Retail Watchers

I do not understand what they are doing. They were making noticeable improvements in 2023, trying to reinvest in the all-but-defunct Super format, and beating Walmart on price with private label foods. Now they have these disastrous SKU reductions that are being randomly tested in stores which leav...

I highly doubt they have any control over this. There are many major vendors who will not do any business with companies in receivership, even if offered cash up front. This is all a recent development out of 2020. Most retailers started playing games with their vendors under the threat of the pand...

After visiting half a dozen Fry's this weekend, I am baffled as to where the criticism is coming from.... I can tell you where it is coming from. Their produce is typically on the verge of being rotten, meat isn't very good, bakery products don't have much flavor, and the stores are a mess. There a...

Target threw another "food and grocery" $5 off $30 coupon. Their food pricing is terrible and I actually see what seem like price increases this week compared to last week... Using the coupon got their prices about down to Wal Mart levels, at best, but I think I still ended up paying more...

I blame whoever/whatever has made this decision to not restock inventory in the stores properly in the past couple months. I don't know what is causing this (I have my ideas but they're unsubstantiated), but it is unacceptable. Whatever creditor groups who are trying to "preserve" this com...

Donki seems quite popular with the locals, who seem quite fed up with Kmart. On the other hand, Kmart still seems quite popular with tourists. Social media reports that the store dropped its remaining fresh food quite a while ago, and they now have pantry and frozen items. I think the managers of K...

Those Frys that were original Smiths may as well be a Smiths at this point because the stores are largely identical in mix and everything else. Just how Kroger has made everything so much "the same." The Smiths units being mostly larger give them a lot of space to work with. Usually not th...

Not seeing here in Michigan the dire reports you're reporting from CA. Interestingly, the clearance sections universally (i.e. at all stores) have cold/flu merchandise (generally more esoteric SKUs and CPAP/digital thermometer merchandise) recently added around here. Lower volume stores don't look ...

Darden has famously degraded its acquisitions. Red Lobster's heyday was under General Mills---Darden sold them because they were an underperformer. They tried saving money by combining RL and Olive Garden kitchens, which makes no sense. Longhorn was much better under its original ownership. Darden'...

After visiting half a dozen Fry's this weekend, I am baffled as to where the criticism is coming from. I've driven from Peoria to Glendale to Gilbert to Chandler to Tempe and to Scottsdale plus through the city. I would kill for a single Ralphs in SoCal that executes on the level of every Fry's I'v...