Safeway Club Card - Savings or Sham?

Looking at my receipt from today's Safeway shopping excursion, I 'saved' 33% (or $18.38) on my total...though, 15 out of the 16 items bought were Club Card sale items. Clearly, I am a price-driven consumer at this particular store.

Now, there are some things that I will pay a premium for (e.g. I buy my eggs from the Co-Op because they are locally-produced & cage-free), but today's purchases got me to thinking if I've been caught in some sinister Safeway marketing plan. It's no secret that the grocery gurus of these large chains disseminate their customer's buying patterns, and schedule their 'sales' in accordance to the purged data acquired from Club Card members.

I don't have a real big problem with a company viewing my purchasing history...it's not like I'm buying anything that would cause personal 'embarrassment' (e.g. "Jeez, this guy goes through a tube of Preparation-H a week!"). But for four years, I sold wholesale grocery products to Safeway (among other stores), and have a pretty good idea on retail mark-ups. Sometimes, I wonder how much non-sale prices are jacked up to make 'specials' more appealing.

Though, I compare pricing at other competing markets & usually know a good buy when I see it. In the end, you just gotta be a savvy shopper to get the most out of your hard-earned buck.

Ciao4Now.

P.S. Rest peacefully, Lonny Heckman...C G Am Em F G C.