Wisconsin’s Irish butter ban spurs statewide dairy debacle

[muwarrior69]

Of all places to ban butter who would think it would be Wisconsin. I just might go to the grocer and buy some as I have tried this bran.

http://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/2017/02/23/wisconsin-s-irish-butter-ban-spurs-statewide-dairy-debacle.html

[HouWarrior]

This is a smile memory from the past...Remember the Oleo signs on the Ill border area and folks heading down to buy some. How silly, I assume that is over now.

I had another related one. I managed the third Pick N Save store (on Natl Ave) when the chain was in its infancy in the late 70s. WI had a minimum markup law and we got caught more than once selling gallon milk for less than the required markup. Splashy articles  in the MJ resulted of our violations , along with TV news reports. Embarrassed, ...I asked the chain supervisor what we'd do to ensure this stopped. He smiled...."this is the best publicity we could hope for....selling something  too cheaply may offend the state, but not our customers...ever". Pick N Save survived and prospered.

 Honestly, I never understood the logic behind the WI Unfair Sales Act...why not allow below cost, loss leader sales?

[GooooMarquette]

This is a smile memory from the past...Remember the Oleo signs on the Ill border area and folks heading down to buy some. How silly, I assume that is over now.

I had another related one. I managed the third Pick N Save store (on Natl Ave) when the chain was in its infancy in the late 70s. WI had a minimum markup law and we got caught more than once selling gallon milk for less than the required markup. Splashy articles  in the MJ resulted of our violations , along with TV news reports. Embarrassed, ...I asked the chain supervisor what we'd do to ensure this stopped. He smiled...."this is the best publicity we could hope for....selling something  too cheaply may offend the state, but not our customers...ever". Pick N Save survived and prospered.

 Honestly, I never understood the logic behind the WI Unfair Sales Act...why not allow below cost, loss leader sales?

I have no idea what the enforcement of the Unfair Sales Act is like...but wouldn't be shocked if stores only get in trouble if they sell DAIRY products below cost.

[warriorchick]

This is a smile memory from the past...Remember the Oleo signs on the Ill border area and folks heading down to buy some. How silly, I assume that is over now.

Everyone of a certain age has the "where I was when I heard Kennedy was shot" story.  Glow's parents heard it on the car radio as they were driving down from Milwaukee to the Illinois border to buy oleo.

Most Wisconsin-y story ever.

[Sir Lawrence]

Why, pray tell, would one buy imported butter, when one lives in a dairy centric location?  Buy local, FFS.

[Benny B]

Why, pray tell, would one buy imported butter, when one lives in a dairy centric location?  Buy local, FFS.

Perhaps because the Irish butter is on sale and/or the "American" butter on the shelves is made in California or Illinois?

[HouWarrior]

I have no idea what the enforcement of the Unfair Sales Act is like...but wouldn't be shocked if stores only get in trouble if they sell DAIRY products below cost.

Even on Dairy products...if a retailer wants to lead item loss lead and get customers in the door...why shouldnt it be able to sell dairy at cost or below? ...clearly the aggressive retailer will  be increasing the amount purchased from the supplier/dairy...supplier benefits from selling more dairy.
 Clearly the shoppers benefit. So why have the law?

[jsglow]

Everyone of a certain age has the "where I was when I heard Kennedy was shot" story.  Glow's parents heard it on the car radio as they were driving down from Milwaukee to the Illinois border to buy oleo.

Most Wisconsin-y story ever.

Actually it wasn't the car radio.  My parent's car didn't have a radio in 1963.  Rather, it was a little portable transistor my dad would set in the front seat for 'long drives'.  And while I have no memory of the trip down US 41, I'll bet I was standing on the hump.

[Ellenson Guerrero]

Even on Dairy products...if a retailer wants to lead item loss lead and get customers in the door...why shouldnt it be able to sell dairy at cost or below? ...clearly the aggressive retailer will  be increasing the amount purchased from the supplier/dairy...supplier benefits from selling more dairy.
 Clearly the shoppers benefit. So why have the law?

To play devil's advocate, I think the purported concern is predatory pricing schemes, where large-scale businesses destroy their competition by selling at a loss for a period of time, forcing the competition out of the market, and then raising prices to monopolistic levels. 

[HouWarrior]

To play devil's advocate, I think the purported concern is predatory pricing schemes, where large-scale businesses destroy their competition by selling at a loss for a period of time, forcing the competition out of the market, and then raising prices to monopolistic levels.

Thats the going in theory, but Walmart can buy in such volumes that it can drive the mom and pop stores out anyway...ie there is no evidence the markup law has protected small business....it simply has stopped WI merchants from loss leader sales ie black friday prices are higher in WI, than the same items in Texas.... example:

https://badgerherald.com/news/2015/09/22/wisconsin-small-businesses-react-to-potential-repeal-of-unfair-sales-act/