Long time Raley's customer soon to be gone!

I have been shopping at one of our local Raley's since the day they opened in Redding, many years ago. The store is fazing out many of the products I was very fond of and bought on a regular basis. Brand names I used are going away to be replaced by their own label. Writing to the corporate office has not been successful. I have been forced to look elsewhere for my favorite products and am not happy about it. I have never been one to run all over the place to save .20 cents on an item, preferring to buy all my food items in one store.
One item I bought in their health section was discontinued, however, that department's manager would order a case for me when I called. I was told last week, she could no longer do that because the product was not available to them. So yesterday, I went to our local grain mill, and while in there I see the prduct. It was less money than Raley's so I picked up a bunch. It seems that product is still available, Raley's just not want to carry it. Strange as I was told by Raley's that it is a huge seller which I already knew since I buy 6 bottles at a time and usually empty the slot. I've noticed that the morale seems down at the store. It will be hard to break from them, because they were great for a long time, I knew everyone and they always did special favors for me.

[Jenise]

What a shame, Karen. But unfortunately, you're just a drop in the bucket to them, and adhering to a strict corporate structure is more important than being able to diversity enough to cater to customers locally. Has there been a recent change in store management that might have brought this about? A new guy who came from some larger place, like L.A., where they don't take the kind of personal care you've been used to?

Jenise, I don't know about that. First thing I noticed was the meat dept. A new person I asked for a special cut, and I was told they cannot do that. What? I've been coming here for years getting cuts of beef from you, I replied. Next time I was in there I saw my favorite guy and asked why they stopped cutting for customers. He told me thay had not stopped cutting, and would cut anything I wanted.???

Raley's has a card you sign up for, and every week they offer you special deals based on what you have told them you want to see deals on. You accrue points all the time you shop. My first check from them was for 25.00 which came to my house, plus all the discounts I received on special purchases, I was loving the new system. I actually signed up for the the bonus money put onto my tab at their cash register. I noticed that they only gave you a certain amount of time to get back and shop to collect your cash. Well, we went out of town and I never got there before the closing date for the cash back. So I lost that. I emailed the corporate office in Sacramento telling them that was a scam, and how did they handle it when people could not make that date and asked for my cash back to be sent via check once again. I never heard anything back but the next time I went, that money was deducted from my tab. While it is a good deal, if you work it right and pay attention to cut off dates, I resent the extra time it takes to check every week for the deals, and make sure I get there before the closing date. I miss out on a lot of them because I refuse to be a puppet to what I know they are doing. Still, I do get some great deals....at my time schedule.

A locally owned store not far from me, has gone mostly organic, gluten free, plus a great meat cutter who will get and do anything for you, has a system of points also. All you do is give your phone number and you get points. It is automatically taken off your tab and I usually get anywhere from 15.to 20. dollars off. Last year they did a beautiful calendar for their customers. On the back page were coupons for each of the twelve months. Great free stuff every month. I've gotten 1/2 gallon of OJ, package of steaks of my choice, bouquets of flowers, 2 boxes of free pasta of my choice this month (Barilla) free bottles of wine, and so on. This one is no pressure. Competition is tough, for sure.

We have a store named Wegman's in our neck of the woods. It was a family-run grocer out of Rochester, NY that began expanding about 30 years ago to great success. The supermarkets had their own bakery, butcher shops, etc. where you got personal service. Over time, the bakeries and butcher shops changed from personal service to impersonal service and then the bakeries baked only a few items, having the rest sent from a main warehouse, and the butchers would cut meat if you ask, but you had to ask. Mainly, the meats are pre-cut and there for pointing at. After all that, products began to disappear from shelves, and worse, new products would come in and the next time you shopped they were gone, having been replaced by more new products that would be gone within weeks never to return. Points and bonus cards and all that stuff became the draw, rather than the food itself. The company was given over to bean counters and marketers.

I hate bonus cards and points and all that nonsense. I wish they would charge what the food is worth to us and to the company's bottom line and concentrate on serving customers.

Wegman's also has the habit of regularly moving items into different locations. You go into the store and aisles are completely revised, leaving you to wander the whole damned place before you figure out the plan, and then in a few weeks you have to do it all over again. I don't know which genius came up with the idea, but it is extremely annoying.

The problem for us in this part of the world is that Wegman's has one competitor and it is a third-class operation, and of course, the mom and pop places are gone, thanks to Wegman's.

