Sunday, January 2, 2022

SUPPLY CHAIN STUDY: Sunday morning at the supermarket

Sunday 7am at the huge Meijer's supermarket in nearby Southfield Michigan.  One hour after the store opens, and a new weekly sale begins. A good time for social distancing.

For the first time in many months, the number of missing items did not seem to increase from the prior week. Those items that are available, are often spread wide in one item deep rows, to disguise empty shelves. Or spare items from the warehouse are stacked in huge, redundant end cap displays, in unusual locations, just to fill up empty spaces.  Bottom line: Choices are still limited. 
 
Meijer's scent-free laundry detergent:
I forgot to mention last week there were none in the store.  Also none this week, in any size. Soon we'll have to buy a name brand, which costs 33% to 50% more, and doesn't seem to clean any better.
 
Kraft 8 ounce chunks of cheese:
About 65 packages where there are usually about 200. Many flavors missing.  Last week there were none ... when they were on sale !
 
Philadelphia 8 ounce tubs of soft cream cheese:
About 60 tubs available, where there are usually about 200 Bought one 8oz. old fashioned unflavored block for about 2/3 the price of an 8oz. tub, which they didn't have in the plain unflavored version, even if I wanted to buy one.
 
Diet Doctor Pepper Soda Pop:
The soda pop row was missing a lot of items, just like last week.  Bought three 12 packs of 12 ounce cans of Diet Doctor Pepper on sale for $11, and left 10 more for everyone else. There were no 6 packs of 16.9 ounce bottles available.  Last week there were only four 12 packs in the store, and I bought all four.  I'm hoarding Diet Dr. Pepper 12 packs while they are on sale, and available.
 
Raisin Bran Breakfast Cereal:
No raisin bran in the store, of any brand, in any size. We know there's a strike at Kellogs, but we'd have settled for any other brand, if available.  None were available last week too.

Salami packages:
The cheapest brand was on sale, with 7 ounces for $3.50. There were eight packages available, and I bought four of them. i didn't need any, but Salami lasts forever.  Two other brands that taste better, and cost about $3.99 for 6 ounces, were not available. Being addicted to salami, i always buy the best brand available, even if it's the worst brand sold in the store!  Unfortunately, the deli department opens after we are already back home on Sunday.
 
ACE Harvest Grain bread from Canada:
About six $3.69 loaves were available, and we bought two for the freezer. Most often there are none. They hold up well in the freezer, but only if you eat them toasted.
 
After 44 years of supermarket shopping in Michigan, only the past six months have been of interest for this blog. 
A bizarre situation never expected in this nation. Let's hope the empty shelves trend has stopped getting worse, Unfortunately, the higher prices and/or smaller packages at the same price, are still in progress.   

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