Let the games stop

Editor:

Groceries and Games. We all need the first one and most of us like to play the second. I don’t think that many of us like to be played for stupid when it comes to games but sometimes it comes out that way.

Here in El Dorado Springs we have only one major food retailer which is Wood’s Market. We have had in the past what is called Mom and Pop stores which are small independently owned stores of one variety or another but little by little the big chains with greater buying power which could offer lower prices forced the small stores out of business. Sad but that’s the way life is sometimes. Now several years ago Summer Fresh opened a Supermarket in town and I believe was quite successful for a period of time and for one reason or another Summer Fresh closed. Now Woods has it all to themselves but we still have the National dollar Store that offers a variety of food items at a lower price than major chains and do a very good business.

I realize that competition induces people to spend their money and businesses are striving the make certain that shoppers frequent their store and spend their dollars in their store so some weeks ago Woods Market had a game where they gave shoppers a Master Sheet with logos of food brands on it and each time you shopped you receive coupons that you could match to your Master Sheet and if you were lucky enough to match correctly, you would win money. Well and good. But you spent quite a bit of time matching the logos but it kept some customers trying. Well that went the way of so many fads and the next thing Woods came out with was the Woods card. You could give certain information and they would issue you a Woods card then when you got their weekly sale bulletin and told them you had a Woods card you were able to buy the item at the published price but without the magic card you were charged a much higher price. Myself, I don’t like playing games. Especially where you have to make sure you read the advertisement closely for one must always remember, the big print gives and the small print takes away. Let the buyer beware has always been the smart way to shop. In the case of Woods you see the sale price in big numbers but in small letters at the bottom it always says, “with Woods card.”

Now over in Bolivar there is a grocery chain that doesn’t play games, they have a published price and that is what you are charged at the cash register and I would venture to say their prices are 25 to 30 percent lower than major retailers but the amazing things to me is that you have to insert a quarter into the grocery cart when you pick it up but lo and behold when you return the cart you get your quarter back. How amazing is that”

I only wish this chain would extend their number of stores to match Woods shopping area and I believe Woods Markets would stop playing games and stick to selling foods stuffs.

Bud Olinger

El Dorado Springs