Jun 14, 2012
Pashkevil Against Osher Ad in Bet Shemesh
Competition is good for the consumer. Always. Increased competition leads to better pricing and to better service and to better selection. Ever since Osher Ad opened up in Bet Shemesh, bringing its style of large store with robust selection and low prices, the other supermarkets in town have all slashed prices on their products. Walk into any supermarket in Bet Shemesh and you will think they are practically giving away much of the food.
Most people seem to think the prices will eventually rise back a bit to a more reasonable price range. What irks me the most about the price wars right now is that when you think about it, up until two weeks ago the local supermarkets were ripping us off to an extreme. I don't know how long they can keep prices this low, but Osher Ad coming to bet Shemesh has brought more competition to town, and we the consumer only gain from it.
And with Rami Levy right on its heels soon to open another supermarket, I think we can expect the prices to be very competitive. See Globes article on the supermarket price wars, focusing on Bet Shemesh and Maaleh Adumim..
While many of us may be happy Osher Ad has arrived, others are less ebullient about it.
The following pashkevil is up around haredi areas of Bet Shemesh, complaining about Osher Ad.
The complaint expressed in this pashkevil is that Osher Ad opened its supermarket outside of the haredi neighborhoods and there is an atmosphere of great preetzus and spiritual danger. Therefor, the pashkevil declares, all should stay away and not shop in Osher Ad.
The truth is that they benefit from Osher Ad without even going there. They can take advantage of the cheap prices Osher Ad brought to Bet Shemesh simply by shopping in any of the other supermarkets. not all the prices will be as cheap as they are in Osher Ad, but they are still saving a lot of money because of Osher Ad.
Would it help if Osher Ad kept their sign at the door telling women to dress modestly? I think not. they still have to go to the area where Osher Ad is located, and the neighborhood is not religious, so the preetzus is in the area even if not in the store. And if they could avoid that, would they be able to really avoid it in the store? Maybe it would not be as prevalent, but I doubt the Osher Ad security guard would be able to keep everyone dressed modestly. most women might take the shawl from the guard and then rmeove it shortly after entering the store.
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Most people seem to think the prices will eventually rise back a bit to a more reasonable price range. What irks me the most about the price wars right now is that when you think about it, up until two weeks ago the local supermarkets were ripping us off to an extreme. I don't know how long they can keep prices this low, but Osher Ad coming to bet Shemesh has brought more competition to town, and we the consumer only gain from it.
And with Rami Levy right on its heels soon to open another supermarket, I think we can expect the prices to be very competitive. See Globes article on the supermarket price wars, focusing on Bet Shemesh and Maaleh Adumim..
While many of us may be happy Osher Ad has arrived, others are less ebullient about it.
The following pashkevil is up around haredi areas of Bet Shemesh, complaining about Osher Ad.
The complaint expressed in this pashkevil is that Osher Ad opened its supermarket outside of the haredi neighborhoods and there is an atmosphere of great preetzus and spiritual danger. Therefor, the pashkevil declares, all should stay away and not shop in Osher Ad.
The truth is that they benefit from Osher Ad without even going there. They can take advantage of the cheap prices Osher Ad brought to Bet Shemesh simply by shopping in any of the other supermarkets. not all the prices will be as cheap as they are in Osher Ad, but they are still saving a lot of money because of Osher Ad.
Would it help if Osher Ad kept their sign at the door telling women to dress modestly? I think not. they still have to go to the area where Osher Ad is located, and the neighborhood is not religious, so the preetzus is in the area even if not in the store. And if they could avoid that, would they be able to really avoid it in the store? Maybe it would not be as prevalent, but I doubt the Osher Ad security guard would be able to keep everyone dressed modestly. most women might take the shawl from the guard and then rmeove it shortly after entering the store.
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I am shocked that Kornfeld didn't add his name this time. He better be careful or this will come back to haunt him when he tries for the Moetzes Gedolei Torah candidacy (not to mention shidduchim for his kids).
ReplyDeleteAstounding. They certainly wouldn't allow such a store in their neighborhood, because it might draw undesirables there. They need the lower prices more than anyone, but wouldn't allow the mall at the corner of their neighborhood (the open shell of a building).
ReplyDeleteThey leave no possibility of improvement for themselves!
What took so long?
ReplyDeleteI guess they only found out now about Osher Ads existence. If they dont leave their own neighborhood, how should they ever have seen it?
ReplyDeleteYou didn't see the fine print. It says "This ad jointly sponsored by Yesh, Shefa, and K'mat Chinam"!
ReplyDeleteAnd something tells me that at least a minority of folks shopping at Osher Ad are more than happy to have them stay away.
ReplyDeleteOsher Ad Bli Di,
ReplyDeleteI spoke to someone close to Rabbi Kornfeld. He does in fact support the position of the other rabbonim on the poster. He was simply afraid to put his name publicly lest he put off those "less kitzoni" who are also his followers.
just to mention, I was just in osher Ad very briefly, and I saw a number of chassidim, including a couple of "zebras" - the yerushalmim with the striped coats. So, they even seem to be benefitting directly from osher Ad and not just indirectly.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your post except for the 'competition is always good' because it is not. The current competition means the stores are losing money and also that more mom&pop stores will be wiped out. Competition is good when it is responsible and fair. Offering many items for below cost (bleeding other areas of the country which will have to make up for it) is not good for the long-term. This is not competition, this is supermarket EGO.
ReplyDeleteChaim S. - Are you serious or sarcastic?
ReplyDeleteVis a vis competition, a friend in miluim told me about working for one of the public services companies which has a sizable foreign ownership. Their objective was to wipe out the competition by winning city tenders with very low bids is many areas. No one could compete with bids that were less than cost.
ReplyDeleteI dont believe it has to do with the pritzut 100%. I think that may be the convenient excuse, but under the surface I think it has to do with money loss by the supermarkets in RBS A & B. They probably collaborated to find a way to get the Rabbanim to do something to save them from losing business. In the end it's all about money and hardly ever really about kedusha.
ReplyDelete