I was recently asked for tips on how to shop at Farm Fresh with the new shortened ad format. The problem I’m finding isn’t that the ad is shorter; it’s that all the sales aren’t being listed in the ad. Farm Fresh previously had the longest ad of all the stores in my area. I give them kudos for saving trees since placing an item at regular price or 5 cents off the regular price in the ad was pretty much a waste of space.
Now however, instead of all the sale items, there are more store brands, large images and incomplete promotions. If there is an instant savings promotion, I want to know ALL of the participating products before I shop. Coupons or not, I want to know where I’m doing my grocery shopping for the week before I leave the house.
Honestly, I haven’t been to Farm Fresh on Wednesday’s in 3 weeks. Instead, I have shopped more at Harris Teeter. Why? I can plan my weekly menu based on what is on sale and what is in my pantry. I can no longer do that with Farm Fresh.
I previously did most of my shopping at Farm Fresh for 2 reasons.
- It’s close to my home. Farm Fresh and Food Lion are the 2 closest grocery to my house. Farm Fresh always won over Food Lion due to their coupon policy.
- $1 Double coupons on Wednesday. I would look at the sale ad, plan my menu and compile my coupons for items to add to my stockpile. I would then add my weekly staples to my shopping list. I would typically purchase my milk, coffee creamer, bread, produce, etc. while doing my coupon shopping. Why? My time is money and I don’t want to drive all over town just to save a couple bucks.
I will still shop at Farm Fresh, but it’s no longer my main grocery store. I have popped in a couple times to get a needed item here and there. I ran in last week for the cheap lettuce and picnic ham (which we didn’t end up liking) and yesterday because I promised LuLu a lunchable to take for the car ride to Girl Scout camp.
I know many of you have also been struggling to find deals at Farm Fresh for the past 3 weeks. I’ve heard from many of you that you’re either not shopping at Farm Fresh or have reduced the number of products you purchased as a direct result of the ad changes.
Tips to help you save at Farm Fresh:
1. Look at the coupon match ups to see what items have actually been published as on sale. This will give you some idea of what is on sale. Coupon match ups means that you take an item that is on sale and match it with a coupon. Instead of you having to figure that out I do it for you! Just check right here every Tuesday evening and you will find the most information I can give you.
2. Farm Fresh has their entire inventory on their website. Just click on Online Shopping and select your local store. So if you have the time you can go through the store inventory by category (warning there are LOTS of them) and then use my coupon database to find the coupons that match the items.
3. Head to the store and wander around. If you have all your coupons cut you can just take your binder to the store and make matches that way. For those of you who shop with young children or organize your coupons the way I do (by insert) that’s not really a viable options. One plus is that if you look on the tag the dates that the sale runs will be on it. So you can make a list of items you want to get and then go home and do research for coupons.
Make sure to come back and leave it in the comments section so everyone can see it when you find a good deal!!
4. Otherwise for those of you who have the option you can just shop at Harris Teeter for the time being.
If you would like to see Farm Fresh go back to the long ad be sure to let them know POLITELY! You can leave a message on their Facebook Page or stop in at your local store and fill in a comment card.
I would like to add that I am grateful that Farm Fresh has continued with their generous coupon policy. I am grateful that they are still allowing double coupons everyday up to $0.99 and double $1 coupons on Wednesday. I am grateful for the amount of money I have saved my family over that past several years shopping at Farm Fresh and the benefits Farm Fresh has brought to my business.
I am curious to know the effect the ad change has had financially on Farm Fresh. The money that has been saved by not having as many coupons to double (as the multiplied amount does come out of Farm Fresh’s pocket) and the money that has been presumably lost by the potential lack of other Farm Fresh products not being sold such as dairy, meat and product. I hope the change proves that coupon shoppers and other money savvy shoppers that utilize the weekly sale ad are an asset to Farm Fresh’s bottom-line.
Should the new changes remain in effect, we will learn to adapt and find other ways to keep our budgets in check. Regardless, we have to respect Farm Fresh’s business decision to change their weekly ad.
