Let’s support business that did not raise prices!

amother

Tue, Jan 24 2023, 9:06 am

I am so appalled by some of the business in town and how they are charging Manhattan style prices for basic things. I know about inflation, I also know about their increased construction costs for new fancy stores BUT I am tired of walking into a store and seeing $20 salads for sale. If you know of an eatery or clothing store that has NOT raised their prices (significantly) and care about their (non-rich) customers, please list the store/business below and I will do my best to support the business and encourage all you ladies to as well!

List away 👇🏻

giftedmom

Tue, Jan 24 2023, 9:17 am

I wouldn’t go so far as to be “appalled” as you really don’t know how much production and food costs went up.
That said, many brands are intentionally keeping prices low and taking a loss which is to be admired. Hopefully they still make a profit despite that.
After all they’re all just Frum families like us, trying to bring in a few dollars.

amother

DarkCyan

Tue, Jan 24 2023, 9:23 am

You are unrealistic and this is not ok. They don’t have a choice they aren’t trying to hurt anyone. If you can’t afford it don’t shop there. Between the pandemic, inflation and shortages, their costs have gone up tremendously. What you can do is ask for a raise that matches inflation or switch jobs.

Chayalle

Tue, Jan 24 2023, 9:27 am

I'm also paying attention to portion sizes in addition to costs.
For example, I took my DD to a pizza shop near her school one day for lunch (following a well-visit). The portions were generous (too much! She took leftover fries back to school to share with her friends...we barely touched it, because our portions were so large) and the food was great. I felt I got my money's worth. I think it's called Village Pizza Cafe, on Rt 9 near Spruce street.

But the other day she needed a boost, and I picked up some french fries for her and a friend (mid-term test week, and she was in the mood) at a different pizza shop. I asked for a large fries, and got a portion that I would consider small. (To me, small would be one portion. Large should be generous, maybe enough for 2 people at least? I thought of it as family fries....but it was not generous at all. I'm not sure what a small is if that was large.) And I paid I think 6.95 for it. Ridiculous.

amother

Starflower

Tue, Jan 24 2023, 9:28 am

I'd be happy to support a business that didn't raise his prices unreasonably.

That being said, a salad is not a basic thing. You can make your own at home. (Yes, ingredient prices have gone up too)

Java

Tue, Jan 24 2023, 9:29 am

I understand that you feel frustrated but this is a bit dramatic. Businesses are entitled to charge what they feel that they're worth and nobody is holding a gun to your head and forcing you in there.

amother

Tue, Jan 24 2023, 9:38 am

Eggs just went down, have any stores lowered their prices? This is NOT a result of supply prices going up. This is a new culture that Lakewood became the new Brooklyn so stores can charge whatever they want and people will pay for them. I am not talking about small price increases due to supplier price increases.

Did you know that I recently bought a pie of pizza in a high end eatery in Monsey and it was cheaper than my pizza shop in Lakewood? Is cheese cheaper over there?

I personally don’t shop in stores that overcharge but the more people that do give a message over to the general public that they can charge whatever they want so long as someone is willing to pay for it.

amother

Mint

Tue, Jan 24 2023, 9:41 am

I don't see the problem with listing stores which give you value for money.

Some are reluctantly raising prices and some are taking advantage.

amother

Daffodil

Tue, Jan 24 2023, 9:46 am

amother OP wrote:

Eggs in Costco and target are still expensive

keym

Tue, Jan 24 2023, 9:47 am

I get it op.
There's a huge movement in Lakewood (through the Coffee Room etc) to Buy Local, support our businesses, give frum people parnassa, etc.
And it's true. There are halachic and ethical considerations for buying local.

However, it does feel like some establishments are just pushing up the prices and expect to guilt people into buying from them.

When 1 pizza shop sells a slice for $3 and 1 for $3.75, it's ok to announce that cheaper store
When a clothing store sells a dress for $100 and a different store sells the exact same dress, same brand, same size for $145, it does feel like we're being manipulated.

I got the sense that this thread is trying to address that. Share the stores that raise the prices as necessary and not just because.

Gourmet Glatt had eggs for $3.70 a dozen this week. Down from $5.49 so.....

amother

Tue, Jan 24 2023, 10:03 am

keym wrote:

However, it does feel like some establishments are just pushing up the prices and expect to guilt people into buying from them...

YES, thank you for the validation. I was beginning to think I was living in a different Lakewood than everyone else.

Maybe it’s because I’ve been living here for many years and find this recent trend disturbing?

Do you all switch jobs every few months so you can afford to support frum businesses? My field doesn’t allow me to do that and I didn’t leave my job because I did not get an inflation raise, as someone above suggested.

keym

Tue, Jan 24 2023, 10:08 am

amother OP wrote:

Every few weeks in the Coffee Room, someone writes ideas for affording things, and one of the ideas will be "shop target or Walmart".
Invariably there will be multiple scathing responses with halachic sources and all how it's halachicly REQUIRED to support frum businesses and all that.

My response is that I would love to but from stores that didn't triple their prices since pre-pandemic.

amother

Lightblue

Tue, Jan 24 2023, 10:10 am

amother OP wrote:

The price of eggs have not gone down. They're still rising and there's been a lot of egg smuggling at the Mexican border lately because of the rising egg prices.