Once again Fred Meyer demonstrates how honest the company is being with elderly shoppers. A couple of months ago I was checking out on the first Tuesday of the month. At the time I had not made the connection, but the checker told me I qualified for the discount the stores offer older shoppers on the first Tuesday of each month. Then with her voice lowered to almost a whisper she told me very conspiratorially checkers had been told not to offer the discount and only give it when someone specifically asks for it. We shared winks and I thanked her.
Fast forward a couple of months and I made another trip on a first Tuesday. Unlike a couple of other trips, this time I remembered to ask the checker for the senior discount. I watched the display on the register and I think she saw the consternation on my face because she informed me the discount was only for house brands. So, I had made a trip to Fred Meyer on a first Tuesday to save myself a little money. Care to guess how much? My total came to a little over $100. When I got home and checked the receipt, it informed me I had saved a whole 35 cents. Incidentally it did not appear to apply to a $30 item that was a house brand. Thanks again Freddy.
On another note, a few years ago the company began offering reusable bags for sale. Part of the advertised deal was you got five cents off per bag each shopping trip if you used them. They don't do that anymore. Now, my interest in using the reusable bags is not the nickel, it's about all those plastic bags dumped into the environment. However I thought that nickel was a nice incentive for others to join the effort. Those nickels must have hit the bottom line too heavily, so they went the way of a serious senior discount.
There is no need to be devious. If Fred Meyer wants the business be up front about the discounts, say it out loud and straightforwardly. "Fred Meyer offers discounts to senior citizens on most house brands the first Tuesday of every month." Do that instead of hiding the qualifiers in minute type on an obscure web site. The honesty would pay off. The way it's done now, it sure makes it look like the company wants to hide the true discount just to lure people into the store. Not much different from a car dealer who offers a markdown on cars and when you go you find out it was for one specific car that has since been sold.
Original post about Fred Meyer/Kroger baiting senior citizens
You should contact store managers in Palmer and Wasilla, ask them to provide a copy of the Corporation's s senior discount policy that has been approved by the Board of Directors. Also, contact Corporate headquarters in Portland asking for the same thing. Provide them with a summary of your experience; work directly with their marketing and public relations departments but also copy the CEO of FM. IF you don't receive satisfaction, send a copy of your correspondence to local public media, ADN, AK Dispatch, KTUU, etc.
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