7-11 Repackages Its Beef Jerky To Smaller Size At Higher Price

Good ol' 7-11 the place where you can find cheap eats and if you're lucky enough, cheap jerky. Well, not anymore. The staple $4.99 beef jerky that used to come in the green plastic ziplock bags for 3 oz. (image can't be found online and has mysteriously disappeared), is no more.
 
In fact, when looking online, one can barely find evidence that such cheap jerky existed at 7-11. Only outdated and cached sites now exist, showing the mysterious disappearing act that 7-11 has played with its own brand of beef jerky.

Here are the three sites that have the evidence:

7-Select Beef Jerky - Original ~ Beef Jerky Reviews "Apr 1, 2009 - This beef jerky is among the new entries into the 7-Select brand. ... 7-Eleven sells this original variety at a price of $4.99 for a 3.25oz bag."
7-Select Beef Jerky - Original
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
"Jerky Jam" http://jerkyjam.blogspot.com/
7-11 Select Beef Jerky ($4.99 Per 3.25 OZ)





7-11 has repackaged its beef jerky into smaller sizes, less than 3 oz. for the traditional and original flavored beef jerky and has an even smaller bag for customers to buy. The difference? The price is more expensive ($5.99 in CA).




7-11 stands to gain a lot of money for this ruse they're pulling on loyal customers who must dig deeper into their pockets to shell out the extra money for such luxury goods as beef jerky.

This may not seem like a big deal for those who can shop at Costco or the big super marts in suburbia but for those city dwellers living on a shoe-string budget--whose only diet is a convenience store when you have no fridge, stove or microwave--it's a heck of a sticker shock.

However, such sleight-of-hand tactics only make customers want to shop elsewhere and though 7-11 boasts: 

"Our stores sell more cold beer, cold single-serve bottled water, cold Gatorade and fresh-grilled hot dogs than any other U.S. retailer." -- 7-11 Corporate Site http://corp.7-eleven.com/aboutus/funfacts/tabid/77/default.aspx

they are not the only convenience store around.
 
Familiarity of products, supply and ease of buying makes 7-11 a staple stop for those on-the-go. Integrating technology with the coffee app service and promotion specials make the store even more likable for the younger generation (though there have been complaints about their coffee app not working).

7-11 is no longer the old pit-stop of yesteryear, selling car oil and greasy donuts. Nowadays it has a vast array of goods, including the high-end Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream, Starbucks coffee drinks, and KIND snack bars.

In 2003, Investor's Business Daily writer, Kirk Shinkle wrote an article on 7-11's new profits and an overview of how they turned their store image around. 

"7-Eleven Inc. Dallas, Texas; Time To Move Beyond Jerky And Big Gulps?" -- http://news.investors.com/business-the-new-america/103103-392992-7-eleven-inc-dallas-texas-time-to-move-beyond-jerky-and-big-gulps-.htm#ixzz3jEZTr7TL

According to the article, 7-11 Chief Executive Jim Keyes stated, 

"The company is adding new products such as home-made sandwiches and fresh fruit. That part of the business could make up 25% of sales in five to 10 years."

Ten years later, such predictions have come true. According to Convenience Store and Fuel News, CSPnet.com, 

"During 2013, 7-Eleven stores generated total worldwide sales close to $84.5 billion." -- http://www.cspnet.com/category-news/foodservice/articles/7-eleven-birthday-celebration-extends-beyond-711

So with all those billions of dollars in 7-11's pocket, why are they ripping off customers whose lifetime paycheck will never equal such astronomical sums? It can't be supply and demand, since the very existence of so much cheap beef jerky throws that argument out the window. The only reasoning is, more profit. They want to drain every single drop (and every single ounce) from their customer's wallet that they can get.

During this mysterious re-phasing of their more expensive beef jerky, where the everyday staple of green ziplock bags disappeared into thin air, an even more expensive beef jerky line was put on display. KRAVE, a beef jerky that boasts such claims as: "All-Natural", "Product of USA", "No Artificial Ingredients, Minimally Processed"... (as opposed to the crap customers have been buying from 7-11's own brand?) At a whopping $7.99 for 3.25 oz. (plus Sales Tax of $0.70 in CA), it's definitely more of a high-end choice that few can afford after the $4.99 3 oz. 7-11 jerky.






