[Fohrenburger]

Hi Everyone,

Do you believe that all these stores that accept coupons have been increasing their prices to cover the cost of coupons?

In my honest opinion, YES I DO.

I have questioned a few stores already and they claim they have a price increase of the item I was buying with a coupon. So, therefore since being in Store Management prior to my Retirement I asked to see there Markup/Mark Down Prices Sheets that are available if a Customer Demands to see it. But, of course they refused, to show it to me, leaving me to believe that there was NO Markup and they are using this excuse to actually marking up all prices that coupons pertains to. They know in advance what coupons will be coming out, so this is how they can increase there prices, prior to the coupon showing up in the Sunday's Newspaper.

What do you all think, PLEASE? Also, PLEASE keep in mind, I do not want to turn this thread into a FLAMING WAR with other members, which I have seen in the past. I just would like to see your opinion on this subject, PLEASE.

Thank you for your time and have a Great Day!

[Kt&Cj'sMama]

I think it stinks! Ive noticed it too. Seems like a lot of stores just dont want you saving money..

[jillibean1978]

I don't know if it's been done here. But it wouldn't surprise me at all. The stores do seem to get upset if someone saves money.

[Aprylsky]

I am fairly new to couponing, but I thought I had noticed it myself. Now I know that I am not crazy.

[CouponMouse]

I also have noticed price increases on items that we get when a coupon comes out. IMHO, I think the increases aren't to cover the costs of coupons, but out of pure greed. The company gets reimbursed the coupon price plus 8 cents per coupon. I've seen this on DiGiorno For One, GG Steamers, Muir Glen tomatoes just to name a few.

[mysweetiepie]

I believe it and have seen it ......... I normally wait till the end of the sale and then go in and get rain checks for all the items I wanted that they are out of then wait a week or so then go back in after price changes use my rain ceck and coupons

[Kayline]

Although I haven't noticed this particular phenomenon as it pertains to mfr. q's, I have noticed that some stores, particularly Harris Teeter, are blatant about raising prices before they do an in-store promotion such as BOGO. I still love to shop at Harris Teeter...I'm just careful not to fall into their "traps"!

[Fohrenburger]

There is NO Reason or Excuse why these stores will have this type of attitude towards Customers, who pay their Weekly Payroll Salaries, Bonus's, Store Expenses, etc. etc. etc. Without us Customers there will be no stores open for business.

Maybe I am from the Old School when I was working and that ALL CUSTOMERS are right, regardless at times they are not, but you will never ever say anything like that to them. I found out the hard way, when I disagreed with a few Customers and had a NOT to NICE phone call from my Corporate Office. So, I learned my lesson the hard way and since my early days in Management, I changed my way of handling Customers. Even had to take whatever action was necessary to please them and make sure they would return back to my store for future business. We always had other ways to cover up any type of loss, so we would not lose that Customer. Surely these days in Management there are still avenues of write offs expense sheets to cover anything, especially in Coupons. But, obviously not all Management wants to do a little more paper work, to please a Customer. Instead they rather argue with the Customers, tell them they don't like there coupons, etc. etc. SORRY, this is NO WAY to TREAT ANYONE.

How would they like to be treated this way, when they go shopping in other stores with their families? I bet they would say something in a heart beat, if the shoe was on the other foot.

[bubbsguy]

I noticed they marked up the price of franks red hot sauce after I got the coupon. I do notice that they will mark the prices up then after a couple of weeks or just after the coupon expires it goes down.

[superk]

I've wondered this lately as well. With all the stories of people using more coupons you begin to wonder.

[abigirl]

I have not noticed this, but many of the things I buy with coupons I would not have bought before becoming a couponer (I bought almost all store brand) so I don't have a good idea of their prices when there isn't a coupon out for them.

I have noticed the store increasing the prices of BOGO items like Kayline said.

[tootsie roll]

I haven't noticed this too much now, but I have noticed it in the past. Our Tom Thumb used to do a triple up to .75 promotion once in a while (this was years ago). I wasn't into couponing as much as I am now, but I would bring along the coupons that I had to see if I could get in on any deals. Well, it seemed to me that everything that had a .75 coupon for it had an inflated price! I remember seeing brand name hand soap for over $3.50. Come on, kwim?

[MOMT]

Great question! I have noticed this as well and thought it was in my head. Our SWM has the worst prices in our area and they seem to go up every day. With the $ amount on the Q's getting smaller and the prices in the stores getting higher we are fighting an uphill battle it seems.

[Samantha85VA]

I notice price increases every week at our Food Lion because its the ONLY grocery store in our town, so they have the "right" to do whatever they want with the prices. It stinks for people who like to eat good, but not spend their entire paycheck at the grocery store.

