Grocery Store Project

3 Pages 646 Words

Grocery Store – Packaging Assignment

When price is determined by the number of items that can be purchased with a given amount of money, larger items with less packaging seem to be more costly, but when the price is determined other factors, such as how much a product costs per ounce, then patterns start to emerge that suggest the opposite might be true. I suspect that products with less packaging tend to seem slightly more expensive than products with more packaging, but that they generally end up being more cost effective when other factors are taken into consideration.
My theory is that these patterns are important to understand because they show how making careful decisions and reducing consumption can be beneficial for the consumer and is important for the future well being of the world and its inhabitants. To investigate the relationships between the food retail industry and the various costs associated with it, I visited an Albertson’s store to make observations. The location I visited is where I do the grocery shopping for my family when I go home. The predominantly white, middle-class neighborhood that surrounds the store has earned a reputation for being very laidback on weekends, and very fast paced and active during the week. As I watched what the other customers put in their baskets, I collected the following information about the items bought, the prices, the prices per ounce, the sizes of the products, and the caloric values.
Category Item Name Total Price Price Per oz. Size of Item Calories
Dairy 1 Bonbel Semi soft Cheeses $3.99 $0.89 4.5 oz 70 cal
2 Albertson’s Cheddar Cheese $7.39 $0.23 32 oz 120 cal/oz
1 Milk $3.89 $0.03 1 gallon 100 cal
2 Milk $0.90 $0.06 1 pint 150 cal
Produce 1 Green Salad Cup $1.29 $0.22 6 oz
2 Yellow Banana $6.24 $0.39
Meat 1 Hormel Bacon Strips $5.99 $0.50 4 strips/packet 80 cal
2 Albertson’s Bacon Thick Sliced $5.99 $0.25 24 oz 110 cal
Hea...