It wasn’t long after I posted What’s going on with Albertsons Doublers? when I got the official answer from Albertsons via e-mail this morning.
Here is an excerpt from the e-mail from corporate SUPERVALU –
We’re really excited that so many shoppers are enthusiastic about our Twice the Value coupons at certain Albertsons (IMW) locations, and we’ve seen a significant increase in shoppers who are using them.
Unfortunately, we’ve seen many people taking advantage of this special offer, so we’ve decided to stop providing extra inserts at our store locations. As of July 17th, the only way to have access to the promotional inserts that include our Twice the Value coupons will be to purchase a Sunday newspaper. I want to make it clear that we’re still offering and honoring our Twice the Value coupons, but to limit the number of shoppers who are using more than three in any given shopping trip we will not have extra coupons at our store locations.
Our stores in Montana and Wyoming have a historically low redemption rate of our special Twice the Value coupons, so in these specific markets we’ve decided discontinue offering our special savings inserts in Sunday newspapers as well. Since shoppers in these stores don’t appear to be finding value in these coupons, we’ve decided to use this as an opportunity to try new ways to share savings and value with our customers.
I know that many of you were not “taking advantage” or abusing the doublers and now you will have to purchase a paper or get a newspaper subscription to get your doublers. Sucks. I know. But I did hear horror stories of people going in and grabbing stacks of 20-4o doubler sheets from customer service and this completely goes against the intent of the promotion.
It is a bummer for the average consumer who wants to save a measly $3 with doublers and now has to spend $1 on a paper. It does make the doubler a little bit of an elitist promotion, right? If it’s not available for you unless you get the paper. I’m disappointed about that.
I try to be a devil’s advocate and think about all sides of this. So the promotion was being abused. People were literally doing dozens and dozens of transactions (not three). They were holding up lines (bad for other customers) and walking out of the stores paying only pennies for carts full of groceries. Albertsons is losing money on these transactions, every one of them, if they are walking out with FREE groceries and not doing other shopping in the stores. So do they STOP the whole program? Or just try and impose limits to combat the abuse?
Silver lining? I’m forever going to be an optimist. I think that by limiting the doublers that perhaps there won’t be so many empty shelves. We can hope. But this will spread the love to others, I’m hoping.
If you live in the delivery area for the Tacoma News Tribune you can get the Sunday paper delivered for $1 a copy (minimum three copies) – so you are guaranteed at least three sets of doublers. I know it’s not ideal, but if you can’t live without your doublers, it might be your only option. Plus you’ll get your other coupon inserts. If you don’t live in the News Tribune delivery area, you can check with your local paper to see if they carry doublers and if they have a subscription promotion.
Albertsons WANTS to hear from you – The e-mail ended asking for feedback from me and my readers about how we might see couponing evolve at Albertsons.
Do you want to see exclusive coupons on Facebook? Are you finding value in our email savings program? Whatever feedback your readers give us is going straight to our interactive marketing team, and we’re really enthusiastic about trying new ways to share coupons.
Personally I’d love it if Albertsons would switch to automatic doubling, no clipping doubler paper coupons – but rather a doubler promotion set up like the Midwest and other areas of the states are lucky to have – where the register just doublers a certain number of coupons automatically. This way they could limit it based on shopper card and/or number per day. But then we wouldn’t need to “pay to save” which is what it has now become – and which I think is a serious bummer.
What are your thoughts on this?
Amber says
I live in Wyoming, and personally I think this is ridiculous! I’ve gotten doublers in our Sunday paper maybe once since we’ve lived here (a year and a half) and our Albertsons doesn’t use the Albertson’s card. So now it’s pretty much just whatever you get from the manufacturer. Yes, a lot of the time they are great deals, but having doublers makes me want to shop there more!
I guess I will be off to King Soooers and Safeway more often since they have store cards and always double coupons.
Really disappointed with Albertsons right now…
🙁
wendy says
it’s been three weeks since the doublers coupons have been in my tacoma news tribune paper. is albertsons going to start puting them in the paper again? how often?
helen says
I think making people buy the paper to get it is a great Idea. I buy 10 papers every Sunday since they started offering doublers at Albertsons. I love them ,it helps save alot of money during these hard economic times for families who have lost there jobs and unable to afford food. I shopped at Wincos and Walmart before couponing and doublers because it was more affordable. If they have restrictions to only 3 transactions a day it would really suck because then it would not be worth be going all the way to albertsons to shop just to save $3 dollors a day. I would end up going back to the stores I shopped at before couponing bacause they match prices and they are cheaper. It will also save me on gas because it’s a one stop shopping trip. I go to alberstons because the doublers is worth me going and buying enough supply of food for my family of 6 if they limit transactions to 3 a day my albertsons shopping trips will come to an end forsure. I hope it doesnt come to that.
Katie says
I’d love to see them double coupons for folks with an Albertson’s card!
Jessica says
Bummer. My Albertson’s has always kept the doublers behind the customer service desk and would only give out one per visit. This always worked great for me because I get 2 papers, and I can do 3 transactions in one visit. Sad to hear abusers have ruined it for us all.
