4 ms·

I haven't seen any, myself. And my anecdote is as good as theirs. It'd be nice if they actually pointed to, you know, data, for these kinds of stories. My pizz

I haven't seen any, myself. And my anecdote is as good as theirs. It'd be nice if they actually pointed to, you know, data, for these kinds of stories. My pizza place was closed though. Everyone out with covid. And it wasn't the usual cashiers over at the grocery; I think they may have been temps, because they didn't know how to do anything.

justinator 5y ago
I certainly have. We literally LOST a place to buy groceries, as a good part of a town just burnt to the ground after (it seems to be coming to light[0]), a local cult decided to burn a railroad tie and left it smoldering while 100mph+ winds were being recorded. My King Soopers closed for renovations because of a domestic terrorist shot and killed a few people last year[1], And today, workers at King Soopers are starting their strike (which I support!). Given I also live in a unique enough geographic area where the land west of me for a few hundred miles includes mostly mountains, no groceries stores exist there - so the stores that are left are getting (to put lightly) hammered. And also Covid, shipping logistical problems, shortages with delivery drivers - pile it on. Affording to eat is getting more and more difficult. [0] I want to make clear that these are allegations, and no arrests have been made, but it's not looking great for the cult. https://kdvr.com/news/local/twelve-tribes-property-history-of-controlled-burns/ https://kdvr.com/news/local/twelve-tribes-property-history-o... [1] https://kdvr.com/news/boulder-grocery-store-shooting/records-king-soopers-shooter-had-look-of-pure-anger-during-2017-cold-cock-incident/ https://kdvr.com/news/boulder-grocery-store-shooting/records... [2] https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/workers-nearly-80-krogers-king-soopers-go-strike-talks-stall-2022-01-12/ https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/workers-nearly-8...
- jimkleiber 5y ago
  I used to live in that area, right near that King Soopers—I hadn't heard about the cause of that fire, thank you for pointing out the investigation into it. Regarding stores, this may seem a bit out of touch, as I assume their prices are probably more expensive and I also don't know what their stock is like, but a friend of mine recently opened a new (small) grocery store[0] downtown[1]. I'm no longer in the area so I've never been there, but perhaps they will have some better in stock or better in price than some other options. Anyway, just wanted to pass along in case it may help you. [0]: https://nudefoodsmarket.com/ https://nudefoodsmarket.com/ [1]: https://g.page/nudefoodsmarket https://g.page/nudefoodsmarket
  - justinator 5y ago
    Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out - doesn't hurt to wander by and say hello! Want to stress that the fire investigation is ongoing, but there's a lot of evidence pointing the start of the fire being on the Twelve Tribe's property. But I don't want things to become a witch hunt.
    - jimkleiber 5y ago
      Oh for sure! > But I don't want things to become a witch hunt. And i appreciate the qualification on this...I'll just try to follow it more closely than I had been before.
- Melting_Harps 5y ago
  > Affording to eat is getting more and more difficult. Boulder was never exactly a cheap place to eat, but you do have other choices: several Whole Foods, Safeways Lucky's and a Trader Joe's etc... I'm told Alfalfas went under during covid. Also, the Farmer's Markets Downtown when in season. Personally speaking, food costs have been artificially suppressed for far too long in the US; it has led to a situation in which food waste is abhorrently common. If this is what creates a paradigm shift, then so be it. Moreover, Boulder's community garden space is always an option if you can get in--right now you'd be limited on options with anything other than brassicas outside of a greenhouse. This is a much needed reset for Boulder in my opinion. It should live up to the values it supposedly promotes. Sidenote: I used to shop at that King Soopers in Table Mesa when visiting, too. Scary stuff... And that cult owns the Yellow Deli on Pearl street mall, right?
  - porknubbins 5y ago
    What do you mean by food prices have been artificially surpressed in the US? Most food waste I am aware of is to do with stores throwing out almost expired products, which bothers me but wouldn’t be helped by making things more expensive.
  - justinator 5y ago
    It's a squeeze - and I'm getting pretty close to making me feel bad for myself. But conventional grocery stores themselves are getting pretty expensive for very normal things. A Whole Foods is not a sustainable place to shop for me. I do live within spitting distance of the currently closed Kings Soopers, so that convenience is gone - as a cyclist, there's just so much cargo I can haul at one time so having a store close is a nicety. Safeway relinquished their ownership of Lucky's to the original owners! https://www.dailycamera.com/2021/06/09/lolitas-market-and-deli-in-boulder-sold-to-owners-of-luckys-market/ https://www.dailycamera.com/2021/06/09/lolitas-market-and-de... The Yellow Deli is indeed owned by the Twelve Tribes. It's currently closed.
willis936 5y ago
A week ago I bought the last package of chicken in a supermarket. Someone had been to three stores and couldn't find milk. Your anecdote is as good as mine. Investigative journalism with many samples is worth more than either anecdote.
