Is our local grocery store now run by aliens?<\/p>\n
Last night Caleb my son said \u201cDad, get the green peppers. They\u2019re only 99 cents per pound.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, that can\u2019t be right,\u201d I retorted. \u201cThey\u2019re supposed to be 99 cents each.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cWell, the cardboard sign above says 99 cents per pound, even though the plastic sign on the rack says 99 cents each, so get \u2018em,\u201d Caleb insisted.<\/p>\n
I looked at him and smiled. We had a situation similar to this with Wheaties a year ago (See my blog \u201cHow to Leverage Wheaties<\/a>\u201d). So I let him get a bag full.<\/p>\n We went to the self checkout where you can have the most fun, because people don\u2019t expect you to move fast, have a clue what you are doing, or put 19 dollars worth of nickels in the \u201cMoney Sucker\u201d machine.<\/p>\n When the computer rang up 99 cents each, I brought it to the attendant\u2019s attention. She said \u201cThey\u2019re 99 cents each.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cThe sign on the produce rack says 99 cents per pound,\u201d I responded innocently.<\/p>\n She called for a \u201cprice check\u201d and after a bit of discussion, the guy came back with \u201cThey\u2019re 99 cents each.\u201d<\/p>\n With feigned disgust (I was beginning to have fun playing with the system) I insisted that he accompany me to the produce rack where I pointed to the sign that said 99 cents per pound.<\/p>\n \u201cI was going by this,\u201d he said, as he pointed to the tiny 1 inch sign on the produce rack at the bottom.<\/p>\n \u201cI was going by this,\u201d I said as I pointed to the 8X10 inch colored sign above the produce.<\/p>\n The \u201cprice checker\u201d guy told the attendant to give us the cheaper of the two prices. After whispered exchanges between employees, frustrated looks, and an apology or two, City Market in Carbondale gave us the peppers for free. They didn\u2019t have a store manager who could override the computer. A wise choice on their part.<\/p>\n \u201cShrink\u201d comes in all forms at a grocery store. The one that apparently isn\u2019t\u00a0 addressed at all is \u201cstupidity.\u201d<\/p>\n They should\u2019ve hired me last year when I applied for the manager position in the produce department.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Is our local grocery store now run by aliens? Last night Caleb my son said \u201cDad, get the green peppers. They\u2019re only 99 cents per pound.\u201d \u201cNo, that can\u2019t be right,\u201d I retorted. \u201cThey\u2019re supposed to be 99 cents each.\u201d … Continue reading