Thursday, July 18, 2019

DO NOT PANIC

Today I am going to touch on something that truthfully I am getting tired of seeing myself!  FB groups have been flooded with pictures of the signs that are showing up at Walmart recently speaking of shortages.
Many folks are attributing this to the weather problems that hit farmers this year.  Well I find that a bit hard to believe at this point in time.  Will it happen?  Probably!!!  Crops are not even ready for harvesting this year (had it been a normal year) - so this is not the reason.

ME - I think it is pure greed!  They can get by with causing people to panic and can jack up prices.  If there was a real shortage then why would it be over by the first part of August?  Why is it mainly WM and their brand?
I have a relative that has worked at WM for over 30 years and is now in upper management.  Here are their words and theories.  It is more than one thing.
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WM has cut back on in store help and there are not enough stockers in any given store to keep up with stocking.  They have also cut back on help in the warehouses.

WM is concentrating their products to provide for on-line sales first!!  That is the future for them and requires lesser employees.  Walk-in customers and cashiers will become a thing of the past one of these days.  Cashiers are already being phased out at many stores.

They are creating an atmosphere that people WILL PANIC buy - thus increasing sales.  If the store is out of one product that is usually cheap - people will panic and buy the more expensive one!  That is called profits!

Truckers have been avoiding shipping to the WM warehouses.  They are protesting the business practices and ways WM treats their drivers.  WM has its own trucks from warehouse to stores but they depend on regular truckers getting supplies to the warehouse.

Most WM brands are packaged by the same factories and manufacturers of name brands - therefore there really is no shortage.  JUST AN EXCUSE that people are believing.
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I for one am not going to fall for their tactics.
YES, I do believe that come early next year there may be some shortages in products that are frozen and canned.
YES, prices will probably go up.
YES, there will be some increase in price and lesser volume of FRESH items in the real near future.
There are many, many products made from corn and soy and both of those have been hit hard this year.  Meat may go up in price as well, as many dairy and cattle farms were devastated.

DO NOT PANIC!  That accomplishes nothing.
Go on as usual and stock your cupboards with the same diligence and concern as always.  Continue to buy those markdown items and stock up on them.  Continue to watch the deals.  Continue to garden and produce and can/freeze whatever you can.  Continue to support your local farmers as much as possible.  Continue to get deals at ethnic markets.
Continue on doing what is right for your family.

I keep seeing these stories and most often they are about WM.  Once in a while someone will mention a different store. I know I have gone into Kroger before and found many, many empty shelves - why????  I asked.  Nothing gets shipped right after a holiday  - if a holiday falls right in line with a weekend - well the trucks haven't showed and the  shelves will be bare for a few days. Makes sense.
I also find it odd that none of this has affected Aldi.  Not one story about them! (not all of their products come from Germany)

So folks, just keep doing what you are doing.
We will all get through this together.  We all have ideas on stretching our dollars and our food and we share those ideas.    We will be fine.
Don't be like some and spread worry and dread.

It is always smart to be prepared for anything  - that is just being a good steward.
Just don't panic!


31 comments:

  1. Wise words Cheryl!! I have to admit when the stories started popping up I did think oh no it's starting...but then I came to the same conclusion you did that it's just a sales tactic!!! I came back down to earth and am going to continue stocking my pantry the way I always did and be prepared for what's coming g ahead. Today I am making cherry jam from 40# of cherries I gleaned from a neighbor. I am blanching and freezing peas from my garden and replanting lettuce for succession planting to replenish my supply. It's been really cool and rainy here in Washington state and I have been missing summer weather...blessings to you love Gaila

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    1. Glad to hear someone else agrees! They are just trying to use scare tactics and it is working for some folks. Us 'wise ones' don't miss a beat!!!!! LOL


      Wow, what a wonderful gift you received. Cherry jam sounds delish for sure. Peas and lettuce are both done here till cooler weather comes around again. I would be more than happy to send you some 'summer'! It is 95* already and will get warmer as the day goes on.
      The humidity is awful.

      Have a great week and keep on "putting that food up".

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  2. So far I have seen no shortages here and celery has finally come down to a reasonable price.As I have always stored food I guess I don't fall for this. Too bad many people do.

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    1. I ran to the store today (Kroger) and did a couple signs ONLY in the canned veggie aisle - but there were still plenty of cans there. Otherwise I have seen no shortages here either.
      I am prepared for most anything, as I do believe most of my readers are.
      Can't fool us!!!!!

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  3. That's so true. We have had shortages here where prices have gone through the roof and panic buying has made it worse. If something is too expensive I usually look for an alternative.

