Felt Like I Was Doing Something Illegal
Decorating By beachcakes Updated 24 Feb 2006 , 1:14pm by thyterrell
I wanted to get an idea of how much the grocery store a few towns over charges for decorated cakes. Today I went there and looked through their book, which is basically just airbrushed cakes w/ plastic figures on top. I assume this is how Walmart and others do it also? I asked the bakery lady for a price sheet, but she just indicated to a sign on the wall for various sizes and said, 'add $10 for decorated cakes'. There was no way I could memorize all the prices, so I kept sneaking down the next aisle writing a few prices, nonchalantly walking past the bakery counter again, and so on and so on... I felt like i was doing something illegal! but I finally got all the prices written down. I was quite surprised that a 1/4 sheet filled and decorated serving 14 - 16 people was $35! Is this the going rate for this kind of cake? It seems like a lot for a grocery store.
I wonder what their definition is for a "decorated cake." Is the $35 considered a decorated cake?
Miah
Here in Canada just a small nice inch square is 25$ with a few roses on them. I was in sticker shock too to find out how much they charge for what I consider simple cakes at the grocery store.
....did you have on big dark sunglasses and a trench coat too?? I'm sorry bu thtis is what I pictured reading this!!!
I'm only laughing because I have tried to be sneaky getting prices too!!
Here in Texas at our wal-mart, it's about $16-20 for your typical airbrushed, plastic figures on top kid cake. $35 seems a little high.
LOL twinsline! That's what I was thinking as I was doing it!
ape - that's what I was thinking - $35 seems really high for a grocery store cake! That's over $2 a serving!
cashley - your prices in Canada are similar to this grocery store... their 10" round w/ border & rose is $20. I think they'll put a name on it too.
I wish our grocery stores charged $35. That would help me out a lot. Ape, our walmart charges the same.
I got my husband to go to the grocery store bakery and ask them for their prices. The lady was nice enough to give him the custom order sheet with the prices, and then print off price labels with the name and price of the regular cakes and stick them on the back.
Maybe because he was a man, it didn't look suspicious???
At least you didn't stand back and take a picture with your cell phone!! Now that I would have liked to see-I am sure it is being done somewhere!! There is nothing wrong with price comparison-secret shoppers do it all the time with other stores. You were just checking things out...but I do have to laugh about the "sneaking" part-
I'd be more suspicious of someone "sneaking" around, than outright pulling out pen and paper and writing the prices down. The worked don't mind if a customer does that, they get paid whether you buy their cake or not.
At least you didn't stand back and take a picture with your cell phone!!
and why not? camera phones so common, doubt anyone would even notice and could always claim sending to hubby/grandma etc.
tho as PurplePetunia pointed out, just send hubby then even less obvious...since we men are so often labled "clueless" when it comes to this stuff.
At least you didn't stand back and take a picture with your cell phone!! Now that I would have liked to see-I am sure it is being done somewhere!! There is nothing wrong with price comparison-secret shoppers do it all the time with other stores. You were just checking things out...but I do have to laugh about the "sneaking" part-
Well at least she didn't send her hubby with just a trenchcoat and sunglasses on and a camera phone. Sorry, I have this funny visual image and it is all your fault.
I don't have any qualms about going into a bakery and writing down their prices. The thing is, there will come a time when you will need to buy a bakery cake, an unexpected occasion when you don't have enough notice to bake and you want to drop off a cake. I don't call bakeries and tie up their time on the phone but I will go in person and if they have a site with prices, even better. I will still buy cakes every so often to see what they taste like.
It is funny that we feel dishonest doing this but really like was noted, stores do this all the time. Heehee, but I surely enjoyed your descriptions!
I am lucky, we have a local bakery here that does fabulously decorated wedding cakes and also sells supplies. So they have no problem with you going in and pricing things, in fact they will even suggest prices and methods and all. Pretty darn nifty!
Hugs Squirrelly
At least you didn't stand back and take a picture with your cell phone!!
and why not? camera phones so common, doubt anyone would even notice and could always claim sending to hubby/grandma etc.
tho as PurplePetunia pointed out, just send hubby then even less obvious...since we men are so often labled "clueless" when it comes to this stuff.
Some men Doug, definitely not you. My hubby probably knows the going rate of cakes better than I do, haha! I think some men are better comparison shoppers than their spouses and he is one.
