"jmcquown" > wrote in message
. ..
> Paul M. Cook wrote:
>> "Christine Dabney" > wrote in message
>> ...
>>> Heya all,
>>>
>>> While I am here in southern Cal..I am becoming re-acquainted with one
>>> of my favorite stores. Grocery Outlet. They haven't expanded to NM
>>> yet, and maybe never will.
>>>
> (snippety)
>>>
>>> In the past, I have gotten wonderful canned tomatoes packaged in
>>> Italy, wonderful cold cuts, wonderful cheeses, and other incredible
>>> bargains. When I was in Phoenix a few years ago..they had a special
>>> on Niman Ranch hams.. I got one. It was one of the best ones I had
>>> had in a long time.
>>>
>>> It is always a treasure hunt when I go there. I should know that I
>>> need to get something good while it is there, cause it can disappear
>>> fast..and never appear again.
>>>
>>
>> Memories of the old TJs. Sigh. Miss that store.
>>
> There isn't a TJ's near me in the Memphis area and certainly not one where
> I am now. But I've noticed a few people here comment the quality and
> product availability at TJ's has gone downhill. Do you find that to be
> the case? Or is it simply (as has also been mentioned) they'll stock
> something for a while, people love it, then it vanishes? (This seems to
> be true of many things I purchase, regardless of the store. Some things I
> can get the manager to order, other things were discontinued by the
> manufacturer.)


They shifted their company model from what was a store that bought up huge
amounts of goods from all over the world and sold them dirt cheap in their
stores. So you never knew what they would have. The Fearless Flyer was
always much anticipated because it was packed full of some wonderful and
often unique items. It was rare that they would ever have some of those
things again because they were one time deals. Now it is simply a discount
market and they sell the same things over and over. They do tend to remove
things often with no explanation. Even though an item may be a big seller
in one area it is a poor performer overall. This is the corporate model,
the bottom line is the bottom line and all inclusive. All stores sell the
same stuff. They just opened a new store in my town and it is a carbon copy
of the other one across town. Same stuff, same shelf order, same design.
Corporate uniformity.

Paul