YES on the judges killing the Kroger-Albertson's merger

Living in an area where both companies operate, I am glad to see this was killed.

Both stores, and Albertson's in particular, have gotten more and more sucky on price jacks starting with COVID and going beyond. In addition, Albertson's often seems to have a problem with items in a weekly sales flier being out of stock. My local Tom Thumb nameplate has gotten better, but in 2022-23 was kind of bad.

In addition, the reduction of jobs would have been an issue, and prices would only have gone hire. In addition, would the merged company, since Albertson's is non-union at best, antiunion at worst, gone into union-busting? In addition, the idea that a third-party grocery distribution company and PigglyWiggly remnants owner could have taken over the 500-plus stores the two had proposed to shed — and which wasn't enough — was laughable.

As for who the competition is? Aldi's is limited, especially on produce. That's how Winco is so much better, plus it has a more robust house brand line than does Aldi. Trader Joe's? Mainly specialty stuff. Not a competitor. Dollar General? Probably not. That said, Wally is. It's more than a grocery store, yes. But, Wallys that have groceries usually have a full lineup, not Dollar General stuff.

The thing is, both stores, and especially Kroger, have a number of things priced more cheaply than Wally. But, they're bad at marketing that!

The Winco in my area is not.

It will load a basket of groceries, then load a comparison basket and list prices on both, with, "$12 cheaper at Winco" on the signs. (They do that with Kroger and Albertson's too, albeit not always with the same items. But that's how marketing works!)

Albertson's has sucked for a decade-plus. They long had a history, whether their name or Tom Thumb, for jacking prices before applying digital coupons, for example.

So, the bottom-line issue is NOT that Walmart is cheaper. It's often not. It's that Kroger and Albertson's have gotten lazy.

I also don't get their CEO suing Kroger rather than fighting to keep the merger. Albertson's proposed dumping just as few of stores as Kroger, for one thing.

Coronavirus, week 31: How badly will we be screwed?

There's enough material this week for a separate post, but nothing long or major. Just some updates on how bad the U.S. is likely to be hit for the rest of this calendar year.

That starts with Anthony Fauci noting, and drug and vaccine maker Pfizer essentially conceding, there will be NO VACCINE THIS YEAR. Period. Get that in your heads, TrumpTrain, Lincoln Project, The Resistance, Greens, Communist, apolitical or other. Related? There will be NO widespread availability until May or later, when the winter/spring COVID surge on top of flu surge is (presumably) over.

SocraticGadfly provided some updates on coronavirus-related boycotts and semi-boycotts of stores, in light of lack of local, semi-rural/exurban store mask enforcement of corporate rules, corporate PR or PR by silence, and related issues.

DosCentavos posts Dr. Varon's answer as to why COVID numbers are increasing: Stupidity.

Per the above, Anthony Fauci is warning about "a whole lot of pain," and saying that unlike eight months ago, it will be rural areas, already 'bleeding out," if one will, that will face the most trouble. That's especially true for colder-weather rural areas. Hard to travel to a hospital 30-50 miles away in snow and ice if your county has no medical center.

And, rural America? It's harder to have "mask fatigue" when mask resistance and non-compliance has been higher there all along. Stop worrying and per Dr. Stranglove, Learn to Love the Mask. The alleged fatigue issue? You're being snowflakes. Let's also not forget that rural areas are, on average, older and sicker — prime candidates for COVID deaths.

Not totally rural, contra the LA Times, but Lubbock is challenging the Dakotas for worst inspection spot, and Tech is the worst university here in Tex-ass. It's made worse by the university not policing frat and other parties.

Half a million dead, says Dr. Jonathan Reiner. 300,000 by the end of this year would be no surprise in my book. Half a million by the end of February? Possible.

We all know that winter means more isolation inside with family. Household spread of coronavirus is both common and quick. Kids, do NOT listen to Trump and try to apply interior heat and light to siblings.

Regeneron has stopped a trial on sick patients over safety concerns. Paging Donald Trump ...

Globally? French President Macron expects his nation's fall wave to be worse than the spring.

Tom Thumb practices price-jacking deception

Don’t know if Randall’s, Safeway itself, or other grocery chains Safeway umbrella practice this, but Tom Thumb sure does here in Dallas.

By “price-jacking” I mean artificially inflating the price of foods, often to offer a buy-one-get-one-free “special” shortly afterwards. And, Tom Thumb seems to be doing it with foods most hit by recent commodity prices hikes, so they can coattail on legitimate fears of rising food prices.

Here’s two classic examples.

One is eggs. Yes, they’ve gone up — a lot — in the past few months. But, can anybody tell me they pay nearly $6 for an 18-count of eggs? I doubt it.

That one’s been on for a few weeks. It really caught my eye last week, though, when Minyard’s, a Dallas-area chain, had a buy-one-get-one-free on 18-count eggs for about a buck less.

Just noticed by me is flour prices.

I know wheat prices are also going up, but not this much.

I’m running low on, but nowhere near out of, whole wheat flour.

I browsed the aisles at my nearest Tom Thumb earlier this week.

King Arthur whole wheat flour was listed at $6.59 for a standard five-pound bag.

Does anybody else pay that much for it? I doubt it.

Later in the day, I was at Kroger. Price there?

A much lower $3.39.

I smell a buy-one-get-one-free “special” about to strike at Tom Thumb.

In short, Tom Thumb (and Safeway corporate parent, if this is happening elsewhere), I am now fully on to your deception. I will buy no more buy-one-get-one-free “specials” at your stores without checking at Kroger, Albertson’s and Minyard’s first.