A Rant on Commerce

[captain18]

So, let me put on my Andy Rooney hat (again) for a second.

(Disclosure:  I also posted an abbreviated version of this rant on Facebook earlier today.)

I've been looking periodically for ice melt for the front steps.  I don't want a 20lb bag of it, I want a plastic container with a lid I can open and shake a bit out.  Unbelievably, the only place I

Comments

[lady_curmudgeon]

Excellent rant. I agree with you completely!

If you're still looking for ice melt...

Out here in the Chicago area, about the only places that have the jugs of ice melt that you speak of are PetSmart and Costco. We got ours at Costco because it was both bigger and cheaper. I think, if you don't have a Costco membership they still do the 24 hour temporary ones if you go to the service desk and ask for one, but I'm not sure if that's still true. Or even relevant if you even have Costcos out there where you are. Sam's club might also have ice melt, but we haven't been in there in over a year and it also requires membership. :/

So, yeah. I guess the only option that doesn't require a membership would be PetSmart or other large box pet supplies stores, where they should still be selling the safe for pets ice melt.

[captain18]

I found some today at Walgreens, if you can believe it.

[xakko]

I'm guessing that the appearance of empty shelves has been determined to have such and such psychological effect on shoppers. I know I've run in for something specific and, finding the empty shelf, just walk out of the store instead of asking. We have a lot of options here, so failing to keep something in stock is a good way to discourage repeat customers.

Have you thought of getting the big bag of salt and just shoving a large (20+ oz) plastic cup in there? Sure it doesn't have the nice grating to disperse salt, but I find that gets jammed anyway.