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    1. Exactly!!!!!! We can all substitute other items in our lives. Yes, we have gone through recessions, bad weather events and catastrophes and have made it through. We are still here.
      Panic is the grocers friend - not ours.

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  4. Thank you for a common sense article--far too few of them out there. Our local Brookshires hasn't had any shortages, nor has the stores in Wichita Falls over an hour away when we get to go on errands. I can't stand WM (we call it the devil's playground), but I do have to go there occasionally. I was buying groceries yesterday morning, just doing my weekly $100 worth of shopping. a lady in line behind me said, "Oh, you must be cooking for a crowd." I smiled and told her no, I was just stocking the pantry and freezer like always. She said she should do more of that. Most people's excuse to not do so? It's too expensive. Not if you simply buy staples and cook from scratch.

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    1. Preach it girl! So true, if we do it on a regular basis - maybe even those weeks we don't actually need groceries - we will be well stocked.
      Most people just don't BELIEVE it will happen to them, that they will see shortages, or that they may lose a job. I hear so often - that is just too much work. REALLY?

      I sure don't want to hear them crying when it does happen!

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    2. Oh heck, Cheryl, I hear them cry about it now. When I lived in the mountains, I had to apply for food stamps for my adult son with special needs and myself. I hated it, but I knew I had no choice during that season of our lives. So I determined that if there was anybody in an office somewhere, looking at the purchases made on those cards, that MY purchases would be seen as good stewardship. So over the time that we drew food stamps, I not only fed my son and myself, I fed a third adult in our household, stocked my pantry and freezer, helped to feed several of the old military veterans up there who, for whatever reason, couldn't get help of any type, and donated to a local food pantry. All of this on less then $400 a month. And yet there were several families drawing up to three times what we did, and they were constantly crying that they couldn't make it to the end of the month on food stamps. WHAT?!?!?!

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    3. What a testimony!!! That is humbling to hear. You are a fine example of what can be done if one puts their mind to it. GOOD STEWARD is not saying enough!!!!!

      I am sure you bought simpler foods and made it into good nourishing foods. I bet you weren't buying prepackaged stuff, steaks, high end specialty foods, etc. Not for me to judge what one does with their funds - but that being said - if you can't make it and buy those things, well...……
      Common sense and sensibility seem to be lacking today.

      God bless you and what you do and have done.

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  5. I haven't seen those signs in Canada (yet) but agree that the staffing levels have definitely declined. Unless I'm in a huge hurry I refuse to use the self-checkouts, so that is a rarity. Guess it is time to avoid WM as much as possible.

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    1. I try to avoid them like the plague! I do NOT do self check-outs. I am paying good money for my groceries and I expect service. I guess I am old fashioned.

      I have never been a WM fan - but at times it is a necessary evil. I know some people do not have any other choices that are close by.
      It is a shame that they ruined competition.

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  6. I don't worry about those signs. I don't really believe anything companies tell us. Most of them only care about making money. I have a well stocked pantry. I will buy something else if the price gets too high.

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    1. Good thinking - yes they are only after the dollar.
      Good job on the pantry and with being flexible.

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  7. I will tell you there is no canned goods shortages at my Wal-Mart in Western PA. There are too many blue carts with employees filling customers orders but they forget we need to shop too. They take over the whole aisle.

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    1. I have seen the carts too. It is really obvious to me that they are trying to rid themselves of walk-in customers.
      Glad to hear all is well there and no shortages.

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  8. This is good information. You mentioned Kroger and their holiday stocking problems. Another reason there may be bare spots in shelves at Kroger is inventory time. A couple of years ago I asked an employee about the bare spots in some shelves and was told that when the store is undergoing an inventory, they are not allowed to re-stock shelves in a particular area (canned goods for example) until the inventory for that area has been completed. This is so the inventory will be as accurate as possible. With all that is being posted on the Internet now, people see one bare spot on a shelf in a store and panic.

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    1. Yes inventory is another good reason. It makes sense to make it easier to count.
      That is the problem with the internet. Someone can post something or say something and suddenly everyone is up in arms and panic has ensued. It doesn't even have to be true. It spreads like a virus!!!!!

      Thanks for another logical answer.

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  9. My WM is always out of stock. I have stopped going on Monday because there are huge gaps on the shelves. Literally some of the freezers were empty of products. I did notice my Acme has a good sale on canned vegetables and beans but a lot were gone. Sometimes I look at the circular and it looks as if "Prepper" food choices are always grouped together and on sale. That does make me a little nervous. Stay cool. We have 3 days of excessive heat in Philly. UGH.
    Barb

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    1. Some stores seem to be that way. Maybe they just don't have the help to get things stocked. Sure isn't conducive to making customers happy!
      If canned veggies are on a good sale is makes sense that they may be low. If lots of people purchase, they will go first. If I find a great sale, I buy by the case.

