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Why Wednesday?


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For as long as I can remember, Wednesday was always the day that the local newspaper produced a special section of grocery store ads. Websites like the New York Times and Washington Post post recipes and restaurant reviews on Wednesday. My question is--what's so special about Wednesday? When (and where) did this tradition begin?

Formerly "Nancy in CO"

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Wednesday night we get the local regional free newspaper with all the ads and flyers in it.  And the flyers start on Thursday.  Still some of the chain grocery stores no longer produce paper flyers for inclusion in the newspaper, and some put in only a skeleton page or so, but all are online now.  

 

Why do the specials in the grocery store begin on a Thursday?

Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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in my area , the local ads come vis US mail .    I dont get a local newspaper

 

 but if they send them in the mail , I doubt their would be dups in a newspapwe

 

 

they come on Thursday , and the sales start Friday.

 

Market  Basket ads come the same time , but their sale starts sunday.  you can see the ads on the websites

 

sometimes on Wed.    I sued to enjoy looking over the ads , as there are specific cycles for Brand name stuff

 

that rotate from one chain to another then another , then go away for 3 - 4 months.,

 

I sued to shop at MB  as its not much father than RB's which is close

 

but those days are long gone, and I go to RocheBro very rarely , on Monday , 7 am senior hour/

 

and TJ's sometimes on Tues , senior hour is 8 am.  I go to TJ's on tuesdays as my WnbeBuds are all there

 

that day.

 

I no longer look at the ads.   although one can save over time white a bit by using them

 

my time is the store is more valuable to me than a savings that takes a bit of a hunt to find.

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Our ads come on Tuesday via US mail. I always thought it was so you could leisurely peruse them, plan your meals, and shop most likely on the weekend. Not based on fact, just conjured in my mind. 

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I don't think it's universal, although perhaps it's become more so as this article suggests it's easier for national chains to standardize: Are mid-week circulars better for supermarkets?

 

I always figured the mid-week sale starts were to draw shoppers away from the crowded weekends to even out their business but I have nothing to back that up. 

 

The LATimes print food section ran on Thursdays for many years and sometimes included a casual restaurant review.  Most restaurant reviews were in the Sunday Calendar section, so more under "entertainment." 

Then both were reduced to a page in the Saturday section.  Now, a full print section is back with both restaurant news and reviews and cooking/recipes and it's in the Sunday paper.

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16 minutes ago, blue_dolphin said:

The LATimes print food section ran on Thursdays for many years and sometimes included a casual restaurant review.  Most restaurant reviews were in the Sunday Calendar section, so more under "entertainment." 

Then both were reduced to a page in the Saturday section.  Now, a full print section is back with both restaurant news and reviews and cooking/recipes and it's in the Sunday paper.

 

I love that they brought a dedicated section back and it is usually well done. Back in the day it was 2! sections. Pre internet I eagerly awaited Jonathan Gold's Counter Intelligence column.  I clipped them and have some still...somewhere... and informative pieces like this  https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1994-10-13-fo-49542-story.html Patricia Quintana on posole Thursday.  

 

Thanks for prompting the memories. Now I will go try to find them and aggravate my allergies :)

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Come to think of it, our flyers used to come on a Thursday to start on the Friday.  Then some smartie no doubt moved his up one day and sooner or later, they all fell into line.  Ed does the shopping in our family and he likes to shop the sales.  Somehow he figures the money saved is worth the extra expenditure of time. And he'll happily go to four stores.   Some of us certainly don't agree with him, but some of us don't do the shopping any more.  :raz:

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Darienne

 

learn, learn, learn...

 

We live in hope. 

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I remember adverts / dedicated food sections coming out on Wednesdays as well. For office workers, Mondays & Tuesdays can be the busiest work days of the week. By Wednesday, you're a little more relaxed and thinking about the weekend, what you're going to eat, etc. That might be part of it.

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