Re: Wired's Picture of the Week
Posted: 30 Sep 2018, 16:09
The years I was growing up, we had a small home town grocery store only three doors down from our house. This is where my family did almost all of their shopping. I believe it was AG stocked store. Across the street in the other other direction was an IGA, and a couple of blocks further up the road was an A&P. Most of the rest of the grocers were independents, but got much of their inventory from the AG warehouses.
Schnucks was the first of the larger home town grocers, and Dierbergs was only up north back then. Schnucks didn't seem to hurt our local grocer because his draw was his butcher department.
We never had Walmart stores back then, because they all sprung up in rural areas, and then finally began to appear in more populated cities.
My grandmother bought everything except meats from Kroger, because it was within walking distance to her house. Mom would pick her up and take her to our next door grocer for meats, or to the butcher only shop where one of her daughters worked.
AG stores carried a canned goods brand, probably their own, named Topmost. This is basically what I grew up on, so we preferred this brand over many name brand products.
I don't normally eat canned beef stew, can't stand the taste of any brand I tried. That being said, there was short period of time when all the stores carried plain black n white label products. The plain black n white label Beef Stew was the best I ever tasted, and try as I might to find out who the manufacturer was, I never could until the craze was over. I don't remember the makers name anymore, but it didn't matter, they only sold in a few southern states.
The only brand of Chow Mein I liked was Chun King, which AG stores carried. Then after ConAgra bought out nearly every canned food company, they controlled what areas Chun King and other brands were sold in. Fortunately, I had a friend who moved to central California and when she saw Chun King was available there, she would ship me a case every year for my birthday.
Gotta share this with you. We buy a lot of bakery packaged rye bread, usually Arnolds or Pepperidge Farm.
Rye bread is usually only made once a week by the bakers, which is why it is in the airtight cellophane.
Stores like Schnucks and Dierbergs get the large end, discount stores the small end, and Deli's the center section.
The frau came home with an Entire long loaf Friday, for the same price we usually pay for only the small end. This was like getting three loaves for the price of one!
Now to get my dig in about Walmart, hi hi. Price comparison for Pepperidge Farm Rye Bread only.
Walmart price $3.89 large end.
Kroger price $3.69 large end.
Aldi price $3.29 small end.
Pepperidge Farm Outlet store. Fresh $2.99 Deli, $2.69 Large end, $2.29 Small end.
Pepperidge Farm Outlet store. Day Old $2.39 Deli, $1.99 Large end, $1.69 Small end.
Our Local UGO (United Grocery Outlet). Fresh Small end $1.34. Day Old $0.89-$1.14 Small end.
Arnold Rye Bread usually sells for the same price as Pepperidge Farm at UGO.
Now, why should I drive all the way to Walmart to pay $3.89, when UGO's is always $1.34 for Fresh.
When no store really has Fresh Rye Bread. I think Day Old Rye is really Week Old Rye, hi hi.
I don't know about back home anymore, but down here, Walmart is usually priced higher than the local stores.
Schnucks was the first of the larger home town grocers, and Dierbergs was only up north back then. Schnucks didn't seem to hurt our local grocer because his draw was his butcher department.
We never had Walmart stores back then, because they all sprung up in rural areas, and then finally began to appear in more populated cities.
My grandmother bought everything except meats from Kroger, because it was within walking distance to her house. Mom would pick her up and take her to our next door grocer for meats, or to the butcher only shop where one of her daughters worked.
AG stores carried a canned goods brand, probably their own, named Topmost. This is basically what I grew up on, so we preferred this brand over many name brand products.
I don't normally eat canned beef stew, can't stand the taste of any brand I tried. That being said, there was short period of time when all the stores carried plain black n white label products. The plain black n white label Beef Stew was the best I ever tasted, and try as I might to find out who the manufacturer was, I never could until the craze was over. I don't remember the makers name anymore, but it didn't matter, they only sold in a few southern states.
The only brand of Chow Mein I liked was Chun King, which AG stores carried. Then after ConAgra bought out nearly every canned food company, they controlled what areas Chun King and other brands were sold in. Fortunately, I had a friend who moved to central California and when she saw Chun King was available there, she would ship me a case every year for my birthday.
Gotta share this with you. We buy a lot of bakery packaged rye bread, usually Arnolds or Pepperidge Farm.
Rye bread is usually only made once a week by the bakers, which is why it is in the airtight cellophane.
Stores like Schnucks and Dierbergs get the large end, discount stores the small end, and Deli's the center section.
The frau came home with an Entire long loaf Friday, for the same price we usually pay for only the small end. This was like getting three loaves for the price of one!
Now to get my dig in about Walmart, hi hi. Price comparison for Pepperidge Farm Rye Bread only.
Walmart price $3.89 large end.
Kroger price $3.69 large end.
Aldi price $3.29 small end.
Pepperidge Farm Outlet store. Fresh $2.99 Deli, $2.69 Large end, $2.29 Small end.
Pepperidge Farm Outlet store. Day Old $2.39 Deli, $1.99 Large end, $1.69 Small end.
Our Local UGO (United Grocery Outlet). Fresh Small end $1.34. Day Old $0.89-$1.14 Small end.
Arnold Rye Bread usually sells for the same price as Pepperidge Farm at UGO.
Now, why should I drive all the way to Walmart to pay $3.89, when UGO's is always $1.34 for Fresh.
When no store really has Fresh Rye Bread. I think Day Old Rye is really Week Old Rye, hi hi.
I don't know about back home anymore, but down here, Walmart is usually priced higher than the local stores.