- jonnycomputer 5y ago
  Ok, but checking in on twitter photos of empty shelves isn't investigative journalism, and the few people who might be in the position to know are saying its not like March 2020, e.g. "There are some issues with out-of-stocks, but it tends to be a situation where if you go to a store on a Tuesday night, maybe something's out of stock, but by Wednesday sometime it's back in store," Rose told NPR." The point is, the article would be less sensational and more informative if it could point to some kind of systematic data source--even one they collected themselves. But they don't.
reaperducer 5y ago
my anecdote is as good as theirs They actually talked to the California Grocers Association, and quoted the CEOs of Albertson's, the nation's largest supermarket company; and Conagra, one of the largest food companies on the planet. Not exactly anecdotes. These are people with access to real data. I haven't seen any, myself. I've seen it. I have a regular bi-weekly list, and a lot of the items are getting harder and harder to find. I have to try two or three stores, and even supplementing with Amazon Fresh, I still can't get everything. Two of the chain supermarkets near me have signs up apologizing for the empty shelves, saying they're stocking them as quickly as they can. Which tells me this is a staffing issue, not a supply issue.
- onecommentman 5y ago
  Would a Grocers Association or supermarket chain have any financial, political or legal reason to overemphasize that unusual or substantive shortages might be happening? Yes. (Though that doesn’t mean they are wrong or misleading in this case.) Which is why it is wise to look at actual objective nationwide data first. Anecdotes are useful in suggesting where to check real data (or gather real data if missing). Whoever is gathering supermarket pricing data on a nationwide basis (secret shoppers) would objectively know what’s happening, if anything, and if it is local or regional or nationwide. An actual news agency would have contacted them and paid for the general non-proprietary regional/national info. I agree with your take on this being a staffing issue where you are, if they are posting those sorts of signs and actively hiring.
  - reaperducer 5y ago
    Would a Grocers Association or supermarket chain have any financial, political or legal reason to overemphasize that unusual or substantive shortages might be happening? Contrary to what Hollywood and the internet would have you believe, not everything is a conspiracy. Inventing conspiracies any time something doesn't meet your worldview is just plain lazy. As for providing the hard data, if that's what you're after, subscribe to the Wall Street Journal. This is NPR. It's a radio network. It produces radio-sized reports. It just happens to also put those reports in text form on the web as a convenience. It's great that you're interested in the data. Go find it. It's out there. NPR isn't going to hand it to you on a silver platter. That's not what NPR is for. That's not what radio is for. Whoever is gathering supermarket pricing data on a nationwide basis The federal government does this every month. The data is available. Go nuts.
WheatM 5y ago
kyrra 5y ago
A writer at NR pointed out that most national papers haven't picked it up yet (this was on Tuesday), but many local ones had: https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/empty-shelves-disprove-bidens-supply-chain-boasts/ https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/empty-shelve...
d23 5y ago
We have seen it too. And they did point to data: a rise of posts about it on social media. They also interviewed experts about the issue and why it's happening.
snarf21 5y ago
You may not have seen it yet but you will. I'm on the east coast and I see it at every store, even Dollar General.
- taude 5y ago
  Weird, I'm on the east coast, too. And haven't seen any empty shelves in the grocery store.
pengaru 5y ago
VONS normally sells Open Nature "hormone+antibiotics free" rotisserie chickens on the daily. It's been coming up on a month now that they've been unable to get any of these according to the deli clerk. "We keep ordering them, but they don't show up" in her words. Starbucks has been completely out of espresso beans on multiple occasions this past month too. It's unclear to me how a Starbucks even stays open without espresso beans, but apparently not all their beverages actually contain freshly pulled espresso... I've only ever gotten shots of espresso. Walmart has been out of some multivitamins for over a month now too. I don't buy much stuff from these vendors, this actually amounts to a large portion of crap I consume that isn't just organic produce and canned sardines which I've fortunately not had trouble acquiring. The above is kind of the luxury junk I can do without, but there's clearly problems.
- reaperducer 5y ago
  Starbucks has been completely out of espresso beans on multiple occasions this past month too. The Starbucks down the block hasn't been able to get the flavor syrup I like since before Christmas. Like with your chicken, the manager says they just can't get it. The Starbucks store actually closed for a week not very long ago. I thought it was because of the 'rona. The manager said it was just that they didn't have enough staff and had to cover other stores.
nonford150 5y ago
The only store in my area which doesn't seem to be affected by massive shortages is Whole Foods. Guess the Amazon supply chain is fairly robust.

