But clean bung holes are a go? How does one determine pre-sniff, assuming (hopefully) a lack of visible evidence? 🤔

Costs at privately own grocery stores are much higher than a government owned commissary. More personnel, advertising costs, cost of buildings and property, taxes.

I once stopped in a gas station on a road trip and the clerk switched credit cards accidentally with another customer. I used the card for months without realizing it. Dont know if other guy was as oblivious.

Then, to my surprise, one day the card was confiscated at a station. Not sure how all the charges were corrected in the end. I think there ended up some free gas in the deal because there was a month without a bill.

That may well be true... but they're buying their goods from the same places and charging much higher prices than "cost". I see the same things in Stater Bros and Albertson's. The latter is higher priced for everything... and they are the same goods bought from the same vendors.

Local, privately owned grocery store? I'll be honest and point out obviously mis-priced items. Most of the time they'll give it to you for that price anyway. Large chain? Fuq em. Short of out right theft, I'll stick it to them every time. If that makes me a bad person, so be it.

That’s one way to see things. But, that’s a purely consumer side opinion. However, there is a much different perspective for the buisness owner. It takes a tremendous amount of capital to open a grocery store. I’d be willing to bet that a small Mom & Pop grocery store with 13 50’ aisles has a minimum of 50,000 individual items (4 items per foot x 6 items deep x 50 feet per aisle x 2 because each aisle has items on 2 sides x 50 feet x 13 aisles + 360 (1 set of candy per checkout x 5 checkouts x 6 feet of display x 1.25 candy box of candy bars per foot x 4 shelves x 2 because there a 2 sides of items per checkout = 360) + produce section + raw meat counter + deli counter = $50,000 give or take not to mention $$ required to prepare a grocery store to stock those items. Then there’s the initial workman’s comp insurance premium due about a month before you open the doors to cover those workers who will work to set up shelves, stock those shelves rent @ $8 per foot per month x 10,000 minimum square feet, etc... in all I’d bet one would need a minimum of $250,000 in capital required to open the doors. If one erects the building because a suitable one doesn’t exist which is the mostly option figure at least $500k for the property and $800k for building construction, another $50k in dirt work before the first concrete for is set and another $150k for the parking lot.

One could easily put that capital into a well managed mutual and earn 8-12% per year plus a commiserate salary for a grocery store manager. So WTF would someone work 16 hours a day 365 days a year (there won’t be a vacation for 5 or more years) while risking losing it all of the concern goes belly up if they can’t double or triple what the could make lying on the couch eating bonbons while watching Jerry Spinger reruns in a pair of boxer shorts?

On the other hand I’m guessing theirs is next to no risk if one simply manages a store made possible with government capital that includes union related job security even if the venture loses money ever day?

Why the f**k would I work my ass into the ground and starve when I can lay on my couch and starve and not endure any of the stress I’d experience owning a grocery store?

BTW the national average profit for a grocery store is 1-2%. Sure they may mark items up 100% or more, but their monthly carrying cost and wages eat up damn near 99% of the gross margin. That said those exorbitant markups are really very paltry.

Should have included this above.

The average annual sales for a Mom & Pop grocery store is about $14,000,000 which translates into around $230,000 net profit for the buisness owner. At face value that may seem excessive, but the owner will put in about 5800 hours a year with zero paid vacation/sick days or about 2.9 times the 2000 hours a year most employees work before receiving overtime, double time, shift differential pay and any bonuses none of which a buisness owner gets since those benefits come directly from his own wallet.

jes only wanted to make a patty melt.

Oh yeah? Well he made anthony cry, that's what he made.

It’s not just store policy, in most (all?) places, it’s the law.

Actually, I made meat loaf.

Dad was a supermarket store manager for almost 50 years.
Some items are pure profit.
The vast majority are not.

Cry?

Sounds like any other new buisness owner. Report back in a year regarding your change of opinion. I sincerely hope you are still a part owner of a new buisness that is continuing to grow at a healthy rate. If so, you’ll be in the 10 percent of first year owners that didn’t go belly up.

Sorry about your vag man....

a joke...jes wanted to make a Patty melt but made Anth cry instead...
never mind.

Stuffed it with a cucumber. All good now.

Whew... I was worried there

Lebanese, Asian, Persian? Inquiring minds.[whip]

Okay this made me laugh. I got the people's eyebrow from my son... as if to say... "There he goes again, the old man laughing at nothing.... I can"t wait to put him in a home!"

My son has a VERY expressive eyebrow.

Okay it took me a day or so before I got it the first time but this time it only took me reading a few posts before it hit me...

That's racist! (I don't feel like linking the YouTube clip)