Sarah Wood says
So will we have doublers this week?
Heather says
I’m not sure? We might not be getting the heads up that we used to because there won’t be anyone in the stores leaking the doublers.
Debbie says
I’ve only been shopping at Albertson’s for the past couple of months as I have to drive to the next city to the north of me. I buy 8-20 Sunday papers (depending on inserts) I only do 3 transactions in a row and don’t make mulit trips in.
I’d love to see a triple day here every now and again and maybe double the first 25 Q’s up to $.50 but everyone including local businesses are hurting from this economy. So no skin off me for them to pull from CS.
My Al’s is great but like others above, I’m tired of the shelves being wiped clean. I made several trips for Propel drinks and finally had to order them! I love the doublers and sure could wish for triples or just an extra fifty cents on the first so many Q’s. I’m traveling so far that I’m using up my first round of doublers just to compensate for the gas I spend to get there and back.
mary says
also does anybody know why STate of WA doesnt have a store that has a double or triple day like htey do elsehwere and you can just bring the coupons in and the register calculates it….instead of all the rigamarole of Twice the Value coupons.
stores might have better control of inventory and taking advantage fo things ..like only 25 coupons or something.
mary says
duoblers brought me into Albersons and I buy alot of meat, fish and sefood there now. I just started couponing a month ago and I do use alot of doublers but I buy all the papers.
Karen says
I suspect Albertsons is making $$ off the TVQ’s or they would eliminate them completely. I agree with the tying of doubles to cards making the most sense. This policy just leaves the door open for another store to woo away the Albie’s customers.
jessia says
Good things always tend to get abused and then it gets taken away. Im sad that they will not be available at the c/s desk and I have always just used them out of my paper anyway. It would be nice to see Albies create a perfer customer savings that is somehow delivered right to them; e-mail, mailbox, club card. I do enjoy shopping there and my local store in Olympia has a great team of employees who are nice and helpfull. :-))
Susan says
Gaaa this is awful- I just learned about doublers (from your website) we get a sunday paper but it has NO coupons AT ALL. And I can’t even buy the bigger Sunday paper that would have them unless I drive all the way to town. Very disappointing.
Jennifer says
The thing that worries me about automatic doubling is that they would limit it even further say to one transaction per week. Honestly this doesn’t bother me at all because I already get my doublers from the newspaper only. And for $1 per paper you are getting all the other coupons in addition to the doublers. Well worth it in my opinion.
Aryn says
My thoughts exactly! But if they did do this, I’m sure we could just have multiple cards.
Jennifer says
Good for Albie’s, good for Rite Aid… good for *any* store that takes action to combat the “extreme” couponing foolishness that has hit since that show made it on TLC. I’ve never seen the show (we don’t have cable) but I’m asked about it every time I go to the store. I’m sick of empty shelves (not a problem just months ago) and people hoarding deals. I hope more stores follow suit.
Kirsten says
I agree with Heather… I would LOVE to see them available electronically somehow with our Albertsons card! It would be really nice if they allowed us to do what they have all along and give us up to 3 transactions of 3 TTV’s. However, even if we couldn’t do multiple transactions I would find it more convenient and still a great bargain!
jen says
Oh I buy 10 papers a week. LOL. That’s why I have one extra to give away.
jen says
First off I didn’t even know you could get them from CS. Second they have a rule about only doing 3 transactions a day of doublers. I go for 3 days just to get 9 transactions. I always have one extra I give away. Those who have followed the rules I were told by Albertsons was 3 transactions a day… they wouldn’t need 40 sheets of doublers. And if Albertson’s was letting them get that much stuff… then they should have enforced the daily 3 limit to everyone… not just pick and choosing who has to follow the rule or not. But there is always a bad apple couponer out there. 🙁 One who will bend it or find a way to break the couponing rules.
Brian says
The few times I bought the Sunday paper to get the doublers, they weren’t in there. So now given that they won’t give me the doublers in the store, I will simply stop going to Albertson’s. Safeway and QFC already had better prices on “non-doubler” items and have nicer stores (at least where I live, Kirkland).
Laura says
I was never aware that you were able to get the doublers for free. I buy 5-6 papers per week from the dollar store and really don’t mind having to pay for my doublers when I am already getting a ton of coupons with the paper. It does get old people abusing the system. I will do multiple transcactions at Albertsons but I never do more then 3 in one shopping trip and I will usually spread my trips over three days to try and be polite to other shoppers and not aggrivate the cashiers.
ShannonP says
I would love to see them added to our store card similar to a cellfire ecoupon. It makes it completely fair for everyone and less paper to process on their end.
