Question? do we have a problem with a computer virus? Duh........ Yes...... Oh........ Do people panic at the thought of a new millenium period? Duh (part 2). Then I ask- Why havn't any of these money grubbing supermarkets cashed in the apparent ralley to fix the Y2k problem? First of all, they want to make money right? What better way to make money then to promote preparing for the Y2k.... I can see it now - "Prepare now for what MIGHT happen!". These people would make a mint! Plus they would be preparing the comunity for one of the largest economic threats (if not the largest) of our time or any other for that matter..... But no........ Instead these Phasic Morons who think they know about making money and giving back to the public sit there with an end cap of bananas (like those things are going to make it!). Give us an end cap of freaking Pinto Beans! Or how about reasonably priced First aid kits placed on an easily noticed display. Oh, but people might panic...... Yeah they might , but better now then when sh*t really hits the fan. You think? For those of you who read this and can do so, tell your supermarket manager to start this concept now. Maybe they will or maybe they will laugh when you walk away and put their focus back on how many bags of candy they will need to pile on the floor for next Halloween.

-- Bizzaro Clinton (Food@for_thought.com), February 20, 1999

Answers

The grocery store I usually go to prominently displays bottled water now. They started doing this about a month and a half ago.

We should be seeing a lot more of these kinds of special displays by July.

-- Kevin (mixesmusic@worldnet.att.net), February 20, 1999.

Grocery and other retail stores are marketing survival items in subtle ways. A store in our town is selling 20 lb bags of rice for $3.99, 16 oz pkg pasta 59 cents, TP 24 rolls, 2 ply for $3.89. WalMart has replenished their oil lamp wicks, Coleman stove fuel, and other items that are considered surival items. I think these stores are acting responsibly yet sticking it right in everyone's face. Those who GI are acting accordingly. I wouldn't be a bit surprised though if those 20 lb bags of rice double in price. I live in rice growing country and planting time is not too far away, we shall see what happens at harvest time and where the farmers will be shipping it.

-- bardou (bardou@baloney.com), February 20, 1999.

Wal-Green's, a drugstore chain here (N. Texas) has had knit caps (I think some people call them tobaggans, but I always thought tobaggans were sleds) on sale for 99 cents! And knit gloves and mittens, same price. So I go trying to stock up on cheap winter gear, maybe stuff we wear inside if it gets really cold and they are sold out. I go to 8 Wal-Green's and none of them have them. Well, it was the next to the last day of the sale, so I decide I'll catch it next time. That was 3 weeks ago. They went on sale again and I went to a Wal- Green's this time earlier in the sale and the teenage boy said "Man we are all out of those AGAIN. Weird. We haven't even been having a cold winter." I felt sorry for him, I really did, becuase I'm sitting there thinking, "It's not THIS winter I am worried about, dear." They can't even keep cheap little knit caps and knit gloves and mittens in stock for longer than a day when they are on sale.

It's like this quiet little faction of people...and we are all out there doing the same thing and starting to notice each other...

Preparing (Quietly)

-- Preparing (I needhats@cheap.com), February 20, 1999.

You are to funny. That is not only true but it is funny. I have not seen any sign or advertising for the Y2K in our stores. I have seen a few conspicuous bags of rice. Thanks for the rant. Enjoyed it

-- Respondant (deb@xoom.com), February 20, 1999.

The Sam's in a town two hours from where we live was out of all beans but pinto. This was early Friday when they should be filled up. Ordered oil lamps Jan 3rd, won't get them until March. When ordering them six months ago, I had them in two weeks. People are catching on. I am a retailer, but not food. I carry alot more long burning candles than I used to carry. People will remember where they got them. My price will stay the same. Look at bananas to dehydrate. Dip them in honey first. I am doing lots of apples, after dipping them in orange juice for a short time. Beans and rice will be very tiring. Start looking at the expiration dates on every item you touch in the store. Some won't expire long into 2000. Think tuna or things you like. I am buying lots of canned mushroom soup for casseroles. Store that left over Halloween candy, (hard stuff only) it will keep. Comb those retail stores, don't use energy laughing at what they don't know. There are teasures waiting there for you, until others find out....Abigayle

-- Abigayle (jgrenleaf@tri-lakes.net), February 21, 1999.

Twice recently my grocer has had sales on bottled water. Don't recall many of those in the past ...

-- No Spam Please (anon@ymous.com), February 21, 1999.

