Albertsons’ Soaring Prices

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CalItalian
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Re: Albertsons’ Soaring Prices

Post by CalItalian »

Bagels wrote: October 5th, 2021, 12:28 pm
CalItalian wrote: October 5th, 2021, 12:29 amI have never had an issue with personalized prices working in another division (mainly I travel to Phoenix, Las Vegas & the Bay Area on business and always visit an Albertsons Company store in those areas).

There is no restriction on where your account can be used. Some digital coupons have state restrictions listed on them but Albertsons routinely violates digital manufacturer terms and conditions stipulations - even posting manufacturer coupons in divisions they should not. They also routinely sell California milk products lower than required by the California Milk Advisory board after digital store & manufacturer coupon stacking. Many times I will also find digital manufacturer coupons that stack & stick. Most notorious is $1.25/1 Magnum Ice Cream + $2.50/2 Magnum Ice Cream for $3.75 off 2. That's their sloppiness.
As I mentioned, I am NOT criticizing you; you are asserting that Albertsons has the best deals, and I'm merely pointing out that what you consider to be "deals" are really exploitation of loopholes. As I acknowledged, I do it as well to some extent. The "nice" thing about Albertsons/Vons, is that there's so few coupon websites/forums/blogs that cover them, that the percentage of people exploiting the app is insignificant (vs. Kroger, where they end up on powerful sites like slickdeals, etc.) to the point that they've went unfixed.

But Albertsons is clearly the most aggressive chain in raising prices. They do have some attractive loss leaders (sometimes they're better than Ralph's, sometimes they're not; generally, Albertsons is more competitive on beverages) but that certainly doesn't make up for their pricing elsewhere.
Once again, I do not control any Albertsons website or app. They do. There are NO LOOPHOLES. Anything they do is something they allow. Deals are deals and Vons & Albertsons BY FAR have the best deals in Southern California. Ralphs never matches them anymore. Vons & Albertsons have, most weeks except for digital coupon event weeks, hundreds more digital coupons than Ralphs and more deeply discounted loss leaders which I have already pointed out. That's not even factoring in personalized prices which no other Southern California chain has. I often get a 5 lb. Bag of potatoes for .33 cents. Find that elsewhere.

You should have also been reading or better listening in on investor relations conferences. Then you would know exactly when Albertsons Companies was going to raise prices (stated twice in the previous 6 months) and most recently Kroger who stated three weeks ago they will be raising prices this month.
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Re: Albertsons’ Soaring Prices

Post by CalItalian »

HCal wrote: October 5th, 2021, 2:46 pm
Bagels wrote: October 5th, 2021, 12:28 pm
But Albertsons is clearly the most aggressive chain in raising prices. They do have some attractive loss leaders (sometimes they're better than Ralph's, sometimes they're not; generally, Albertsons is more competitive on beverages) but that certainly doesn't make up for their pricing elsewhere.
I think Albertsons might be more aggressive in raising prices because they rely more on the personalized offers (just4U) than any other chain. This was Safeway's signature program, and seems to have higher customer usage than the equivalent program at Ralphs. So perhaps the base prices are simply less significant at Albertsons.

Stores like Stater Bros. that don't even have personalized pricing, of course, can't be so aggressive with raising shelf prices.
The issue with Stater Bros. is their prices are nothing special. They are at or slightly higher than Vons/Albertsons or Ralphs. I live in an area with multiple Stater Bros. just a few miles from me in all directions & they are busier vs. most comparable Ralphs or Vons/Albertsons locations in proximity to them. Other than their extensive meat counter service, somewhat wider aisles and constant facing, I really see nothing special about Stater Bros..
Customers certainly aren't attracted to them purely by price. Maybe by the vast amount of Stater Bros. locations in proximity to each other and their meat counter.
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Re: Albertsons’ Soaring Prices

Post by HCal »

CalItalian wrote: October 5th, 2021, 2:57 pm The issue with Stater Bros. is their prices are nothing special. They are at or slightly higher than Vons/Albertsons or Ralphs. I live in an area with multiple Stater Bros. just a few miles from me in all directions & they are busier vs. most comparable Ralphs or Vons/Albertsons locations in proximity to them. Other than their extensive meat counter service, somewhat wider aisles and constant facing, I really see nothing special about Stater Bros..
Customers certainly aren't attracted to them purely by price. Maybe by the vast amount of Stater Bros. locations in proximity to each other and their meat counter.
I don't think Stater Bros. is meant to be a discount store, so their pricing should be on par with other conventional supermarkets. They do seem to have high store density in the inland empire, so that obviously helps, but in general I think that many people just view them as their default grocery store because they have a broad selection, good quality perishables, and acceptable pricing.
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Re: Albertsons’ Soaring Prices

Post by Bagels »

CalItalian wrote: October 5th, 2021, 2:48 pm Once again, I do not control any Albertsons website or app. They do. There are NO LOOPHOLES. Anything they do is something they allow. Deals are deals and Vons & Albertsons BY FAR have the best deals in Southern California. Ralphs never matches them anymore. Vons & Albertsons have, most weeks except for digital coupon event weeks, hundreds more digital coupons than Ralphs and more deeply discounted loss leaders which I have already pointed out. That's not even factoring in personalized prices which no other Southern California chain has. I often get a 5 lb. Bag of potatoes for .33 cents. Find that elsewhere.

