Freds -- coupon policy change!

**UPDATE** Here is a different contact to express how you feel about this coupon policy change. The previous contact numbers were in merchandising. This contact phone number is for operations -- apparently Freds wants all concerns / complaints / feedback to be handled by their corporate "talking head" and not their other employees. Expect to hear the same explanation of "everyday low prices" as the strategy and "appreciation" for your business & feedback.

Melinda Merrill, Director of Public/Corporate Affairs
800-858-9202 ext. 3830
melinda.merrill@fredmeyer.com

Per Cheri Judy, Director of Operations, there will be a communication to the stores this week -- once that memo hits the stores (thinking today or tomorrow) THEN there will be a 1 week grace period for the current policy! So, we can use the current Albs doublers at Freds until they expire next week Tues. SWEET! This will also give us another Freds ad to look through & potentially use them with.


Original Post below:

This was such a short lived opportunity! I was totally fearful once the current policy got out as common knowledge Freds would pull it. Yep. They sure did.

**The current policy will be grandfathered in for this week.**

I have posted it HERE in case you need it for reference. I don't think it matters anymore whether you actually ask for the policy at the store since it's going away. As there are Albs doublers this week, you can still take advantage of this policy for a few more days.

Today I spoke with Lance K. at Freds Zone 6 Regional Office (Treasure Valley) to verify some information. Over the past month, I have been in correspondence with both he and Kent C., Director of Grocery at Freds corporate. I was really hoping to get them to see the potential of catering to the couponer buyer, but alas! it's not to be.

Freds believes their current strategy of "everyday low prices" will make them viable into the future. I believe they are behind the times on what their customer base needs these days; NONE of the corporate / regional folks I spoke with even knew there was such a buyer as a "couponer" or the blogs or the strategy or the stockpiling....and on and on...

So, what's the deal now? Great question. Per Lance, Freds will have a new policy which will not be available to the public. Huh? I asked him how was I to know what the rules will be & he said my store director would explain them. La Vida Cheapo has a GREAT post HERE that outlines how Freds will take coupons -- nothing exciting -- pretty much back to the normal stuff.

The only way a company will make a change is if it hears from its customers. If you want to chat with or send an email to Freds about this policy change (good or bad), here are some Freds corporate contact info:

Corporate Office, Customer Relations 800-858-9202
(then use ext. below)

Steve Fox, VP of Merchandising ext. 5647
steve.fox@fredmeyer.com

Kent Criss, Director of Grocery ext. 5640
kent.criss@fredmeyer.com


Read More...totally bummed...freakin' bummed...&%#!& bummed...