Abigayle:

You're with it! Good advice. In my small city there are no Y2K displays nor serious discussion of it within the stores. Last week one evening (I shop when the least amount of customers are present)I went to a supermarket and purchased lots of items on special. The elderly male cashier checked out the items while the female store manager helped me bag them (the teenager baggers had gone home). After I pushed away my loaded cart, I overheard the cashier ask the store manager, "What do you think?". She replied, "I'm not sure." DUH! If she's not sure after witnessing what I purchased, how do you expect her to make any effort into changing shelf space for Y2K essentials?

Yes, there are "treasures" in certain stores. When EVERYBODY ELSE gets it, there will be backorders up the bunghole, which will further anger those who waited until the last moment. Then when the shipments finally arrive, there will be fights over who gets whatever limited supplies made it, and don't expect every backorder to be completely filled. You don't want to be in that crowd.

Don't wait. Prepare now. And, if you're all prepared, then begin making preparations for your neighbors and friends. However, this is expensive, so be on the lookout for bargains when you go treasure hunting!

-- dinosaur (dinosaur@williams-net.com), February 21, 1999.

Our local Albertson's grocery store is selling 5 gal bottles of water that are marked:

Y H20 K

Another store here had differant varieties of canned beans on sale for 49 cents a can. I went in the second day of the sale (being a 3 bean salad lover) and every can was gone. Guess the local burger joint won't be giving me 5 gal buckets for free much longer. Bummer

-- Kimbo WA (aliveandwell@WA.com), February 21, 1999.

In our area the major grocery stores have preferred customer bonus cards.For many of the items on sale,you have to present this card to get the discount.Every Wednesday I get the local salespapers,make a list of the items I need for Y2k preparation, & shop till I drop. There is a lot of competition & as the weeks go by I have noticed a lot more canned goods on sale.This week one of the grocers had one isle of sale items mixed with others that weren't on sale.They had armour chili .39 a can with no limit.I bought 3 cases.Campbells tomato soups .19 a can..limit of 8 but the cashier let me get 4 cases.In the same place they had stacks of spam,vienna sausages,salt,gallons of water...definitely a y2k display but nothing to advertize it as such.They even had peroxide & rubbing alcohol .10 a bottle. When I went through checkout i didn't mention y2k.The cashier looked at me & said lots of people are buying by the case to stock up for y2k. Also,I did notice two other women with their carts as full as mine.This was about 7:30 this evening & they weren't too busy.Campbells cream soups (mushroom,chicken,celery) were .50 ea. I filled one cart completely up & after loading it in the car,I went back in and filled up another. I just couldn't pass up those bargains.Also Bi Lo had starkist tuna for .29 a can. They had a limit of 6 but would let you buy as many as you wanted as long as you paid for them seperately.I took cash & made sure i chose a time when they weren't busy. When i first started this weekly routine,there was nothing to indicate any interest in y2k...now it is apparently catching on. Also, I found Alladin lanterns at a mennonite market nearby.He said he ordered them way before xmas...finally got them & won't be able to get more until April at the earliest.We bought 3 & a dietz. An older man who was buying 100 lbs of Oatmeal....asked what storm I was preparing for.I told him kiddingly "the computer storm"...he said " you don't think thats really gonna happen do ya?".I started to explain that after months of research,yes i do...but realized he was just kidding.He had two lanterns,& alot more. He said he Knows what is coming & has been preparing for months. Sorry this post is so long....Just had an interesting weekend.Just when I think I have plenty (which I probably do) I see something on this post that makes me go out again.

-- Raven (Raven@deepwoods.com), February 21, 1999.

Thank you for all of your responses. Some retailers apparently can see a good thing when it is starring them right in the face. Abigayle, you are right there are treasures to be found and I sometimes enjoy spending the 3 hrs it takes in the store looking for them. I just wish the stores around my area (Sacatomato) were more hip to the whole mass merchandising scheme. Ah.... wait...... the "Grocery Store Outlet". Its a long haul to get there but I've done it before. Before I finish I got to say I posted my mark on this site to see really if any "Retailers" would respond. Abigayle you are the picture of what a retail shop (be it food or anything else) owner/manager should be. In our country the great thing is that someone can make it by suppling a NEED to another. My concern is that in these days people are more concerned with supplying the WANT to another. It is frightening to me when I go to shop for my families future well being and the store is pushing displays of mops or sunglasses in my face. But, as you said Abigayle, "The treasures are out there" so consider the sunglasses to help you fight the Flash of the nuclear bomb and the mops to clean up the mess when it is all over. Just kidding , I HOPE IT'S NOT THAT BAD. :-)

-- Bizzaro Clinton (Food@For_Thought.com), February 22, 1999.