Albertsons’ Soaring Prices

[storewanderer]

Shortly before Thanksgiving, the two Albertsons nearest me pulled the shelf stickers for various Lucerne Whipped Cream (both canned and raw whipping) and have been carrying only Reddi-wip and name branded raw whipping. I thought this was extremely odd!

I am noticing the out of stocks at Albertsons/Safeway seems to be heavy on their brand items. Various items I have purchased there lately, the private label was out of stock and tag covered in blue tape (this indicates a warehouse out). It didn't really matter much since they had a name brand version that was selling at a lower sale price than the private label item would have cost anyway. I am actually somewhat perplexed they are running out of this private label product given how high they price it and how often name brand alternatives are available at a lower price.

I am almost wondering if they are purposely not restocking some private label items to push volume on the branded items, or make it easier on the warehouse to have fewer items to handle.

[SamSpade]

Off Topic

Filone is $1.59 in a Portland division store (sticker 8 oz, was 9.75 oz on my kitchen scale). The full sized loaves of other bakery breads were confusingly marked at $3.99 on date mark sticker, $3.49 on shelf, sale priced at $2.99.

[CalItalian]

Albertsons Sinks as Rising Inflation Makes Groceries Much More Expensive.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/01/ ... expensive/

The only crime Albertsons committed was getting ahead of inflation - but they correctly called what was coming and will continue at least this & next year, likely much longer. Kroger (Ralphs) is raising prices this week and increases especially in non-food are very steep.

[storewanderer]

Albertsons Sinks as Rising Inflation Makes Groceries Much More Expensive.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/01/ ... expensive/

The only crime Albertsons committed was getting ahead of inflation - but they correctly called what was coming and will continue at least this & next year, likely much longer. Kroger (Ralphs) is raising prices this week and increases especially in non-food are very steep.

Albertsons pricing is terrible at these CA-priced Stores. Their price increases are way higher than inflation. They go up 20-30% in one swoop.

NorCal Safeway did finally relent on some meat pricing- the Ribeyes are down to 19.99/lb (from 24.99/lb), New Yorks are down to 15.99/lb (think they were around 18.99/lb before), not sure if they got their ground sirloin back down from the 10.49/lb they were trying to get as they didn't have any.

Recently the eggs went to 2.29 a dozen from 1.39 a dozen (still the Value Corner Eggs at the NV Stores, these are not the CA Cage Free eggs, they must be slotting these eggs special for the 7 NV Stores in the CA warehouse). Raleys and Save Mart both switched to Cage Free eggs to be consistent with the CA rules, even here in NV where they don't have to) and are at 1.98 a dozen. Smiths, WinCo, and Wal Mart are all in the 1.50/dozen range still (all non cage free eggs).

Another one I like is the Signature Pizza Sauce (jar), I was buying it at 1.79. It was out of stock for a couple weeks, now it is back. They just price increased it to 2.29. I won't be buying it anymore at that price. Smiths has their awful Kroger Pizza Sauce at 1.29 (often on sale for 1.00), and a very good Simple Truth Organic one at 1.89 (had a digital for .50 off past couple weeks so 1.39).

Every week at Safeway I go through and find more and more price increases, on the few items I was still buying from them. At the rate we are going we are going to be to the point where I spend less than $10 a week there, despite the convenience and despite my really liking the store.

This is not to say I don't see price increases at Smiths too. I do. But their increases are a lot more modest; a dime here, a dime there, in the end it is rare to see even a 10% increase there (at one time). Wal Mart did a lot of 10% increases back in September and for the most part held their pricing during the holidays

[storewanderer]

More good ones.

Yoplait 6oz Yogurt: was .59, now .89 (Smiths price: 0.60, sale 0.39)
Progresso Soup was 3.39, now 4.49 (currently on sale 3.49) (Smiths price: 2.49; was 2.19 last week)

4.49 for Progresso Soup?