Hugs Squirrelly
Never feel bad about getting information about your competitors, as long as you aren't stealing it. If the information is available to the public then you have every right to it.
I have a spreadsheet that lists every company that I consider to be a competitor that lists their buttercream and fondant rates and some of their delivery charges. If they ever want my information, I would be happy to provide it right down to the delivery charge. I say you start making phone calls and get everyones pricing.
Kevin
I think that price is pretty much what it is around here - and if it's made w/specific colors, writing, they consider it decorated - even though you can buy a cake in the freezer that is "decorated" (no writing) for a bit less.
As far as the sneaking - I'm finding it harder and harder to get anyone to pay enough attention to help me when I need it, so I'm doubting they would've even noticed someone getting the prices here - well, maybe they would've noticed, but i doubt they would've cared enough to ask about it. The level of customer service here just gets worse and worse.
Tracey
tho as PurplePetunia pointed out, just send hubby then even less obvious...since we men are so often labled "clueless" when it comes to this stuff.
LOL I don't think DH even knows where the grocery store IS, let alone go into one!
Well, I didn't take pictures with my cell, but I sure took paper and pencil and wrote down all the prices for all the ingredients I needed. Did this at Walmart, Michaels and the local grocery store. And nobody seemed to care. Maybe cause I wasn't wearing a trench coat and sunglasses!? Who knows... LOL... I'll try wearing one next time, just hope they don't call the police or anything like that thinking I'm about to do something crazy. If they do, I'll explain what I was doing and distribute some business cards...LOL... KIDDING!
Marcia, I did that too, LOL! I wrote down prices of the items I regularly use to get an idea of cost. I spent waaay too long in King Kullen yesterday! After I came home & told DH what I did - he said i should've brought a digital camera... too bad i don't have a camera phone
I regularly walk into my local grocery stores with a clip board and pen, and write down the prices for all the ingredients. They don't even bat an eye.
I print out my price list from my pricing matrix (heavily modified to accommodate my scratch cakes) and go to town.
Every few months when I add new ingredients of if I think the prices have changed a lot I go back and do it again.
I think they are getting used to me.
I think what you did was more than fine. Don't worry about it! You have to know what your competition charges. Every good cake decorator does a little research! It was far from illegal. : ) They know they have competition! If it makes you feel better buy some groceries there. ; ) Best of luck to you!
Man.... listening to all of you has definitely given me some good ideas for what I should do to accurately price my cakes. Guess it's time to go buy a trench coat LOL!!!!
Miah
I know for a fact that my Walmart sends one of their employees every week to the other grocery stores here to check out their prices. I know the lady who does this, and she will come back to Walmart and they change their prices to be lower than the sale items from the other stores. So it just goes to show that most all business of any kind check out the prices of their competitors and just because you do your work from you, you shouldn't be any different or feel bad for doing so.
LOL you guys are way too funny. I am sitting here reading this thread and all I can picture is the trench coat, the pencil and notepad, the over sized sunglasses and the pink panther theme song.
tho as PurplePetunia pointed out, just send hubby then even less obvious...since we men are so often labled "clueless" when it comes to this stuff.
LOL I don't think DH even knows where the grocery store IS, let alone go into one!
You guys/gals are too funny!! I'm blessed with a good hubby that does my weekly groceries for me since the kids were born.
By the way, just thought I'd add, that I just told hubby, that when he's at the grocery store for me next week, ask at the bakery if they'll sell him a picture on the photo frosting sheets without the cake!!! Won't that get them thinking!!
I was there the other day, but didn't have the guts to ask. So I let him do the dirty work!!
PurplePetunia
I've often wondered if they would do it. You have to let us know!
Miah
A small cake shop around here prints them for you and sells them without the cake for $20!!! By the time you factor that into the cost of your cake, it's too much for the customer.
Hopefully the grocery store will do it cheaper, if they'll do it. I remember someone posted on here before that their grocery store said no, with an attitude.
I'll post when hubby finds out.
Here in hawaii, a cake smaller than a half sheet at safeway is $35. This is for an airbrushed cake with a figurine stuck on top. With this in mind, I think we should all charge more.
OK Nanni......I was in KC at this "to die for" store on the Plaza last weekend....and I SNAPPED A PIC OF A PRODUCT WITH MY CELL PHONE CAMERA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Believe me, I was looking all around before I did it!!! G U I L T Y. lololol!
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