Giant Eagle Shoppers React to Program Cancellation

[Sherman A1]

PITTSBURGH — Giant Eagle shoppers are outraged about the retailer’s decision to end a program providing grocery discounts based on gas purchases, according to hundreds of comments posted on the retailer’s Facebook page.






 “I'm really disappointed by this change,” one person wrote. “This might even be enough to make me change to a different grocery store.”

As reported, a spokesman for Giant Eagle told SN that it is phasing out the “foodperks!” program because it did not provide significant savings for customers. About 92% of Giant Eagle customers saved less than $40 from foodperks! in the preceding 12 months, Daniel Donovan, the Giant Eagle spokesman, told SN.

As it phases out foodperks!, Giant Eagle said it is retaining its fuelperks! program that allows customers to earn discounts on gasoline, and adding a separate fuel-related discount.


Read More: http://supermarketnews.com/giant-eagle/giant-eagle-shoppers-react-program-cancellation#ixzz2L3Bk4gW0

[John1956PA]

1. I am not a big fan of the local Giant Eagle.

Its in-store pharmacy is located in the main aisle, and the line of customers waiting to have their prescriptions filled blocks the path of shoppers pushing their grocery carts. There are at least two instant lottery ticket vending machines, one near the entrance, and the other near the mini food court. I used to stop there for a coffee, but I became depressed in watching doddering septuagenarian shoppers purchase multiple $10 and $20 instant lottery tickets from the machines and scratching off the silver coating at the dining tables. Now, Rethug Governor Corbett wants to let Giant Eagles, Wal-Marts, and other such major players to sell beer and wine as part of his plan to break the block of state union employees (largely Democrats) who work in the state liquor stores. Call me old-fashioned, but I want to execute my rare purchases of cases of beer and soda pop in the local drive-through beer distributor rather than in the dithering atmosphere of the Giant Eagle bee hive.

As for shopping at its gas station (Get Go) which redeems the Giant Eagle "Fuel Perks" points, I find that experience to be miserable. In accessing the electronic menu on the pump, the customer has to endue a litany of vending offers such as "Want to purchase firewood?" and "Want to purchase windshield washer solvent?" at prices which are above those offered at nearby stores.

I detest the "Wal-Mart Syndrome" which programs shoppers to visit a particular store for all of their retail needs. Giant Eagle is adopting that approach to retailing, and I refuse to be part of it.

[tech3149]

2. I stopped shopping there when they started the self scan checkout

Just another way to squeeze more profit and cut payroll. Now I shop at a nice little locally owned market with fair prices and great locally sourced meats.

[Freddie]

3. I totally agree about the state stores!

I know it's a PA "peculiarity" but they should stay! And not just for the people who have good solid jobs (a rarity anymore) but because they are excellent at not selling alcohol to minors and are never a neighborhood nusciance like I imagine private liquor stores can be. Also PA is #40 out of 50 states in DUI arrests, not a coincidence.

[John1956PA]

4. Thanks. According to Wikipedia, there are nineteen “Alcohol Beverage Control" states.

The Wikipedia article on the subject is at the following link:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alcoholic_beverage_control_state

According to the article, the degree of control exercised by the state or (by its counties and municipalities) varies among the nineteen entries as follows:

Alabama, New Hampshire, Pennsylvania, Utah, and Virginia operate state liquor stores. The categories of the liquors offered for sale in the stores vary among those states. Pennsylvania requires that wine be sold in its state stores. I am not sure whether any of the other four states have this requirement regarding wine.

Some states appoint, or contract with, private entities to operate liquor stores. The states receive commissions on the sales. States in this category are Maine, Mississippi, Montana, Ohio (for higher alcohol-content distilled spirits) and Vermont.

Two states, Maryland and North Carolina, restrict (at least in some areas) the operation of liquor stores to local government bodies, county government bodies, or local alcohol control boards.

Michigan and West Virginia maintain a monopoly over the wholesaling of distilled spirits.

Idaho maintains a “monopoly” on the sale of liquor. I am not sure what that means.

I think that we Pennsylvanians who are opposed to Corbett’s plan to privatize the state store system should write to our state representatives and state senators in order to express our opinion.

[Curmudgeoness]

5. Why am I not buying the reason for this?

The spokesman says that it is because shoppers saved so little from this promotion. But.....if you have a popular promotion that is all glitter and no guts, and you don't have to pay much out for it, wouldn't it be a great idea to keep that program?

Personally, I purchased gas at Giant Eagle once....and I had to go in and get the attendent to tell me how I redeemed the fuelperks. I rarely shop at GE, but I started to get prescriptions there since I will not shop at Walmart and this was the only other place to get "free prescriptions" on several items. I still do not buy more than one or two items there if they are on sale. I use Aldi's for most of my groceries because of price, and local stores for the rest. I don't buy into the gimmicks, like fuelperks....which are no savings when you look at the prices. I would not have gotten enough perks to ever buy fuel there if it wasn't for a period when me and my cats were needing too many drugs at one time.