2585 Kroger battles Wal-Mart for food shoppers
according to a story in last week’s paper. I used to be a loyal Kroger shopper--I knew where everything was, I knew the staff, and I knew the specials--then they asked me to start playing games with a little plastic card, Kroger Plus. Well named, because it sure did up the price on everything. Jack it up, then give a special lowered price for using the silly card. They are not rewarding you for shopping there; they are penalizing you with data mining which is very expensive.The worst thing about the loyalty cards isn’t just the cost increase in every day non-special items (about 49% higher than non-card stores), but the snooping they do on your shopping habits, which in turn “dumbs down” the choices to please the 20% of the customers they figure are making 80% of the purchases. Selling your information instead of food is also now part of the business. And in case you think you’ll just lie on the address and personal information, or borrow a friend's or the card of the person in line with you, some are going to finger scanning. With all the news about data being stolen recently (VA, AIG, Ohio University), you’d better know that a “privacy policy” is your own personal surrender flag.
So now I shop at Meijer’s or a neighborhood non-chain, neither of which use loyalty cards.
Loyalty cards
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2 comments:
I love many things and despise many things, but one of the things I despise most is "loyalty cards".
When we moved to Georgia Winn Dixie was our favored store, even after Wal-Mart arrived. Soon came the loyalty card. Winn Dixie closed and the corporation is in Chapter - something-. Piggly Wiggly went away shortly after they traded green stamps for a loyalty card. Bi-Lo is hanging on with teeth and fingernails in spite of a card. Same with Food Lion.
I do enjoy the fact that I have, and, when in a Safeway area, use, a Safeway card, mostly because it is in my name, but the address is a house from which my son moved six years ago.
I don't often use it, but there is that sneaking thing inside of me that feels like I am sticking it to the data mine.
My wallet is so full with all the different cards from all the different stores. Secretly I want to beleive that I am saving big time by using the cards, when in actual fact it's just how you said. The price I get the merchandise for when I use the card, should have been the real price to begin with.
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