Big Grocer is Watching

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For years, I avoided any grocery store where you had to have a card to get good prices. I drove a mile down the road to shop with the grocery that prided itself on "good prices all the time, without a card." Currently, there's a commercial about this, where the judge says something like, "And I thought I gave out punishment" when he discovered that you had to have a card to get a good price. But...when I lived with my elderly parents for a while - in Michigan, where the winters are long and the snow is deep, and I don't drive in snow - the grocery store in walking distance was one that issued loyalty cards. I've continued using that grocery here in Ohio. Oh, sometimes I use one that I like better. But the one with the card is the closest to the house, and ... 1) since it's been five years since I applied for disability and those doctor bills have been adding up 2) since gas prices are so high 3) since those 10 for $10 deals sometimes cannot be ignored... I've been shopping there more and more. My love for the store has not increased, since when they do issue coupons they're usually in my hubby's former wife's name. Grrr. We've been married for over three years, and they were divorced for probably five before we married. And I've been to the store and they've filled out papers. They issued a new card and number to me. And still the coupons come in HER name. Oh, I use them if there's something interesting. I particularly like it when they provide a $5 off with $50 purchase. What family can't spend $50 at the grocery? Sometimes they'll issue two or three coupons of interest, in the midst of the ten to fifteen. Then...a few days ago, I received a packet of between 30 and 40 coupons, maybe more. Wow! As I opened them and let them unfold, there were two strips that were almost as tall as me. And I was spooked. I don't know about you, but I'm a creature of habit when it comes to grocery shopping. I start at the left side of the store at the back, in the produce area, move to meats, then go up and down the aisles, until I'm at the right side of the store - the freezer and dairy section. The coupons were issued in that order. It's as if the store took my last receipt and issued coupons for half of what I purchased. I've always known that when the card is used it lets the company know my grocery habits and history. I've known that, and it's one reason I fought using that grocery chain and its card for so long. Still, when I have received coupons, I've always wondered why they weren't selected with my purchase history in mind. This time it was. And that's a bit creepy. Free things are great, though, and I already have taken advantage of them. While I didn't make a special trip to the store, I did stop in - since I was going past - after a trip to the bank. Who wouldn't like a free 14 oz. box of cereal or a free 3.5 pound of dog food? On pay day, I'll probably use the rest of the coupons. I won't even have to organize them, since they follow my trip down the aisles perfectly - proof that big grocer is, indeed, watching. Copyright © 2008 Marilyn Mackenzie. All rights reserved. *************** So, how about you? Do you frequent the grocery stores where a card is required to get a discount? Doesn't it bother you that some people get the "good" prices and some pay more? It does me! Does this spook you as much as it does me? Knowing that they can send me a bunch of coupons that follow my shopping habits?