I can't make any rhyme or reason in prices

There are 25 replies in this Thread which has previously been viewed 2,966 times. The latest Post (October 8, 2024 at 4:26 PM) was by GlasgowJohn.

    In the last two days, I have visited two supermarkets from the same group (VEA and Jumbo, Disco is also part of the same chain).

    Although each has different colors (light green and yellow for VEA, bright green for Jumbo, and red for Disco), their website are made by the same penship and they sell the same brands.

    However, some don't cater the same assortment of a given brand.

    VEA, Jumbo, and Disco all sell imported products by La Molisana. That said, VEA today only sells 2-3 pasta kinds, Disco sells pasta and tomato sauce, and so does Jumbo. That said, sometimes you can find the tomato sauce at VEA, as well.

    The Cuisine Co. brand, which seems to be the supermarket's own brand but features both local and imported products, is sold only at Jumbo and Disco, though.

    Prices may be similar, or close enough (a difference of 1-200 pesos). But offers can be found in a supermarket and be absent in another.

    I can't find any rhyme or reason in this kind of strategy.

    On Friday, I went to the VEA in Palermo Hollywood (Av. Córdoba 6103,) because after a long comparison of prices online, I was set on buying my Nescafé at VEA, since it was advertised for 5500 pesos per 170 g jar online. Once I was in the store, there was no such product. I asked, and they said that if it is not on the shelves, they don't have it. They did have Nescafé Gold Espresso on offer for $13462 (full price being $17950).

    Another item, salt for the dishwasher, was cheaper than it was displayed online (about $150 cheaper) - there was no special online price. Being a very large supermarket with private parking space and in a prime location, I was surprised to see that the in-store assortment was even smaller than online.

    I did spot a large non-sticking pizza pan (size 35) made in Brazil for 20,000 pesos.

    I also needed to buy cleaning gloves, and they only had TWO types. I think any chino has more than that!

    Today, I went to Jumbo in Almagro to buy the tomato sauce by La Molisana. They only had a few left, tucked away on a shelf. I spotted again the same pizza pan for over 30,000 pesos. Same brand, same size and about same time. 30% more!

    And the Nescafé Gold Espresso was over $18,000 - no offer and even more than the full price at VEA.

    I found cleaning gloves by Vileda 25% off, but the model I was interested into was available only in size S. What the heck?!

    I did set on a different model that was available in my size.

    I can understand competing against competitors, but why competing against your own fellas?

    Also to be noted: Jumbo launched Jumbo Prime, a subscription model where you have access to special offers and free or inexpensive delivery costs. It doesn't sounds tempting to me, also because - as usual - price is subject to variation to keep up with inflation etc etc.

    I certainly can’t shed any light on this subject, serafina , as you are the EMPRESS of comparison shopping. If you can’t figure this out, no one can.

    Maybe they are counting on shoppers’ always going to the same sub-brand store, and not comparing among the three?

    It would be interesting to understand why they have this different price policy, since I suppose they place a single order with the suppliers of those items and do not have different contracts/prices.

    And if the brand has a promotional price, it should be across the board.

    Perhaps they want to attract clients to go hop-shopping.

    another thing I loathe are the parkings with the access bar and the ticket that should be validated at the cashier to be able to get out.

    At the Jumbo near the Mosque, the first two hours are free and the following ones are paid. Why wouldn’t you have the people spending MORE time at your mall?!

    At the VEA where I went, there was free parking with a minimum shop of 10,000 pesos. I didn’t spend that much since there was no coffee.

    Also, often it happens that stuff on offer is not even available. This happens at all supermarkets and it is bonkers.

    It is not like this in Italy and in the US.

    And the promotion on certain items, like alfajores, comes with a fine print. For example, yesterday at Jumbo there was 80% off on the second item on alfajores, but it was excluding Havanna, Cachafaz and Nestlé. Oh well!

    I gave up trying to make sense of Argie shopping ages ago. It does your head in.

    The other day I rode to Coto in San Isidro after several weeks of shopping in Tesco, Morrison's and Sainsbury in the UK.

    It was a shock to the system, even though it was expected. Just full of the same old crap, a decrepit building, dirty floors, staff that couldn't give a shit and rip-off prices.

    Shopping in this country is medieval.

