augh...

[derien]

I told rowantree a few weeks ago that one could buy a good madras paste at the grocery store down here in Portland. Immediately, they took it off the shelf. I used my next-to-last bag of Lapsang Suchong (the infamous stinky tea) and went to buy more at that same store... they no longer carry that, either. Why is it that our shopping choices seem to get fewer rather than broader?

Oh, and we got the memo today that layoffs will begin on the 23rd. But have I called my senators and representatives? No, because I'm a loser.

Comments

[mollyrazor.livejournal.com]

Are you complaining about my store? ;)
If you are, fill out a comment card, complaints about products (or the lack thereof) do make it to the merchandising people at corporate. And those are the people that can get stuff on the shelves.

And, it hurts me deep inside to say this, but have you tried looking for this stuff at Wild Oats? I don't even know what you're talking about, so if it's not the kind of thing WO would carry, I'm sorry.
=)

[derien.livejournal.com]

But, see, I've played the comment card game before. If they put something on the shelf and it doesn't have the sales volume to keep it there it just gets removed again a month later. I understand lack of sales volume, that's not really the store's fault. If I'm the only person who buys these things then I'm just shit out of luck. I guess what I'm frustrated about the lack of other people here to buy the stuff.... It's a viscious circle - nobody buys the item because they don't know what it is, but if it's not available they never find out what it is.

I support The Whole Grocer over Wild Oats just out of a general sense of loyalty because they've been in Portland for much longer and all, and Wild Oats feels way too corporate for me. However, neither has Patak's madras. I should check again for the lapsang suchong tea.

[mollyrazor.livejournal.com]

Yeah, I was not thinking clearly if I suggested Wild Oats and not the Whole Grocer. I think Wild Oats sucks for building where they did. It's like Wal-Mart building next to some little mom-n-pop hardware store or something.

[derien.livejournal.com]

*nods!* They could have been decent about it and built the Wild Oats place across town. We always check at the Whole Grocer first, and only if they don't have what we want do we go to Wild Oats.