There's an unsubstantiated rumor floating around the blogosphere that Ralphs, the Southern California grocery chain, will be changing its coupon redemption policy next week (presumably on Wednesday, June 18).
Currently, Ralphs doubles coupons with a face value of up to $1.00, and "doubles" the first dollar on coupons with values over that. So a 50-cent coupon is worth $1.00; a 75-cent coupon is worth $1.50; a $1.00 coupon is worth $2.00; a $1.50 coupon is worth $2.50.
Not for long.
If the rumor is true, starting next week, Ralphs will double coupons with a face value up to 50 cents, will "double" the value of coupons worth from 51 to 99 cents up to an even $1.00, and will redeem coupons with values of $1.00 or more at their face values. So a 50-cent coupon will still be worth $1.00, but a 75-cent coupon will be worth $1.00; a $1.00 coupon will be worth $1.00; and a $1.50 coupon will be worth $1.50.
This is a smart marketing move on the part of Ralphs, because it allows the company to recoup some of its lost revenue without increasing shelf prices. The cost of diesel fuel, and the upcoming worldwide shortage of wheat, corn, soybean and rice crops, will continue to force price increases and erode profits in the supermarket industry (which operates on notoriously small margins to begin with).
Unfortunately, this new policy -- which will no doubt be copied by Vons, as the two companies tend to mirror one another's coupon policies in Southern California -- is going to make it even tougher than it already is to afford groceries during this recession.
I believe it can still be done. I believe savvy consumers will still be able to identify pricing trends and buy groceries when they are at low, low prices. It's just going to take more work. More than work, actually. It's going to take advanced, aggressive, extreme couponing.
As someone who regularly saves 55% off the regular retail price of everything in the grocery store, I have some tips to share. And I will share them all here in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, Coupon Clippers of Southern California, to you I say this: Go through your files! Identify those 55-cent- to $1.00-and-more coupons you've got stashed away. It looks like you've got until next Tuesday night to get true "double coupon" value for them.
Shop, my people!
Currently, Ralphs doubles coupons with a face value of up to $1.00, and "doubles" the first dollar on coupons with values over that. So a 50-cent coupon is worth $1.00; a 75-cent coupon is worth $1.50; a $1.00 coupon is worth $2.00; a $1.50 coupon is worth $2.50.
Not for long.
If the rumor is true, starting next week, Ralphs will double coupons with a face value up to 50 cents, will "double" the value of coupons worth from 51 to 99 cents up to an even $1.00, and will redeem coupons with values of $1.00 or more at their face values. So a 50-cent coupon will still be worth $1.00, but a 75-cent coupon will be worth $1.00; a $1.00 coupon will be worth $1.00; and a $1.50 coupon will be worth $1.50.
This is a smart marketing move on the part of Ralphs, because it allows the company to recoup some of its lost revenue without increasing shelf prices. The cost of diesel fuel, and the upcoming worldwide shortage of wheat, corn, soybean and rice crops, will continue to force price increases and erode profits in the supermarket industry (which operates on notoriously small margins to begin with).
Unfortunately, this new policy -- which will no doubt be copied by Vons, as the two companies tend to mirror one another's coupon policies in Southern California -- is going to make it even tougher than it already is to afford groceries during this recession.
I believe it can still be done. I believe savvy consumers will still be able to identify pricing trends and buy groceries when they are at low, low prices. It's just going to take more work. More than work, actually. It's going to take advanced, aggressive, extreme couponing.
As someone who regularly saves 55% off the regular retail price of everything in the grocery store, I have some tips to share. And I will share them all here in the coming weeks.
In the meantime, Coupon Clippers of Southern California, to you I say this: Go through your files! Identify those 55-cent- to $1.00-and-more coupons you've got stashed away. It looks like you've got until next Tuesday night to get true "double coupon" value for them.
Shop, my people!
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