Forty percent off | Lake Neuron

A year or two ago, Bi-Lo sold off most of its Tennessee locations to a grocery wholesaler, which kept them open under the name Southern Family Markets.

Now, SFM has decided to close all of its Tennessee locations, including the one here in Shelbyville. We found out about this at the newspaper, and also heard that everything in the store was 40 percent off. Several of us went about midday to do a little shopping.

I think I got some good deals, although probably not as good a deal as I might have imagined. The store didn’t go up on any of its prices, but it obviously cancelled all of its sales and its affinity card discounts, so the 40 percent was being taken off the full original price of the product. I tend to shop for sales — in most cases, I’m not married to a particular brand name — and so under normal circumstances, I’d have spent less than the full original price. Certainly not 40 percent less, but less. So the 40 percent was not really a 40 percent savings from my normal grocery bill.

But a savings is still a savings. I bought lithium batteries that I know I’ll need over the holidays. I splurged and got a pair of steaks — one for tonight, one for the freezer. I also splurged on blue cheese and extra-virgin olive oil. And I bought some normal items that I was going to have to buy in the next week or two in any case.

I will miss SFM; it was the closest chain supermarket to my apartment, and the closest to my workplace. Wal-Mart and Kroger are both on the north side of town, which has become Shelbyville’s new retail corridor and its biggest traffic problem.

Kristi

Bummer. I go to WW simply because it’s close and cheap, and I can’t justify spending $20 – $40 moreon groceries by going to the store I’d prefer to shop at. Two places we love – Harold’s Chicken and a cake place that were next to each other in the ‘hood have or are moving to the “nice” side of town, even though their business on our side has been very good. I know we won’t be getting Harold’s nearly as often now. Traitors. lol
Kristi

Bummer. I go to WW simply because it’s close and cheap, and I can’t justify spending $20 – $40 moreon groceries by going to the store I’d prefer to shop at. Two places we love – Harold’s Chicken and a cake place that were next to each other in the ‘hood have or are moving to the “nice” side of town, even though their business on our side has been very good. I know we won’t be getting Harold’s nearly as often now. Traitors. lol
http://stacieruch.blogspot.com Stace

The SFM in Tullahoma, Tn is closing too. I attempted to go by there during my lunch hour today. I say attempted because the parking lot was full up to the lane for the traffic light, there were NO buggies to be found either inside the store or outside, the checkout lines were backed up down the lanes, and the aisles were swarming with people trying to get a good deal. Some items were even 50% off, but I didn’t get them because a 45min lunch hour is nowhere near long enough to combat all that!
http://stacieruch.blogspot.com Stace

The SFM in Tullahoma, Tn is closing too. I attempted to go by there during my lunch hour today. I say attempted because the parking lot was full up to the lane for the traffic light, there were NO buggies to be found either inside the store or outside, the checkout lines were backed up down the lanes, and the aisles were swarming with people trying to get a good deal. Some items were even 50% off, but I didn’t get them because a 45min lunch hour is nowhere near long enough to combat all that!
http://www.sugarfused.net deb

I boycotted SFM not long after it bought out Bi-Lo because the prices became ridiculously high. Case in point, my Weight Watcher fudge bars which at SFM were $5.25 a box and at Krogers I find them on sale for $3.99. Even Kroger’s regular price of $4-something isn’t as high. I found most of their products to be overpriced. SFM is closer to my house, too, but I’ve since gotten use to driving on over to Krogers. The 40% discount is worth checking into, though ;~)

I wonder what will become of the SFM building now? Is another grocery buying them out?
http://www.sugarfused.net deb

I boycotted SFM not long after it bought out Bi-Lo because the prices became ridiculously high. Case in point, my Weight Watcher fudge bars which at SFM were $5.25 a box and at Krogers I find them on sale for $3.99. Even Kroger’s regular price of $4-something isn’t as high. I found most of their products to be overpriced. SFM is closer to my house, too, but I’ve since gotten use to driving on over to Krogers. The 40% discount is worth checking into, though ;~)

I wonder what will become of the SFM building now? Is another grocery buying them out?