…that my favourite fruit and veggie stand can sell bananas for .59 cents per lb. (regular price) and still make a profit while the grocery giants in Nova Scotia sell theirs for .89 cents per lb.? If the grocery giants have huge mark-ups on their bananas then it follows that ALL their stock is being sold at huge mark-ups and therefore we as consumers are being gouged and ripped off!!! Grocery prices were hiked signifigantly last year due to sky-rocketing fuel prices, but when fuel prices dropped food prices remained high or continued to rise. Like sheep we all line up and pay their rip-off prices though…
—Oceangal
This article appears in Jun 18-24, 2009.
Want to know why? Most of us can’t get to a farmer’s market or a fruit and veggie stand. They bank on that. Sadly, it’s gotten to a point where these stores don’t compete, and can set prices as they want. However, people need to eat and not everyone can travel to get their food, so this is our fate.
what he said.
Geez, Oceangal.
Hate grocercy stores much? Calm down!
I’m with Bitch. Go to the farmer’s market for christ’s sake or plant a garden of your own. You sound so…so…what’s the word?
It’s pretty gross that we have some of the highest food and booze prices in Canada…it’s not like we’re that far removed from the food chain or the brewers. Corporations see what our own government does to us (160% markup on booze) and they follow suit.
We need another good banana war like we did about 20-30 years ago – $.01/kg.
Jesus Christ, Oceangal – did Billy Loblaw rape your puppy or what? Take another bong hit and go lie down.
Irving also has them mega cheap
I will not buy anything at Irving other than bananas….
i know me too they are hella cheap though so i do!
Quit being so cheap Oceangal.
I still remember the Banana Wars of the mid ’90s’. We could get ’em for .16 to .23 cents/lb.
Those were good times we were living bros.
How can the Farmers Market have bananas in the first place? seriously.
Since when did verbal abuse and criticism become substitutes for intelligent debate? Why do so many of you feel the need fling put-downs to a valid gripe?
Miles: I am not cheap…just tired of the obvious gouging that is prevalent in the marketplace, which will continue to escalate while no one objects.
Thebeardedonion: Why would you assume I am a bong-smoker? Is that your own personal stress management modality that you are imposing upon me? I didn’t, like you, single out one particular chain…they are ALL gougers. Nor am I stressed over this, just voicing my opinion.
Dino Jr: You sound so…so…what’s the word? We all know what they say about those who assume. BTW: I have planted my own garden for decades, and even if I tried, bananas simply will not grow at this latitude! But I do plant and harvest my own vegetables, berries and culinary herbs, make my own preserves, pickles and frozen vegetables. I u-pick strawberries and apples for year-round use. I harvest from the wild where ever I can. I cook from scratch and bake my own breads. I shop at farmer’s markets, fruit & vegetable shops and yes, the big grocery chains for other items. The big grocery chains are the ones who indulge in outrageous gouging (remember the lobster prices recently). Pardon me for griping about this, I am all for making profits, but not outrageous gouging!
Bitch, please: I am not in a fit of rage and therefore fail to see the need to ‘calm down’. This is a bitch column where one can express their frustration. It is a simple concept which does not require admonishment from others. Do I hate grocery stores much? Not at all, but I do object to unscrupulous business practices, no matter what the business is. Corporate attitude these days is ‘bleed them dry’ to make the highest possible profit. Greed VS fair business practices. Plain and simple.
Thank you to those of you who actually got my point.
“This is a bitch column where one can express their frustration.”
Yes, you’re right Oceanlady. But the bitch column also allows people to comment on said bitch if they don’t agree.
But don’t take our comments too seriously, most of the time we just exaggerate to get a rise out of some people.
But what bothers me is you’ve made three posts, and you’re telling people who have been here for several months to years how the bitch section works. It works like this: you bitch, we bitch back. Can’t take it? Get bent.
Also, welcome to LTWWB. 🙂
You tell them Oceanstormgal!! I agree with your bitch. I cringe when shopping at most places ’cause I know they double the cost of damn near everything.
……………..BUT………………
They gotta make a buck too and pay big expenses and little folks wages ‘n dividends to shareholders ‘n heat ‘n lights ‘n security stuff ‘n taxes ‘n insurance ‘n advertising ‘n shipping, ‘n storage ‘n lawyers ‘n theft ‘n breakage ‘n stuff going bad before they can sell it ‘n fixtures ‘n equipment ‘n repairs ‘n don’t forget they even gotta pay for the stuff too.