[foggy]

Not only are the stores upping the price with the coupons matching up to the item, but recently Walmart did it on store brand item of theirs because of a "demand" they saw for the product.

How do I know this? Because...

I went in one week and bought 30 of their frozen pink lemonade concentrates for .88 each. (need for dd's wedding reception next weekend to make the punch she requested). I needed 33 total so I just got what they had in the freezer.. which was 30.

I went back the following week and they had raised the price to $1.08!! I hated it but I had to buy the other 3 at the price.

It sucked.

[patbruck]

The grocery stores here are all waay overpriced. I try to only buy their loss-leaders and only go in on double coupon day. Just trying to beat them at their own game, I guess.

I hear ya though. My DH likes Franks Red Hot sauce, for example. It was always .95 for the small bottle, so free after a 1/1 coupon. Well, they've now caught on b/c it's been marked up to 1.09. Is it because of the coupon or simply because of the fact that everything seems to cost more lately? I do not know.

[Fohrenburger]

Originally Posted by foggy

Not only are the stores upping the price with the coupons matching up to the item, but recently Walmart did it on store brand item of theirs because of a "demand" they saw for the product.

How do I know this? Because...

I went in one week and bought 30 of their frozen pink lemonade concentrates for .88 each. (need for dd's wedding reception next weekend to make the punch she requested). I needed 33 total so I just got what they had in the freezer.. which was 30.

I went back the following week and they had raised the price to $1.08!! I hated it but I had to buy the other 3 at the price.

It sucked.

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[armympwife]

I usually only buy loss leaders or frees to very little $ with coupons. My area has a lot of competition grocery store wise though so I haven't really seen too much of it in my area.

[NeeNee]

Originally Posted by foggy

Not only are the stores upping the price with the coupons matching up to the item, but recently Walmart did it on store brand item of theirs because of a "demand" they saw for the product.

How do I know this? Because...

I went in one week and bought 30 of their frozen pink lemonade concentrates for .88 each. (need for dd's wedding reception next weekend to make the punch she requested). I needed 33 total so I just got what they had in the freezer.. which was 30.

I went back the following week and they had raised the price to $1.08!! I hated it but I had to buy the other 3 at the price.

It sucked.

I know what you mean. At my SWM, their brand of green beans was .50 per can, and they are really good green beans, let me tell you. Last Friday night, when my husband and I went shopping, they had jacked up to .78!!!!! I walked past them, but when I went with my daughter last night, I caved and bought two cans, and I resent the heck out of it!

[2ndkidsmom]

I have certainly noticed the prices going up when a coupon is coming out. I just don't get it. The store gets the extra eight cents why do they have to jack the price up too.

[lifeworthliving]

I did start noticing that last year when a pet Q came out. Then Item was free with the Q. Bought several. Went back a few days later and it had went up a dollar! Few other items that has happened to as well.

[calico32]

Alot of the prices are from the price of deisel, it is not going down like reg gas. I haven't notice the price hike because of q's but I am new at this. I will be paying more attention to this.

[Fohrenburger]

Hi Everyone,

YES, the stores are getting so much from the Manufacturer for taking/handling the coupons. You all know this, but you do not know is the fact, that they are increasing there prices to make up for any Store Inventory Loss that each store takes perhaps twice a year or whatever their Corporate Office wants it done. NO Store Manager wants a Inventory Loss for their store. This will reflect on their yearly bonus and the Corporate Office will keep a very close eye of that specific store.

As the term here is Stockpiling Coupons, well the stores are Padding their Inventory to cover up Losses that incurred during the year or when they had there last Store Inventory. All the stores I worked and was a Store Manager in, we ALL did it. Now the problem with that is, you better hope you do not come out on your inventory in a HUGE OVERAGE, then there will be a recount done really fast by the Corporate Office and they will know something funny was going on to make the Inventory Over.

Hope this info has helped answered any of your questions, if not PLEASE post back, Thanks.

[kyliebrailyn]

You know, we only have a Superwalmart where I live, but it is just crazy the price increases I have seen over the last year. Probably 2 years ago I wouldn't have noticed that much, but since I have been couponing the past year I have really noticed. It makes me sooo mad!!!

[morgansmom]

I shop at two Wal-Mart stores. There is one about 5 miles from me, and another one about 15 miles from me in the opposite direction. The one closest to my house has significantly higher prices than the one further from me. I tend to drive the extra miles to go to the one with lower prices.

I can't understand why the same exact store can have extremely different prices? I live in a really small town, and I believe it is because there is no competition, and that is why the one in my small town has higher prices than the one in the larger town. I still think it's nuts!

Plus the one closest to me won't accept internet coupons that have a Del-Rio address. Even after I contacted corporate and they spoke to them, I still have issues getting them to accept them!