Fresh Ideas Must Be Out of Stock

I was amused by “Grocers Try Fresh Ideas To Win Back Shoppers” [Jan. 6].

By fresh ideas do you mean annoying “club cards” that require the customer to surrender personal information before being allowed to buy sale-priced items? How about that pricing structure from decades ago where you are told, for instance, that 12 packs of soft drinks are “three for $7.47.”

The variety of choices continues to shrink as national brands are replaced with “store brands.” This allows you to buy Cheddar cheese that tastes like cheese-colored wax. All this while waiting in long lines because the markets have cut staff in an attempt to save money.

Oh well, at least you get to listen to lousy music played far too loudly while you wait. It seems to me that large grocery chains are trying their hardest to drive customers away rather than draw them in.

Richard Varenchik

Santa Clarita