Raynetta Maggiacomo says
I think in this economy that the stores do have to set some limits. I have seen some people have 6 or 7 different transactions and they are clearing the shelves. I get three News Tribune papers every Sunday and I use my nine doubles for something different on each one. I think of it as a treat to have a coupon matched. They are the only store in our area that does this so it is a priveledge, not a have to! Shame on those who were abusing the system. There are decent, fair couponers out there:)
Andi says
I don’t understand. The policy clearly stated no more than 3 TTVs in a transaction, and no more than 3 transactions in a row. How could people be walking out with carts full and only pay pennies if Albertson’s adhered to it’s own policy? I have some concerns about them not being offered at Customer Service because I know (as mentioned above) there have been times when I was missing one from my paper. (Not my fault it didn’t get in there.) Also at our Albies, you had to request them from the customer service desk and they would ask how many, never giving you more than 3 sheets.
Heather says
I can only speculate on why it’s so hard for stores to enforce this policy. I think it’s just hard to track. A customer could do three transactions in one line with one cashier then go through again in another cashier’s line. Or they go in during the morning shift and go back in the evening. Or worst yet, they make a scene about doing more than a couple transactions and in many instances the managers are put in a difficult position of the “customer is always right” and it’s just easier to ignore than fight. These are all speculations on my part. I am not sure, but I think it’s just that people were abusing the 3 TTVs in a tranny and three in a row – regardless of what stores were trying to do to circumvent it.
Denise says
I was shopping at Albertson’s on occasion when there were doublers (I only ever took 3) if there were good deals on things I needed. Generally, I find prices at Albertson’s for most of the things at I buy to be significantly higher than other nearby stores, so I don’t do all of my weekly shopping there. Subscribing to the newspaper only for the TTV inserts does’t make sense since they aren’t in the paper each week, so you’d likely be spending more than $1 on average to MAYBE save up to $3 (double a smaller value coupon and the worth really goes down).
Aryn says
I’ve had great luck at Albertson’s lately and am happy that this change does not affect me at all. I buy multiple papers to get the extra inserts, as well as the extra TTV coupons. As long as they keep offering doubler’s, I’ll be happy. My local store is so friendly and when I go on a very slow day (maybe 2 other customers in the entire store) then the manager will let me do all my doublers in one transaction! I don’t like the idea of putting them electronically onto cards, though. That would almost certainly mean a strict limit of a few double coupons per customer, and how would we be able to choose which coupons doubled? I buy about 5 papers a week and usually am able to do my 3 small transactions 2x after leaving the store and emptying my cart first. If I have more deals, I come back later or the next day, or the manager is kind enough to let me do them all. 🙂
Chuck says
I must admit that this is not going to have a huge effect on me. Since Supervalu took over Albertsons from the original Joe, I do not go there often. That in and of itself is too bad as I had been a loyal Albertsons customer for 25 years prior to the take over. The deals are just not as good as Safeway and even QFC. The employees don’t seem to be as happy either. The doublers did help push me in to the store on occasion. I did get the coupons from customer service as they don’t come with the Weds mailer. Maybe Albertsons can include the doublers in the weekly ad and still help themselves limit gluttonous customers and keep the regular honest folks happy.
Cally says
Although I love getting my doublers in the newspaper, for the sake of the company it would benefit them more to go paperless and and the doublers to each card. Or some how have a system that autmatically gives you the discount on your coupons at the register (after they scan the coupon). I will be sad if they give you just the three doublers (no additional transactions), but that’s better then nothing.
April says
At the store I shop at they were always behind the counter and you had to ask for them so there is no way you could abuse the system and take a stack. It’s really too bad THAT couldn’t be their policy instead of just leaving them out. What a bummer all the way around but I understand their reason for doing so. Its always a few bad apples that ruin the whole bunch.
christa says
I think its a real bummer about the doubler deal. I know I still purchase my couple newspapers every week with my doublers and inserts in them. Sometimes when I do my shopping trip to albies I would come up short on doublers, and it was always nice to grab one or two at customer service. I understand why albies is changing though, I see people with two or three cart fulls, with alot of the weekly deals in them, and only assume they are using doublers for all that stuff. I think electronic doublers might be a good idea. Limiting coupons used per customer, thus limiting people from clearing shelves and letting others participate in the great deals albies has.
Jaime says
I agree about the automatic doubling w/ store card to be the best way to make the program “fair for all.”
I think this just lends credence to the concerns that some of us have expressed over the “overzealous” and occasionally underhanded behaviors of others using coupons.
Jennifer says
It’s too bad that they can’t put them behind the counter at customer service so that they could limit how many each customer received. Or be able to go online and just add them to them to our customer cards or something similar.
christa says
I know at the two albies in my area they have been keeping them behind the desk for a while now. But I like the idea about having them on the customer cards. 🙂
melissa says
i never got mine from the CS desk anyway, besides this last sunday when mine were missing out of my paper. so im not totally bummed about it. im glad they are limiting to people who just buy the sunday paper, makes it fair to everybody. so tiring to get to the store to see the deal you wanted to do was already wiped out. and probably by the people who are doing the 12 transactions to get everything for free. i really dont want to see another store go out of business. the one next to my home closed down few years ago. i think they need to do whatever they need to do to keep stores prosperous and also give great deals too.