Del Monte agrees to $4B buyout

THis is a stock/business board...I thought you were talking about Bonds when you wrote coupons.

But since you are ...here is a simple explanation.  THe chains have pressed and threatened the suppliers for many years, competing with them with store brands.  Are you aware stores actually charge the suppliers to put products on the shelves...then demand advertising contributions from them (Slotting allowances, etc)  All this with constant demand for lower wholesale prices.  WalMart is Notorious for this playing the companies off each other.  So by the time that is all finished there is very little left, you don't see TV ads for most consumer products and foods anymore--maybe a coule weeks a year if they are lucky, most get no support at all.  What you used to get in a coupon is now already in the price, and coupons are quite expensive--the cost of distributing them, then the actual discoun, plus what stores get paid (read the print on the coupon) for redeeming them, then what the clearing house (like a bank for coupons) gets..add on misredemptions and fraudulent redemption and you begin ogetthe picture.  All in a format that only a small percentage of consumers even use...and man of them are coupon only buyers, the idea of a coupon/rebae/etc is to get you to try the product...then to buy  again without that.  Coupons are dying and will be relegated to the trading stamp/free dishes/etc scrapheap of history.  That dollar you got off cost the producer 3-4X that.  And on commodity type purchases it is useless from a profit perspective...yes companies exist to make a profit

hey fly,

First off why don't you learn how to spell on at least a third grade level before you make stupid comments. Secondly there is nothing wrong with making some spaghetti at home with canned sauce once in a while. Before you judge me on what i feed my family( which i do use plenty of salads and fruit at home from the local farmers market )take a good hard look in the mirror , you might just be suprised what you see!As far as DM leaving the country the article doesn't really give many specifics and is rather short and vague to make any real conclusions as to what the final outcome of the co. will be.But if i had ti guess it sounds like another american co. going elsewhere to save a buck .I'm sure a good old dose of greed , poor mangement , bad economy, bean counters and other financial factors had something to do with it.

 What you used to get in a coupon is now already in the price, and coupons are quite expensive--the cost of distributing them, then the actual discoun, plus what stores get paid.../RichNYC

As a former retailer you are only partially right.  As to what the stores get paid -8c- is peanuts when it comes to the HOOPS  you have to go through to redeem them. Especially if the employee is earning $$/hr.  Plus, you have to compile records to show the actual inventory orders and keep them handy for a year+.

Coupons will always be around as its the ONLY way to get non customers to try your product a first time, or reward a faithful customer.

Retailers get bonuses for letting a supplier have the ideal  shelf space:  EYE LEVEL and without competitors.

All in all, its to make up for  the loss of income in a tighter retail market.

I never worried about competitors and their pricing. I got customers with SERVICE and finding DEALS to suit their interests.

If you can not give your consumers a better deal then why waste peoples time for pennies off.../ unFLY

There are deals out there.  Its a matter of doing some groundwork on your part.   I found a grocery store mgr willing to give me a 25% discount if I bought case lots of my favorite canned   HEALTHY  food: Allen Canned Kale.

Another store will get me  CASE LOTS when its on sale for half price.

Then there are wholesale distributors that will bend the rules in your area.

I gave up on DM mostly because their coupons  required multiple purchases to get an amount off that made it not worth bothering with.

If I want quality, I prefer S&W!

Isn't this wonderful? With this buyout, regardless of whether or not it is economic, we have just written a check ( huge profit) to none other than Nancy Pelosi. That lovely speaker of the house who has single handedly, ruined our economy and possibly our economic system. This all done in self dealing from the capitol building.

Henry, is a very wise investor and always buys value, However, the unintended consequences are to enrich one of the wealthiest women in the U.S. This woman made sure that her investment was a success by issuing programs  for the benifit of Del Monte in American Samoa. Nice, huh?  A woman who is one of the most arrogant, vicious people in America, second only to George Soros. She has sought to impose her will on the American people whether they want it or not.