Monday, January 14, 2013

The good old moldy days.....

An open letter to my fellow Americans....

Ahhh! The good old days when, Milk was delivered to your door, The newspaper was as well. Remember when we played outside and then there were only were 3 channels on the t.v. ETC, ETC...

This blog isn't about any of that stuff!

Over the past 18 months or so I have noticed a trend. As a Stay at home dad I have the ability to go food shopping on a regular basis. Now with that said; is it me but, has anyone else noticed that not only is everything substantially more expensive then just a few years ago, or Is it me but, has anyone else noticed that even store brand or generic items are even more expensive than they used to be?!?!?

Which begs the question what gives? Why? When did this start happening? Now we can blame the government, which I am never averse to doing but, I actually think there is much more to it. For example; has anyone noticed how many products have a generic twin item right next to it on the shelf?  How about when there are several generic items next to the name brand stuff!!  Example; Kellogg's Frosted Flakes, and right next to that the store brand "Frosty Flakes" followed by Malt o Meal "Sugar frosting flakes!" I could go on with myriad different products but, I think you get the picture.

It isn't just the expensive pricing I've noticed there is an even more disturbing trend to me that seems to be going unnoticed maybe not unnoticed but, not being mentioned and that is the quality of said items.
I am talking about freshness! Does anyone remember freshness? Because quite frankly I don't!
The last 3 times I have purchased bread, white sandwich bread, I have gotten either an already stale loaf of bread or one so close that it was stale a full 2 days later.

Now keep in mind in my younger days I held several jobs in grocery stores or convenience stores where we had to rotate stock putting the older items up front and the fresher items towards the back. So I know how to read dates as well so please don't make snide comments as to checking dates because part of this disturbing trend is that the dates are within normal freshness dates yet and still when the item is opened it is already all but stale.  I have also gotten a loaf home and not only was it close to stale but, completely stale and moldy within a few days!!!!

In my normally humble opinion, this is not only a disturbing trend but, one that I think isn't going to
change anytime soon.

And here is why;

Now buying bread is pretty much a necessity, the bread companies and there a few, have to compete with the big bread companies ie; Wonder bread etc... Now if you go and buy a name brand loaf of sandwich bread it is gonna run you about 2.50 to 3.50 on average. Then there are the generic brands or store brands that sell for about half of that. The store brands are able to mark down breads, milks and the other necessities to almost half the price of name brand items because of the old adage that you are in the store and you're going to buy more items that aren't generic therefore those items will have a better markup and then everyone can make more money ie the store, the brand etc.....

My problem isn't the competitive pricing aspect of any of this it is the freshness or the quality of the items like bread. You see I have done some quasi research on this bread thing. I have purchased several different brands of breads over the last few months. Name brand, generic and the like. What I have found is that they are all stale or at least very close to it when first purchased!  Not only did I do this project in one grocery store I have done it in several different stores from large grocery chains to local grocery chains and even local convenience stores and without fail all of the bread has had the same problem each and every time!!!!
Am I missing something?! The "Main Stream Media" isn't covering this because I imagine that bread isn't sexy?
Not to mention the inflation aspect of this whole thing that isn't even being remotely addressed by the media! I mean anyone can go and get a loaf of generic bread for about a buck but, will it be any good in a couple of days or will you have to go out and buy another loaf in 3 days even though you still have some of the original purchase left but, no one will eat eat it because it's old or worse yet you had to toss it because it was moldy!
I mean what gives!?!!  I mean what are we supposed to do complain the pimply faced store manager who has barely gotten through puberty as of yet. "Umm sir, I bought this loaf of bread 2 days ago and it's already stale can I have my money back?" Or more than likely you don't say anything to anyone and go out and buy another loaf in the hopes that this one will last longer. I mean when does it end? Does anyone care? Not just the retail level or manufacturing level? How about us? Do any of us really care? And why not? I mean we're being gouged on so many other items that we are essentially being gouged on a necessity like bread?!?  Whats next milk, eggs? etc..etc... When does it end? When does someone say or do something? Or are we really like sheep and just built to follow? I haven't, nor will I even begin to address the price of gas in this blog. Is that where all of this started? Was it the price of fuel? Have we been asleep at the wheel here? Or have we just chosen to play by the rules as they are, for lack of a better term, accepting the status quo?

It isn't just bread.  I mean we as Americans were brought up to fight for our rights; weren't we? Something should be done about this. But, by who or whom?

Please bear in mind I am not just talking about bread here. I guess bread is just colloquialism
 for the real disservice being done to us Americans. We are being gouged and if there was a worse time for us to be gouged for anything I don't believe now would be it.  In a time when we are experiencing unemployment numbers that none of us has ever seen before. Now would not be the time to just blindly accept the status quo. AGAIN PLEASE NOTE THIS IS NOT JUST ABOUT BREAD!!!!! It is about the fact that while we have a million other things to worry about the prices we pay at the grocery store or the gas station should not be something we just ACCEPT!!!

All of us Americans sit idly by while we are steadily gouged if for no other reason than to make the big corporations richer? I have no problem with a corporation making money. But, not at the risk of doing it unfairly. Keep in mind it isn't just the big corporations it is all of the companies.
We pay dearly as they compete against one another for our "bread" purchases. They will do anything in order to beat their competitors for our "bread" purchases including but, not limited to no quality control of said "bread."

It's time to take a stand America! Take a stand against gouging but, not against the corporations. Take a stand against your neighbors who are more than willing to stand by and be gouged by whoever wants to screw with us!
The way to take a stand is to start to Educate your friends, neighbors, family etc... tell them all.

I implore you all to take notice next time you buy a loaf of bread. Is it fresh? Does it stay fresh for a normal amount of time?
Remember it doesn't matter what brand you purchase, just check it out and see it for yourself. See if I don't have a valid point here.

Just educate yourselves and realize that while we continue to go broke, is it only our fault! Are we the only ones to blame? Will you continue to sit by idly and follow along like sheep?

Because in my opinion, that's just, BAAAAD!



1 comment:

  1. I'm up for leg of "lamb", you buying? : ) Great post, Jorge.

    ReplyDelete