Shopping Discussion

Grocery store flyer deals - OOS on day 1 !!

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  • Nov 21st, 2017 8:02 pm
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Sep 16, 2004
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Toronto
I've seen Korean convenience store owners move with a couple skids of salmon in those 225 gram tins at $0.88 each.
I was surprised the store let them.
I've also witnessed the 99cent 2 litre bottles of brand name pop people buy a trolley full, go out and come back in for another trolley full again.
Most grocery stores don't even bother to restock after the weekend so unless you go before the weekend you're out of luck.
I found a No Frills that's not too busy, does not have wrong prices, nor charge me for more plastic bags than I requested.
I go to this No Frills if I really want an item.
Alternatively one can price match. I've seen some stores bring the prices down on certain items competitors have on sale but they themselves do not possibly because it was a popular price match item.
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Aug 17, 2009
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You know what you can do to avoid this problem? Since sales go Friday to following Thursday, buy all the stuff you need/want the Thursday before the sale begins. Then bring back the receipt the following day for price protection. Maybe that will work?
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Dec 11, 2003
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Micelli_Illuminatti wrote: You know what you can do to avoid this problem? Since sales go Friday to following Thursday, buy all the stuff you need/want the Thursday before the sale begins. Then bring back the receipt the following day for price protection. Maybe that will work?
Can you do that at grocery stores?
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Oct 15, 2007
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I doubt it
ds2chan wrote: Can you do that at grocery stores?
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Mar 10, 2004
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A decent grocery store will offer a substitute item when the advertised item is OOS. Many Canadian grocery stores used to follow that policy and would post a photocopied notice of product substitution on each door and on the shelf or bunker where the product is sold out.
Unfortunately the grocery business is so competitive in the GTA, stores are cutting back wherever possible to maintain profit margins.

I was in an American grocery store last month that had cans of Bumble Bee solid white albacore tuna in spring water for $0.99. They were sold out. I asked if they would substitute another brand of the same type and size. They substituted with a smile.
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Feb 22, 2016
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Here's my take on it. Comparing NF weekly specials to Black Friday doorcrashers is incorrect.

On Black Friday and Boxing Day ads, the doorcrashers are clearly marked "15 per store" or whatever the number is, and "Friday November 24 only, no rain checks". So if you want it at that price that badly you better be the 15th body through the front door when the place opens at 6am to grab it. If that means camping out overnight, so be it. Best Buy, Source, Brick etc make no secret of this... the word "doorcrasher" is self-explanatory and its definition is generally agreed on.

NF ads say no such thing. They say the price is valid for a week. To advertise that way, one would reasonably expect stock to be there most of the week. I stress the word MOST. Sale goes Friday to Thursday, you should be able to get the item for that price from Friday to maybe Wednesday morning. If they CONSISTENTLY only put out say 15 bags of rice on the Friday with no restocking the rest of the week with no rain checks, the way Best Buy sells 4KTV's on BF, without saying so on the ad, that is wrong.
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Feb 22, 2016
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plymouthhater wrote: A decent grocery store will offer a substitute item when the advertised item is OOS. Many Canadian grocery stores used to follow that policy and would post a photocopied notice of product substitution on each door and on the shelf or bunker where the product is sold out.
Unfortunately the grocery business is so competitive in the GTA, stores are cutting back wherever possible to maintain profit margins.

I was in an American grocery store last month that had cans of Bumble Bee solid white albacore tuna in spring water for $0.99. They were sold out. I asked if they would substitute another brand of the same type and size. They substituted with a smile.
The pleasure of shopping in America where there is real competition in retail, not a few big monopoly players like here (worst 3: Costco, Loblaws, Canadian Tire). Our "grocery business is so competitive" just like the airline industry - collusion collusion collusion.
Sr. Member
Oct 22, 2006
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Ontario
Jon Lai wrote: I'm not sure what's so frustrating.

