After work recently I stumbled wearily in to a local grocery store for some necessities. Milk and something chocolate. Chocolate is the easy part, it’s everywhere. Now, where could milk be? Yep, back of the store. Now, I know the psychology behind it all, put the most frequently purchased items in a location that forces the customer to walk past ten million different products that they might also buy, blah blah. Smart business, I agree. Pain in the ass, I also agree.
But wait…
I grabbed the milk I mentioned and started my trek back to the front to check out. To what did my wondering eyes appear, but a big red sleigh and eight tiny reindeer? No. Hot dogs and buns both sold in packages of eight? No. A balanced Federal Budget? C’mon now, NO!
I saw a revolutionary move that is one small step for the Giant Eagle in Shadyside, PA and one giant step for mankind. I saw this…
and this…
and this again from the other side, I had to make sure it wasn’t a mirage!
This mecca of convenience is located directly behind the registers at the FRONT of the store. No S%&?! This is unprecedented. I can’t imagine what kind of hallucinogens were dropped in the coffee machine before the stores morning board meeting, but I’m not sure who they think they are! Making something convenient for the customer! Outrageous! Despicable!
Udderly FANTSASTIC! Get it, udder-ly, milk, cows, never mind. I give this store many kudos. Although, I challenge them to shove a loaf or two of bread in the candy rack. They evidently haven’t lost all their marbles at once. Here’s to hope!
Never satisfied,
FV
Eat This NY
The Duchess of Amboy
That is amazing, simply amazing. I always thought the cold stuff was at the back corner of the store because as you meander through the store, that’s the last spot you end up. Thus your milk is still cold when you get home. But that logic is shattered by all the frozen aisles being in the center of the store!
It’s good to see innovation in the grocery business. Thank you FV – I enjoyed this. It didn’t just go in one ear and out the udder.
Wow! It’s like having the 7-11 right in your grocery store.
I know! I may peruse the store more knowing that I don’t have to lug a gallon of milk all the way to the front!
Market District GE kicks ass! When I moved to Central New York, everyone was all “Wegmans Wegmans blah blah blah!” But if you want any ethnic ingredients (fresh ones especially) or a decently-sized produce selection, you’d be better served trucking your ass across some states to Shadyside.
If only the Market District could deliver true customer service. The employees are as rude as they come (in my experience), unwilling to offer assistance and lacking any of the common courtesies that human beings practice every day – how about a simple “thank you” (And I attribute this to being a union house). I avoid it if I possibly can. I’ve called their customer service line and addressed this issue. I have relayed to them that they need to get their asses down the street to Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s to witness actual “customer service” in action. These two stores are so far ahead of G.E. in this area, that it is really ridiculous and I know a few people that have stopped shopping there because of it.
I know what you meen Cookspeak,in my area we had a Shop “N Save that was replaced by an independent grocery chain (Community Market) and at first their Customer Service was top notch. Now after being in the area and let’s say cornering the grocery market,some of their employees are not very customer friendly.I am becoming more and more annnoyed with the store and have slowly started shopping elsewhere.When are these knuckleheaded employees going to realize that the customer comes first. And when are the owners going to realize that these folks are slowly driving away customers.
Twenty days and still no blog.I don’t call that “refreshed and focused”.
May is nearly over.No blog,no new topics,soon noone logging on to it.Come on FV what’s up?
I have had an entirely different experience at the Market District, Cookspeak. I don’t often need to seek out the help of an employee, but when I do they are determined to find what I am looking for. Obviously not every employee will be an expert in which aisle to find the obscure ingredients I am wanting, but they always go on the hunt for me and find the co-worker that does know just where to look. Also, I should mention 3 of their employees by name – Michelle at the beverage bar is so pleasant and conversational I often feel like we are friends. She even put in a word for my son when he applied there for a job and personally took him to the office manager to introduce him. She only knows me as a regular customer. Then there is Sig. He has great customer service skills. He started calling me Ms. Santucci as soon as he read my card the first time he waited on me. I hadn’t seen him in awhile and then one day I was shopping and he was working a sampling station. When he saw me coming he impressed me again by greeting me by name. Both Sig and Michelle will occasionally punch my beverage card an extra time if they notice I am close to my free cup of joe. And there is also Aaron, who works the checkout lines. I use self-checkout as often as possible. Sometimes when an item doesn’t scan properly you have to wait a minute before an employee fixes the problem. When Aaron is working he is there almost before the error even occurs. So, Cookspeak, maybe the Market District has been to you what Quiet Storm had been to me. Remember?
In FV’s extended absence,I’ve decided to share a favorite crockpot recipe which may come in handy for us Pittsburgh Penguin fans as we follow the Pens in the Stanley Cup Finals.I call it Simple Polska Kielbassa and Sauerkraut:
Ingrediants:
1large or two small cans of Sauerkraut
1 package of Kielbassa
1 to 2 cans of your favorite beer
Drain the sauerkraut juice from the sauerkraut and rinse the sauerkraut . Then place a layer of sauerkraut in the crockpot.Thena layer of kielbassa cut to the size of your choice.Then another layer of sauerkraut and another layer of kielbassa until both are finished,Then add the one or two cans of he beer of your choice.Cook on low for about 4-5 hours or until the
sauerkraut is hot as well as the kielbassa.Serve on a nice sausage bun with some chips or for those who enjoy it as a meal with mashed potatoes. Smaczne!
And LET’ GO PENS!!!!
Must be nice to be Shadyside. You need to pack day hiking gear for our local store…