yup... CNY/WNY know the score
Posted on 02/17/2017 5:55:22 AM PST by markomalley
Wegmans is consistently named one of the best companies to work for, recently scored the second-best corporate reputation in America, and has had a cult following among fans for years.
So why are customers suddenly threatening to boycott the Rochester-based grocery store chain?
The Democrat & Chronicle reports Wegmans is facing boycotts for carrying products with President Donald Trump's name on them. The company has 10 locations in Virginia that sell bottles from the Trump Winery in Charlottesville, Va., drawing the ire of the National Organization for Women and other groups.
"Certainly if Wegmans is carrying Trump wines, I personally will not shop there," Terry O'Neill, president of the nation's largest feminist organization, told the Washington Post.
"Events during Donald Trump's campaign made it clear that Eric Trump, the president of Trump Winery in Charlottesville, Virginia, shares the views of his father," the group Stop Trump Wine added. "Let's demonstrate through economic action that the residents and businesses of Charlottesville will not stand for the hatred espoused by Eric Trump and those like him."
Wegmans' Virginia stores sell 237 different wines from 58 wineries in the state. According to the D&C, President Trump purchased one of those wineries -- Kluge Estate Winery and Vineyard -- for $6.2 million in 2011 and gave it to his son, Eric, to run.
"I'm really interested in good real estate, not so much in wine," President Trump said at the time of the purchase. "This place had a $28 million mortgage on it, and I bought it for $6.2 million. It's a Trump deal!"
The winery's bottles have appeared in Wegmans since 2008, but have only recently become controversial since Trump's successful presidential run. Many businesses have faced criticism if they support Trump -- as Under Armour and Uber have recently learned -- or if they show any signs of opposition, like when the president attacked Nordstrom for dropping his daughter Ivanka Trump's clothing line.
One Virginia resident from Upstate New York, who declined to use her first or last name, told the Post that she's been a lifelong Wegmans fan but has started shopping elsewhere to avoid seeing bottles of Trump Blanc de Blanc and Trump Winery Chardonnay.
Jo Natale, vice president of media relations for Wegmans, told the newspaper that the company stocks products based on how well they sell, not politics.
"Our role as a retailer is to offer choice to our customers," she said.
"Individual shoppers who feel strongly about an issue can demonstrate their convictions by refusing to buy a product," Natale continued. "When enough people do the same, and sales of a product drop precipitously, we stop selling that product in favor of one that's in greater demand."
Nordstrom said its decision to remove Ivanka Trump's line was based on poor sales. Burlington Coat Factory, Sears and Kmart have also stopped selling some Trump products.
Wegman's is NOT expensive.
They have the competition beat hands down on prices, especially stuff that is considered staples in most households.
If you're going to do their Carry-Out Cafe or prepared foods, yes, you will pay, but their quality cannot be beat.
And they stand behind everything they sell, no questions asked.
I've said the same about Publix...that is, until Wegman's expanded into Maryland (sorry, had to say it).
That's what I was thinking too, although I'm more of a Tops person. Wegmans is lovely though. The idea of someone who likes Wegmans dropping it because of some Trump merchandise is ridiculous.
I've heard many times through the business grapevine that the Wegman family (of Rochester) are very smart people. I doubt they'll be influenced by this political drivel.
Not on everything. Grass fed organic ground beef is $6.99 a pound at the Commissary. It's $6.50 a pound at Wegman's. Organic banannas are 99¢ per pound at the Commissary; 59¢ a pound a Wegman's. Milk and bread are basically the same price. Their house brand products seem to be as good if not better quality than name brand...and are cheap. Can you get $20 a pound aged steaks there? Sure, but you don't have to.
TOPS has great sales, but on many items, the regular everyday price is better at Wegmans than TOPS.
I used to shop at TOPS far more when I lived down the street from one and Wegman’s was a half an hour away.
Now everything is a haul and I just go there and get the basics. Their boneless chicken breast in the Club pack is $1.99 a pound or so and I cannot find it anywhere else for that cheap and always fresh.
I personally will not shop there,” Terry O’Neill, president of the nation’s largest feminist organization
I didn’t know you could buy booze with an EBT card?
LOL! Those who “boycott” places for leftist political reasons generally don’t spend much anyway. Wegmans will probably not notice said “boycott”.
Besides family, Wegmans is what i miss most since moving back to tx from wny.
Our nearby Wegmans is probably crowded with folks from the Orthodox Jewish community doing Shabbos shopping; they have a large Kosher department.
The comments at the end of the article at the Post Standard site are terrific.
Seems to be representative of mainstream CNY thinking and that is encouraging.
I love my local Wegmans. It’s always clean, well stocked, fairly priced and they make really great in store sushi platters. What’s not to like?
I was there about two hours ago. I looked for the wine , but I don’t think it is allowed in NYS. The alcohol content may be higher than beer or some wine coolers.
yup... CNY/WNY know the score
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