Butter category also isn't making much sense. Looks like they are trying to meet Smiths price on the Challenge (which is 6.89 on sale for 5.99 on standard NorCal price feed), have the Land O Lakes priced above standard NorCal price feed (which is 6.99 for it)... and have the Lucerne priced above the Challenge.
Lucerne Butter 4.99 (Smiths regular price for Kroger: 3.59 (was 3.29 last week)
Land O Lakes 1lb 7.79 (Smiths price 4.49)
Challenge 1lb 4.89 (Smiths price 4.89 regular, 3.00 sale)

[Bagels]

Albertsons Sinks as Rising Inflation Makes Groceries Much More Expensive.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/01/ ... expensive/

The only crime Albertsons committed was getting ahead of inflation - but they correctly called what was coming and will continue at least this & next year, likely much longer. Kroger (Ralphs) is raising prices this week and increases especially in non-food are very steep.

…except that CA experienced among the smallest (if not the smallest) increases in inflation, yet saw some of Albertsons’ largest price hikes. The primary reason inflation has been slower in CA is that we had almost fully progressed (and actually did fully progress to in LA County) to a $15 minimum wage. Meanwhile, places like Las Vegas, Chicago, Atlanta, etc. saw huge spikes in menial wages, due to their low minimum wage and demand.

Albertsons did indeed rescind of its price hikes. A single roll of Value Corner paper towel went from 69c to 1.49. Obviously nobody was buying it because it was on sale for 2/$1 for several weeks (and 4/$1 for one week). It’s now priced at 99c. The exact same paper towel can be had for 50c from Walmart (up from 48c) and 69c at Target (up from 59c, but a two-pack remains at $1.19).

And while Ralphs, Walmart and Target did indeed raise their prices, none of them were to the extent of Albertsons. And now, Albertsons is implementing another round of price hikes. I made a quick trip tonight because I was time limited; a 1 lb. Bag of baby carrots was marked $1.99 but rang up at $2.49. These are still $1.49 at Ralphs, and 99c at just about any ethnic grocer. Sweet potatoes are now $1.79 and $1.99/lb. Some varieties of frozen breakfast potatoes, which were hiked from 1.99 to 2.49 in November, are now $2.99. No wonder this is my first visit in over a month.

Albertsons did have one victory: an 18 oz. Package of romaine hearts is still $3.49, vs. $4.79 at Ralphs.

[storewanderer]

…except that CA experienced among the smallest (if not the smallest) increases in inflation, yet saw some of Albertsons’ largest price hikes. The primary reason inflation has been slower in CA is that we had almost fully progressed (and actually did fully progress to in LA County) to a $15 minimum wage. Meanwhile, places like Las Vegas, Chicago, Atlanta, etc. saw huge spikes in menial wages, due to their low minimum wage and demand.

The price hikes I am seeing in NorCal are across the board shockingly high- at all of the grocers. Safeway seems to be the first to go up and Raleys follows them real fast. Save Mart seems to take a little longer. They are all doing 20-30% price hikes in one swoop. Sometimes the item goes on sale at the old regular price. For instance Save Mart also put the Progresso Soup to 4.39 but followed up with a sale at 3.00. Chunky Soup at Save Mart up to 3.95. Both low 3's before. Barilla Pasta (standard) at Raleys now 3.19 with a 2.49 sale price posted.

I am appreciating shopping Smiths, WinCo, Wal Mart, and Marketon who do not supply their NV stores from CA. No giant increases like this at those chains, they stick to 10% range increases at a time and had lower prices to begin with.

Trader Joe's is also not increasing at this clip. I have seen increases there but they are small, .10 here and .20 there. They are supplied from CA. So I am not sure what the conventional CA chains are doing with pricing but they will be sorry as they lose more and more customers to discount chains who are not increasing so fast and were cheaper to begin with.

[SamSpade]

Trader Joe's is also not increasing at this clip. I have seen increases there but they are small, .10 here and .20 there. They are supplied from CA. So I am not sure what the conventional CA chains are doing with pricing but they will be sorry as they lose more and more customers to discount chains who are not increasing so fast and were cheaper to begin with.

Trader Joe's has also (at least verbally) committed to lowering prices when they do see a wholesale cost decrease on their side. The cited example was a mustard of European origin, the U.S. lowered tarriffs so they lowered their shelf price.

[CalItalian]

Albertsons Sinks as Rising Inflation Makes Groceries Much More Expensive.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/01/ ... expensive/

The only crime Albertsons committed was getting ahead of inflation - but they correctly called what was coming and will continue at least this & next year, likely much longer. Kroger (Ralphs) is raising prices this week and increases especially in non-food are very steep.

