Acme, Clemens, Giant, Pathmark, Red Lion, Safeway (Genaurdi’s), Super Fresh, and Wegmans are grocery stores I frequent, and that require me to identify myself with a plastic card, key ring tag, or phone number, before they will grant me, the customer, the most favorable pricing. Prices that I can get anyway, simply by telling the cashier that I forgot my plastic card, key ring tag, or phone number. ("I forgot my phone number," is only believable if over 60, as I am.)
What has happened to us? Is there a more competitive industry than groceries? The grocery chains sell the same stuff and they compete on price—nothing more. They cannot raise prices and stay in business. Yet we allow them to herd us about like cattle in the slaughterhouse. They will not grant us the best prices unless we join their "Frequent Shoppers Club".
Presumably, the “Frequent Shoppers Club” is for capturing vital data on consumer behavior. Ha! For what purpose? The point-of-sale system automatically records product and pricing data without any input from the customer. Why do they need my ID? The only visible reason I have noticed, is so they can look at the register tape, find my name, smile sweetly, and cheerfully recite, "Thank you Mr. V." For this, I carry eight plastic cards in my wallet?
How does belonging to The Frequent Shoppers Club, help you? Has it made the shopping experience more pleasant? Have you received any rewards from your grocer tied to your specific purchases? Have you received any compensation for the data you freely key-in and swipe for them in a lane-clogging exercise, and carry around in your wallet, presumably, like mine, bulging with multiple "Shoppers Club Cards"?
I shop at three other establishments. Two of them, Whole Foods and Food Source, are upscale grocers, and both allow me to pass through the checkout line without a Shoppers Card, Social Security No., Photo ID, or fingerprint. Cool.
The other one, COSTCO, will not allow me in the store without first showing my member card, but for good reason; the prices are stupendous. And where else could I find mustard in gallon jars?
Merchants that require us to lug about proof of ID, without corresponding benefits, do us no favors. What would they do if we burned our cards?
I vote for a grocery store "Shoppers Card" burning ceremony in the parking lot. Who will join me? (We must coordinate the dates; I have several stops to make.)