[Jenise]

I hate bonus cards and points and all that nonsense. I wish they would charge what the food is worth to us and to the company's bottom line and concentrate on serving customers.

Completely agree. I don't need free stuff, and most of what they do/would give away around here aren't the meat, dairy and produce, with emphasis on natural and organic, that are my principal purchases. I never even look at ads or the coupons that come in the paper. It's all soda pop and kiddie cereal, deals brokered through Big Grocery Supply Inc and passed on to consumers as 'specials'--there's no actual cost to the store itself at all.

However I still use the store cards at the two chains up here that offer them. I don't shop for discounted items but inevitably end up with a few things that amount to a few dollars a month in exchange for allowing them to track my buying habits. A lot of people object to that, but I don't (though I would just as soon have no cards at all) thinking that the more they know about my habits the likelier I am to find more of the kind of things I want. I'm probably dreaming, though.

@Karen: that cash back system would really annoy me. Of the two chains up here that I shop at, one has no points at all, just instore discounts, and the other accrues points for gasoline. Although we preferentially buy gas at ARCO stations and their points are good at same, the closest ARCO is 12 miles south and the points are good at a nearby station we use if filling up before heading north over the border. I don't try at all to earn points (buying certain products accrues more), but since they're giving them away I'll use them. At the rate I shop, that amounts to about 20 cents off per gallon every 4-6 weeks.

Karen -

As I'm sure you know, Raley's is getting hammered by smaller chains with (among other things) non-union employees. I think their move to phase out everything but store brands is part of their attempt to cut costs. Safeway has gone the same route. A Raley's store is the closest big grocery store to our house, but we rarely go there. We prefer The Nugget, which is another ten minutes down the road but which has a very good selection of food, good meat, an excellent bakery, etc.

We prefer The Nugget, which is another ten minutes down the road but which has a very good selection of food, good meat, an excellent bakery, etc.

I agree, that is a great store. I've been to one in Sacramento and another in Winters, I believe. The points and bonus cards drive me crazy and I wish they would go away. But, it is what the stores do and there are bargains to be had, so I take advantage if reasonable for me to do so. Like Jenise, I don't do coupons, or look for everything on sale... I refuse to shop Winko and Super WalMart for many reasons, and prefer to shop locally owned as much as possible. Most of the locally owned I go to are on the upscale side and can be pricey, so I choose what I buy there. Thanks goodness for Farmer's Markets!

We have a store named Wegman's in our neck of the woods. It was a family-run grocer out of Rochester, NY that began expanding about 30 years ago to great success. The supermarkets had their own bakery, butcher shops, etc. where you got personal service. Over time, the bakeries and butcher shops changed from personal service to impersonal service and then the bakeries baked only a few items, having the rest sent from a main warehouse, and the butchers would cut meat if you ask, but you had to ask. Mainly, the meats are pre-cut and there for pointing at. After all that, products began to disappear from shelves, and worse, new products would come in and the next time you shopped they were gone, having been replaced by more new products that would be gone within weeks never to return. Points and bonus cards and all that stuff became the draw, rather than the food itself. The company was given over to bean counters and marketers.

I hate bonus cards and points and all that nonsense. I wish they would charge what the food is worth to us and to the company's bottom line and concentrate on serving customers.

Wegman's also has the habit of regularly moving items into different locations. You go into the store and aisles are completely revised, leaving you to wander the whole damned place before you figure out the plan, and then in a few weeks you have to do it all over again. I don't know which genius came up with the idea, but it is extremely annoying.

The problem for us in this part of the world is that Wegman's has one competitor and it is a third-class operation, and of course, the mom and pop places are gone, thanks to Wegman's.

We went to a Wegman's in Columbia, MD on a visit this past June. It was wonderful; particularly for a cow milk afflicted person like True Love. They had a fantastic selection of products including many cheeses. They had a sharp cheddar goat cheese that was to die for. Unfortunately we put it out with others for a visiting group and it evaporated, including by a person who "hated" goat cheese!

Karen -

As I'm sure you know, Raley's is getting hammered by smaller chains with (among other things) non-union employees. I think their move to phase out everything but store brands is part of their attempt to cut costs. Safeway has gone the same route. A Raley's store is the closest big grocery store to our house, but we rarely go there. We prefer The Nugget, which is another ten minutes down the road but which has a very good selection of food, good meat, an excellent bakery, etc.

