I am working on the ad right now, but wanted to write a separate post to call your attention to a major change in the Coupon Policy at Genuardi’s.
1. Genuardi’s will continue to double coupons up to $.99 (so a $.99 coupon has a value of $1.98)
2. ONLY ONE COUPON will be doubled on multiple purchases of the same item. This is a huge change. This means that if you have 4 $.75 coupons for mustard and are buying 4 bottles of mustard, only the first coupon will be doubled. In order to have all coupons doubled, you will need to split those mustard purchases in to separate transactions. This brings their policy more in line with Giant…and you all know how much I love Giant!
3. No rain checks. Another huge change. Are you kidding me? This makes Genuardi’s the only store in the Philadelphia area (that I know of) that does not issue rain checks. My store sells out of the “good” sale items within 2 days of the start of the sale. If they think that people are going to stop in every day in the hopes that the items will be back in stock…then they must be standing too close to the bleach!
4. Cannot be combined with any other discount offer. I’m assuming that this means that you can no longer stack a Genuardi’s coupon with a manufacturers coupon…..although considering how asinine this new policy is, it could mean that you can’t use a coupon on a sale item. I plan on calling Genuardi’s tomorrow for clarification. Edited to add: that is exactly the case: you can no longer stack store and manufacturers coupons!
So let’s get this straight:
Genuardi’s, a store that is already more expensive than most other Philadelphia-area grocery stores has decided to change their coupon policy in such a way that ensures that they remain largely un-shoppable.
And while I will continue to post the Genuardi’s deals on this site (and the seafood guy at my store IS kinda cute), it looks like my days of shopping at Genuardi’s are over….
Although I may go in and buy 15 mustards with 15 coupons and split them in to 15 transactions just for spite. I’ll save that for a day when I am feeling extra-snarky!
Wow. I hope that is not the beginning of a trend!
I’m in shock!
“Standing too close to the bleach” mawhahahaha
Maybe this is our punishment for cleaning them out during the Living Well promo? Seriously, I couldn’t have said it better myself. This is a TERRIBLE new policy and I will be writing a letter to corp tomorrow.
Thanks for alerting me about it Jennifer!
FYI everyone – the credit goes to Jennifer and Twitter! She Tweeted me asking if I had seen it. I hadn’t even looked at the coupon policy (because really – how often do you check that stuff when it has been the same for years?)!
You said SNARKY! Love it!! LOL! One of my favorite words.
Oh, and this is completely ridiculous. Stores should be begging for customers, in this economy, not driving them away!
What in the world? Now they are taking away the only reason I ever did shop their in the first place… their double coupon policy! Ugh.
The Royersford/Limerick store doesn’t do a ton of business. Whenever I go there during the week (no matter what time of day) there are hardly any cars in the lot. (Both Giants way out pace them along with Acme as far as numbers of shoppers.) Then they only have one or two cashiers at the most, so what little bit of customers they have are all queued up waiting forever. The only time I see them busy is when they have a really good sale on the weekend. But now that the coupon policy is changing that great sale is not so great any more.
They are really shooting themselves in the foot with this one. At least at Giant I can split the purchases and do self check out. No chance of doing that at Genuardis. (At least not the ones in our area–no self check outs here.) They already give snippy attitudes when you have coupons, let alone dare to use them. They’d probably insist that I would not be allowed to have multiple orders.
I wonder what kind of impact the new coupon policy will have on their sales numbers. I bet that many people will not even notice that it has changed, yet will wonder why they are paying more than before. Before I got involved in the coupon biz, I never knew Giant only doubled the first of like coupons and just assumed (duh me) that all of them were being doubled and never bothered to check the receipt, etc. No doubt they are hoping that other people will not notice, etc.
Where did you find out about the change? Was it at the store or in a store email? I am wondering if they are going to put up new signage.
I guess Acme is our only unlimited doubles left. I shudder to think what would happen if they do away with them too. The only reason I go there is for the sales that I can use with double coupons. Otherwise I’d just shop at the closest grocery store to the house if I am going to pay full price anyways.
Also, no rain checks? What now we gotta stalk the sales and be there when they first open to get the sale item. That’s if they even have it in stock then? Yeah, they really are shooting themselves in the foot!
I’ve recently heard from two different Giant employees, from totally different stores (who are friends, have no reason to try and make the couponer grumpy) that Giant has / is in the process of buying Genuardis. So, unfortunately this is probably just a sign of what is to come.
Let me just add one other thing:
I was already mildly annoyed with Genaurdi’s new “walk around” policy. Every time that I came to the register, they walked around to look at the underneath of my cart to make sure that I wasn’t trying to sneak stuff out by keeping it under the cart.
In addition, if I had 10 12-packs of soda that were all the same, they insisted that they all be placed on the belt (rather than grabbing one, telling them how many I have – or even letting them count them theirselves). When you are buying multiple quantities of large bulky items, it becomes a complete PITA. Of course, they would offer to do it for you, but the cashiers who work when I shop are all a bunch of 95,000-year old ladies, so it’s not like I am going to sit there filing my nails while they do it!
I understand the “walk-around” policy in stores that might have a big problem with theft, but to do it at all stores is basically saying “we don’t trust our customers so we have to treat them all like thieves”.
Between that annoying policy and the new coupon policy, I think that the local Acme is going to be getting more business, because I plan on telling everyone I know about this!
I already didn’t like Genuardi’s. The Royersford store never stocks enough and no rain checks, what’s up with that? They be be getting mystery shopped and that’s why they check the carts. I’ve seen some local shops posted for just that. I’m assuming they have to or they could lose their job.
They did used to give rain checks…I got them all the time!
sadly, my mystery shopping days are pretty much over. Because I was honest when I filled out the questionnaire, I never get any shops for retail unless they are fast food….and I just can’t eat that stuff any longer (besides – the McDonald’s shops are SO not worth the amount of hoops that they make you jump through!)
Is this new policy going to apply to all Safeway ( maybe soon to be Giant) owned stores? I assume it will, which is horrible, but just wanted to double check.
Oh hey – here’s another fun factoid:
I just read the fine print under the fine print and they are now specifically prohibiting the use of 2 coupons on a BOGO sale. Interesting, because the free item never comes off until they hit subtotal after they have entered the coupons.
Shooting themselves in the foot? They stopped using a shotgun and have switched to a cannon!
WTF! I’m no longer near a Genuardi’s but really… I love your mention of splitting up the transactions just to be a PITA. Go for it!!
no more Genardi’s for me…boycott?
Well – I have a policy on this….
I choose where to shop and for me, Genuardi’s is no longer a smart place for me to shop.
I also choose to give Giant as little business as possible (I have had to make some recent exceptions due to obligations at school and available gift cards, but as a rule, I stay out of there), but that is also my personal choice
Even if I had the power to organize a boycott (which I don’t and even if I did, I don’t want that power). it’s just not my style. I make a statement with my dollars. I let other people know what to expect when they shop at certain stores. What they do with the information I provide is up to them
Good grief! Are they going to start charging you admission to shop in their stores next? Crazy!
Just a FYI, the “BOB” (Bottom of Basket) search by your friendly(or un-friendly as the case so often is)cashier IS manditory. People have actually been FIRED for not doing this. How crazy is that one!!! The coupons are the only reason I shop in their stores. Sure makes Genuardi’s on-line ordering look much more appealing.