Quote:
Originally posted by seenappa
For instance, try shopping at Patel brothers or India Town located in scarborough. The price of item on the shelf looks cheap as compared to the same item outside. But the moment they punch in the $amount you easily end up with 80$ for items that fit into one small plastic bag.
To make it more confusing, these stores give you a receipt where every item says grocery with no details.
has anyone noticed this?I smell a major scam here.
seenappa
Aren't they supposed to practise scanning code? If you see a price discrepancy, can you complain? Or ask the cashier that you do not need the item?
I stopped shopping at walmart because I always end up with higher bill that what I think I would be paying. Maybe it is that psychological effect of everything cheap, which adds up to you buying more stuff. Worse, the cashier screen is not in front of you unlike other stores, and you cannot see the total until end.
hi Seenapa,
Very true, there seems to be some special reason, why they put 'Grocery' for most of the items. Many won't care to check or do not have much time to do so. By chance, if some one points out, then JALDI MEIN HO GAYA or 'Sorry' is the only answer. During my initial days in Canada, I stayed with my friends working on DESI grocery stores and they used to mention that margin at a grocery store may be meagre if they don't indulge in such practices.
-Ben
Location: carl sagan's universe
Posted on: 23-11-08 10:54:49
Quote:
Originally posted by Fido
Seenappa ~Did you try to confirm this by buying a few marked items ?
I do agree with VJ that if we start comparing prices of grocery and start running around we might save few dollars but loose quality time ... unless you are living on a budget ,spend the money on grocery gas as a constant and move on .
Having said that , it does not mean that you should over pay for something .... Do a survey once and then after making choices , stick with them .
I have found No Frills / Price Chopper and Asian Food Center prices to be better than others . But Chinese stores beat these as well . Surprised to find that China Town's vege / fruit prices were lesser than those of farmers' markets. Oceans at Brampton and Chinese center @ Dixie Dundas are quite crowded and offer good prices .
Just to add on , for clothes / linen I look at Sears Outlet as they offer good quality at outlet prices . Electronics - Factorydirect.ca / Tigerdirect.ca / Staples . XS Cargo is another store where I like shopping at if I find a desired item in their flyer . Another flyer I check out is Canadian Tire . For things not found elsewhere , I buy @ Walmart ....
Oceans is pretty well-priced. Buy loads of stuff from there as there is one jes a kiss away from where I stay. So is no-frills and also golden groceries- milk, yoghurt and cream is usually cheaper there than anywhere else.Butter- well usually look for the $2+ deal ever since Shopper's Drug started it- used to be $4 before that. also nuts like walnuts, khaju cheaper at indian stores.
and heck what else to do on a sun morn? don't get appointments on suns except during RRSP season- so go shoppin and invariably you will meet a known person with whom you can shoot the bull for awhile.
Hey but I can dig TK's remarks about Longos's being for multi-millionaires- made me smile this sun morn.
TK aap ko salaam yaar. 2 gud remarks making u r.tend to go there for olives and pastries and cakes and cheeses and if we are entertaining the rotis from there as o/w it's jes a hassle to make that many.sometimes the pre-marinated steaks are cool from there too, if u r in a rush and haven't marinated at home. No everyday stuff from there though like bread, milk, dhai, cream, veggies...
and oh yeah if i do happen to walk into longo's a visit to the wine store in it is a must and also the pizza there is pretty well-priced, so maybe a pizza snack and now they have ready made indian khanna though it ain't so hot.the cannelonis are ok sometimes.
however have only found the price of rice having gone up noticeably. If dempster's has gone up i have switched to valu at no-frills- less quant of slices though but ok
I am like you, watch cost of everythingin the groceries but dont want to go to 5 different stores to get the best prices.
Here is the compromise i made
1) Food Basics
2) High end grocery (sometimes)
3) Indian grocery
Here is why
Food basics
While you may get flyers from 10 different grocery and a grocery product may be cheaper in some other grocery than food basics overall they are the best priced grocery. If you do most of your groceries from there you are not getting ripped off.
The problem with food basics is they are not as clean and swanky say as superstore or longos. Another problem is that sometimes their fruits are are not that great a quality. So i buy all groceries and whatever fruit is good there and rest of fruits from say Longos. if all fruits there are good i buy from there.
I go to indian grocery for for stuff which i dont find anywhere.
That is the most frugal way to do groceries overall.
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Live and Let Live
Location: Mississauga/ Toronto, Can
Posted on: 23-11-08 11:32:15
Quote:
Originally posted by seenappa
The price of food has increased all over the world.
Having said that, the prices of Indian items at Indian grocery stores defy all logic
For instance, try shopping at Patel brothers or India Town located in scarborough. The price of item on the shelf looks cheap as compared to the same item outside. But the moment they punch in the $amount you easily end up with 80$ for items that fit into one small plastic bag.
