Random Thoughts - "where have I been?" edition.When did pharmacies (aka Drug Stores) jump in to compete with supermarkets? A sale flyer for a large chain appeared in the mail that was long on sales of everything from coffee to pringles; bleach to froot loops, but short on actual health and beauty aids.
Has anyone noticed that while product prices have steadily increased, their content has steadily decreased? Mayonnaise that was once 32 oz. is now 30; ice cream that used to be 64 oz - or a half-gallon is now 1.5 qt.; coffee beans once 16 oz. are now between 10 and 12 oz. And the list goes on and on.
When did Thanksgiving become a non-holiday? There are Halloween decorations competing for shelf space with Christmas lights and ornaments; not a pilgrim or turkey in the mix.
Every major metropolitan area in this country offers one of those gigantic cookie-cutter shopping malls boasting every high-end store and - especially in the south - an ice skating rink. The question is, why are they all referred to as "The Galleria"?
Why do angry, vindictive people with limited social skills choose to open their own business and become part of the service industry when the least of what they offer is actual service?
A recent poll suggests that 84% of Americans ages 14 to 24 do not know the capital of the state in which they live. I have to assume the other 16% actually live in those capitals. Or do they?
More later.
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I kind of like the notion that Thanksgiving is not commerciallized . It remains a large meal with friends and family - and not fancy food either. And it is about gratitude. Merchants haven't gotten into it. It feels nice that way.
ReplyDeleteThanksgiving remains one of my favorite holidays because it is under most commercial radar.
ReplyDeleteIt appears that every store is "every store" now. Many sell groceries. Groceries vend videos. on and on.
We recently purchased a "box" of "regularly sized" Reese's peanut butter cups for Hallowe'en. When we opened it, I thought we had bought the "snack size". They were so small compared to what I bought as a kid. What I find fascinating about this "downsizing" is that companies are obviously more interested in spending mega-dollars on retooling their packaging (and thus increasing costs passed on to consumers without increasing product delivered) than they are in simply raising the price of the item due to increases in the cost of the actual item. It is actually a vicious downward spiral in quality of product delivered to the consumer.
I bought a 50 oz. jar of applesauce to make two applesauce cakes. Each cake took two cups of applesauce, so I used 32 oz. I was amazed when what was left was only about a 1/2 cup instead of the 18 oz. that should have been there. Since we don't normally measure alot of the jar foods, just how much are we being ripped off without knowing it?
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