You should have also been reading or better listening in on investor relations conferences. Then you would know exactly when Albertsons Companies was going to raise prices (stated twice in the previous 6 months) and most recently Kroger who stated three weeks ago they will be raising prices this month.
On average, Albertsons/Vons shelf pricing is higher than Ralphs, especially on center aisle. Ralphs most definitely has raised its prices, but Albertsons/Vons' hikes have been much more aggressive. There's simply no refuting this.

Through tonight, Cheerios are $1.49 each at Albertsons when you buy three. Last night, I scanned one box with the app, to ensure the digital coupon would take. At check-out, the system took two digital coupons -- $1 off 2, and a "special pick" $3 off $3. Both coupons were manufactures, and both noted that only one coupon per item could be used in a single transaction. The system took off both coupons, netting me three boxes for 49c. That's not a deal -- that's a loop-hole /vulnerability in the system. You've made a career out of finding these at a plethora of retailers and establishments, and exploiting them to the full extent. I applaud you, not criticize you, but let's not pretend that these are "deals" Albertsons is offering to the general public.

As far as loss leaders, I agree Albertsons has some fantastic buys, but no, they don't regularly beat Ralphs. Just looking at tomorrow's ad, it's a toss-up based upon personal preferences. Consider meat... based on wholesale pricing, Ralphs' offerings of ground sirloin at $3.99 and t-bone for $7.99 slightly edge Albertsons 80/20 chuck for $2.99 and tri trip roast for $3.97. (Even though discounts vs. wholesale pricing is similar, Ralphs is actually a better deal, considering that 80/20 frequently hits the $2.99 price point, but sirloin rarely drops below $5).
CalItalian wrote: October 5th, 2021, 2:57 pm
The issue with Stater Bros. is their prices are nothing special. They are at or slightly higher than Vons/Albertsons or Ralphs. I live in an area with multiple Stater Bros. just a few miles from me in all directions & they are busier vs. most comparable Ralphs or Vons/Albertsons locations in proximity to them. Other than their extensive meat counter service, somewhat wider aisles and constant facing, I really see nothing special about Stater Bros..
Customers certainly aren't attracted to them purely by price. Maybe by the vast amount of Stater Bros. locations in proximity to each other and their meat counter.
On average. Stater Bros. has lower everyday prices than both Albertson/Vons and Ralphs. Their prices have increased in the past few years, and many products are now priced the same, but they're still clinging to the low price leader, at least on center aisle. The trade off is that their sales are weak, and they rarely feature deep loss leaders. For example, they currently price their 8 oz. shredded cheese at $2.99 everyday. Albertsons/Vons is at $4.99, Ralphs at $3.99 -- but both chains regularly put it on sale for $1.99 or less. Meanwhile, the price rarely dips below $2.99 at Stater Bros.

It depends on how you show. If you shop sales & stock up when prices are low, Stater Bros. is not for you. But if you're living paycheck-to-paycheck and budget heavily, it may be a better option.
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Re: Albertsons’ Soaring Prices

Post by Alpha8472 »

Has anyone noticed the increasing prices at Amazon? The price increases on some items are just as bad.
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Re: Albertsons’ Soaring Prices

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Bagels wrote: October 5th, 2021, 8:38 pm Through tonight, Cheerios are $1.49 each at Albertsons when you buy three. Last night, I scanned one box with the app, to ensure the digital coupon would take. At check-out, the system took two digital coupons -- $1 off 2, and a "special pick" $3 off $3. Both coupons were manufactures, and both noted that only one coupon per item could be used in a single transaction. The system took off both coupons, netting me three boxes for 49c. That's not a deal -- that's a loop-hole /vulnerability in the system. You've made a career out of finding these at a plethora of retailers and establishments, and exploiting them to the full extent. I applaud you, not criticize you, but let's not pretend that these are "deals" Albertsons is offering to the general public.

Not to go too far off topic here but I am going to add that at CVS it is not unusual to have an item where you can use two "manufacturer" coupon types on the same item when you have for instance a coupon from the CVS Coupon Center (this known as "CVS MFR COUPON" and also a second manufacturer coupon (this known as "MFR COUPON") from say the mail insert or a coupon website. CVS has even run ads for specific products highlighting the stacking of both coupons on certain items some weeks; notably toothpaste or soap products.

The above really confused me when CVS showed up out west. I did not understand it. I thought it was one manufacturer coupon per item- otherwise coupon fraud. But somehow a "CVS MFR COUPON" is different and can be used with another "MFR COUPON."

So back to your experience where a $1 off 2 and a $3 off 3 coupon from the Safeway app stacked and both were designated as manufacturer's coupons, it is possible they were somehow from different manufacturer coupon buckets (like I describe with CVS above) and were indeed stackable. Otherwise they would have programmed them to not stack in the system. In the old app, a couple years ago, Albertsons actually did an app update where these "stackable" deals just like you describe were highlighted as "stackable" and when you clicked one of them it showed the other and said to stack the savings or some such language. I remember this because I stacked a couple times just like you describe a "special pick" with another offer. Also those special picks are not all manufacturer (some are store) but seem to all have language like a manufacturer coupon. Tough to tell on the receipt what it is but if you watch the screen it may show as SC or MC, other way to tell is if it takes tax off on a taxable item it is definitely SC not MC (in CA).

