Lowes Food Store I could buy a cow for the price that you have to pay for your milk . Your know this isn't Hawaii. Charlotte North Carolina

Milk prices are artificially inflated by the Federal government. Although federal law generally prohibits cartels, a federal dairy cartel enforces high milk prices.Marketing orders limit competition because entrepeneurs are prohibited from selling milk at below market prices.

The system also restricts milk from lower cost regions, such as the Midwest, from gaining market share in higher cost regions, such as the Southeast. Government data show that residents of Cincinnati paid an average $2.68 for a gallon of milk in 2006, while those in New Orleans paid $4.10, and government policy is largely to blame.

The prices you see in Lowes are likely the average market price plus some markup. The lower prices you may see in other stores are likely cost prices as lower milk prices are often used as a loss leader to entice customers.

An average customer will travel across town to buy milk $1.50 cheaper and then do their grocery shopping in the store. The other purchases reflect enough of a markup and the increase in sales volume more than makes up for any loss on the milk sale.

They're saying milk's gonna go up to $5 a gallon cause alot of the corn's being used to make ethanol and that has driven up the price of feed for the dairy farmers. BS! In San Antonio, I know of ONE station that sells ethanol. One! Like the gas stations, just an excuse to jack up the price.

Ok, I know this was posted and the rebuttals are a little old but I wanted to clear something up. First of all, I live in Charlotte, NC and there IS a grocery store on every corner. Where I live, I can drive 5 minutes to at least 6 different grocery stores.

We have TOO MANY grocery stores! The prices are all the same. If I take a left out of my driveway to Bi-Lo I'm going to spend $100 bucks less than if I take a right out of my driveway and go to Harris Teeter.

My father and I were having this discussion the other day about Lowe's Foods and grocery stores in general. Lowes Food is not an "up scale" grocery store per say. its the location. The Lowe's Foods here in Charlotte is very expensive but the Lowe's Foods in my hometown of Hickory, NC is dirt cheap.

Its all about location and here the Lowe's Foods are in places where they can charge you insane amounts for milk. Just like your Krogers is expensive where you live, Krogers in Hickory, NC (when it was there) was a cheap grocery store. Thought I would clear that up. Oh and yes Debra, good luck on getting a cow for $5.

All grocery stores, cheap and affluant are over pricing the milk right now due to our terrible inflation. You basically have 2 choices, buy milk the day before it expires (its discounted by then) and freezee it,
(somewhat extreme but I know people who do it) or shop at Costco if there is one in your area.
2.99 a gallon is pretty reasonable right now.
Do not, I repeat DO NOT got to Sams, rip off city # 1.

The Southern Rebel Cows had too many Mint Julips so they need to recover.

At out local grocery:
Mayfield whole milk is $4.55/gal
Laura Lynn whole milk is $3.05/gal
Pet whole milk is $3.15/gal
and so on.
Sams is usually $2.75/gal but is also a lot less convenient

So it depends what brand of milk you are looking at as well as where. I have never noticed any big differences amoungst brands so I select based on which brand has the farthest-out expiration date. If today were May 12 2007, a May 26 2007 expiration date would be preferred over a May 19 2007 expiration date.

And yes, stores with NO competition will charge more than stores that DO have competition. This is capitalism. It is the reason local stores will always fight the entry of a Wal*Mart into their trade area.

If you want to live in remote God's Country you will have to expect this. Ames Stores (are they still around??) followed the strategy of ALWAYS placing their stores in locations that offered no significant competition so that Ames could then charge more.

I didn't know you knew Debra's living and transportation situation personally. All I was saying is that not EVERYONE can just go to another store. I also find it hard to believe that you know for sure that there is a grocery store on EVERY CORNER in Charlotte NC! To say that $5.00 for a gallon of milk in not a rip off is insane!

