Safeway Monopoly Game

The title could be interpreted on soooo many levels - Safeway Monopoly Game.  I know they are vying for a monopoly in the uber competitive supermarket business.  I'm going to put on my Safeway Executive Management Team hat for just one teeny moment here as I do feel their pain.  Think about it.  Food is a major household expense and a life necessity.  There is a major grocery store on just about every corner all wooing customers.  Your inventory perishes quickly, and customers are pickier than ever about quality and freshness (me).  Groceries is a game of moving the most volume from the time it hits the shipping receiving docks to the time you bring it home (read: massive quantities are needed to hit economies of scale).  There is a very finite window where the food is at its peak and most of it is fragile and can bruise easily.  The public expects out-of-season fruit and vegetables to travel from other areas, sometimes 1/2 way around the world, and have it displayed and ready and perfect just IN CASE a moment arrives where you happen to be craving pineapple.

Tough gig.  I would *not* want to be in the grocery business.  I have not even mentioned dealing with scheduling employees and other human resources nightmares and local environmental and labeling laws.  Oh, I also forgot about the stock shareholders who ALWAYS demand profits (you).  Sniff, sniff... I'm tearing up for Safeway.  Get me a tissue.  Albertsons/Lucky see an opportunity for the war weary Safeway Corporation.  Safeway waves the white flag.  Sell out to Albersons/Lucky.  I would have probably done the same thing.

Corporate takeover complete.  Now, just where does that leave us shoppers?  I happened to do some grocery shopping at Safeway yesterday because I'm still in denial about the end of my relationship with the place that fed myself and my family for over a quarter century.   I tend to get attached and am a sucker for granting last, last chances. 

You could have shot a cannon through the place it was so empty....on a Sunday afternoon.  Apparently, I'm not the only one noticing the changes and taking business elsewhere.  What does Safeway do to try to woo customers?  Put on your Dilbert Comic Strip Management Hat for a moment.  I can see it now.... a perfect Dilbert comic strip....the executive board sitting around the table lamenting sagging sales over a corporate takeover.  One of them gets a 'bright idea' and thinks that shoppers have nothing better to do with time then to bring the really STUPID mcDonald's monopoly game to Safeway.

Are you kidding me?  I was wondering what all the little stickers were when I was cruising the aisles yesterday.  When I was checking out the cashier asked me if I wanted to play the Safeway Monopoly Game. She pulled out a bunch of little stickers and a paper board game and started showing me how purchasing items I would never eat or use could win me big money...and I had to hunt the items down...to fill up my paper monopoly board. 

My eyes glazed over.  No.  I don't want to make a game out of grocery shopping.  I don't have *TIME* to study some little sticker and paper game board -- and I DON'T WANT TO.  Too much dinking around.  The entire concept rivals robo-calls on the general annoyance scale. 

Yes, I'm mourning the loss of my relationship with Safeway:(