Whenever I shop at this store, which for the record is located on Flatbush, I feel I am in a Salvation Army food store. By this I mean thrift shop food — slightly used or battered products, caveat emptor. And yet I shop there because — well, it is there. And so do hundreds of other people otherwise it wouldn’t exist.
I don’t fully understand how the demographics of grocery product distribution and pricing works, though based on my observations I am certain it exists. You need only compare the various fliers of a major chain on any given week to see variations between neighborhoods. Based on the products I have personally encountered in the local Associated, my imagination envisions new deliveries to the store as actually rerouted discards of stores from our more affluent neighborhoods. These are just a few items actually seen/or recently bought in this store that immediately come to mind.
- 5 pound bag of sugar: My husband bought this. He brought it home and opened it to discover it had been previously opened and resealed with white glue. The glue was wet and dripping. We are pretty sure this task was a staff effort — anyone returning an item would have been able to get cash or credit. This was maybe a month ago, Associated exchanged it. The manager shrugged.
- Premio Sausages, Hot Italian: a shelf full of them, outdated by several days. Am I the only one reading shelf life dates at the market? I pointed it out the the manager who thanked me despite the slight bristle of annoyance. Later that day, having forgotten something, I returned to Associated once more and saw the same sausages repackaged with the generic store packaging/pricing and the bright shiny Premio label gone. Warning: Never buy this product if it is not in the original Premio packaging with original shelf life date.
- Ben and Jerry’s Low-Fat Frozen Yogurt: We bought a pint of Cherry Garcia and opened it to see the level of the contents shriveled by nearly an inch and the entire surface an interesting topography of dimunitive frozen chrystal stalagmite. Problably had been well melted and refrozen.
- Frozen Green Beans, Associated Brand: Okay, its the holidays and one must negotiate time with convenience. So I opened the package of frozen Associated green beans and was pouring them into a microwavable dish when I noticed a Peculiar Thing that Did Not Belong was among frozen greenery. A two inch frozen beetle. Really. I mean I know this could have happened at any Associated, but damn!
- Avocados: Not to forget the produce department (where I can barely stand shopping due to the various Smelly Fish and Animal Bits stored and sold in the same area). So Avocados are “on sale” 2/$3.00 — but they are so soft I can’t imagine even a guacamole dip could be a healthy use. Outdated produce needs to go.
- Sour Cream: Outdated by several days. I mentioned it to the dairy person who was shelving nearby and walked away. Though I observed him spending no more than a few seconds looking at sour cream containers, in response he called out to me claiming there was only one outdated. I didn’t see him sort through all the sour cream containers, but who knows maybe there was only one and I just attract outdated food.
- Cheddar Cheese: Another spousal foible, he forgot to check the date. Suffice to say upon opening the package was full of a strange wet, seemingly oil-based liquid. It was very outdated and just as disgusting as it sounds.
So between Fresh Direct deliveries, I still shop at Associated. While I want to support local business, is there any question why anyone hesitates?
