Oct 07, 2009 -- More discounting coming at grocery stores, warehouse clubs
MONEY-SAVING MOMENT: You've probably heard how restaurants at all price points are dropping their prices. But what's been under-reported is a similar trend happening at the grocery register.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics has figures showing prices have been declining every month at grocery stores since the fall of last year.
Supermarket chains have had to struggle to get people to keep spending. At first, they convinced people to switch to store brands. But now the grocery chains are struggling as people trade over to cheaper stores like Wal-Mart and Aldi!
This means that the grocery heavyweights like Kroger and Safeway -- and all their various brands across the country -- will have to step it up yet again with more aggressive discounting. Even the warehouse clubs are complaining that they're losing business too in the grocery aisle to the likes of Wal-Mart and Aldi.
Speaking of warehouse clubs, you'll see more clearance merchandise than ever this year at Costco, BJ's and Sam's Club. Here's a quick guide to knowing what's on discount where:
BJ's will clearly tell you on the label when they mark down.
At Sam's Club, look for anything that ends in a penny -- such as 81 cents or $24.41 -- or anything marked with a "C" for clearance.
At Costco, look for anything that ends in 97 cents. Also, price tags with an asterisk means an item will not be reordered. In the latter case, wait until the price ends in a 97 and then buy.