http://www.refinery29.com/2015/11/97260/whole-foods-lowering-prices
11 replies (most recent on top)
Sorry 197462, I see what you were saying about the stupid article. You were talking about the OP, the article was the one that claimed people should be prepared to save big money. You are right, it's nonsense.
Hello 197462: There's nothing stupid about facts. Raising prices to later lower them and/or using K-mart style blue light specials IS NOT lowering prices. These gimmicks are just attempting to lower customer resistance to everyday high prices. Example: Vega Sport Performance Protein Vanilla -- 29.2 oz. Last time I checked we sell it for $64.99 which is the absurdly high "suggested retail." Kroger's Vitacost subsidiary (and many other discounters) sell it online for $49.99 every day. Vitamin Shoppe sells it in the store for $55.99 every day but there are probably coupons that can lower the price. We occasionally promo it at $49.99 and scream that "you save $15." No one is fooled by that and no one cares that we have track lighting, reclaimed wood, artistic meat displays, Whole Planet Foundation, a lovely endcap built with cereal boxes or that we make a circus out of cracking a parmesan cheese wheel.
What a stupid article, my god
I save lots of money by not shopping at wf anymore, even though I'm there every day for work.
"Oh what a tangled web we weave, when we practice to deceive" WFM has been deceiving customers and TM too long. John Mackie needs to go back to the commune and get REAL!
And of course no one in regional management is ever held accountable for the constant glitches and screwups surrounding their promotions. That's why more promotions aren't the answer. If you're not executing then it doesn't matter because customers get a little tired of being burned by what seem like bait and switch tactics.
Fun times - if you aren't in a profitable store you get short-shipped too. I was always frustrated with their allocations of One Day Sale items. My teams would plan for a certain amount, ( and of course there was a mandatory number to sell set by regional), then they'd get maybe half of that shipment.
Too many times a sale would be advertised and NO product was shipped. "oh, it'll be on tomorrow's drop". Great. No rain checks, just tell the customer, we didn't get it in.
Playing hide the salami with the prices... It's called "high-low" in the retail trade. The initial price is very high, and it's periodically and/or permanently lowered so the retailer can promote it as being "on sale." Another technique, like an absurdly low price on ground beef, is the "loss leader strategy." That's a one-off event that generates buzz, traffic and sales. The customer will psychologically use the savings to justify buying lots of other stuff at regular prices or at still-profitable "sale" prices. Beware though, because you can quickly run out of inventory of the promoted item which pisses off the customers. Either way it doesn't mean the retailer is lowering prices one bit and may even be quietly raising them in the background.
This is bull. I am aware of at least 40 items we raised prices on over last 2 months. Now, we'll drop them and voila, huge savings
More shell game capitalism...blended margin tricks..i had a customer today bitchin about a protein powder packet going from 2.99$ up to 3.99$..a sizable jump by the %... they are just gonna raise prices then lower them back to original amount to claim they "lowered prices"...
Save money, only through promotions in meat, seafood.. Great. More : buy 3 lbs or MORE of ground beef( 15% fat, 85% lean) and pay $3.99lb.