Almost Denied at Kroger yesterday

I decided after a day of stewing over this to put this one out to the forum for responses. Yesterday I went into Kroger to pick up a few 2 liters of Pepsi products. This was one of their loss-leader items of the week. At $1 per 2 liter this is cheaper than I can get them off delivered to me by Pepsi. So I load up my cart with 28 bottles and head up to the checkout. Once there, I'm intercepted by the head checker and told that they cannot sell me a cart load of 2 liters. When I ask why, she said they were told by management to not let anyone buy that many sodas at one time. I told them that there was no sign by the product, nor any mention of a limit in their ad. She says the most she can let me have are 4 of them. When I tell her that the ad for the week was 5 for $5, she got really ticked and told me I could then only have 5 of them. So, I ask her for a manager as I know this is getting nowhere fast. A few minutes later a manager ambles over and asks what the problem is. The lady lets the manager know that per management orders she is not going to let me make my purchase. The manager agrees with her, with the retort of "Whenever we see someone with this many in their cart, we know they are taking them somewhere else to resell them." I again inform them that there was no sign declaring a limit, and nothing in their ads about a limit. I then ask, that if I were holding a cookout, and need a lot of soda's that they would still deny me sale? (at no point have I said anything about being a retailer). They said if that is the case then of course they would sell them. So I ask how in the world would they know if I was having a cookout? Would I need to come in with an apron and some grill utensils? The manager finally relents and lets me know that they will let me make my purchase this time, but not in the future. They ring me up and let me out of there as quick as possible before I could blow up. I'm actually proud that I kept an even tone.

So I ask you, if there is no signage about limits, or nothing in their ads, should I have had to go through this? I'm sure that this is a product that they are either losing money on, or breaking even, just based on what I know of the costs. If you are willing to put an item in your ad to lure people in with no declared limit, can you make one up to thwart any customer you choose?

If there is nothing posted in any way explicitly stating limitations, exclusions, conditions, or other exceptions, then you are free and clear to buy them out. Unless they express otherwise, the offer is as stands. And you have a right to be disgruntled if you are prevented from participating in the advertised offer.

(I do think it is a little shady being a retailer and clearing out a competitor who has lowered their price in the interest of drawing business, but that is a business ethics tangent and to demonstrate the shifting sand of my ethical stance, I am apt to let it slide because you basically sticking it to a corporate chain... )

Kroger is not a wholesaler.

i just want to take this oppurtunity and vent my frustrations about kroger. i grew up off greenwood rd and went to the same kroger my whole life up to 24 years old. no complaints whatsoever about that location.

the kroger in my new neighborhood however, is not so nice. i go to the one on poplar level, right next to kmart. the cashier and customer service desk staff are unpleasant. no one smiles or says have a nice day or asks if you found everything ok. i usually go to this kroger sometime in the evening and the same lady is usually there running the check lane. i have never seen this woman smile and she blatantly ROLLS HER EYES at me when i say i'd like to buy some cigarettes. like "oh my god! i can't believe you expect me to walk behind the desk and get your damn cigarettes!" so she glares at me and saunters over there and comes back and and glares at me some more as she angrily scans and bags my groceries (which are never more than a few bags' worth). i have tried to be pleasant with their "front of the store" staff and they just won't have any of it. my hello's go ignored and my thank you's go without any you're welcomes.

i guess i don't feel that they are obligated to be ultra friendly, i just think that if i ran a grocery store, i would strive to hire people who are at least pleasant to serve my customers. certainly not ones who will be completely rude to people by rolling their eyes.

the strange thing is that the other staff in the store, like the ones who stock the aisles and work in produce and meat, etc, are very polite and eager to help. they ask if i need help finding things or just say "hi, how ya doin today?" why is it that the ones who work up front and are supposed to interact with customers are the ones who don't seem to know the first thing about interacting with customers?

there, rant finished. thanks.

Kroger may not be a wholesaler, but by setting their "loss leader" prices below what average businesses are able to (pricing out the competition wally world style) and sometimes setting those prices below the cost most retailers are paying from their wholesalers (via volume discounts) they are opening themselves up to retailers "buying out" their inventories.

Besides the fact that almost everyone in the restaurant community has made an emergency trip to Kroger for lemons, salt, ice, etc

There are no laws regarding the purchase and resell of soda products in Indiana that i am aware of, although it is illegal for me to purchase beer from stores like Rite Aid or Kroger to resell at the CPC.

Honestly, it would be cheaper (and thus more profitable) for me to buy mass produced domestic swill from any of the chain groceries/pharmacies than from my beer distributors.


shawn

I have a friend who's family owned a vending company for some years and they would regularly buy certain cans of soda at Sam's because they could get them cheaper than the distributor. If Kroger sets the rules ($1 per 2 liter and no limit posted) they need to live by them.

I have a friend who's family owned a vending company for some years and they would regularly buy certain cans of soda at Sam's because they could get them cheaper than the distributor. If Kroger sets the rules ($1 per 2 liter and no limit posted) they need to live by them.

Your comparison of Sam's and Kroger is not really valid. Part of Sam's business model is to sell to small businesses, thus the sales you mention in reality are something they strive for. That's why they have the huge flatbed carts and things along that line.

