Adventures in grocery shopping

[JaneV2.0]

IMO, chicken wings are only good for making stock.

[SteveinMN]

that's what they keep saying, but I think most people would happily buy huge rolls of TP just to have it at all. It's some kind of weird breakdown in supply chains having not much to do with consumers who mostly just want TP period at this point. Of course TP is one thing, not everyone has a huge freezer for huge amounts of meat.

There are several proprietary TP dispensing systems that provide a huge roll (think up to 10-12 inches in diameter) with a large core that fits inside a given company's commercial wall-mounted dispenser and offers toilet paper until the cows come home (or at least the end of a work shift) -- which would never fit well on a home TP holder. It's also (as most people likely would attest) not the same grade of paper or number of plies and some isn't even perforated into sheets. Then there's the matter of adapting production lines to make "small" rolls of TP with small cores, packaging, etc. Given that the TP shortage was not anything but hoarding, it doesn't seem (economically) sensible to adapt the commercial product for home use. And, as we're seeing with mask production, not the kind of thing that's switched on overnight.

Ditto with food. Despite the popularity of Costco and the like, few consumers want to buy a 9-pound pork loin or a one-gallon tub of mayonnaise. Repackaging food for consumer sales means finding different-sized bags, boxes, or jars, different-sized boxes to ship them in, and relationships with an entirely different set of wholesalers, shippers, and customers.

I always knew food service was different from retail supermarkets, but I guess I assumed it was largely the same product in bigger packages. Not so; it depends on a very different raw-materials flow and market, with quite varied expectations of what is purchased and why. I really never had thought about how easy it would (or would not) be to unhook the cars behind one locomotive and attach a new train.

[razz]

Yes, me too ,Steve, now having the same sudden insight into the manufacturing for commercial and retail distribution.

[ApatheticNoMore]

There are several proprietary TP dispensing systems that provide a huge roll (think up to 10-12 inches in diameter) with a large core that fits inside a given company's commercial wall-mounted dispenser and offers toilet paper until the cows come home (or at least the end of a work shift) -- which would never fit well on a home TP holder.

seems to me it could just sit it in the bathroom somewhere. I mean maybe one could roll it around an old TP roll although that might really be a bit much. But certainly it could just sit. But no instead we have to use paper towels if we can find them, or store flyer junk mail if we can't. I mean I kept a bunch of paper that came in packaging if I need it ... because it's better than junk mail. But most of those actually will clog the sewage system, as far as I can figure the solution might be to then dispose of them in the dumpster instead of flushing. All because they don't think we will buy big industrial rolls that don't fit on a holder? I mean maybe not if we had better choices. But we don't.

It's also (as most people likely would attest) not the same grade of paper or number of plies and some isn't even perforated into sheets.

that is true, although since usually I buy recycled TP it's not that different. Some of the recycled TP isn't that soft, not that multi-ply etc., which is good the soft stuff clogs too easy.

[Yppej]

I go to a different store every week. Each has different things in stock except no place has had disinfectant spray. Some price gouging is going on. Our state had a mask advisory in place when I went this past Saturday but most store staff were not following it. Most customers were.

[SteveinMN]

All because they don't think we will buy big industrial rolls that don't fit on a holder? I mean maybe not if we had better choices. But we don't.

The store I was in this past week had no toilet paper. The Aldi I was at two Mondays ago had two pallets of toilet paper. I think the outages are very localized and perhaps temporary, but if there's only a narrow window of time when you can shop, that may have the effect of making the outages seem permanent.

although since usually I buy recycled TP it's not that different. Some of the recycled TP isn't that soft, not that multi-ply etc., which is good the soft stuff clogs too easy.

I prefer to buy recycled paper goods and have been fine with them myself. DW is far choosier about that. There is only one brand of recycled paper TP she'll tolerate. We have another package and a half of that. I'll have to start scouting once we get down to half a package or I'll just be buying whatever we can find for the duration.

[Rogar]

I shopped last week for the first time in about 3 weeks. The shelves were much better stocked this time. Fresh produce and meats seemed about normal. The bean and rice selections were slightly limited, but I was able to get navy beans and brown rice. No whole wheat pastry flour which was on my list last time too, but there were a few bags of white flour left. The other thing I've not been able to get is paper towels, but it's not a critical thing. I self allocate one beer a day, although some days turn into two. I'm surprised that brewery production is considered an essential business, but no complaints and the stores seem well stocked.

I hit two stores starting at 7:00 and was done by 8:00. Nearly everyone had masks and were practicing the recommended distancing. It seemed like more customers than a normal 7:00 o'clock hour but it was far from crowded.

[SteveinMN]

I'm surprised that brewery production is considered an essential business

I think The Individuals In Charge are afraid of telling the public that they'll have to go through all this without alcohol...

[ApatheticNoMore]

But I suspect addicts are still getting their fixes (they are addicts) even though this is probably not obeying all the rules of social distancing when they get their heroine or whatever. So which is safer in a pandemic, legal drugs or illegal, I'm going with legal.

[bae]

Grocery shopping today was a different experience for me.

Our local Coop has been working on safe shopping/delivery. They rolled out their latest version yesterday.

I simply selected my desired items on a Shopify site, and a few hours later I got an email indicated when my 15 minute pickup window was the next day. I drove up, someone was outside, with a rack with new, sealed boxes with names on them about 15 feet away. When the attendant pointed to you, you exited the vehicle, picked up your box with your goods, loaded them into your vehicle, and drove off.

I did almost get squished when someone did an illegal u-turn and tried to pull into the parking space next to me, he almost took off the back of my car but somehow I avoided it.