Maybe Some Transparency In Products?

Recently, I wrote in this blog about some bad product purchases that I had recently made at the store with the smiling faces.  Well, it has happened again.  This time, it was a loaf of a popular brand of bread that has been around for years.  As is customary for me, I reached well into the back of the bread rack hoping to find the newer, fresher loaf of bread (I wrote about this practice in an earlier blog).

The bread seemed fresh to the touch (or squeeze if you prefer), but after opening the loaf, I found it to be rather stale.  This seems to be happening more frequently in the local markets of our community.  As I have pointed out before, the quality and freshness of our products are declining.

So here is my question: If products are older, stale or just plain rotten, shouldn’t there a label or sign that indicates the situation?  Now, granted, some stores are putting labels on products that say, “Manager’s Special”, then they are marked down lower that of similar products.  I guess this is better than a label that says “Warning: product may taste like stale ass”.

But these labels are still disingenuous as they make it sound like the store manager is doing you a favor by dropping the price on a piece of shit product.  The “managers special” generally refers to one of the recommended products at a store or a restaurant.  Imagine walking into a restaurant and reading on a sign that tonight’s “Manager Special” is a stale, moldy ham and cheese on rye and for an extra $1.00 you can add a soda that has been open for 3 days.

All I am saying here is that some honesty would be appreciated where the quality of store-bought items is concerned.  Maybe a sign on the discounted products that indicate that reduced price items may not have the same freshness quality.  However, the bread that I purchased was still priced at the premium level and should maybe have been marked down.

Maybe this exposes a different problem.  With the increase in bad quality products, is it possible that there is some redistribution of distressed products?  I live in a smaller community located some 60 miles from a major metropolitan area.  Is my community receiving repackaged, dumped products from the major city?  Where bread is concerned, it is certain that the items in the back of rack are usually fresh.

Is there a practice of moving “distressed product” into smaller, unaware markets?  After so many days, are older products moved to the smaller markets to avoid a complete loss on the item?  I have noticed lately that the quality of vegetables in our market has declined greatly as well.  Maybe this is a call to 60 Minutes and launch a crack team of investigators.  What a rib tickler, no one ever comes to this town.

But, the fact remains, customers in any town or city should get quality/fresh products no matter what the price.  Our dollars are just as valuable as anyone’s and we should receive good quality!

Talk To Ya Later

The Grumpy Old Fart Customer @2019 All Rights Reserved