the grocery store club cards thing is getting mentioned quite a bit now (by brent simmons, phil windley, and jeremy zawodny). caspian is an organization fighting the cards.

they did a study that showed higher regular prices at stores with club cards than those without. the thing that struck me about the comparison is that the only thing on the list i have bought within the list in the last year is dish soap—and i've taken to buying the cheapest brand at the store for that.

plus, for clues to the obesity epidemic, look at the food included in the study. a list that included staples like flour, apple juice, milk, meat, and some vegetables would have been more interesting.

(i'm not unsympathetic to the anti-card sentiment. i'm just unenthusiastic about it. i'm more annoyed at the anemic food selection at my grocery store than the pricing games they play.)