justinator 5y ago

I certainly have. We literally LOST a place to buy groceries, as a good part of a town just burnt to the ground after (it seems to be coming to light[0]), a local cult decided to burn a railroad tie and left it smoldering while 100mph+ winds were being recorded. My King Soopers closed for renovations because of a domestic terrorist shot and killed a few people last year[1], And today, workers at King Soopers are starting their strike (which I support!). Given I also live in a unique enough geographic area where the land west of me for a few hundred miles includes mostly mountains, no groceries stores exist there - so the stores that are left are getting (to put lightly) hammered. And also Covid, shipping logistical problems, shortages with delivery drivers - pile it on. Affording to eat is getting more and more difficult. [0] I want to make clear that these are allegations, and no arrests have been made, but it's not looking great for the cult. https://kdvr.com/news/local/twelve-tribes-property-history-of-controlled-burns/ https://kdvr.com/news/local/twelve-tribes-property-history-o... [1] https://kdvr.com/news/boulder-grocery-store-shooting/records-king-soopers-shooter-had-look-of-pure-anger-during-2017-cold-cock-incident/ https://kdvr.com/news/boulder-grocery-store-shooting/records... [2] https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/workers-nearly-80-krogers-king-soopers-go-strike-talks-stall-2022-01-12/ https://www.reuters.com/legal/transactional/workers-nearly-8...

jimkleiber 5y ago
I used to live in that area, right near that King Soopers—I hadn't heard about the cause of that fire, thank you for pointing out the investigation into it. Regarding stores, this may seem a bit out of touch, as I assume their prices are probably more expensive and I also don't know what their stock is like, but a friend of mine recently opened a new (small) grocery store[0] downtown[1]. I'm no longer in the area so I've never been there, but perhaps they will have some better in stock or better in price than some other options. Anyway, just wanted to pass along in case it may help you. [0]: https://nudefoodsmarket.com/ https://nudefoodsmarket.com/ [1]: https://g.page/nudefoodsmarket https://g.page/nudefoodsmarket
- justinator 5y ago
  Thanks for the tip, I'll check it out - doesn't hurt to wander by and say hello! Want to stress that the fire investigation is ongoing, but there's a lot of evidence pointing the start of the fire being on the Twelve Tribe's property. But I don't want things to become a witch hunt.
  - jimkleiber 5y ago
    Oh for sure! > But I don't want things to become a witch hunt. And i appreciate the qualification on this...I'll just try to follow it more closely than I had been before.
Melting_Harps 5y ago
> Affording to eat is getting more and more difficult. Boulder was never exactly a cheap place to eat, but you do have other choices: several Whole Foods, Safeways Lucky's and a Trader Joe's etc... I'm told Alfalfas went under during covid. Also, the Farmer's Markets Downtown when in season. Personally speaking, food costs have been artificially suppressed for far too long in the US; it has led to a situation in which food waste is abhorrently common. If this is what creates a paradigm shift, then so be it. Moreover, Boulder's community garden space is always an option if you can get in--right now you'd be limited on options with anything other than brassicas outside of a greenhouse. This is a much needed reset for Boulder in my opinion. It should live up to the values it supposedly promotes. Sidenote: I used to shop at that King Soopers in Table Mesa when visiting, too. Scary stuff... And that cult owns the Yellow Deli on Pearl street mall, right?
- porknubbins 5y ago
  What do you mean by food prices have been artificially surpressed in the US? Most food waste I am aware of is to do with stores throwing out almost expired products, which bothers me but wouldn’t be helped by making things more expensive.
- justinator 5y ago
  It's a squeeze - and I'm getting pretty close to making me feel bad for myself. But conventional grocery stores themselves are getting pretty expensive for very normal things. A Whole Foods is not a sustainable place to shop for me. I do live within spitting distance of the currently closed Kings Soopers, so that convenience is gone - as a cyclist, there's just so much cargo I can haul at one time so having a store close is a nicety. Safeway relinquished their ownership of Lucky's to the original owners! https://www.dailycamera.com/2021/06/09/lolitas-market-and-deli-in-boulder-sold-to-owners-of-luckys-market/ https://www.dailycamera.com/2021/06/09/lolitas-market-and-de... The Yellow Deli is indeed owned by the Twelve Tribes. It's currently closed.

willis936 5y ago

A week ago I bought the last package of chicken in a supermarket. Someone had been to three stores and couldn't find milk. Your anecdote is as good as mine. Investigative journalism with many samples is worth more than either anecdote.

