[Colbyt]

Would love to hear your opinion of BOGO sales as they are the rage at the grocery this week.

I personally have a negative opinion of them in general. Waht I am about to say is not always true but in my personal experience usually is around here.

The stores always has a 'standard' selling price and as long as they offer the product at that price sometimes it maintains as their 'normal' selling price, pretty much the same scam as MSSRP. That price is quite often discounted, sometimes as much as 50-60% for weekly sales.

But when they have a BOGO they always jack the price up to their 'standard'. So it really isn't any better of a deal than you can get several times a year. The fake BOGO, buy one get one for half off are usually a worse deal.

So am I a cynical old dude or what do you think?

 

[PickyPrincess]

Would love to hear your opinion of BOGO sales as they are the rage at the grocery this week.

I personally have a negative opinion of them in general. Waht I am about to say is not always true but in my personal experience usually is around here.

The stores always has a 'standard' selling price and as long as they offer the product at that price sometimes it maintains as their 'normal' selling price, pretty much the same scam as MSSRP. That price is quite often discounted, sometimes as much as 50-60% for weekly sales.

But when they have a BOGO they always jack the price up to their 'standard'. So it really isn't any better of a deal than you can get several times a year. The fake BOGO, buy one get one for half off are usually a worse deal.

So am I a cynical old dude or what do you think?

There's no right or wrong way to look at them; it also depends on the store doing the sale.

I mostly think as you do, but I know reasonably well what I'm originally paying for something and if the "sale" price is a sale at all. I'm a huge fan of looking at what I'm paying per ounce or serving for a product. That's how I can truly calculate whether the deal I'm getting is a deal.

Most of the time, I'm pretty sure "they" are all out to fleece us, so I don't fall for sales as quickly as I did when young.

Our HEB stores are mostly known for doing the next right thing so I do keep an eye on sales but honestly, I don't buy something just because it's on sale unless it's something I already keep on hand or have planned on using/trying.

 

[Wooleybooger]

I do the BOGO on vitamins and supplement at Kroger. If the do raise the price, I haven't paid attention to that, it isn't a great amount and you still make out on it looking at the cost per "pill". As Robert A. Heinlein wrote "There ain't no such thing as a free lunch" if there was stuff wouldn't cost so much in the first place.

 

[KitchenWench]

Food Lion is doing a BOGO Free sale here, too. The nice thing is even if they do jack the price up to normal, you're not obligated to get both to get one free. They ring each up at half price, so if you only want one, you only pay half price. That makes it worth it to me to hit their BOGO Free sales on things we want to try, normally don't go through as much, or stock up on things we use a lot of.

Right now they're offering Swanson broths. Normally they're 20-30 cents more than Food Lion brand, but because i use a lot of broths, it works out to be a lot cheaper than a box of Food Lion so I picked up 6 boxes. I won't need it as much over the summer, but it'll be there once it gets colder. The same with one of the pasta sauces we really like but normally can't afford.

So yeah, BOGO Free works well for me, but I don't touch BOGO X % off.

 

[Colbyt]

They ring each up at half price, so if you only want one, you only pay half price. That makes it worth it to me to hit their BOGO Free sales on things we want to try, normally don't go through as much, or stock up on things we use a lot of.

Now that is different, much different than around these parts.

 

[Roll_Bones]

As long as I can get one for half price and not have to buy two I'm good with it.

 

[The Dude]

I shop Aldis after work/gym and normally score a few bucks off up to 50% off deals.

Got 8 Grass Fed NY Strips for a deal the other day.

 

[LeonardoDaBenz]

Our local Sobey's does exactly that. The "save up to $X" is the giveaway. Wait till next week and it'll be half the "BOGO" price.

Not all consumers are as dumb as they look

 

[Shane R]

When I was breaking into the grocery industry, early 2000s, IGA offered the affiliate stores the opportunity to set the base prices at either a 35% or 40% mark-up. This was for center store. Fresh meat is typically at least 50% mark-up. Delicatessen and bakery 70%.

Stores that are still on a 35% base are few and far between. Even big chains with good distribution networks (Kroger, Meijer) have bumped the base way up. Marketing research shows people respond better to an advertised sale and bright yellow signs than an everyday low price.

 

[Steve-o]

There's a regional chain here (Lund's & Byerly's) that frequently has BOGOs. Most of the time they're not great deals but sometimes they are. If you know what you're buying (frex boneless chicken breast halves) you can figure out if it's a good deal. Boneless chicken breast at $10.99/lb BOGO is $5.50/lb and (for non-factory chicken) a decent to good deal because I know what I would have to pay at the other fancy grocery chain in town or at my food co-op for similar chicken. If they're shinin' me by telling me they usually charge $13.99/lb for that product, though, I buy it elsewhere.

 

[Old Gnome]

We keep an eye on regular prices...well, my wife does. She shops more than I do. BOGO is only a deal if it's something that you will eat before it goes bad...and then only if it's saving you money.

I used to work in retail (at a corporate HQ). The pricing shenanigans are legendary.