On Friday, November 18, 2011, at 12:00 pm, our class visited the Bottom Dollar grocery store located along Route 1 in Fredericksburg, VA. The weather was an unusually warm mid-November day, with temperatures in the 60′s, mostly sunny skies, and a light wind. The weather was not much of a factor once we walked into the grocery story because we were indoors and in the heating and cooling system of Bottom Dollar. While walking into the store, I observed some of the methods in which customers arrived at Bottom Dollar. Most consumers arrived by car, however, some walked (since it is so close to residential areas). The employees of the store use the same transportation methods as the customers, but those transporting goods to Bottom Dollar to sell use large trucks, sometimes refrigerated for the frozen goods.
Bottom Dollar is a discount grocery chain, a cheaper option for consumers who cannot afford more expensive goods. It sells both private brands and national brands at low price.
The shoppers at Bottom Dollar were varied in race and gender, but mostly similar in age. I observed that most shoppers were elderly, however some were middle-aged with a few of them having brought their children. There we both men and women, and most of them were white or African American, but there were some Hispanics there. I observed that many of the customers knew what they were going to purchase prior to arriving at Bottom Dollar, and, as opposed to Wegmans, walked directly up to and item and put it in their cart. I assume that since customers at Wegmans have a higher income than customers at Bottom Dollar, they go into Wegmans with a mindset of knowing they can look for a variety of options and purchase more goods than they were planning. Customers at Bottom Dollar, however, know what they need and then purchase it.
The exterior of Bottom Dollar has stickers on the windows with discount prices on it. As you enter, you notice that it is structured like most grocery stores, with aisles sorted with different types of items in each row. The fruits and vegetables are at the front of the store with small plastic bags to bag the items. In the back of the store are meats and cheeses, most of which are prepackaged. In each row are the items, with prices right underneath and deals a customer can use. Bottom Dollar also has discount cards. Employees and sellers were varied in race and gender as well. They were in their 20′s or older, and they were either white, Hispanic, or African American.
Merchandise is very similar to Giant or Bloom, however, it is mostly cheaper in price. I observed that one can purchase a 3 pack of Pop Secret Movie Theatre Butter Popcorn for $2.68, and then purchase a 6 pack of the same item for only 30 cents more at $2.98. Most of the items are cheaper and of less quality, but it puzzles me as to why someone would not shop at Bottom Dollar. Bottom Dollar has some of the same items that would be at Giant or Wegman but at less the price. There are also deals like 4 for $3.00 or 2 for $6.00. I personally probably won’t go to Bottom Dollar since I live right next to Giant. I can just walk right over to Giant and spend 4 more cents on certain items and feel okay. While I was at Bottom Dollar, however, I purchased Cheese Its Hot and Spicy, and 2 Chunky Soups. All of these items have been eaten by now.
Overall I would say that Bottom Dollar is a great option for someone looking for cheaper merchandise. Besides lower prices and less options, Bottom Dollar is very similar to Giant, where most people prefer to go. I would comment that Bottom Dollar has lower quality food, however, and from what we have been discussing in class, I have taken notice and action in purchasing healthier foods. For lower prices, go to Bottom Dollar, for higher quality, search a Wegmans, Whole Foods, or Farmer’s Market.