      It is horribly hot here as well. Looking forward to better temps next week. You stay cool and be safe as well.

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  10. Wish this was a Facebook post so I could pass it on. Great article!

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    1. Thank you so much. Maybe one of these days. I just don't want to be that busy with the computer!

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  11. Wow, thank you for sharing that from the Walmart person. I had no idea. This is a great blog post, CHeryl. Thank you for your calm an peaceful approach to stocking up.

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    1. You are welcome. There are always things that we will never find out unless we know someone on the inside!
      Thank you.

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  12. Glad to know that I'm not the only one who's had these thoughts.
    My husband went to Walmart last Saturday and came home with cans of corn. Also, I'm wondering how many of these food recalls are truly legitimate. That's a good way to raise prices also IMHO. Where are all these E coli and salmonella organisms coming from and why aren't they monitored in the field and at picking time instead of at the store level? I don't remember things like this going on 50-70 yrs. ago. I guess what it amounts to is that I don't totally trust our government and their "assigned agencies"!

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    1. AMEN!!! I don't trust any of them either.
      Exactly, why is it already being sold, before someone figures out there was a problem?

      I truly think it is gimmick to get people in the stores. Sounds stupid - but it has everyone talking and rushing out to grab all product they can!!! Hmmmmmmm.
      I put nothing past them.

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  13. One other thing is that stores don't have any storages anymore. They live from hand to mouth. Most readers of your blog have bigger amount of storaged items than small grocery stores. Space is expensive, and items in storage don't bring immediate money, so they have gotten rid of storage space and therefore more and more "shortages" happen. They need to wait until tomorrow's delivey to fill a shelf...

    Someone mentioned e.coli and salmonella. They can contaminate food crops when fields are watered (most vegetable fields have artificial irrigation) if water they use is contaminated - and most water sources nowadays are. But most contamination happens in production and storaging; poor hygiene in factories, broken cold chain during deliveries. People working sick (you really should get paid sick leave if you work in food industry so you don't have to work while you can contaminate products), poorly paid uneducated workers who have no idea why hygiene is important in food industry... If you want to have cheap food it is made cheaply :(

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    1. I talked to someone at Kroger about this very thing. They were putting 'new' product in the clearance section and I questioned that. They said once the regular area is stocked and full all overage they have is put in clearance (same item-different prices!). WHY?
      They aren't allowed to have anything in the back rooms any more. So what you see is what you get. In the vent of SHTF scenario -that is it!!!!!!


      I have read many times that virtually everything has salmonella in it. That boiling and cooking properly takes care of that scare.
      There are so many things that can affect everything sadly. Heck, I am anal about cleaning the grocery cart handle and edges - just because!

      You are right - unfortunately you get what you pay for.

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    2. Cheryl, another thing I truly believe is that we are "over sanitizing" our immune systems. Yes, you get a cold and flu, but I also believe that if your body's immune system does not have contact with these viruses and illnesses it will cease to work at all making you sick more. My adage in our household and raising our kids was "Use it (immune system) or lose it." I worked with the public in my brick and mortar business for 14 years. I dealt with people who would come in sick and I handled money 7 days a week. In that 14 yrs. I was sick twice with a cold. My help used hand sanitizer - I never did. My "adage" maybe couldn't stop the cancer I had, but it sure stopped all the colds and flu I could have gotten.

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    3. That is also something to consider. I clean the grocery carts without hesitation - I keep thinking babies pee & poo, Not just germs but also drugs. It has been on the news a lot about fentanyl being on handles. That crap can kill you.

      I do not get a flue shot - haven't for years. Do not use hand sanitizer, and am happy to eat my foods straight from the garden! Nothing like a warm tomato right off the vine.
      I take vitamins and herbs - NO medications at all (unless you count OTC allergy meds).

      I am not really that worried about foods - as I said above, I have read that if you just cook things properly they should be fine.
      I haven't had a cold or the flue for years. Thankfully. I was always worried I would pass to on to my hubby, who had a weakened immune system.

      I guess my big concern is the grocery carts. Can't get past that one - just too many icky/dangerous things on them. And people let babies teeth on them (shudder).

      I do agree with you - that we are too protective any more. It is like we keep kids in a cocoon now, and it really doesn't seem to be helping at all!!!!

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  14. the voice of reason is the voice of wisdom, thank you Cheryl!

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