by KYW's Mike DeNardo
With the economy slowing down, it seems more bargain-hunting grocery shoppers are willing to look past things like "sell by" dates.
If a box of Frosted Flakes is past its "sell by" date, that's fine with this woman:
"I have bought things that are out of date and I know it. And I don't feel concerned."
She was shopping at Amelia's Grocery Outlet in Woodlyn, Delaware County, a so-called "surplus" or "salvage" grocer that buys manufacturers' closeouts. Amelia's president Mike Mitchell says same-store sales were up 12% last year. And he says his customers don't mind if some of the sell-by dates have passed:
"Occasionally we get a very good buy on something, and we sell it at a significant discount. And some people actually gravitate to those because they know that the quality's good and the price is going to be exceptionally low because the manufacturer put a tremendous discount on it."
Signs inside the store remind customers that the "sell by" dates refer to quality, not safety.
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