Our local supermarket used to have at least one brand of packaged coffee on sale every week. It would rotate among Starbucks, Peet’s, and Dunkin’ Donuts. Discounts were typically 30 percent, e.g., from a regular price of $10 down to $7.
In May of this year, however, Nestle acquired the Starbucks supermarket coffee operation. Shortly after the deal closed, the sales stopped on all of the brands. What formerly cost $7 is now $10.
Readers: Have you noticed anything similar in your region?
Any real serial coffee drinker only ever buys that one and only type so couldn’t care less about discounts, much less other brands. They buy what they always buy and never look at the price.
Jernej: If true, why did the supermarket bother having sales a year ago and in previous years?
Sounds like a deal. Those $2 frozen pizzas in 1998 are now $10. Most readers are now another 20 years from retirement age & should be wondering what the point of working is, if their income from 1998 became nothing.
Well, easily explained by the fact the US isn’t known for its coffee drinking rituals or even decent coffee in general. Kind of like scandinavian countries where I’ve seen coffee drinkers order tea rather than the piss pretending to be coffee.
I agree with Jernej: I am particular about one specific brand of coffee, and price elasticity doesn’t apply. I’d guess “on sale prices” are a tactic to lure unsatisfied drinkers of other brands?
I buy the on-sale brand and haven’t noticed a difference. I never buy Starbucks or Dunkin but usually one of Panera, Peets, Caribou, 8 Oclock, Lavazza, or Illy is on sale. The first three are owned by JAB and Dunkin is distributed by Smuckers and Lavazza and Illy and 8 Oclock are independent, so there shouldn’t be much decline in competition. Plus there are independent brands that are huge on Amazon, like Death Wish.