On Sun, 11 Nov 2018 16:50:28 -0700, U.S. Janet B. >
wrote:
>On Sun, 11 Nov 2018 17:18:49 -0600, Sqwertz >
>wrote:
>
>>This year's Costco holiday roasted red pepper offering in my area
>>comes from "Netsos Foods", a 1.5 liter jar straight from
>>Thessaloniki Greece. Ingredients: Fire roasted peppers, water, red
>>wine vinegar, sea salt, grape juice.
>>
>>Along with some other goodies:
>>https://www.flickr.com/photos/sqwert...ream/lightbox/
>>
>>They also had an almost 2-liter ornamental jar of Tassos olives
>>(almond, garlic, pimento-stuffed) with little gherkins and a few
>>other miscellaneous floaters for $8.99, but I took pass on those
>>this year. I didn't like the ones last year very well (olive
>>weren't ripe enough and cured different than the Tasos olives in the
>>picture above (for $5.59).
>>
>>Costco was a BITCH today. 4:30 PM people were still showing and
>>still no parking.
>>
>>-sw
>
>I'll have to see if my Costco got the peppers. I doubt it though as
>they already had the olive mix in.
>I'm about ready to quit Costco. I asked were the Dijon mustard was
>because I couldn't find it. "We don't carry mustard anymore." They
>are dropping too many common items and forcing me to go to a
>supermarket. If I'm going to the supermarket I might as well do all
>my shopping there.
>Janet US
I have never used Costco as a substitute for the grocery store, but as
an adjunct to it. Granted, now that we are a 2-person household, many
product offerings are just too large for us to buy, and surely there
are a lot of prepared and frozen foods I will never bother with (some
I do, and love, of course), but as long as they carry products that
make my membership more than worthwhile and as long as they maintain
the customer service that means I can return anything, at any time,
with no hassle, and they stand by their electronics/appliances as they
do with extended warranties, then I'll keep it up.
There is no grocery where I can buy a whole boneless prime rib at a
reasonable price or an always-decently priced and flavorful rack of
lamb, or, I confess, that carries some really nice caviar around the
holidays or that offers me great prices on OTC meds that beat any
other vendor near here, then I will stay...
Is it what it used to be? What retailer is? I have been going there
for years and years, even while it was Price Club, before it got
bought out by Costco. In our case, it is close by, still has plenty of
what I require, so what the heck?
The shift to online accompanied by the stupendously accurate tracking
capabilities of every single item on the shelf and each purchase of it
makes Costco or any other Big Box store what it is. They know exactly
what sells and what doesn't. I cannot blame them for making sure that
they keep out the duds and maintain the items that bring in the most
profit. My grocery stores are actually doing the same, which is why
they have no depth in vinegar, but have 18 variables on organic salsa,
or why I can get lots of run-of the mill apples and citrus, but the
produce manager looks at me weird if I ask for local apples varieties,
or kumquats (or similar examples). So I think the grocery stores are
evolving, too. My go-to grocery now has a refrigerated bin in the
store vestibule, IN FRONT OF THE MAIN DOORS, that sells meal kits of
their own branding and at many times of day, they have more employees
pulling orders for delivery than regular customers shopping there.
The Big Box stores have less and less depth, too. I went looking for
an under-sink water filter over the weekend. Useless trips to Home
Dept and Lowe's. I ended up ordering online from a filter specialist
retailer.(1)
Times change. People change. Retailers change.
The reason for seeking the under-sink filter? We got a new kitchen
faucet last week. Installation was a breeze- the sort of thing DH can
do in his sleep and it was also a good excuse to clean out that
cabinet under there.
We had a on-faucet Brita on the kitchen for years and years. Strictly
for the taste it offers for drinking water and for coffee. We have no
water problems and could truly do without, but...
We go to hook up the Brita to the new faucet - no adapter will fit. We
get a set of adapters of varying sizes. Nope. Not a one will fit. We
figure it is proprietary, get a bit ****ed, because the faucet was
really pricey, but..
I finally call Kohler direct to try to order an adapter. They tell me
that yes, the threading is proprietary, and no, they do not have any
adapters available, and none of their spec sheets even have the
measurement of what would be needed. Profuse bullshitted apologies
offered of course. Basically, they do not care.