I love Nugget. Solano County is too downscale for Whole Foods (Paycheck)*
I will note that the local Safeway had to upgrade when Nugget came to town, and I actually like some of their store brand products. Great olive bar!


* Plus I dislike SOME of the pronouncements of the CEO, a libertoon to the max.

Karen -

As I'm sure you know, Raley's is getting hammered by smaller chains with (among other things) non-union employees. I think their move to phase out everything but store brands is part of their attempt to cut costs. Safeway has gone the same route. A Raley's store is the closest big grocery store to our house, but we rarely go there. We prefer The Nugget, which is another ten minutes down the road but which has a very good selection of food, good meat, an excellent bakery, etc.

I love Nugget. Solano County is too downscale for Whole Foods (Paycheck)*
I will note that the local Safeway had to upgrade when Nugget came to town, and I actually like some of their store brand products. Great olive bar!


* Plus I dislike SOME of the pronouncements of the CEO, a libertoon to the max.

I prefer Nugget to Whole Foods. The WF in Davis is a small store with a poor selection. The one in Carmichael is larger and does have an excellent (though wildly pricey) cheese counter as well as some nice-looking prepared foods. For what I buy from a grocery store, though, the Nugget beats them out on selection and price.

Mike, with us it's New Seasons, a locally owned and wildly successful chain with a definite Portland vibe to it.

They are better than Whole Foods because they offer locally sourced and organic/natural and healthy foods, but they also are very sensitive and balanced about carrying good basic staples within their selections (usually the Western Family and other such brands), so it's not just shopping for the elite. Their prepared food selection is, I think, better as well.

New Seasons is not inexpensive; but it's also not as obviously pricy as WF.

Any love for Trader Joe's? They can be hit and miss, but for good cheese from larger producers (say Societe Roquefort), their prices are amazing. Produce can be "meh", and their baked goods seem to go stale within a day, but I enjoy quite a few of their products.

Our community asked for years for TJ's to come here. Finally, they came and went into a brand new complex on a busy side of town. Great location. I do love the store, it is big, clean and friendly, and well trained staff. Produce looks great but does not seem to last long. Love the cheese section, and the meat section for the "ready to cook" meats for those lazy days, wines for the prices, some good vinegars. I have not had any of the frozen, prepared foods that I would buy again. Breads are OK, but I prefer a family owned bakery in town, that the entire family works and they make amazing breads. I love TJ's is here, and they are very busy all the time. They do have a following. I see a lot of young moms in there with several children, buying a lot of the prepared stuff.

Raley's has also become a pain in the ass here in Napa. What I've heard TJs & WFs have dug into their business and they are trying various different approaches to compete. My wife sends me to Raley's and she does whatever other shopping is done at TJs & WFs. Raley's is pretty much 'white bread" in it's inventory the other two stores I had a tendency to buy something like pickled humming bird's tongues etc. I say curiosity is important, she challenges that notion under certain circumstances.

The Napa Whole Paycheck is pretty AMAZING, Lou. Although I still think Oxbow is more fun, and I actually love Vallerga's across 29. It is certainly less of a terror fest to enter and exit that parking lot than the TJ/WF one!

The Napa Whole Paycheck is pretty AMAZING, Lou. Although I still think Oxbow is more fun, and I actually love Vallerga's across 29. It is certainly less of a terror fest to enter and exit that parking lot than the TJ/WF one!

If I'm going to blow some bucks on food, I'll take Oxbow over WF any day!

We frequent the local Raley's because it is down the road and the check out people know everyone personally. But, if I need hard to find items, I look towards Whole Foods or TJs. Like Karen, I too have noticed more and more Raley's brand items replacing tried and true products.
-Shaji

Like Karen, I too have noticed more and more Raley's brand items replacing tried and true products.
-Shaji

Have you tried any of the Raley's brand items? I grew up with Del Monte, S & W, Hunt's etc. An while I have moved on to San Marzano, Cento, etc. for a few items, I still love the old standby products my mom insisted I come home with as nothing else would do! I don't even like the weak looking labels Raley's is putting on their brand labels....so I am avoiding them, but the brands I love are on the lower shelves now and they are making it harder to find them. I hear folks complaining all the time in the aisles, where is this, where is that.

Have you tried any of the Raley's brand items?

No, I havent.