You know how I feel about Country Mart. They have high prices, not-so-helpful help, and consistently have outdated foods on their shelves for sale. Yes. I still go there. Because they have some items I can't find in 10Box or Save A Lot.
Thursday, since I was over in Sis-Town anyway, I went in to pick up a few bananas, soda for Farmer H, and two big salads for our supper.
I was in luck. They actually had the big salads available. This time, there was even the chicken tenders version. It comes with a cut-up chicken tender on top. Farmer H likes the kind with chopped ham and turkey, which also includes two halves of a boiled egg.
I picked up my chicken tender salad, and was not happy to see no label. I've mentioned before that these simpletons put the labels on wrong. Mainly, not sticking it over the edge of the plastic container. Meaning anybody could open it up and tamper with it, or eat something out of it. But also, they put the labels on the BOTTOM of their deli containers.
So there I was, not happy to be flipping over a SALAD to see the date on the bottom. This was Thursday, July 18. My chicken tender salad said to SELL BY July 21. Good to go. Into my cart/walker.
I picked up Farmer H's ham/turkey salad. Flipped it over. The SELL BY date was July 17. No, no, no! Not fooling Mrs. HM this time, by cracky! I put it back, and reached to the last one in the row, on the bottom. Flipped it over. SELL BY July 20. Good enough for me!
I feel sorry if anybody was tricked into buying that already-expired ham/turkey salad. I left it upside down, with the label visible. Not my fault if somebody was to pick it up and the lid fall off. Shoulda put the label on like a normal store!
No, I was NOT going to haul that expired salad up front and complain. Not my job. Besides, they'd most likely just take it back and put it in the deli case again. This ain't 10Box, you know, with helpful, conscientious employees.
I'm beginning to think this ruse is NOT due to simpletons, but is the policy at Country Mart. A concerted effort to scam the customers!
5 comments:
Unfortunately, a lot of people would just go in and grab whatever they were looking for and not even bother looking at the dates. The store knows this. I think all stores know this and it just adds to their coffers if they are lucky enough for one of their customers to be a bit unlucky.
I was in our local grocery store a few years back and was looking for something that a lot of people in our rural community would not typically buy. As it turns out, it was on the top shelf. It was out of date by a year. I guess they thought since they still had some in stock, no need to order more. Or whoever checks the shelves was quite short and the top shelves were neglected. I can't remember what it was now. Likely had something to do with making some type of Indian food. Not something most people here would ever cook, much less eat. Having lived in the metro, I sometimes crave some good Indian food, but it's not closely available so try to make it myself. I make a mean cauliflower curry, if I say so myself. Ranee (MN)
Rae,
I used to do that, until I got burned by Country Mart too many times! I am kind of not surprised by your year-old item. I suppose because I'm used to Country Mart's shenanigans!
I'm sure your cauliflower curry is as world-famous as my Chex Mix! Sorry you can't get the ingredients you need.
I always check use by dates and have sometimes been the one checking the shelves for near expired foods when I was working in the supermarket, loading them into a trolley to send out the back where they would all be tagged at half price to sell quickly. Mostly packet foods, dry goods or cans of anything.
I always check dates, but most men would not and bring home something ready to be tossed in the trash. Like you, I think leaving it in the dairy case is intentional!
River,
I don't think this store has anybody assigned to checking expiration dates! If I have items at home that have expired, like canned goods, or packets of noodle stuff, or boxes like Stove Top Stuffing, I'll still use them after the date. But I WON'T pay full price for anything expired, especially perishable things like a salad or dairy products!
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Kathy,
I agree. Men won't even think about checking the date. I also agree that this store is leaving expired items out past the date, hoping to sell them anyway.
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