So, you know? Pay up.
Oceanlady– Oh, it’s a valid gripe, as we all hate paying more for groceries. However, you didn’t think it through too much. Smee’s got it right; they pay all of these crazy costs that aren’t associated with the local farmer’s market. There’s nothing unscrupulous about it; they’ve got a clear mandate to their stockholders: make as much profit as possible so that the stock price increases. That means higher prices at times, whether you like it or not.
Just moved here…
Where are the fruit and veggie stands that I should be hitting up?
Cheers!
That’s what this city needs, a good old fashion fruit stand drive-thru.
For alternatives in fruit and vegetable shopping in HRM there’s Dave’s Fruit and Vegetable Market at 322 Main Street in Cole Harbour and the soon to be re-opened Cubano’s on Thistle Street in Dartmouth. Pete’s Fruitique on Dresden Row in Halifax and Sunnyside Mall in Bedford sometimes have competitive pricing. The soon to be re-opened Farmer’s Market at the Dartmouth Ferry Terminal is a Saturday operation. Anyone else know of any non-grocery chain stores that specialize in produce within HRM?
I thought it was funny that irving sells bananas in the gas station. try shoving that in your gas tank.
Bastard Fish: I fail to see the need to slam someone because their opinion differs from another, a tactic usually resorted to when one is not able to offer an intelligent response.
I am sorry that it bothers you that I chose to question why people feel the need to do this. Just because this behaviour has continued for months and years does not make it appropriate. Why does it bother you so much that you would have to tell me to get bent?
Ocean you are such a lady…..I am new here and was starting to feel that I had to start learning a few superlatives in order to converse here….I find it difficult to debate /discuss with a lot of the derogatory/sexist and gutter talk..
Just seems to be an over-representation of it here..what does that say about The Coast readers? Sure sometimes a FU is needed….but this much? dang
When did we become so monosyllabic???? Or am I just noticing that we have always been?
If someone is going to mock or attack me do it in a manner with style and grace so I can give you props for your art of war….
Jane, We have an Irving in my hood..and every time of course they ask if I am getting anything else….NOPERONI…..you are only good for cheap bananas!!! I say in my head….LOL…. it took me awhile to talk myself into giving Irving even that lil business……I know too many folks including my son who were employed at various ones and treated like crap…. excuse my Scottish……
Sad when your only worth is the main staple diet of a monkey …. LOL
McGayle: I think we are in the minority, although I have noticed there are some posters here who are able to contribute with civility and intelligence.
YEAHHHHHHHH, I am a minority…
Again
😉
Your are right Oceanlady!
There are a few posters I really enjoy reading and some…well…their poor poor poor mamas.
Their mama’s live in “the hood” too so they come by it naturally and honestly. Stick around, take it all very personally and you too can become a “friendly Nova Scotian”. It takes about 11 months… but you won’t last.
Oh give it a rest, kay. Your language is no better than any of the other posters about which OceanGayle is posting.
I get that this was just another opportunity to peddle your friendly Nova Scotian schtick, but you are the last person who should be using people’s crass language as a way to say why you hate it here.
All that said, what keeps you here? (Sincere question, really.) You clearly hate everything about it, and the people most of all. I myself have some beefs with aspects of the culture and the physical environment both, as you know, but there are other aspects that I find redeeming, none of which would be topical on a Bitch board. You on the other hand seem to flat out hate absolutely everything about it, so I wonder why you stay and complain? (Again, sincere question. This is not an “if you don’t like it, get the fuck out!” sort of remark.)
oh mcayle will second you on that, I’m sure.
Apathy wins when futility reigns for too long, otherwise, I’d be angry and dangerous 100% of the time… shitty attitudes rub off after a while. You’ll also notice I only come here to bitch. I hardly ever come to LTWWB to stroke you. We’re all entitled to an outlet… thank god this one remains free
OP, took you till 2009 to figure that one out?
Where’s that stand you speak of cuz I’d like to pay 0.59 per lbs for bananas. Most of the private places I went to sold they produce at a higher price than the regular grocery store, specially the farmers market. I couldn’t believe the prices there. and that’s local produce.