    We only have a Vea so can't compare them to Jumbo or Disco. I have noticed that prices online for certain items aren't always displayed or available in store. You do have to make sure you choose the location of the store you're shopping in though. Even then it doesn't always work out. I ordered two six packs of Stella Artois Noire that were on online offer. The next day I went in to collect them and was told they had been trying to phone me all morning to tell me it had been cancelled. Reason being our Vea don't stock Stella Artois Noire despite me being able to buy it online.

    Their pricing on certain items is crazy as they seem to go up and down on a daily basis. Last night I saw that cans of Pampa Nitro stout were on a 4for2 offer so bought 8 cans as it was too good to miss. I usually just buy beer from them online however recently I bought chocolate, papas fritas, coffee and Axe deodorant online as they were ridiculously cheap. Those purchases all worked out okay. :thumbup:

    in my opinion, many companies have a long way to go to actually provide good customer service. it's as if they believe the general public is stupid and will not bother holding them to a higher standard.

    One thing I have noticed in our Vea which opened here many years ago. Most of the staff be it checkout or shelf packers have hardly changed over the years. They know me by my first name.

    Which leads me to assume they must have very good t&c's.

    Quote from UK Man

    One thing I have noticed in our Vea which opened here many years ago. Most of the staff be it checkout or shelf packers have hardly changed over the years. They know me by my first name.

    Which leads me to assume they must have very good t&c's.

    Because sacking people in this country is more expensive than keeping them on.

    Quote from sts

    in my opinion, many companies have a long way to go to actually provide good customer service. it's as if they believe the general public is stupid and will not bother holding them to a higher standard.

    Customer Service, a practice that is widely practiced in Europe and North America, is a concept that is terra incognita here. [The only example of complete indifference to the public that I can name in the US is the attitude of US Postal Service employees, who unapologetically shuffle around in droves while the lone person actually addressing customer needs, attends to a ridiculously long line of frustrated people. But I digress.]

    In Argentina, like everywhere else, employees take their cue from their employers. On a recent trip to Carrefour, we counted 37 people in front of us in line, yet only 2 of the available tills were staffed. In other countries the customers would never return, but would shop elsewhere; but here, switching to Coto would possibly be even worse. As serafina has pointed out, the “loss leaders” used to lure people into the store very often are not available, even at the beginning of the sale period. Store employees just shrug and say “maybe it’s available at another Día/Coto/Carrefour/Disco location.”

    Customer Service on the Management level? If you buy a product that is actually damaged or broken, try returning it!

    On the whole I find employed shop staff here competent and pleasant, even more so when I've been in on my own. There is the odd exception but they're very rare.

    Quote from Rice

    Perhaps that’s a real advantage of shopping in a neighborhood store, without the impersonal anonymity of a store in a large city?

    I find the staff in the large supermarkets just the same. The things that annoy me the most are not the fault of the staff. Like long lines at check out, lack of aisle space,etc.etc.

    On our recent trip to the UK, we were surprised to find 75% of checkouts are now 'scan yourself' with many human checkouts having been removed.

    Neither did we ever have to queue for anything in that respect.

    I know it's pointless making comparisons, but it does highlight how far behind this country is and please don't get me on customer service. One shit they could not give.

    Quote from Splinter

    I know it's pointless making comparisons, but it does highlight how far behind this country is and please don't get me on customer service. One shit they could not give.

    Are the petrol stations in BA self service? All the ones here still have attendants.

    Quote from Splinter

    On our recent trip to the UK, we were surprised to find 75% of checkouts are now 'scan yourself' with many human checkouts having been removed.

    In Argentina, most self-service businesses are impossible to even imagine.

    No self-service washers, no self-service vendor machines, no self-service gas stations, no self-service cigarette dispensers etc.

    The trust system would never work here.

    Quote from Splinter

    On our recent trip to the UK, we were surprised to find 75% of checkouts are now 'scan yourself' with many human checkouts having been removed.

    Neither did we ever have to queue for anything in that respect.

    I know it's pointless making comparisons, but it does highlight how far behind this country is and please don't get me on customer service. One shit they could not give.

    Actually, we’ve been surprised at how many self-scanning tills there are at the supermarkets here.

    But the attendants-only gas/petrol stations here astound us. In the US, you can’t even FIND an attendant if you need one. It has been self-service only since at least the 1970’s.

    Quote from UK Man

    Are the petrol stations in BA self service? All the ones here still have attendants.

    In the US it is illegal to pump your own gas in the state of NJ. The same was true in Oregon until last year. There is at least one town in NY and one in Massachusetts where I know self service is not allowed.