little store tags that give discounts on what you buy
By bdugas
@bdugas (3578)
United States
July 1, 2008 7:57pm CST
I don't know about where you live, but here in Ohio each store, grocery, drug store, has a plastic card that you present at the register and you get a discount on all you buy. My question is if, without the card or tag it is $6.58 and with the card it is only $3.29, why isn't it $3.29 to start with. I don't understand the way they price things, I'm glad that they are only charging me $3.29 for the item instead of $6.58 but wouldn't it be better to just make the prices the lower cost at all times. Do you understand this and do you have discount cards at the grocery and drug stores where you live.
And I'm sure they aren't losing money on the item at the lower price or they wouldn't be selling it at that price. Ever wonder how the General Dollar store can sell an item for $1.00 and the same item at the grocery store is $4.29. You know the dollar store ain't losing money either. I guess it is get rich off of me if I go somewhere else and shop instead of the dollar store for the cleaning supplies I need. So what is your take on this.
3 people like this
8 responses
@baileycows (3665)
• United States
2 Jul 08
Well they give you these cards to entice you to shop there and bring them your money. We have some stores here in my area that are like this. What I have found though is that I can get the same stuff without a card from Walmart cheaper than I can get it at the other stores with the card.
1 person likes this
@theproperator (2429)
• United States
2 Jul 08
As with all stores, they make up for slim profits (or no profit) with the discounted items by people buying other items that have a higher mark-up so they don't have to go somewhere else for it. Cleaning products and pet products are always more expensive at the grocery store, but many people will buy them there while they are getting groceries rather than make a seperate trip to another store where it is priced less.
The sale items are the hook to get you in the store, because most people will end up buying something that is not on sale while they are there.
@bdugas (3578)
• United States
2 Jul 08
No every thing is reduced price if you have this card, my question was if they can reduce it with a card then why not reduce it all the time and not have the other price, but you are probably both right once you in the store you buy other items so you don't have to make another stop.
@theproperator (2429)
• United States
2 Jul 08
Oh, I see. At the store I go to, the tag only gets you discounts on some items, but not others. I agree with you about the prices, if that's what your going to charge 90% of the people, why not just make that the price all the time. Really sticks it to people who are just visiting the area or don't shop there often so don't bother to fill out the form to get a tag.
The stores like the tags because they use the tag to record what people buy and such and somehow that helps them figure out marketing strategies and target consumer groups.
@bowtieguy (5915)
• United States
5 Jul 08
They have those here to, the only problem is that what I want is not always avaiable at a discounted price. It is fun to count up the savings though.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
2 Jul 08
plastic cards drive me crazy, I had tons of them. Price Chopper, they track your spending, also you get a coupon for either the same or a rival at the counter, plus I wonder, too. If gas is $4.33 a gallon or more where I live, how can Price Chopper give me ten cents off my gas for every $50 I spend there? So gas really isn't $4.33, right? Those cards track your spending and try to get you shopping at their stores.
Hannaford's no plastic cards, they did away with them, but they do seem to have some stuff as more expensive. Whatever is says the sale is on the shelf, that's what it is. Some people go to Hannaford's so they don't ahve the cards tracking them, I go because the produce is cheaper and because they had the cloth bags first, Price Chopper is copycatting them years later. I think the companies pay Price Chopper to have you use a card, so their coupons will come up at the register. But I can't figure out the Sunoco-Price Chopper connection.
@writersedge (22563)
• United States
2 Jul 08
Sorry, whateve it says not is and the produce is fresher, not cheaper
@chrislotz (8137)
• Canada
2 Jul 08
Most of the items that the dollar store sells is a knock off and not the original brand. So they pay a lot less than the store does that buys the original brand. But most of the products doesn't matter that it is a knock off so why not buy it for the $1.00.
I don't understand the point of discount or membership cards because even if you don't have one, they punch you in as a guest and you get the discount price anyways. I have found that most stores here in Calgary will do that. The ones that won't do it, I just don't shop at those ones. I am not going to pay more money for something that other people are paying less for, and I should be paying less for too. I do have some membership cards though. I have an air miles card and a safeway card and a coop card. I mostly use my coop card because I get a check sent to me once a year, which is based on how much I spent all year, including on all the gas I buy from them too.
@kenzie45230 (3560)
• United States
2 Jul 08
I've always hated the loyalty cards, and in fact, hardly ever used them until I did move to Ohio in 2005. Before that - in TX, FL and MI - I would shop where I didn't have to use a stupid card to get a discount.
I'm with you on this one. If they can sell something to thousands and thousands of customers who have a card for a certain price, why can't they sell to everyone at that prices? Grrr.
I'm not sure what kind of profits grocery stores get, but I do know that when I worked at Sears as part of our orientation training, they told each employee how much of each dollar was profit. It wasn't much.
@slickcut (8141)
• United States
2 Jul 08
Those stores are making money even off of your discounted price.I have seen things in the dollar store for $1.00 and seen the same thing at another stores for a lot higher...If the dollar store can sell it for a little over a dollar then you know they are making a profit...Anything you buy,even sale prices the stores are making a huge profit..If they wasn't they could not stay in business..I use to work at Walmart in the jewerly dept...I saw the tags on the merchandise that came in, thats what the store paid for the item...When they priced these items they marked them up 3 to 5 times what they paid,some items much more...
@kblakley (247)
• Loveland, Ohio
2 Jul 08
I too am from Ohio and have some of these cards too. To be honest, yes I used to let these cards decide for me where I was shopping according to their discounts, but I realized that stores like Wal-Mart and even Meijer give me these same discounts and the other items aren't as high either. For example, one store I sometimes go to is Marsh and they have the card discounts, but if I need any items besides groceries the prices are outrageous, so I end up at Wal-mart anyway. I no longer go to these stores anymore unless its for a couple of items I forgot or need after I already shopped at Wal-Mart. Marsh is closer to me than any other store so it makes quick items easy, but too expensive even with card to do my full grocery shopping.
Also, I used to work at the General Dollar store and be careful when purchasing food items from them...ALWAYS CHECK YOUR EXPIRATION DATES! A lot of what they get is close to expire thats how they get it. Don't get me wrong you will get good deals there, just pay attention to what your getting!
