Incrementally

The other day, upon entering the grocery store, I saw what I've seen coming for some time, now, but it was glaring.  A grocery store supposedly known for its "low prices" had rearranged again.  I've been following and reporting some of the incremental changes that have taken place, but this one struck deeply, in that I hadn't been there in nearly two months.  The changes were literally monumental.

The cash registers were reduced in number and the layout of the checkout lines had been mirrored.  It might not seem like a big deal, but it held significance.  It was as if that had been done just to distract customers from noticing the bigger changes.  All of the aisles were literally moved half way back in the store, and one aisle had been removed, completely.  Three years ago there were seven aisles in the store and the aisles began about 12 feet from the checkout.  Last year, it was reduced to six aisles with a larger display area near the cash registers.  Now the "Number 6 sign" is just hung on the south wall, and there are all sorts of non-food displays between the actual aisles and the check out.  This is so difficult to describe . . .  Nearly half of that grocery store is now displaying non-food items, impulse purchases, and checkout area, with 1 of 5 aisles fully displaying paper and cleaning products.  Of course, the prepackaged and junk food inventory has increased.

Sadly, the first aisle which formerly displayed the canned vegetables was now home to the bread shelves, and they were all but empty.  The bread shelves, lining the north wall contained 3 loaves of bread.  The section that once contained canning supplies is now the packaged snack cake section.  This is not fear-mongering, this is accurate reporting of what has taken place and the time in which it has occurred.  I'm not the only one noticing this, either.  The food supply and availability is definitely controlled and is now obviously being altered.

The link below carries an article explaining another way, the food availability is being reduce.
http://www.today.com/news/supermarket-shrinkage-its-not-your-imagination-experts-say-2D79677603?cid=social_20140519_11887224