Wegmans notes

[damont]

Okay. One of the few bright spots this year has definitely been the opening of Wegmans not too far from my place. Next year we get one even closer. As grocery stores go, they do tend to be a bit "upscale" but their prices are often better from some common items than anyone else. And their produce department is to die for. (Not surprising, as they got their start as a greengrocer's.) They carry Nittany apples, which are one of my very favorite varieties, and which I hadn't seen for sale in three years. Their wine department outclasses any other grocery wine department; again not surprising given its upscaleness. (Grocery stores can carry beer and wine in Virginia.) I could go on.

Nevertheless, it is a grocery store. Why would a grocery store, even one with an upscale wine department, have wine for sale at more than TWO THOUSAND bucks a go?

The most memorable example was a six (6) liter bottle of Sauternes. Not easy to shoplift, even if you did break into the locked glass case; it holds the volume of eight "normal" wine bottles and is as big as my leg.

Comments

[fuzzface00.livejournal.com]

> have wine for sale at more than TWO THOUSAND bucks a go?

Perhaps just to draw attention to the store ?

it is one of those oddities that makes reasonable conversation and causes folks to "chat up" the store.

Wegmans

[bunnyjadwiga.livejournal.com]

Weggies started in upstate NY. They (deliberately) had a Walmart effect on local markets. They go out of their way to lure people in, then keep them in the store long enough to make expensive impulse purchases. They were interviewed on regional tv at one point (remember this was 20 years ago) where one of their managers admitted that they laid out the stores to be confusing and keep people in as long as possible, then shift things around when people seemed to be figuring things out.

When we started getting Weggies in my area, I stopped by and took a look-- they still have the same pattern. Their traffic patterns are set up to keep you stuck in the expensive areas of the store, especially during high-volume times (I still remember trying to get in there on a Saturday morning to pick up a 5lb portion of Sashimi Tuna someone had ordered for an event. It was like a broken-field race.)

They capitalize on yuppies coming in for something unusual (take-out sushi, for instance) and while they are there picking up the groceries for the week. Luckily, they are a bit better than, say, shop-rite; but I really wouldn't buy regular groceries there. I pity the areas that have nothing but Wegman's.

Re: Wegmans

[fuzzface00.livejournal.com]

Err... Where in Upstate New York ? "Upstate" is a lot of territory and I grew up in part of it, never heard of Wegman's until I moved to Virginia and one arrived here.

> where one of their managers admitted that they
> laid out the stores to be confusing

Nowadays this is not a trait exclusive to Wegmans. Giant Food seems to do this all the time and our local Wal*Mart is somewhat like that (more due to poor organization and management as opposed to planned confusion). Our local gaming store also pulls this crap, I put up with them because they are the only "game" in town. I realize that some folks don't notice it, but when I find a store is deliberately wasting my time with such practices I try not to shop there as often after that.

Re: Wegmans

[bunnyjadwiga.livejournal.com]

Of all the actual grocery stores I've been in (and yes, I've been in a lot) Weggies is the worst for layout. Weggies got started in Rochester NY and moved out from there.

(My problem with Walmart's a bit different-- the longer they make me wait in line, the more stuff I put back, and the lines are insanely long, so if I really have to buy something at Walmart, I usually take Iuliana along as a spotter to make sure I buy what I came for.)

Re: Wegmans

[dr-zrfq.livejournal.com]

I don't go to Wegmans for just anything -- too far away to justify that. I go there for specific items, usually produce or stuff I can't get anywhere else. (The latter includes a couple of things I used to be able to get closer to home but not any more.) And while I'm there I'll pick up milk and orange juice since they're cheaper there.

Wegmans has better prices on dairy section (milk, eggs, juice, cheese) than anywhere else nearby. Everything else I can get as cheap (or cheaper) closer to home. Their produce isn't cheaper, just *better*, and a much wider variety.

But I don't shop at Wegmans, or anywhere else, simply as a matter of habit; I go to different places to get what I want. (This could turn into a separate post on My Life Through Grocery Stores...)

[wanderingpixie.livejournal.com]

I've almost never been to one, but I did find some nifty pseudo-feast gear there on my last trip up to Buffalo. And it was pretty dang cheap, so I can't complain.

But, yowza... what a bottle of wine!

Ahh Wegmans

[gormofberra.livejournal.com]

I too remember Wegmans from my time in Syracuse...always struck me as a higher end place...but they did give out nifty things...like sets of china and such in exchange for shopping there a lot...but it was showing receipts to get this weeks' piece, none of this affinity card BS.

Remembering Wegmans

[nikulai.livejournal.com]

Wow... I went to school in the Rochester, NY area in the late 80s and LOVED Wegmans. It was either that or Bells - blech! - Many years later I read an article (in The Economist, I think - but not sure) which was talking about gro ery stores and noted that Wegman's had the highest level of shopper loyalty - so high that most grocery chains actually include 'will not compete with Wegmans' in their corporate strategy. I wonder if thats still true. - To my mind, the only thing thatc ould beat getting a Wegmans locally would be to get a Waldbaums.