use this idea.

 

[Bottom_Feeder]

We do not live in a bartering culture. If someone tried that in front of me while while I was waiting patiently in line at the grocery store (or anywhere else), they would get an earful and a boot in the rear.

 

[Astro14]

Should this be in the humor section? You're not really serious, are you?

Margins on grocery items are very thin. There's no real room for them to deal. Don't like the prices, shop elsewhere...

This proposal isn't really haggling...it's just acting out...and frankly, if you were to hold up your projected 500 people in line, the only point you've made is that you're a jerk willing to make other people pay a price to get what you want...

 

[The Critic]

One time, when I was having a bad day, I decided to take up Walmart on their price match guarantee.

So, I pushed my cart of groceries to the register, then handed the clerk a stack of the competing ads (from other grocery stores) with the various items circled. You should've seen the looks from other people...

 

[bepperb]

When I worked at Kmart (circa 1996) we would price match things all the time. That's how you can "haggle" if you want to. At that time we could knock 10% off the price just for having the competitor's ad without getting a manager. I also worked at best buy but never as a cashier, but they also had this policy.

But realistically, grocery margins are too thin so they probably will just ask you to leave.

 

[Gabe]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
Margins on grocery items are very thin. There's no real room for them to deal.

When I was 19, I worked the service counter at Walmart part time. It would be very rare to see anything sold in the store with less than a 20% markup. Most of the bulk food, candy and some sodas was marked up several hundred percent.

 

[apwillard1986]

Originally Posted By: Astro14
Should this be in the humor section? You're not really serious, are you?

Margins on grocery items are very thin. There's no real room for them to deal. Don't like the prices, shop elsewhere...

This proposal isn't really haggling...it's just acting out...and frankly, if you were to hold up your projected 500 people in line and the only point you've made is that you're a jerk willing to make other people pay a price to get what you want...


Actually, like allot of retail items, the margin on groceries is higher than that of purchases over which we do haggle; such as a car. However, as cheap as I am and as careful I am to save every chance I get... I would never do this to the clerk or the people behind me. If it happens in front of me I should be certain to exact enough embarrassment to negate any savings said ignoramus was to enjoy.

 

[GROUCHO MARX]

Originally Posted By: Gabe
When I was 19, I worked the service counter at Walmart part time. It would be very rare to see anything sold in the store with less than a 20% markup. Most of the bulk food, candy and some sodas was marked up several hundred percent.

You're talking gross margins not net margins. Grocery store net margins are typically 3-4%.

 

[Gabe]

Isn't gross margins what we should be looking at?? A store internal structures should not be a major concern.

 

[01rangerxl]

I'll take convenience over harassing a poor cashier who probably has no pricing authority and is just trying to get through the day. Haggling is a nuisance for most people in the US, so it is limited to certain markets such as cars, houses, Craigslist, flea markets, etc.

 

[TooManyWheels]

Originally Posted By: Gabe
Originally Posted By: GROUCHO MARX
You're talking gross margins not net margins. Grocery store net margins are typically 3-4%.

Isn't gross margins what we should be looking at?? A store internal structures should not be a major concern.

The difference between gross and net margins is what the expenses of the store get paid from. Are you saying that you don't mind bargaining away what the rent, employees, etc. get paid from?

If that is someone's mindset, I think they should shop from someone selling fish from the trunk of his car off on the side of a rural road. Maybe they could trade him a chicken....

 

[Ursae_Majoris]

Originally Posted By: Gabe
Isn't gross margins what we should be looking at?? A store internal structures should not be a major concern.

Not, if you want the store to exist. They will not slit their own throat. Since net margins are so low, stores are already motivated to cut costs elsewhere (i.e gross margins). Your salary, as a 19-year old, came from those gross margins. The only way to cut them is cut you, cut selection and service. Look at Aldi's for a business model that does that.

If you haggle, they will laugh at you and send you on your way empty-handed.

Wal-mart already runs as efficient operation as there is, but their most recent food price cut is subsidized by sales elsewhere in the store. Gross margins are what they are.

 

[opus1]

Originally Posted By: 01rangerxl
I'll take convenience over harassing a poor cashier who probably has no pricing authority and is just trying to get through the day. Haggling is a nuisance for most people in the US, so it is limited to certain markets such as cars, houses, Craigslist, flea markets, etc.
This. Besides, between sales and coupon use, I save enough as it is.

 

[Gabe]

I only pointed out that grocery stores have a higher markup than the other stores mentioned - flea market, car dealers and realtors.

Now, you expect me, the consumer, to pay more or differently because a store has higher operating costs. Would you?? If Ford announced that their CEO was to get a 15 million dollar pay increase, would you take that into consideration when buying a new car?? Would you offer $1000 over invoice instead of $500 since they now have a smaller net margin??

 

[Rand]

just shop the ad.

for example A grocery store near me has coke on sale for 2.50$/12pack cans

then goto a different one for the steak.. and another one for..

oh wait the gas eats into the price savings...

 

[CourierDriver]

Good input from many. Some will buy at any price because of holding up the line, some will strike u and assault you, some are embarrassed, some know all the markup margins. Hmm, so that's was a good experiment. PS, Has anyone looked at the shrinkage of cans( less product and increase of price, coca-cola just did that) Not trying to start a mess, but if I can think of it, there must be more. The small pct of replies is not enough for a statical report, but thinks anyway, only 300 million folks to send this too now. Its a big internet, Spain, France, Italy, and so on. I will keep seeking data in the States for sure.

 

[PandaBear]

Depends on which store, you may get away once in a while but if they know their prices are fine (based on their volume) they will refuse.

Also depends on how much is your time, you probably can save more by buying some items from a different store and make multiple trips.

Or go wait in line for food in the soup kitchen, that'll probably be more profitable.

 

[Ursae_Majoris]

Originally Posted By: Gabe
I only pointed out that grocery stores have a higher markup than the other stores mentioned - flea market, car dealers and realtors.

Now, you expect me, the consumer, to pay more or differently because a store has higher operating costs. Would you?? If Ford announced that their CEO was to get a 15 million dollar pay increase, would you take that into consideration when buying a new car?? Would you offer $1000 over invoice instead of $500 since they now have a smaller net margin??


Realtor makes 3% on a house sale, so a $200K house grosses the Realtor $6K. $1 soup can grosses 20 cents to the grocer. They will need to sell 30K cans to make the same $6K that realtor did, plus pay out utilities, FICA, benefits, unemployment insurance, corporate tax that self-employed/contract labor realtor did not have to.

Flea market---not paying utilities, employees, state/federal taxes, unemployment insurance, no charge back or return costs...

You are very naive to compare three completely different businesses and expect them all to follow the same pricing structure.

Your Ford example is invalid. I'd compare Ford to Chrysler, to Hyundai to Nissan. All are car companies.
You are comparing different INDUSTRIES, manufacturing (cars) vs 2 service industries selling completely different markets and products (Realtors and Groceries)

 

[PeteTheFarmer]

When I worked produce, I had a few people try to get me to mark down items. Explaining I didn't have the authority and that we had a reduced items section usually took care of it. One guy I had to turn over to the dept manager because he wouldn't take no for an answer. Professional negotiator, perhaps?

 

[Astro14]

My time is worth something too...I'll haggle to save thousands on a house or car...but to save a few pennies on bread? Cmon...I've got more fruitful uses for my time...ones with a lot more economic return or personal satisfaction than browbeating a high school kid or junior manager working the checkout line....

You want to spend less on groceries? Clip coupons, buy only what you need and avoid the high markup junk like soda, candy and snack food....