"PhotoMan" > wrote in message
...
>
> "Doug Kanter" > wrote in message
> ...
>>
>> "PhotoMan" > wrote in message
>> ...
>> >
>> > "Doug Kanter" > wrote in message
>> > ...
>> >>
>> >> "PhotoMan" > wrote in message
>> >> ...
>> >> >
>> >> > "Doug Kanter" > wrote in message
>> >> > ...
>> >> >> 1) I've posted at least three possible reasons, all of which are
> based
>> > on
>> >> >> the realities of the grocery industry.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> 2) The actual reasons are not known to you or I, but could be if
>> >> >> you
>> >> >> wrote
>> >> > a
>> >> >> letter to the company instead of complaining about it in a
>> >> >> newsgroup
>> >> >> where
>> >> >> nobody has the ability to give you a definitive answer.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> 3) You say I haven't come up with a better explanation, but you
>> >> >> have
>> > yet
>> >> > to
>> >> >> comment on any of the well-intended things I've written. Your most
>> >> >> interesting response has merely been "They do it so they can raise
> the
>> >> > price
>> >> >> without appearing to raise the price." You have refused to think
> about
>> >> >> why
>> >> >> it might have been necessary to raise the price.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> 4) Besides being well-intended, my comments are based on working
>> >> >> for
>> > many
>> >> >> years (and currently) in the wholesale end of the grocery business.
>> >> >> Therefore, they're far from guesses.
>> >> >>
>> >> >> 5) At least twice, I've reminded others here that the price of milk
>> >> >> has
>> >> > gone
>> >> >> through the roof over the past year or two, and wondered why anyone
>> >> >> should
>> >> >> expect a product that's largely made of milk to remain stable in
>> >> >> price.
>> >> >> Nobody (including you) has acknowledged this fact. How about doing
>> >> >> that
>> >> > now?
>> >> >>
>> >> >> 6) The tone of this entire discussion suggests that some of the
>> >> > participants
>> >> >> suspect an evil conspiracy. But, nobody is complaining about the
> other
>> >> >> grocery products which have gone through the exact same changes.
>> >> >> Why
>> >> >> is
>> >> >> that?
>> >> >>
>> >> >> 7) My neighbor's driveway is the same size as mine. He's very happy
>> > with
>> >> > the
>> >> >> company which completely repaved it 5 years ago, so he gave me a
> copy
>> > of
>> >> > the
>> >> >> invoice for the work because I need to have mine repaved in the
>> >> >> spring.
>> >> >> In
>> >> >> addition to the company he used, I called 3 others for estimates.
> They
>> >> > were
>> >> >> all pretty close in price, but every one of them was about 40%
> higher
>> >> >> than
>> >> >> what my neighbor paid. This is far beyond normal inflation. Can you
>> > guess
>> >> >> what raw material the increase is based on? If you answer yes, do
> you
>> >> >> feel
>> >> >> the increase was still unjustified?
>> >> >>
>> >> >> Your turn. You need to go back through the thread and actually read
>> > what
>> >> >> I've written before you can tell me that I haven't come up with a
>> > better
>> >> >> explanation.
>> >> >
>> >> > I never questioned the reasoning behind the price increase. Had they
>> >> > simply
>> >> > raised the price I would have grumbled under my breath and bought it
>> >> > anyway.
>> >> > Railing on and on about the cost of doing business has nothing to do
>> > with
>> >> > my
>> >> > original post. Re-read it!
>> >> >
>> >> >
>> >>
>> >> OK. Let's assume we agree that because of real-world factors, they had
> to
>> >> raise the price. Did you want a large sign on the freezer case,
>> >> warning
>> > you
>> >> that the package was now smaller? Or, did you want them to load up the
>> >> ice
>> >> cream with guar gum like the store-brand crap, so you wouldn't have to
> go
>> >> through this trauma?
>> >
>> > Absolutely not. No sign. No guar gum. It's not traumatic in the least.
>> > It's
>> > simply a shady WAY to raise prices. I'm not as gullible as they seem to
>> > think many people are.
>> >
>> >
>>
>> We're going around in circles. If you think it was shady, pretend you're
> the
>> brand manager for Good Humor-Breyers. What would you have done
> differently?
>
> I'd have bitten the bullet and raised the price of the 2 quart package. No
> deceit, nothing hidden. What would be wrong in doing so? More importantly,
> explain why NOT to do it that way.
>
>

Because based on surveys, they may know it would've raised the price to a
point that simply seemed wrong to shoppers. Example: When my wife and I were
first married, we chose $60 per week as our supermarket budget. This was
around 1982, in case anyone here thinks that's an insane number. If we were
standing in the store, the shopping list was covered, and we were debating
one luxury item, we would've chosen the item that was more expensive per
unit, if it fit the budget, rather than the cheaper-per-unit item that cost
$6.00 or $7.00 and put us over budget.

Another possibility which is highly likely: As I've reminded you, the price
of milk has almost doubled in the past couple of years. If Breyers had kept
their containers at a half gallon and raised the price, I doubt the price
would've doubled, but I'll wager that it would've gone up enough that you
would've been shocked. If it went from $4.00 to $7.00, what would have been
your reaction? Would you have made the connection between the milk you buy,
and the cost of ice cream?