Amish Country Grocery Store Says Outdated or Damaged Food Is Fine to Sell
While some raise their eyebrows at the practice, Mike Mitchell, the president of Amelia's Grocery, says it is perfectly safe.
Mitchell's 11 grocery stores in eastern Pennsylvania sell so-called "closeouts," groceries that are rejected by major supermarkets because they are out-of-date, damaged or feature old promotions.
"The products are very well preserved and the quality holds up way beyond the freshness date," Mitchell said. "We don't have a lot of products that are past the date … but when we do, we mark the price down and we move them through."
Older Food, Better Deals
Amelia's carries some cereal boxes with pictures of Santa Claus and labels that indicate it should have been eaten nine months ago. But Mitchell says the cereal is fine and one of the best bargains in town.
"Most of our cereals are under two [dollars], some as low as 99 cents," he said.
Amelia's can offer such low prices by buying products that are close to the "best if used by" or "sell by" dates printed on the packaging. Mitchell also buys damaged goods or ones with old marketing ploys.
For example, he offers pink "M&Ms" or pink cans of soup left over from Breast Cancer Awareness month back in October. According to Mitchell, they are the "same products you'd buy if it were in a red label, but it's a pink label."
Amelia's advertises that it can cut your grocery bill in half. ABC News compared its prices to a supermarket in the same community and found spaghetti for 69 cents instead of $1.30, cookies for a dollar instead of two and orange juice for two bucks verses $3.50.
With such bargains, so-called salvage grocers are busy these days. In this struggling economy Amelia's is posting same-store sales up 12 percent from last year. And with food prices rising at their fastest rates in nearly 20 years, gone are the days when these stores catered mainly to low-income customers. More on the story.
What do you think? Would you buy at a store that sells outdated or damaged foods? Or is this cheapening the U.S. in a bad economy?
4 comments:
It depends. If it was to save a lot of money:
Would I buy outdated milk? No way in hell.
Would I buy outdated yogurt? No way in hell.
Would I buy soup a week after its date? Yes.
Would I buy soda (which now comes with dates, too) a week after its date? Yes.
Would I buy a bag of potato chips that got squished but the bag is still airtight? Yes.
Would I buy a damaged soup can that lost its airtight seal? No way in hell.
Tea, coffee, spices, vanilla extract anything sealed like that perhaps...but no thanks on the rest. Ever had food poisoning? If so, you know first hand better safe than sorry!
This story might been told for all Americans after this White House is finished. Americans might be doing the same in a while. I love it when people say their doing ok and then when they lose their job or can't pay their house payment they change their tune. I also noticed their was no problem when people in the 50's had to do the same thing as store would only give them the bent can goods or day old bread. Yes how quickly we forget or for some choose not to remember. America hasn't always been the Dream for all Americans. But for those born with the American Dream this will be a change as it's showing. During the Depression Americans didn't care what the can looked like they were just glad to have food for their families. I read the slaves ate food that the owner wouldn't give an animal to eat, but they seem to live longer then the owner, why?
I have no problem buying dented cans. I am you Kittybowtie. I won't by outdated milk or daily products or non-air tight can products. As the economy worsens, people will be forced to change their ways of shopping and buying.
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