The problem with little competition in grocery stores in PSL (Lakeland: sales, how much)

[pattybee]

I was buying a bag of coffee beans in my Publix last week and couldn't find the coffee grinder. Upon inquiring I was told it had been removed the night before, so I gave them back the bag in my hand and bought it in Walmart where they also no longer have a grinder but where the same bag of coffee already ground is $2.00 cheaper. Two days later while shopping I overheard a customer discussing the absence of the line of Brother coffee beans with an employee who was stocking shelves. I asked the employee if the coffee grinder was gone for good and she confirmed that it was, and upon hearing this the other customer stormed off vowing to start buying her coffee elsewhere.

I emailed a complaint to Publix and was told that since they no longer carry the Brother line of coffee beans and the grinders were courtesy of Brother, there will be no more coffee grinders, and the rest of it was the typical boilerplate babble about regretting to have failed to meet expectations, etc.

Coffee grinders have been standard equipment in grocery stores for decades, long before the relatively recent gourmet coffee craze. With all the business Publix does in the area—with only a couple of exceptions (one Winn-Dixie and Bravo) it has created a virtual monopoly in PSL and close to it in Stuart—how badly could it possibly affect Publix's bottom line to install their own grinders?

This is the sort of thing that happens with the absence of competition, and I don't see our getting different stores anytime soon. No Whole Foods, no Trader Joe's, no Aldi. Publix is a fine grocery store, but when there's no longer a need for a corporation to try harder, it won't.

This particular inconvenience may not be a problem of yours, but ultimately little tweeks here and there to improve the corporation's bottom line are likely to displease you, However, the gang up in Lakeland knows you have nowhere else to go.

[Fancy4]

My dh bought home a cuisinart coffee grinder that his boss gave him-(they switched over to the "pod" system). I've had that thing for 3 yrs now and still going stronger. You may want to buy yourself a grinder..

I see them at yard sales and thrift stores all the time and very inexpensive.


Barbara

[HarryWho?]

Fancy4 has good advice. There's not much advantage to buying beans, grinding them in the store, and then storing them in the bag at home. Get yourself a grinder, buy whole beans, and grind them at home. The smell alone is worth it.

[parrotgirl]

Originally Posted by pattybee

I

This is the sort of thing that happens with the absence of competition, and I don't see our getting different stores anytime soon. No Whole Foods, no Trader Joe's, no Aldi. Publix is a fine grocery store, but when there's no longer a need for a corporation to try harder, it won't.
.

Supposedly Aldi will open a store in the former Albertson's location at the corner of St. Lucie West Blvd. and Cashmere sometime this summer...

[pattybee]

Obviously there are workarounds to this particular problem of mine, but it is the lack of sufficient competition that I see as the much larger issue.

[pattybee]

Originally Posted by parrotgirl

Supposedly Aldi will open a store in the former Albertson's location at the corner of St. Lucie West Blvd. and Cashmere sometime this summer...

That is good news! I've been so envious of those who have access to an Aldi. Now if we could just have our own Trader Joe's. Their PBG store opened just as I had changed my doctor from one who was located down there. Thanks for in info.

[Fancy4]

If it will make you feel better, I just moved here from Jupiter. In all of Jupiter/Tequesta there are 2 Winn Dixie's and 7 Publix's. (I'm counting Jupiter Farms and the one in the Bluffs-did I miss any others?).


Barbara

[runswithscissors]

Originally Posted by pattybee

Obviously there are workarounds to this particular problem of mine, but it is the lack of sufficient competition that I see as the much larger issue.

I believe the larger issue is the popularity of people grinding their own beans, now.

Now that that people know that grinding beans immediately before brewing gives you the best outcome, and considering the low cost of grinders, they are buying their own grinders. Or even buying the more expensive burr grinder. I have several clients who have the models with the grinder right on the coffeemaker.

I haven't seen a single person grind coffee in the supermarket for as long as I can remember.

Amazon has 227 results in that category.

Amazon.com: Electric Burr Grinders - Coffee Grinders

HAHA first thing that came up googling Aldi's and coffee grind was a blog criticizing their coffee by PEOPLE WHO GRIND THEIR OWN! irony.

http://foodmadeoflove.blogspot.com/2...eux-donut.html

There are LOTS of complaints about their coffee AND it appears they do not have a GRINDER either.

Which wouldn't surprise me considering you have to even pay for a shopping cart there.

http://coffeerated.com/tag/aldi-coffee/

[newred5]

Aldi has no grinder in store and you don't pay for a shopping cart but put a quarter in the cart and get the quater back when you return the cart to the corral.

[SeetheUSA]

Yes- coffee grinder.

On another note, why would you shop at Publix anymore?? Now that Walmart is honoring BOGO's from both Publix and WD, I rarely spend more than $10 week at Publix. I do buy bananas there still, but that's about it.

Walmart does it cheaper. I can't tell you how much I save there, but it's at least $50 week now.