CVS and Safeway both use Quotient to push these personal offers to the loyalty card. So I think you can rest easy that you did not engage in any coupon fraud or other suspicious behavior with the $1 and $3 coupons stacking.
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Re: Albertsons’ Soaring Prices

Post by mbz321 »

Alpha8472 wrote: October 5th, 2021, 10:17 pm Has anyone noticed the increasing prices at Amazon? The price increases on some items are just as bad.
Prices are going up everywhere on pretty much everything. Even Costco has raised prices on many items throughout the store.

But back on topic, if they raise prices anymore at ACME, they might as well just shut the whole chain down as their pricing is already atrocious.
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Re: Albertsons’ Soaring Prices

Post by wnetmacman »

CalItalian wrote: October 5th, 2021, 2:34 pm
Bagels wrote: October 5th, 2021, 12:02 am
CalItalian wrote: October 4th, 2021, 11:53 pm None of your assumptions were correct.

There are no loop holes. Loop holes assume you are doing something that is difficult to find and can't be done by others. Anyone can do them and Albertsons Companies allows it. Please show me where Albertsons Companies says you can not load coupons from other divisions. Just to the contrary, they list their divisions when you travel to other areas. They even allow you to switch within the website to other divisions. Customer Service even made the point to tell me to change my store location to whichever store I am in - even outside the area (specifically told me that while on the phone with an assistant manager).

Nice try but you are not correct.

The app is very clear that the displayed coupons are applicable only at the store you selected. You’ve discovered that once you load these coupons, they can be used at other stores and divisions, even when the coupon no longer displays on the app. That’s a textbook example of a loophole. Please, let’s stop being cute.

Kroger’s apps did the exact same thing until they closed loophole, although you can sometimes load high value coupons from a Ralphs and redeem them at F4L.
You just conflicted yourself in your last paragraph. Hilarious. You clearly do not know anything about Kroger's digital coupons. Coupons aren't loaded just through apps to start.

The Albertsons Companies app & website states nothing about coupons not being available at other stores. That's a moronic statement for you to make as THREE CHAINS ALL WITH DIFFERENT APPS & WEBSITES share the SAME COUPONS in Southern California to start!

Go back to square one and learn something instead of posting complete mistruths.

I really despise DUMB STATEMENTS and you have become the king of them.
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Re: Albertsons’ Soaring Prices

Post by storewanderer »

Bagels wrote: October 5th, 2021, 8:38 pm Through tonight, Cheerios are $1.49 each at Albertsons when you buy three. Last night, I scanned one box with the app, to ensure the digital coupon would take. At check-out, the system took two digital coupons -- $1 off 2, and a "special pick" $3 off $3. Both coupons were manufactures, and both noted that only one coupon per item could be used in a single transaction. The system took off both coupons, netting me three boxes for 49c. That's not a deal -- that's a loop-hole /vulnerability in the system. You've made a career out of finding these at a plethora of retailers and establishments, and exploiting them to the full extent. I applaud you, not criticize you, but let's not pretend that these are "deals" Albertsons is offering to the general public.

Another example on this stacking of what appear to be "manufacturer" coupons.
Rite Aid- this week- has a thing on Colgate Toothpaste. It is an in-ad coupon. It says Rite Aid Coupon Offer.
Sale 3.99
In Ad Coupon 2.00-
Coupon at Riteaid.com 2.00-
Final price FREE

Now to dig a bit here.
The in-ad coupon says Rite Aid Coupon offer then in small print says "coupon value paid by manufacturer." Further when I go redeem that coupon in CA I have to pay sales tax on the redemption value so it is clearly coded as manufacturer coupon (not store coupon where the tax would fall off).

Then that coupon at Riteaid.com it too is a manufacturer coupon. In this case you actually need to buy additional items to make both coupons work so in this case I took a .40 candy and my subtotal is .39 (since the -.01 from the 2 coupons got applied to the candy).

So another example of when there is a promotion where 2 of what appear to be manufacturer coupons are being stacked on the same item and this is being promoted right by the retailer in the retailer's print ad.
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Re: Albertsons’ Soaring Prices

Post by storewanderer »

NorCal Safeway has some new increases the past week or two:

These are Reno prices so some items are still lower than CA.

Signature Hamburger/Hot Dog Bun (basic) old price 1.25 new price 1.55 (CA Price 3.79)
Signature Hamburger/Hot Dog Bun (premium) old price 3.99 new price 4.49
Signature English Muffin 6ct old price 3.49 new price 3.99
C&H 4lb Sugar old price 2.29 new price 3.29 (CA Price 3.99)
Signature Canned Vegetables old price 0.79 new price 1.99 (ouch... what are they thinking?)
Deli Pizza Dough (defrosted frozen ball) old price 1.99 new price 2.49
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