Dopey Danny.  Cute.

Actually, I do end up in the Plaza Super One quite often, unfortunately.  While my closest grocery store is the one out here in Lakeside, for whatever reason their recent expansion has seemed to equate to less choices.  I'm still trying to figure that one out.  If I'm out and about running errands during the week I usually am in the general area of the Plaza (I am a sucker for Walgreens) so if there is a grocery item I need, that's where I end up.  The big shopping trips every weekend are reserved for CUB, however.  I'm usually not a fan of dorky catchphrases, but truly I "heart" My CUB.

Despite the name change, I still refer to it as the ghetto-jubilee. Perhaps I should drop the marketing moniker, and simply call it now-even-more-ghetto?

The East End Super One in Superior serves a similar customer base as the plaza Super1 and it always has higher prices and less appealing produce than the other two Super One stores in Superior.

Having had significant experience with Super One's corporate, I can offer the following:

1. I would not for a second doubt that Super One spends extra time and money organizing a way to scam low income people (and so to recoup that extra time and money). 

2. Just because SuperOne is local does not mean it should get all of our business. Part of buying local should be to encourage GOOD local business expansion. We should be smart buyers, not lazy buyers. 

3. Now, to get off my high horse - I hate that I go to Mt. Royal, but it honestly is the most pleasant for me. Wide aisles, good produce, and lots to choose from. Plus, I don't KNOW that by buying there I'm encouraging evil (local) corporate greed.

I have fond memories of working at this Super One for six months. If you think it's bad shopping there, working there is a whole new level of awful. 

The lack of organic/healthy alternatives is simply because it's a small store, so they need to pack as many of the cheap, profitable items as possible into it. This was frustrating for me too as a customer who prefers these products. I don't know much about the produce, but from speaking with friends Super One's everywhere seem to have pretty mediocre produce. I wouldn't be surprised if the produce was worse here, as 60% of the customer base is on EBT/Food Stamps and wouldn't even consider buying something healthy for their mob of 3-6 children (soda is cheaper anyway). 

The sale price not ringing up is due to the understaffed/underskilled scanning team, who would always manage to screw up 5-10 important sale items a week. If this happens to you please don't get frustrated at the cashiers, it is 100% not their fault. It got to the point where it happened so frequently I wouldn't even go check if the customer was right on the sale price, I would take their word on it every time. This action feeds pretty nicely into your theory that people will do the lazy thing if they think they won't get caught.

The Co-op takes EBT, without a doubt has the finest produce of any grocery store in the Ports, and customer service out the ears (of corn). With 40 years and no name change, why shop elsewhere? Feel good eating your food next time.

The peppers seem to be in better shape at the Plaza Super One than at Cub. I can never find a good (green or red) pepper at Cub.

Let's each pick an item from our next grocery trip, and when we get a list together, I'll go down to plaza and cross check the whole thing, and I'll report the results back here.

I don't think this thread should necessarily be a discussion (criticism) of the low income families who shop at the Plaza, or their children, or the effects of the social and economic conditions that we all play a role in that cause some folks to make bad choices in things like grocery shopping.  I am intrigued, however, by the idea that Super One might consciously make the decision to keep that store "ghetto" as someone put it.  I know I NEVER have a good experience there for one reason or another.  I stick to Mt. Royal, Cub, and the Co-op. I think the product and service is better.  And now that the Lakeside Super One is complete, I still avoid it even though it is closer. There's just something I don't like about these stores.

The Miners (and their company) seem like a family that likes the image of giving back to the community and donating lots of $$ to charities to help poor people, so I would be interested to hear what they had to say about this question.

Why is it that poor people "make bad choices" but the big, evil grocery store is trying to stick it to people?

I love the Plaza Super One!  They have lower prices than when it was a Jubilee, the staff is always helpful, and it is nice to have so close to where I live.  Granted they do get some taxi business, but I cannot afford Co-Op or Mount Royal prices.  I like blue collar establishments and call the people who only shop the Co-Op "green" collars.  This town already bends over backward for the green collars, so lay off the Plaza SuperOne. Well, they do mess up sale prices always.  

Also, Johnson's Bakery is the best in town for sandwiches and other baked goods.

I'm no expert on EBT (or food stamps or whatever is used these days) but wasn't there a system at one point where only certain necessities could be purchased?  Whatever happened there?  How is it that pretty much anything can be bought with those "pretend" credit cards?

Requiring people on food stamps to follow a bunch of guidelines determined by privileged people (that, of course, the privileged aren't required to follow) is utterly ridiculous.

First and foremost, people need to have enough to eat.  Anyone who has ever depended on food stamps can tell you, making the allotment last for the month sucks.  A lot.  Under the very best circumstances (plenty of time to prepare meals from scratch, a well-stocked pantry, sufficient cooking utensils and cookware, working stove, fridge, and freezer, knowledge and cooking skills, etc.), feeding a family with food stamps is stressful and difficult. 

When I was a supermarket cashier, I'll admit that it pained me to see some of the types of food purchased with food stamps.  But here's the thing:  if you're really agitated about the contents of other people's grocery carts, don't look at them.  If you're required to look (like, if you're a supermarket cashier or a bagger), don't judge.  And how about we actually, like, address issues of food insecurity in our country instead of making life harder for poor people than it already is?

Right on, B-man!

I think you're wrong, Bad Cat.  Stores will selectively charge more at different locations and I don't think we can consider them 'evil' for such action.  However; as B-man's links imply, there are definitely murky waters of racism and classism surrounding these issues.  I just don't think we can pin the blame soley on grocery chains.

No More Supermarkets?: Major Grocers Flee Detroit - Part II

 "Typically, some of the urban retailers will charge more for their product because they have to have security. The taxes are higher. They have more shrink than suburban stores. And to offset all that, to do business in an urban area, they'll charge higher prices."

Everyone is privileged in some way, Danny.  Even you.

Tammi...if EVERYONE is privileged in some way then that would include the people on the food stamps.  "Everyone" is a pretty definitive word.

Ok...I've lost track now.  So, in this circumstance am I or am I not in one of the categories of "privilege" that you are talking about here?

Also...does this not seem a little bit ridiculous to you?

The only thing that bothers me about the Plaza Super One is the parking lot. What a wretched mess. My car cries every time I enter.

Also, @Tammy, I mean this in the most calm, non-sarcastic way possible. The only reason I get a frustrated and angry feeling when people buy obviously unhealthy and unnecessary food using any sort of government assistance is because in some very small way, I'm also paying for that crap.

@Danny 

Yes.  You are.

And, no, I don't think it's ridiculous.  In fact, I think it's a really important discussion to have.  Of course, it's not as fun as spewing amusing anecdotes about lower class people.

@girlfromnorthcountry

See above:  EVERYONE is privileged in some way.  You are a working member of the community.  You have a job.  Congratulations.  If your job is ever eliminated and you end up on food stamps, you may look at class issues a little differently.

@Forrest

There is no unnecessary food.  All food has nutritional value to someone.  You want people to eat better? Give them enough money, a place for cooking and storage, and access to a decent variety of food. Then you can worry about the finer points of nutrition.