I take all the flyers, and PM at WalMart. Never had an issue with stock.
I've seen you around here for years, so I know you're a nice guy. On that note though, you're the guy I absolutely HATE to be behind in the Walmart checkout. 30 seconds turns into a 10 minute wait. Please take your flyers to the self checkout... Smiling Face With Open Mouth
Deal Expert
May 30, 2005
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dollarsign wrote: I've seen you around here for years, so I know you're a nice guy. On that note though, you're the guy I absolutely HATE to be behind in the Walmart checkout. 30 seconds turns into a 10 minute wait. Please take your flyers to the self checkout... Smiling Face With Open Mouth
You've just been behind novice PMers :D

I'm the type who have the flyers flipped to the right page and circled. Most cashiers just peek at it and approve the price. I'm not waiting 10 mins for the cashier to verify the PM to save 20 cents here and 30 cents there... not worth my time.
Tons of things for sale!
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Mar 28, 2005
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The No Frills OOS on day one has to be a problem with specific stores - I can't recall the last time that happened at the local NoFrills store.

Even today - No Frills was peddling flat screen TVs, cast iron pots and various other non-grocery items.
Taday - Nov 16th ONLY.

I never saw the flyer and these items until after 8pm tonight - walked over there and they still had stock on the items I wanted.
Last edited by krs on Nov 17th, 2017 12:09 am, edited 1 time in total.
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Dec 3, 2009
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plymouthhater wrote: A decent grocery store will offer a substitute item when the advertised item is OOS. Many Canadian grocery stores used to follow that policy and would post a photocopied notice of product substitution on each door and on the shelf or bunker where the product is sold out.
Unfortunately the grocery business is so competitive in the GTA, stores are cutting back wherever possible to maintain profit margins.

I was in an American grocery store last month that had cans of Bumble Bee solid white albacore tuna in spring water for $0.99. They were sold out. I asked if they would substitute another brand of the same type and size. They substituted with a smile.
"Decent" is key, and most conventional grocery stores should be able to actively substitute items, without you even asking. From the volume discount chains go through major sale items, it's almost impossible to substitute in many cases. This is regardless of the reason...supply issue or the store blowing their order quantities. I used to sell for a food vendor.
Remember to be an RFD-er and NOT a degenerate.
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Jan 9, 2011
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If deals are super good and advertised, there should be no surprise they are completely out of stock on day 1. RCSS advertised Lavazza ground coffee for 2.98 each (limit 4). These usually sell for aboutt $4.50 at RCSS/NoFrills, and for $7-8 at most other stores. I made a special trip there for this, and of course they were out of stock. No Frills price matched it for me when I showed them the flyer.
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Mar 14, 2004
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No Frills at Martingrove and Hyw 7 in Woodbridge is notorious to try and weasle their way out of not taking coupons, there is always some excuse or another. I gave up shopping there.
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Jan 9, 2011
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Another No Frills price match/out of stock story:

Last weekend NoFrills price matched Superstore's price on Lavazza ground coffee, $2.98/pkg. Normally NoFrills sells it for about $4.50.

Yesterday, the same NoFrills has had all of the Lavazza ground coffee yanked from the shelves and replaced with other coffee, like they have stopped carrying it. They still sell Lavazza whole beans. I wonder if it will be back.
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Jul 24, 2009
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Sometimes, the headquarter consolidate the product from other stores and sold in one store with big discount. I have seen Nofrills had a big discount on frozen Turkey after Christmas, but the weigh label came from Loblaws Superstore.
Kiraly wrote: Another No Frills price match/out of stock story:

Last weekend NoFrills price matched Superstore's price on Lavazza ground coffee, $2.98/pkg. Normally NoFrills sells it for about $4.50.

Yesterday, the same NoFrills has had all of the Lavazza ground coffee yanked from the shelves and replaced with other coffee, like they have stopped carrying it. They still sell Lavazza whole beans. I wonder if it will be back.

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