I found myself being irritated at the grocery store, stirring over the little yellow tags again. (day 160… trained shopping monkeys) Upon a very deliberate observation, I would guess 60% or more of the little yellow tags are ‘low price‘ tags and not ‘sale‘ tags. How am I supposed to grocery shop for the best prices? My kids have been yellow-tag-trained too, as they shop thinking anything with a yellow tag is one sale. Isn’t marketing wonderful?
Even with the irritation, I have found a few retailers that are doing some really good things. Competition is fierce and I think all retailers succumb to the manipulative marketing at some point or another. Here’s a few retail stores I would support, you know, if I could shop. ;) This is not a comprehensive list, just a few I’ve run into lately.
Lowe’s hardware store. Of any shopping I might miss, I do miss my home improvement / hardware stores. I’m going to be a little generic here since I’m not sure how public this information is, as some companies do things under the radar to stay out of the corporate ball of red tape. Lowe’s has not only donated the materials, but also the labor to add restrooms, showers and laundry facilities to a local homeless shelter. Not only that, but finishing off the rooms, painting, and many other details too numerous to mention. Need some screws? Go to Lowe’s.
Again, probably under the radar, but not sure, Market Street grocery store donates a lot of leftover foods to shelters in the area. There’s a lot of stores putting perfectly good food in dumpsters, but not MS. Shopping at Market Street is a treat, as it’s a little on the pricey side for my shopping habits, however they carry foods you can’t find anywhere else. Their cafe is also a great deal for lunch or dinner, as the prices are good, portions are big and the food is great.
Yes, Kroger. Even though I’m not so happy about their little yellow tags, they still do good things for the community. On day 55, I blogged about how Kroger gives away $1 million dollars a year to organizations that help people in need. All you have to do is print their little bar code and have it scanned when you shop to support organizations in your area.
I don’t know the motivation of any of these stores, but I do know when I choose where to shop, I want to know I’m not just making some fat pockets for a few executives that don’t need more money. I want to support businesses that strengthen the community, minimize waste, treat their employees well and participate in the good of people. :)