[johncronejr]

It seems that everytime my wife and I go grocery shopping we are frustrated with the produce quality and price. We shop primarily at Wal Mart and Kroger. Oftentimes avacados are hard as a rock or overripe, strawberries have mold, asparagus has mold, we have even seen one head of cabbage sit for 2 weeks in a Wal Mart produce area that was moldy when we first saw it and disgusting when we last saw it. The prices are high as well.

By comparison, when we were living in Austin, TX, we found produce at Wal Mart to be very good quality and cheap. One particular example was grapefruit. In Austin, the grapefruits were 35 cents each. Less than a month later, while back in Heber Springs, AR, the same type grapefruit was $1.55. I called the manager over and queried him on this. His reply was that "well Texas is so much closer to where they grow them so shipping is less". I asked him how in the world he figured shipping was $1.20 more PER GRAPEFRUIT. My wife, who is from Minneapolis, then told him that MN was certainly farther away from "where they grow them" than AR was and that selection and prices were far better there. The manager then just simply had no answer.

We have checked many stores in Little Rock, NLR, Jacksonville, Heber Springs, and Conway....and the result is always the same; poor quality, for the most part, and high prices. Why is this? Why can Wal Mart's in AR put out the same quality produce that Wal Mart's in central TX do? Why do the prices vary so greatly on produce from AR versus TX?

It is quite a frustration.

[Penguin_ie]

Haven't really found that problem here in Rogers/ Bentonville, though I find the produce in Walmart very stylised/ good looking and less emphasis on good taste! Also getting ripe bananas are difficult, they are all green.

I am looking forward to when then farmers markets start up in May! Local produce is always the best.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by Penguin_ie

Haven't really found that problem here in Rogers/ Bentonville, though I find the produce in Walmart very stylised/ good looking and less emphasis on good taste! Also getting ripe bananas are difficult, they are all green.

I am looking forward to when then farmers markets start up in May! Local produce is always the best.

I too love the farmers markets, but like you, I haven't found produce any different here than in Texas when we visit our daughter..

We do have a great little local store that I think has better produce than Wal-Mart.. We get nice avacodos for less than a $, sometimes for about 65 cents and good asparagus, or we buy our asparagus at Sams Club..

I think the important thing for the OP to remember is: this is the worst season of all for produce, the winter crops are about gone and the spring and summer crops are not quite ready..

Nita

[johncronejr]

It was August 2007 when I made that price comparison Nita, so winter didn't play a part in the $1.20 extra on the grapefruits. Now where winter is concerned, my wife said that in Mineapolis, they had good quality, reasonably priced produce even in winter. Surely this is not a central arkansas phenomena.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by johncronejr

It was August 2007 when I made that price comparison Nita, so winter didn't play a part in the $1.20 extra on the grapefruits. Now where winter is concerned, my wife said that in Mineapolis, they had good quality, reasonably priced produce even in winter. Surely this is not a central arkansas phenomena.

I think it must be central more than here. Produce, of course, everywhere has shot way up. I think about what we paid even 10 years ago, but that doesn't do any good, so I will forget about those days if I can. We have been getting 8 lbs of oranges or grapefruit and it is good, for $3.00. I don't think that is bad, tomatoes, about 99 cents a lb, they aren't the best tasting, but I don't expect that right now, onions are about $1.79 for 3 lbs, cabbage, last week (St Patty's day) special, .19 a lb.. I just can't really conplain that much..As for good quality in the winter, well, I would have to say, most of it really isn't what I would call really good quality but it certainly isn't bad. You mentioned strawberries, again, this week 2 qts for $3.00 and they certainly were not even beginning to spoil. Now, I will add, I do not buy produce at Wal-Mart or I should say, rarely. If I happen to be shopping there and just need one of two items I will, but normally no..

Oh, by the way, I am not sure what your point is if you did the price comparison a year and 1/2 ago..It doesn't have much to do with today I wouldn't think..

Nita

[johncronejr]

The poit is that in TX we were able to find quality produce at common locations like Wal Mart and though the price I stated was from 2007, there was a huge difference, which unless ratios between Wal Mart TX and Wal Mart AR have changed, there is likely still a huge price difference.

[nmnita]

Originally Posted by johncronejr

The poit is that in TX we were able to find quality produce at common locations like Wal Mart and though the price I stated was from 2007, there was a huge difference, which unless ratios between Wal Mart TX and Wal Mart AR have changed, there is likely still a huge price difference.

John, I don't know what to say except when I have visited our daughter in Texas I have never found the produce any different than here. One thing might be cheaper here, another there.. She live no west of Dallas and shops at Krogers and Tom Thumb. She also does not shop at Wal-Mart..

Nita

[johncronejr]

Ok. Well I suppose it will always remain a mystery then

[DC at the Ridge]

It's not a mystery. The store manager who told you that transportation costs drove those prices higher was telling you the truth. Freight costs into rural areas are thousands of dollars higher than freight costs into urban areas. There's more competition between carriers delivering into urban areas, there's more freight going outbound from those areas. We even pay more for the chicken grown right here in Arkansas than they do in Minnesota because when they start shipping it, those shipping costs drive the prices higher. The other thing driving those costs higher is the quantities being bought. Just like Wal-Mart can buy millions of units cheaper than the local store can buy its tens of units, the grocery buying produce in a rural area probably isn't buying a truckload of tomatoes. That truckload of tomatoes is going to a local distributor that has ten grocers buying from him. Extra middleman, extra cost. And extra time. The tomatoes spend more time on trucks and in warehouses in rural markets than they do in more urban markets. Which lowers their quality. And when they get in the stores, there's less turnover, so the tomato sits longer in the grocery case. There's no excuse for the store letting moldy products sit. Complain to the manager, and keep complaining. But keep in mind, too, that there are multiple factors driving the produce costs higher, and making the produce quality less than ideal.

[johncronejr]

I have been a businessman for a good number of years. I have never found a good excuse to put out a less than quality product.

Having to ship my products throughout the U.S., I am aware that freight can vary greatly from one region to the next. However, I cannot imagine freight costing as much as $1.20 per grapefruit more. Perhaps since I have never been in the grocery business I am just ignorant of the costs associated with that particular business.

The bottom line for me is that I could live with the extra costs if I was getting a quality product. Until all businesses start caring about putting out top quality, we will keep driving around to different stores to find what we need. I plan on checking out the Little Rock Farmer's Market this year, and my wife is going to get a big garden going.

I appreciate your input DC.