We also have Lowes Food stores in Ohio, but when I called to ask if this is an "upscale grocery store", they acted confused as to what I meant. Where did you get the idea this was an UPSCALE grocery store, Shawangunk? Lastly, Shawangunk, why haven't you answered the post regarding Coby USA? You're on ROR so much, I know you've seen it.

The original poster lives in Charlotte -- the biggest metropolitan area of North Carolina. There are MANY MANY grocery store choices in Charlotte. Lowes Foods is one of the nicer stores. If the original poster does not like paying such prices for milk, perhaps she should simply go somewhere else. In an area where there is a grocery store on nearly every corner, this is not an impossible task to accomplish.

I don't fully agree with you here. not everyone can just "go to another store". I'm from a small town. At least 30 minutes to nearest grocery store (outside of town). In town there is 1 grocery store (Krogers), almost everything in the store is priced higher than the stores outside of town. I actually compared myself. I'm sure this store knows that some people can not travel out of town (elderly, no transportation, etc..) and I believe stores take advantage of that!

My grocery bill is about $200.00 a week (4 kids), and paying an extra $1.50 per gallon of milk really adds up, and pisses me off! The cost of gas to go out of town means I'll end up spending more either way. Any way about it, I'm screwed. Now tell me how thats fair. Imagine and elderly person with NO car, what do you suggest they do? I'm not trying to be rude in any way. I just want people to understand other peoples positions (empathy)!

I don't fully agree with you here. not everyone can just "go to another store". I'm from a small town. At least 30 minutes to nearest grocery store (outside of town). In town there is 1 grocery store (Krogers), almost everything in the store is priced higher than the stores outside of town. I actually compared myself. I'm sure this store knows that some people can not travel out of town (elderly, no transportation, etc..) and I believe stores take advantage of that!

My grocery bill is about $200.00 a week (4 kids), and paying an extra $1.50 per gallon of milk really adds up, and pisses me off! The cost of gas to go out of town means I'll end up spending more either way. Any way about it, I'm screwed. Now tell me how thats fair. Imagine and elderly person with NO car, what do you suggest they do? I'm not trying to be rude in any way. I just want people to understand other peoples positions (empathy)!

I don't fully agree with you here. not everyone can just "go to another store". I'm from a small town. At least 30 minutes to nearest grocery store (outside of town). In town there is 1 grocery store (Krogers), almost everything in the store is priced higher than the stores outside of town. I actually compared myself. I'm sure this store knows that some people can not travel out of town (elderly, no transportation, etc..) and I believe stores take advantage of that!

My grocery bill is about $200.00 a week (4 kids), and paying an extra $1.50 per gallon of milk really adds up, and pisses me off! The cost of gas to go out of town means I'll end up spending more either way. Any way about it, I'm screwed. Now tell me how thats fair. Imagine and elderly person with NO car, what do you suggest they do? I'm not trying to be rude in any way. I just want people to understand other peoples positions (empathy)!

I don't fully agree with you here. not everyone can just "go to another store". I'm from a small town. At least 30 minutes to nearest grocery store (outside of town). In town there is 1 grocery store (Krogers), almost everything in the store is priced higher than the stores outside of town. I actually compared myself. I'm sure this store knows that some people can not travel out of town (elderly, no transportation, etc..) and I believe stores take advantage of that!

My grocery bill is about $200.00 a week (4 kids), and paying an extra $1.50 per gallon of milk really adds up, and pisses me off! The cost of gas to go out of town means I'll end up spending more either way. Any way about it, I'm screwed. Now tell me how thats fair. Imagine and elderly person with NO car, what do you suggest they do? I'm not trying to be rude in any way. I just want people to understand other peoples positions (empathy)!

I've never shopped at Lowes, but they're probably not ripping you off. With those types of prices they're probably what you call an "upscale" supermarket. That means you receive a higher level of service (say for instance, the cashiers will remove your groceries from your cart for you, or the baggers will take your bags to your car without expecting a tip) and for the service which you can expect you pay a little more. If it's not important to you then try shopping at your local WIC-approved store. And good luck finding a cow for $5.