jonnycomputer 5y ago
Ok, but checking in on twitter photos of empty shelves isn't investigative journalism, and the few people who might be in the position to know are saying its not like March 2020, e.g. "There are some issues with out-of-stocks, but it tends to be a situation where if you go to a store on a Tuesday night, maybe something's out of stock, but by Wednesday sometime it's back in store," Rose told NPR." The point is, the article would be less sensational and more informative if it could point to some kind of systematic data source--even one they collected themselves. But they don't.

reaperducer 5y ago

my anecdote is as good as theirs They actually talked to the California Grocers Association, and quoted the CEOs of Albertson's, the nation's largest supermarket company; and Conagra, one of the largest food companies on the planet. Not exactly anecdotes. These are people with access to real data. I haven't seen any, myself. I've seen it. I have a regular bi-weekly list, and a lot of the items are getting harder and harder to find. I have to try two or three stores, and even supplementing with Amazon Fresh, I still can't get everything. Two of the chain supermarkets near me have signs up apologizing for the empty shelves, saying they're stocking them as quickly as they can. Which tells me this is a staffing issue, not a supply issue.

onecommentman 5y ago
Would a Grocers Association or supermarket chain have any financial, political or legal reason to overemphasize that unusual or substantive shortages might be happening? Yes. (Though that doesn’t mean they are wrong or misleading in this case.) Which is why it is wise to look at actual objective nationwide data first. Anecdotes are useful in suggesting where to check real data (or gather real data if missing). Whoever is gathering supermarket pricing data on a nationwide basis (secret shoppers) would objectively know what’s happening, if anything, and if it is local or regional or nationwide. An actual news agency would have contacted them and paid for the general non-proprietary regional/national info. I agree with your take on this being a staffing issue where you are, if they are posting those sorts of signs and actively hiring.
- reaperducer 5y ago
  Would a Grocers Association or supermarket chain have any financial, political or legal reason to overemphasize that unusual or substantive shortages might be happening? Contrary to what Hollywood and the internet would have you believe, not everything is a conspiracy. Inventing conspiracies any time something doesn't meet your worldview is just plain lazy. As for providing the hard data, if that's what you're after, subscribe to the Wall Street Journal. This is NPR. It's a radio network. It produces radio-sized reports. It just happens to also put those reports in text form on the web as a convenience. It's great that you're interested in the data. Go find it. It's out there. NPR isn't going to hand it to you on a silver platter. That's not what NPR is for. That's not what radio is for. Whoever is gathering supermarket pricing data on a nationwide basis The federal government does this every month. The data is available. Go nuts.

WheatM 5y ago

kyrra 5y ago

A writer at NR pointed out that most national papers haven't picked it up yet (this was on Tuesday), but many local ones had: https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/empty-shelves-disprove-bidens-supply-chain-boasts/ https://www.nationalreview.com/the-morning-jolt/empty-shelve...

d23 5y ago

We have seen it too. And they did point to data: a rise of posts about it on social media. They also interviewed experts about the issue and why it's happening.

snarf21 5y ago

You may not have seen it yet but you will. I'm on the east coast and I see it at every store, even Dollar General.

taude 5y ago
Weird, I'm on the east coast, too. And haven't seen any empty shelves in the grocery store.

pengaru 5y ago

VONS normally sells Open Nature "hormone+antibiotics free" rotisserie chickens on the daily. It's been coming up on a month now that they've been unable to get any of these according to the deli clerk. "We keep ordering them, but they don't show up" in her words. Starbucks has been completely out of espresso beans on multiple occasions this past month too. It's unclear to me how a Starbucks even stays open without espresso beans, but apparently not all their beverages actually contain freshly pulled espresso... I've only ever gotten shots of espresso. Walmart has been out of some multivitamins for over a month now too. I don't buy much stuff from these vendors, this actually amounts to a large portion of crap I consume that isn't just organic produce and canned sardines which I've fortunately not had trouble acquiring. The above is kind of the luxury junk I can do without, but there's clearly problems.

reaperducer 5y ago
Starbucks has been completely out of espresso beans on multiple occasions this past month too. The Starbucks down the block hasn't been able to get the flavor syrup I like since before Christmas. Like with your chicken, the manager says they just can't get it. The Starbucks store actually closed for a week not very long ago. I thought it was because of the 'rona. The manager said it was just that they didn't have enough staff and had to cover other stores.

nonford150 5y ago

The only store in my area which doesn't seem to be affected by massive shortages is Whole Foods. Guess the Amazon supply chain is fairly robust.