On the other hand Kroger's target business is individuals for home use. I still think there's anything wrong with buying large quantities for your business if they don't have a written policy limiting the quantities that can be purchased. I also personally wouldn't have anything ethically wrong with anybody doing it because of the way the soft drink companies structure their discounts.

There are unwritten rules and standards of behavior.

Should I stop tipping my waiter because there's not a rule written down anywhere? Can I bring my brown bag lunch into a restaurant and help myself to a table for my lunch hour? Should be OK since the rule is not written down, right?

There are unwritten rules and standards of behavior.

Should I stop tipping my waiter because there's not a rule written down anywhere? Can I bring my brown bag lunch into a restaurant and help myself to a table for my lunch hour? Should be OK since the rule is not written down, right?

I know of no "unwritten rule or standard of behavior" about taking advantage of a store's below-cost pricing. If they posted a limit, then absolutely they could deny Todd. Otherwise, it's a failure on their own part- which like their " if we ring an item at the wrong price, you get one for free", should be honored on one occasion, then corrected so it doesn't happen again. ( It takes 10 secs to add "Limit 10" to a sign.)

Deb

Snippets of your post:

Yesterday I went into Kroger to pick up a few 2 liters of Pepsi products.
So I load up my cart with 28 bottles and head up to the checkout.
I then ask, that if I were holding a cookout, and need a lot of soda's that they would still deny me sale? (at no point have I said anything about being a retailer). They said if that is the case then of course they would sell them. So I ask how in the world would they know if I was having a cookout?
They ring me up and let me out of there as quick as possible before I could blow up. I'm actually proud that I kept an even tone.
I'm sure that this is a product that they are either losing money on, or breaking even, just based on what I know of the costs.
If you are willing to put an item in your ad to lure people in with no declared limit, can you make one up to thwart any customer you choose?

Here is what I took away from your post:
You are a retailer, not a normal consumer. You go in for "a few" 2 liters, and come out with 28. As a retailer, you know they are losing money (or breaking even) on the offer. I can't tell if you are holding a cookout, but I'm guessing not.

Strictly answering you questions, yes I think Kroger needed to sell you the 2 liters. Their copy people probably forgot to insert the limitation, and they needed to honor the offer. However I'm not sure I condone your actions in taking advantage of another retailer. It does not sit well with me. I guess we all learned a good lesson.

I've run into the same problem (buying a LOT of Diet Dr. Pepper when on loss-leader sale). Never a problem at Meijers, as they normally post a limit (which I follow), while at Kroger I always ran into arguments. While eventually I always won, I finally gave up, and there are so many Krogers around where I live that I will just stop in to one or another daily for the week they're on sale.

BTW, I found that sometimes (from Kroger) I can taste a difference after around 3 weeks, so I no longer have more than a three week supply in the house.

I am not sure why Kroger has to honor anything. If they forgot to put the limit, then they forgot. I don't think anything is binding. I figure the manager can say no if he or she wanted. Then, the consumer has the choice of whether they want to ever frequent the store again. If I am the manager, and I have an inclination that the purchaser is a retailer who intends to resell the product, I think I should be able to prevent the sale. As the manager, I then assume the risk that the purchaser is not having a cookout and risk losing that customer's business.

Kroger is not a wholesaler.

I agree. Kroger is a retailer for consumers.

There are unwritten rules and standards of behavior.

Should I stop tipping my waiter because there's not a rule written down anywhere? Can I bring my brown bag lunch into a restaurant and help myself to a table for my lunch hour? Should be OK since the rule is not written down, right?

Steve, I agree with you. It all comes down to common sense. If every retailer went in and bought all of the Pepsi, then consumers would not be allowed the chance to save money.

i just want to take this oppurtunity and vent my frustrations about kroger. i grew up off greenwood rd and went to the same kroger my whole life up to 24 years old. no complaints whatsoever about that location.

the kroger in my new neighborhood however, is not so nice. i go to the one on poplar level, right next to kmart. the cashier and customer service desk staff are unpleasant. no one smiles or says have a nice day or asks if you found everything ok. i usually go to this kroger sometime in the evening and the same lady is usually there running the check lane. i have never seen this woman smile and she blatantly ROLLS HER EYES at me when i say i'd like to buy some cigarettes. like "oh my god! i can't believe you expect me to walk behind the desk and get your damn cigarettes!" so she glares at me and saunters over there and comes back and and glares at me some more as she angrily scans and bags my groceries (which are never more than a few bags' worth). i have tried to be pleasant with their "front of the store" staff and they just won't have any of it. my hello's go ignored and my thank you's go without any you're welcomes.

i guess i don't feel that they are obligated to be ultra friendly, i just think that if i ran a grocery store, i would strive to hire people who are at least pleasant to serve my customers. certainly not ones who will be completely rude to people by rolling their eyes.

the strange thing is that the other staff in the store, like the ones who stock the aisles and work in produce and meat, etc, are very polite and eager to help. they ask if i need help finding things or just say "hi, how ya doin today?" why is it that the ones who work up front and are supposed to interact with customers are the ones who don't seem to know the first thing about interacting with customers?

there, rant finished. thanks.

Jessie,
Drive a couple miles up the road to the Kroger on Goss Ave. Very nice people and better selection. Only a few minutes away!