The era of “double coupons” is officially coming to a close. For years, this popular promotion was a key strategy for savvy shoppers to maximize their savings. Major grocery chains would double the value of a manufacturer’s coupon, turning a 50-cent discount into a dollar. However, in 2025, a growing number of national and regional…
You are in the produce section, looking at a bag of salad or a container of fresh-cut fruit. You see the “Sell By” date is for today or tomorrow, and you hesitate. We have been trained to think that this date is a strict deadline for freshness. However, food safety experts say that this common…
An undeclared allergen is one of the most serious and common reasons for a food recall. A simple mistake on the ingredient label can have life-threatening consequences for a person with a severe food allergy. In 2025, the FDA has already issued numerous recalls for popular snack foods that were contaminated with undeclared allergens like…
In the second half of 2025, a familiar sight has returned to some grocery store aisles: empty shelves where large bags of rice used to be. This new wave of panic buying and hoarding is not driven by a domestic crisis. It is a direct response to a series of alarming developments in the global…
You buy a bag of fresh, crisp salad mix from the grocery store, but just a day or two later, you open it to find a slimy, wilted mess. It is a frustrating and wasteful experience that seems to be happening more and more often. While it might feel like the quality of all produce…
The expiration date on a product seems like a strict safety deadline. In reality, most of these dates are not regulated by the FDA. They are a manufacturer’s best guess for peak quality. Some companies use these dates as a marketing trick. The goal is to encourage you to throw away a perfectly good product…
For years, the purpose of a store loyalty program was simple. You signed up, and in exchange, you received exclusive discounts and coupons. In 2025, however, that simple value exchange is becoming a thing of the past. Major retailers are fundamentally changing their loyalty programs. They are offering fewer direct, dollar-off discounts. The new focus…
The grocery store in a major city looks very different from the one in a small, rural town. Retailers use sophisticated data to tailor their inventory to local tastes and demographics. This has created a growing divide in the American grocery aisle. Many classic, traditional products that have fallen out of favor with urban consumers…
We all know that the burger in the advertisement looks much better than the one in your bag. Food stylists use a variety of tricks to make the food look perfect for a photo shoot. However, the line between artful presentation and false advertising can be a thin one. In several high-profile cases, fast-food chains…
For decades, the conventional wisdom in retail design was that a bigger shopping cart leads to a bigger sale. Supermarkets intentionally provided oversized carts to psychologically encourage shoppers to fill them up. However, a new trend is emerging in 2025. Many grocery chains, especially in urban areas, are now introducing smaller shopping carts. This move…
Most states in the U.S. recognize that food is a basic necessity. They choose not to apply a sales tax to most grocery items. However, a handful of states still charge a significant tax on food. This creates a major financial incentive for their residents to shop elsewhere. People who live near the border of…
After a period of moderation, grocery prices are once again on the rise in the second half of 2025. While the overall inflation rate may seem stable, a closer look at the grocery aisles reveals a different story. The prices of several key staple items have been quietly but steadily climbing, putting a renewed strain…
When a food company discontinues a product, it seems to vanish from the face of the earth. In reality, the process is not that simple. A huge amount of the now-obsolete product is often still sitting in the vast and complex supply chain of a major retail chain. While most of this stock is eventually…
You are at the self-checkout lane, scanning your items, when you notice that the price on the screen does not match the price you saw on the shelf. This frustrating experience is becoming increasingly common, leading many shoppers to believe the machines are rigged. While the problem is not usually intentional fraud, it is the…
When a food product is recalled, a rapid response is critical to protect public health. While federal agencies like the FDA and USDA issue national alerts, it is the job of state and local health departments to ensure the dangerous product is actually removed from store shelves. In Alabama, this crucial task falls to the…
Shoppers who live near the border of Iowa and Illinois often notice a strange fact. Many grocery items have a similar price in both states. However, the price of butter is often significantly cheaper in Iowa. This price difference is not an accident. It is the result of a combination of factors. These include dairy…