Oregon grocer's workaround allowing SNAP families a discount

[Thunderbeast]

Feds told the grocer that they could not offer discounts to SNAP families. The grocer had a workaround that the community supported.

https://reader.theoregonian.com/grocers-get-creative-to-help-snap-recipients/content.html

[Jacson6]

1. Pay walled.

A link is no good if you can't read it without paying $20 a month.

[cbabe]

3. Feds told Oregon grocers they couldn't offer 10% off to SNAP recipients, so they got creative

https://www.oregonlive.com/business/2025/11/feds-told-oregon-grocers-they-couldnt-offer-10-off-to-snap-recipients-so-they-got-creative.html

Feds told Oregon grocers they couldn’t offer 10% off to SNAP recipients, so they got creative

Updated: Nov. 07, 2025, 1:13 p.m.|Published: Nov. 07, 2025, 5:00 a.m.

By Aimee Green | The Oregonian/OregonLive

…

The McGintys, who own the McMinnville Grocery Outlet, tried to offer a 10% discount to all SNAP recipients whose food-assistance money had been frozen. But when the feds told them no, they came up with a go-around: Extending the offer to all customers.

“Now there’s a catch to it, and I need your help as a community,” Mike McGinty announced in an Oct. 31 video posted to Facebook. “If you do not need a discount, please do not ask for it.”

But if you do, “Take it. Ask for it.”

Six days into the offer, McGinty told The Oregonian/OregonLive Thursday that the honor system appears to be working. More than 200 customers have used the discount so far — with the overwhelming majority, he suspects, SNAP recipients or people who are otherwise struggling financially.

… more …

[Jacson6]

6. I wish Kroger/Ralphs would do this in CA.

I don't understand why SNAP recepients can't get a discount. They are not Gov't employees. When I was in the service forty years ago we could not accept discounts from merchants. The merchants used to post 10% discount coupons in their store for all outside of the Army post.

[stumpysbear]

7. The law is such to prevent stores from charging MORE

It’s to prevent retailers from taking advantage to SNAP recipients by requiring stores to treat them the same as everyone else. In this instance the Feds are preventing discounts under color of law just out of pure cruelty.

[cbabe]

8. SNAP Update: USDA Tells Grocery Stores Not to Give Discounts to Customers

https://www.newsweek.com/snap-update-usda-grocery-stores-no-discounts-customers-10980294

SNAP Update: USDA Tells Grocery Stores Not to Give Discounts to Customers
PUBLISHED
NOV 03, 2025 AT 04:48 AM EST
UPDATED
NOV 07, 2025 AT 10:59 AM EST

…

An email sent by the department to stores, posted on X by Catherine Rampell, co-host of MSNBC's The Weekend: Primetime, said: “You cannot treat SNAP-EBT customers differently than any other customer.”
The directive comes as benefit payments remain on hold during the ongoing federal government shutdown.
The USDA told Newsweek in a statement: "The SNAP 'equal treatment' rule requires retailers to offer eligible food products at the same prices and under the same terms and conditions as other customers, with the exception retailers cannot apply sales tax to SNAP purchases (7 CFR 278.2(b)). This rule prevents retailers from treating SNAP customers favorably or unfavorably."

… more …

(Federal bullies in tough times.)

[Ilsa]

4. Try this:

https://www.supermarketnews.com/company-news/oregon-grocery-outlets-extend-10-discount-to-all-customers

[Ilsa]

2. Here's another link, no signin:

https://www.supermarketnews.com/company-news/oregon-grocery-outlets-extend-10-discount-to-all-customers
snip

At least some of those operators have found a way around the regulation, however, by extending the discount to anyone who asks for it.

"The solution is, we are going to be offering that discount to everybody,” said Mike McGinty, owner of the McMinnville (Oregon) Grocery Outlet, in a video he posted on Facebook.
snip

The Oregonian report said that at least two other Oregon Grocery Outlets, in Lincoln City and Roseburg, came up with similar workarounds.

Steve Burton, who co-owns the Roseburg Grocery Outlet with his wife, printed 1,000 coupons offering a 10% discount at his store, valid through the month of November, and gave them to a local food pantry to distribute to anyone who wanted them.

“We’re turning lemons into lemonade,” he said in a Facebook post. “We’re hoping this will help everyone in need and not leave anybody out. We’ll get through this.”

[Mme. Defarge]

5. Posted this yesterday.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/100220782319