@quemaster: Thanks for the Coke/Pepsi "competition" story. Reminds me of this one:

Target was running a sale on Labatt's Blue Canadian Beer (near Ft. Lauderdale). The local distributor didn't like the idea of Target selling "their" product at a low price, raising "their" costs restocking Target's shelves. So they delivered the Labatt's to Publix across the street, which never even carried it before but was selling it at full price. Target never got any more Labatt's during the sale, and the helpful distributor even moved some "Blue Moon" into the empty Labatt's slot so it wouldn't be so obvious. Once Target's sale price expired, the beer distributor immediately resumed restocking Labatt's at Target.

I pointed out to a Target employee what was going on and the absurdity of Target relying on the local distributor with its own agenda when Target's main office is in Minneapolis, close to the Canadian border, although probably there are some onerous intrastate beer transport laws.

Publix used to be my main grocery (closer the Super Target/WalMart) in Florida and I don't miss it at all. Just to make sure, I pulled up their weekly add (publix.com, zipcode 33321) and there prices were just as I remembered, not as bad as HT/LF, actually about like Kroger in pricing. Publix never had any couponer deals, not even double coupons. When they raised the prices in the bakery department so high people stopped buying, they just shrunk the bakery dept.

If Publix has surly union employees similar to S. Florida who scream at customers getting in the express line with 11 items, they'll be closing these new stores just like unionized Kroger.

I hated to see the Kroger by Wake Forest close.

I have limited experience with Publix, but what little time I have spent there (my FIL lives in FL, FL is my husband's favorite vacation spot, and I'm too cheap to not grab groceries to keep our trip under budget), the stores are clean, the staff is friendly, and the customer service is great.

I was told yesterday that Publix would be breaking the Raleigh Durham market sometime in 2013.

Because I did bring them home last week, I tried the GG Brussels Sprouts Steamers today. I concur with everyone else who commented: NOT good! The next time I try Brussels sprouts it will be fresh ones I cook and season myself.

I hate Kroger has already closed and is closing stores in our area. Competition is a good thing IMO. I've always found better deals consistently at Kroger, week after week. I'm not one to heavily participate in the extreme couponing arena. Bargains are one thing and clearing grocery shelves and hoarding more stuff than you can use just because you have a boot full of coupons is quite another.

Ever notice how Coke is on sale then later Pepsi goes on sale? The drink companies buy a contract to be the "on sale" beverage for X weeks. Then the next X weeks the other one gets the contract. An independent store actuall refused to do business this way and BOTH companies had to compete and the owner was abel to offer BOTH at even lower prices all the time. Amazing how a little competition makes a difference. There are LOTS of things that go on behind the scenes that would boggle your mind.

ccritter, I love Aldi's too. Last wk I went to Wellsprings for Kefir, $4.99 and then went to Aldi's to get my fresh food and doggone if they didn't have the SAME BRAND of Kefir, nonfat live culture, for $2.99. Well, now I know.

The whole practice of vendors being able to buy shelf space in a grocery store keeps prices high and products we'd prefer off the shelves. This allows stores with ridiculous normal prices like HT and LF to stay in business -- the shelf space fees are enough to pay the rent and some headcount even without a single customer buying anything in the entire store. When the inventory gets stale, or when a "new smaller size for the same price" needs to be introduced, count on the couponers who will now clean the shelves (think GG Brussel Sprout Steamers, free after loyalty discount and double/triple coupons - YUM!) so they can be restocked with new, fresh, overpriced items no one wants with high prices.

I like Aldi because I'm sure there are no shelf space fees for "Dakota Beans" and "Prestage Farms Turkey", etc.. Being able to fill a cart for $20-$30 (of real food, not GG Steamers) is amazing.

Although I'm not happy to hear about any store closing, after experiencing the amazing store-closing discounts offered when one of my local Food Lion stores closed earlier this year, I'm looking forward to hopefully having the opportunity to take advantage of more of the same when these stores close. (In addition to their store-closing discounts, my local Food Lion even accepted MQs on top of those discounts, as well!)

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