Ahh what would a holiday be without someone trying to make an extra buck. Especially around a holiday.
Good Friday is the one day of the year where most people that celebrate the Christian faith do not eat meat. So , Little Caesars decided earlier this week to take advantage of that fact by raising the price of their "Hot-N-Ready" Pizza to $5.55 from $5.00 effective immediately claiming "higher cheese prices."
This 11.1% increase has been toyed with by Little Caesars in various markets on and off during the year, usually when sales slump at the $5.55 price (and they always do,) they remarket it back to $5.00. This has been going on for the better part of the last six or so years. But never quite as flagrantly as this one in regards to timing. Of course the disclaimer also says "prices will go back to normal once cheese prices stabilize" which in the real world translates to - "after the Easter and Lenten season."
Let's face it. This pizza is far from gourmet. If you are looking for cheap eats and really don't care about how your stomach feels in an hour by all means, eat it up. But if you are looking to not get ripped off by an opportunistic big box food chain like Little Caesar's then you might find a better pizza option elsewhere this weekend - and odds are they haven't been effected at all by "higher cheese prices."
Strange, isn't it?
Update 5/18/2014:
On the local Sunday Paper - Guess what we saw?
Guess the "higher cheese price" landslide has been scaled back.
Nah, it was just the end of the lenten season.
Just like we called earlier.
These big box chains, retailers and manufacturers will stop at nothing to squeeze every last dollar out of you.
The only thing keeping them afloat - is the ignorance of the consumer.
Our job is to keep you aware and informed.
Update 5/18/2014:
On the local Sunday Paper - Guess what we saw?
Guess the "higher cheese price" landslide has been scaled back.
Nah, it was just the end of the lenten season.
Just like we called earlier.
These big box chains, retailers and manufacturers will stop at nothing to squeeze every last dollar out of you.
The only thing keeping them afloat - is the ignorance of the consumer.
Our job is to keep you aware and informed.
Why do they still advertise $5.00 on TV when the price for a cheese or pepperoni pizza at the 709 North Main St., North Syracuse, NY location is $6.00 each?
ReplyDeleteI would encourage you to check out http://www.cheesereporter.com/prices.htm Block Cheese Prices have broken all time record highs TWICE this year.
ReplyDeleteThe $5 hotnready pizza was introduced 13 years ago when average 1 lb block price was $1.40-1.60 per lb. (that is the market Price before shred, package, and ship) It is currently 2.45 per lb. and about 2.75 per lb when it arrives in the stores. If you actually were to research the time period in reference you will see that in March of this year Block Prices Reached there highest price EVER in the history of the world right before your local franchisee raised his prices. That record was broken YESTERDAY! As a franchisee I will tell you that cheese is currently our #1 cost. Even more than labor. I am sorry you feel the way that you do about our pizza. It is not a gourmet pizza. It is a good simple pizza for families that can't afford a $20 pie. I will tell you that we are the only National chain that makes our own dough and sauce in the stores and uses Cheese that has no corn starch additives and that has never been frozen. This is the way that we can sell a pizza cheaper than anyone else. We cut out the middle man who makes the dough and sauce and ships it in. I will also tell you that 85% of all LC stores are franchises not "opportunistic Box Chains" Ordinary people in your community like me. As franchisees we have really wanted to raise the price for a while because the concept was built on $1.40 to 1.60 per lb cheese prices. We have been taking a beating the last couple of years. (i.e. Profit Margins cut in half. ) We are allowed to change prices but corporate will keep the national advertising message at $5 which they insist is a magic number that drives traffic. Some franchisees with low volume stores finally decide to change the price in attempts to keep the doors open and provide for their livelihood. Doing this while corporate advertises the $5 message hurts us and we lose customers. I do believe that a price increase backed by a unified advertising plan from corporate would decrease customer loss dramatically. I would encourage you to look for any other value offerings in the food industry that existed in 2001 that still exists today. Despite what you may espouse, just because a company has a recognizable name does not mean that they are trying to stick it to you and make every little bit of dirty profit they can with all morals thrown to the wind. I understand that your post was probably written in frustration but please next time do not make broad sweeping unfounded assumptions to assuage your reader base. Thanks
Well said. I challenge anyone to show me something that hasn't went up in price over a 15 year period
ReplyDelete