Thanksgiving Grocery Shopping Tales

[runningdude]

@Senegoid

See my story, a few posts above, where I programmed a cash register to do a complicated Thanksgiving promotion. Spend $400 at the right store in November and get your frozen Butterball turkey up to 20 pounds FREE!

You would be hard pressed to spend $400 at Aldi, even in month!

[Saintly_Loser]

@Labor

We used to live in South Dakota. Our house was only a block from a great grocery store so I was in the habit of running down there at the last minute for needed ingredients: egg noodles, butter, creme, etc.

On the Wednesday prior to Thanksgiving I dashed over there to get something, probably corn syrup and pecans. I zoomed down the baking aisle and was brought to a halt by a woman blocking all passage while she explored the details of kosher salt and jewish life with a rabbi in full rabbinical garb.

What he was doing in mufti on that day just baffles me. I remain perplexed.

I’ve spent some time in South Dakota. A couple of things struck me about your experience:

1. I didn’t think anything was just a block away in SD.

2. They have rabbis in South Dakota?

[ZipperJJ]

My mom and I ordered our Thanksgiving meals pre-made from the grocery store. Said it served 6-8, we were hosting 9 and wanted leftovers, so we got 2 meals.

12lb pre-cooked turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, green bean casserole, pumpkin pie, rolls, cranberry sauce, gravy.

Went to the store around 5 PM on Wednesday, they put our 2 boxes of dinner in a cart, we went through the Express line (one SKU per box), we were done.

[rocking_chair]

@Saintly_Loser

I’ve spent some time in South Dakota. A couple of things struck me about your experience:

1. I didn’t think anything was just a block away in SD.

2. They have rabbis in South Dakota?

i was thinking the exact same thing! then i figured:

1. must live in town.

and

2. visiting? (i’m sure there are rabbis in the big cities of south dakota.)

[Labor]

@Saintly_Loser

I’ve spent some time in South Dakota. A couple of things struck me about your experience:

1. I didn’t think anything was just a block away in SD.

2. They have rabbis in South Dakota?

1] Yes, we were one block away.

2] I know! What was he doing?

[Hypno-Toad]

This is a little late for this thread, but here’s a story:

I worked at a grocery store. Thanksgiving is THE week for grocery stores, even more than Christmas. It is as hellacious in some ways but not others. People do expect it to suck to shop before T-day so they can be at least expecting it even if it’s bad. What’s worse is a snow-panic because it catches everyone including the store by surprise and you get folks really in a panic not sure if they can survive 2 days without Triscuits. But one thing is that for us employees it can be so busy that the shift passes quickly. I especially liked that someone was needed almost constantly to get carts back from the lot and so I could spend the day doing that without having to interact with anyone. On the day before T-day, there was a stereotype customer: the clueless middle aged to older man looking for that one forgotten thing. He would often be accompanied by the kids by order of The Wife. That guy and others would often be shopping for seasonal stuff or other items used rarely. So I got to be the “good” employee who went out of my way to help them find what they needed.

Also, people would show up at the deli to get their ready to eat complete t-day meal to find out that it was still frozen and uncooked. Yes, we told you. See your signature here, stating that we told you this three weeks ago? Oh it was your wife who ordered? Sorry dude, but we can’t help that she told you otherwise.

[Lukeinva]

I shot my own turkey this year in the American Way. The manager at Safeway wasn’t too happy but F him.