…except that CA experienced among the smallest (if not the smallest) increases in inflation, yet saw some of Albertsons’ largest price hikes. The primary reason inflation has been slower in CA is that we had almost fully progressed (and actually did fully progress to in LA County) to a $15 minimum wage. Meanwhile, places like Las Vegas, Chicago, Atlanta, etc. saw huge spikes in menial wages, due to their low minimum wage and demand.

Albertsons did indeed rescind of its price hikes. A single roll of Value Corner paper towel went from 69c to 1.49. Obviously nobody was buying it because it was on sale for 2/$1 for several weeks (and 4/$1 for one week). It’s now priced at 99c. The exact same paper towel can be had for 50c from Walmart (up from 48c) and 69c at Target (up from 59c, but a two-pack remains at $1.19).

And while Ralphs, Walmart and Target did indeed raise their prices, none of them were to the extent of Albertsons. And now, Albertsons is implementing another round of price hikes. I made a quick trip tonight because I was time limited; a 1 lb. Bag of baby carrots was marked $1.99 but rang up at $2.49. These are still $1.49 at Ralphs, and 99c at just about any ethnic grocer. Sweet potatoes are now $1.79 and $1.99/lb. Some varieties of frozen breakfast potatoes, which were hiked from 1.99 to 2.49 in November, are now $2.99. No wonder this is my first visit in over a month.

Albertsons did have one victory: an 18 oz. Package of romaine hearts is still $3.49, vs. $4.79 at Ralphs.

Wages are not a major reason food prices are increasing. Wages aren't keeping up with inflation at all, anyway. Really, get a clue why they are increasing. Everything I posted over the last few months has come to be and it's going to get much worse over the next 3 years minimum. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.co ... index.html

[Bagels]

Albertsons Sinks as Rising Inflation Makes Groceries Much More Expensive.

https://www.fool.com/investing/2022/01/ ... expensive/

The only crime Albertsons committed was getting ahead of inflation - but they correctly called what was coming and will continue at least this & next year, likely much longer. Kroger (Ralphs) is raising prices this week and increases especially in non-food are very steep.

…except that CA experienced among the smallest (if not the smallest) increases in inflation, yet saw some of Albertsons’ largest price hikes. The primary reason inflation has been slower in CA is that we had almost fully progressed (and actually did fully progress to in LA County) to a $15 minimum wage. Meanwhile, places like Las Vegas, Chicago, Atlanta, etc. saw huge spikes in menial wages, due to their low minimum wage and demand.

Albertsons did indeed rescind of its price hikes. A single roll of Value Corner paper towel went from 69c to 1.49. Obviously nobody was buying it because it was on sale for 2/$1 for several weeks (and 4/$1 for one week). It’s now priced at 99c. The exact same paper towel can be had for 50c from Walmart (up from 48c) and 69c at Target (up from 59c, but a two-pack remains at $1.19).

And while Ralphs, Walmart and Target did indeed raise their prices, none of them were to the extent of Albertsons. And now, Albertsons is implementing another round of price hikes. I made a quick trip tonight because I was time limited; a 1 lb. Bag of baby carrots was marked $1.99 but rang up at $2.49. These are still $1.49 at Ralphs, and 99c at just about any ethnic grocer. Sweet potatoes are now $1.79 and $1.99/lb. Some varieties of frozen breakfast potatoes, which were hiked from 1.99 to 2.49 in November, are now $2.99. No wonder this is my first visit in over a month.

Albertsons did have one victory: an 18 oz. Package of romaine hearts is still $3.49, vs. $4.79 at Ralphs.

Wages are not a major reason food prices are increasing. Wages aren't keeping up with inflation at all, anyway. Really, get a clue why they are increasing. Everything I posted over the last few months has come to be and it's going to get much worse over the next 3 years minimum. https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.cnn.co ... index.html

Labor is definitely an input in calculating overall inflation. The reason the West experienced significantly less inflation than than the Heartland / Southeast is because wages were higher here to begin with.

Non-perishable foods are up like 6 or 7 points year-over-year, yet most items at Albertsons are up 10 or more. Neither Ralphs, Walmart or Target have hiked their prices to Albertsons level.

Like I said earlier, the chain is much more competitive in other markets. It’s almost as if they’re using SoCal to subsidize elsewhere.