To make it more confusing, these stores give you a receipt where every item says grocery with no details.
has anyone noticed this?
seenappa
Seen this happen a couple of times with the Indian grocery store we frequented. Let it pass the first time thinking it was a genuine mistake.
Made a note of it when it happenned the second time and asked the store owner for an explanation, which he could not provide. My experience is that the advertised price and the scanned price for most items do not match.
Ever since have stopped visiting Indian stores.
Trinity
Quote:
Originally posted by Trinity
Quote:
Originally posted by seenappa
The price of food has increased all over the world.
Having said that, the prices of Indian items at Indian grocery stores defy all logic
For instance, try shopping at Patel brothers or India Town located in scarborough. The price of item on the shelf looks cheap as compared to the same item outside. But the moment they punch in the $amount you easily end up with 80$ for items that fit into one small plastic bag.
To make it more confusing, these stores give you a receipt where every item says grocery with no details.
has anyone noticed this?
seenappa
Seen this happen a couple of times with the Indian grocery store we frequented. Let it pass the first time thinking it was a genuine mistake.
Made a note of it when it happenned the second time and asked the store owner for an explanation, which he could not provide. My experience is that the advertised price and the scanned price for most items do not match.
Ever since have stopped visiting Indian stores.
Trinity
Exactly! you hit the nail on the head, Trinity
The advertised price and the scanned price do not match at all. They punch the amount so fast, that you blink..and you miss.
My wife has caught those guys adding the same item twice several times. At which point, they grin sheepishly.
As someone admitted in the above posts, they 'cannot make profit if they don't do these methods'.
seenappa.
Here are a few of the Grocery Chains with very good prices. (Ontario.)
Food Basics.
No Frills.
Price Chopper.
Super Store.
Costco. (Rice - Atta.. and few BULK Items.)
Danforth.
Smileys.?
We think we eat vegetables. Think twice. The Chinese, Taiwanese, and Vietnamese stores carry a selection that we have never heard of. Some times I do accompany the better half for a few of the heavy items and when we see a few of the newer veggies, we pick them up and stare at it, then look at each other and then just drop them back. Some of our culinary delights do not include them. No book has these items included in their cook books, Indian that is.
Here are Two such stores in the vicinity. One is at Dennison and Markham. And the other one at Victoria Park and Sheppard.? (Please confirm)
Also on a very nice note, Most of the Indian Grocers show and count the items before they go in the bag and they show the number of items in the bill. That, I would like to take my hats off to them. Prices I don't know much about, because I have seen the specials have a limit and also have a specific size. The pictures are deceptive. Now a days we head to the clean and stacked stores and there a few in Brampton. They are well stocked, packed clean, displayed conveniently, and lots of room in the isles to maneuver. It is a pleasure to pick. load and run. Here you pay for the convenience and comfort.
Just to give you an example of items. Liquid Detergent was priced originally for 99 cents for a liter bottle. The next year they will sell 950 ml for 99 cents, then the next year 900 and so on and currently it is at 650 ml. (Pictures are deceptive)
One more item: The toilet rolls Originally started off at 360 sheets (Single) then dropped to 300 and then to 260 and 210 and now 196. It looks great to see 20 single rolls for $3.99 but the number of sheets have dropped down.
Rice used to be 10 kg bags first. So also Atta. Now they have slowly brought it down to 9 and then to 8 kgs. Prices have shot up too. But go to Costco for some of the items. The prices have stayed the same for quite a while. (12 Months)
See if any of the types of Pastas are to your taste. We eat quite a bit of vermacelli, Capellini or spaghetti/ spaghettini. They make a good meal.
Seasonal items are just that. Enjoy them while they are in plenty. If you know how to store them, then, do it. Otherwise buy a quantity that you are comfortable with and have a rolling stock. We do that for frozen peas, corn, and beans.
Onions and Potatoes are good buys at the 'chains' and stock them up when ever they come down in prices.
Canned beans like Red Kidney beans (Rajma)., Channa, chick peas, Ceci beans or Garbanzos., or white kidney beans or any of the varieties Romano, Mixed, and a few broad bean appear on sale twice a year. The shelf life is about 5-6 months. Buy and store according to the needs and quantities that you are comfortable with. Always pick cans that are not bruised. If it does get bruised, then open it first, because the integrity of the inner coating is damaged and the metal sticks out and being preserves in brine or its own cooked media, starts to get rusted. So, be selective.
Bananas, Oranges and grapes are the easiest to pick and eat. They are nutritious and always available. They can be consumed instantly and are good stop gaps.
Beverages run any where from $4.00 to a high of $6.00 for a case of 24. And bottled water at a good price of $2.00 for 24 on sale and upto $2.50 at normal times. 2% milk under $4.00.. Homo at $4.50 (All in the tripack - 4 Liters.
ALWAYS LOOK FOR THE 'BEST BEFORE DATES' as printed on the containers.
Here at my place when we run out of Vanilla ice cream, we have run out of every thing.
Freddie.
