For starters ...

(1) Kroger advertises in Columbus, Ohio, "We Gladly Accept All Competitors Coupons!" in newspaper ads and on signs in their pharmacies.

(2) However, when asked to make good on this promise, they are likely to give you grief, act like you're giving them a hard time, give you some sort of voucher or credit that's not quite equivalent to the "gift card" that would have been issued by the competitor (or it's going to expire sooner than what you would have been given there).

(3) If you ask them to make good on this promise too many times in a day, they'll come up with a ONE PER CUSTOMER PER DAY LIMIT -- first, one pharmacist making up this rule on her own, then turned into a division-wide rule by a territory pharmacy merchandiser (over Kroger Rx in Michigan and Ohio -- except for Cincinnati and Dayton) when I complained to him about this store closest to me having a unique rule.

(4) You may find a year later when a Kroger location is fighting off new competition across the street from Giant Eagle (and lots of $30-value coupons to encourage defections from the Kroger and other area pharmacies), that the Kroger pharmacy manager is willing to accept ANY number of prescriptions or transfers (and honor a competitor coupon with EACH one ... NO LIMIT PER DAY).

(5) Then after her boss finds out, she gets in trouble. She has to tell everyone waiting to pick up multiple prescriptions with multiple coupons that they'll have to make a separate visit for each if they want to use a coupon on each (despite what she said earlier that week). So, basically, to pick up a dozen prescriptions that were transferred, you need to make 12 trips over 12 DAYS ... perhaps running out of some of what you need -- in hopes you'll either just pick it up without a coupon redemption or take your business elsewhere.

(6) And a few days later, you might get a certified letter in the mail saying you are "no longer welcome at any Kroger." It says you'll be arrested for Criminal Trespass if they find you in any Kroger owned or leased store or their adjacent parking lot.



Well, that's what will happen if you're ME. ;-)


I'll tell you more about it later ... and be glad to answer almost any question that seems relevant.

Thomas Stone