Hopefully, Corporate will respond to my email and I can work with them to continue getting my thousands of readers into their stores.
Share with us if you have changed your Farm Fresh shopping habits due to the new ad format.
jenn says
I have been too busy w/ work lately to even look at the ads. That being said, I’ve done great on my farm fresh trips with just wandering around. The ads give a heads up but I always plan my trip with knowledge of prices from previous trips. You just have to keep a mental database of items.
Latrice says
I have heard that Farm Fresh may possibly be brought out by Kroger. If you look a the new format and price signs they are similar to what Kroger does. This may be the reason for the ad and coupon policy changes. May be a rumor , but theire financial situation is not looking good.
Rebecca says
Well that sure would be bad news if true. Kroger has been putting a stop to their double-coupon policies throughout the country. If they take over FF, I’m sure those stores would follow suit.
http://www.wral.com/kroger-coupon-policy-change-will-be-announced-on-saturday/12383523/
Julie says
The Farm Fresh ad change has most definitely changed my shopping and unfortunately our budget. Farm Fresh is the closest grocery store and was the only store I went to. In the past 3 weeks I have hardly gone. I have 2 young boys and I can’t go to the store without a plan. So I have taken my business to Harris Teeter. I would also like to see how this change has affected Farm Fresh financially. I can’t imagine I’m in the minority for having changed stores. I would love to give them my business again if they should change their ad back. Here’s hoping they do!
Claire says
First I wanted to thank you for your blog – you have literally saved me hundreds of dollars over the last year and a half and a lot of time too!!! I too have stopped shopping at Farm Fresh as I am a busy Mum like so many others and don’t have time to wander the store. I haven’t tried Harris Teeter but have found really good prices at Game Farmer’s Market for my meat, eggs and some produce. Now that we are into our 4th week with a short ad I am going to start looking at your blog for Walmart, Target etc. for good deals!
Stacey says
I have been greatly disappointed and only have bought a few things over the last several weeks. I, too, would pick up deli, produce, dairy from FF while there doing my couponing. Now, I just do that elsewhere. It’s a shame–I really liked going there and knowing ahead of time what I would be buying. I don’t have the time to wander aisle to aisle and I noticed, when I was there, that there are tags EVERYWHERE now. It’s as if they shoved tags onto everything which means nothing really sticks out anymore. I am hoping, like JcPenny did, that this was not the smartest of moves and will go back to their old ways.
Jaime says
I haven’t shopped at Farm Fresh since the ad changes went into effect. Other then to run in a couple time for flowers and drinks. I’m disappointed because I loved the thrill of couponing. It was like a game for me…see how much I can save! I am grateful for their coupon policy, but disappointed that I’m not able to utilize it anymore. With a small child, there is no way I can walk around their store looking for deals, nor would they want me too. My son would be too disruptive 🙂
Lori@Mothering Matters says
I haven’t been to Farm Fresh for a couple weeks as well. It saddens me – as I LOVE my Farm Fresh, the manager, employees – and even the fact that they recently hired my son for his first job there. I miss seeing the faces of the people who know me as a Wednesday coupon shopper. 🙂 We always have great conversation each week. I hope things change back with the ad. I don’t have time to wander around the store (and I sort mine by insert as well), nor spend extra time looking through the online inventory. I do depend on you and others to tell me the matchups for the week.
As for shopping at Harris Teeter . . . . hmm . . . I’ll have to pray about that one! 🙂
I have found myself quite frustrated there – as they are always out of the things that are on sale, I go back 4 and 5 times through the week because they say “oh – a truck is coming in tonight!” – and it still won’t be there. Then I’m finally told “It’s a warehouse issue . . . it’s on backorder”. Then why is it on sale???
Anyways . . . the people there are friendly – just not as on top of things like my Farm Fresh. Unlike my FF – they do not restock the grocery aisles during the day (I can never find anyone to help me see if there is more in the back or not, etc).
Anyways . . . .
Thanks again for all you do Dana! You bless a lot of people! 🙂