Perhaps it's a sign of the times, where low-cost food is going the way of gasoline and never-again will we see such reasonable prices for items we use to buy everyday. With inflation exceeding a stagnant and outdated poverty level line, few will ever-again be able to afford what they used to.

Diets of the future will have to adapt. No more: meat, dairy, cold food, perishables, vegetables, fruits, fresh food, etc. For those with Celiac Disease, it's a much more grim fate. Stuck with packaged instant soup, instant coffee, canned tuna (if it's on sale), corn chips ($2.99 for 14 oz.). V8 drinks (if it's on sale because Ensure is far too expensive to drink), peanut butter, and maybe a chocolate bar or two a month. Even the size of chocolate bars have shrunk dramatically but for the same if not, higher price. Good luck trying to maintain a proper body weight (or measure of sanity).

No, I'm not going to "Thank Heaven for 7-11" because 7-11 has now chosen a different side, a very dark and sinister side that worships pieces of paper called money and has a golden idol called Profit. I think instead, I'll do my shopping elsewhere, most likely at a Japanese/Chinese store where gluten-free items are in abundance and fresh food can be sold without extra taxes and fees added on. In these stores, people open and close at decent times and workers are rarely called upon to work beyond their allotted hours or under minimum wage. These stores are often family owned and the clientele are much more civilized and say "Thank You" when they leave.

"ありがとうございました."

* * *

Emerald Behrens, currently resides in San Francisco, where she writes about social injustice, homelessness and human frailty in general. She is a freelance writer, poet and author of "My Private Collection". She may be contacted at: emerarudo83 (at) gmail (dot) com.

Contents of blog and article subject to copyright. Not for use or copy without author's permission.

Let’s Talk About Money

I was going over my finances, like I do every few months, and decided to write down all my expenses so far (not counting entertainment, coffee, eating out, etc.). I was trying to figure out how much I could save if I got a better paying job, now that minimum wage in San Francisco is $12.25 an hour.

Turns out, I won't be saving anything after all...

Here are my expenses:

Rent $850/month $10,200/year

Rent in San Francisco is insane and I'm lucky to get a studio (no bath or kitchen) at this price. I got a lease, so I'll see how long that lasts. There is rent control here but it's a tricky situation that has kept many local and state lawyers busy (and well employed).

Health Insurance $285/month $3,420/year

I never needed health insurance, until a disastrous situation put me in a "hospital" against my will. Rather than paying $32,000+ for those bills, my health insurance put out $15,000+ and cut it down to a reasonable amount for me to pay in monthly installments, somewhere around $5,000+.

Not bad... but now I don't think I can afford health insurance anymore. San Francisco has their own health insurance but I don't work here to qualify and I really don't want to be on Medi-Cal because I've heard horror stories about it.

Storage $180/month $2,160/year

Do I really need all that junk in my storage? No. But how do I get rid of it? That's a problem that has plagued me for 3+ years now. Yes, for three years I've been paying storage fees because my family used to live in a four bedroom three bath house and now I'm on my own in a studio with no way to get all my things back to the way it used to be. Not all that stuff is mine, true, but if I were to pack all my stuff: books, books, more books and some furniture... I'd really be crammed in this remodeled hotel room I'm living in now. This is a work in progress.

PG&E $60/month $720/year

Since my last bill so far was $4.44, I have no idea what my next bill will be but I'm basing it off of previous bills I've had with PG&E. Unfortunately, due to much red tape and meaningless "Poverty Levels for a Family of One Household", I don't qualify for PG&E handouts. How much electricity can I use with only a computer, printer, rice cooker, hot water pot and fluorescent lights? I may have to update this later.

YMCA $62/month $744/year

Yes, I belong to the YMCA which is right handy for me. I may not use the gym that much or go to all of the yoga classes but they have an indoor swimming pool, as San Francisco's summer weather reaches a ridiculous high of 70 degrees fahrenheit without fog. They also have clean showers. I live in a studio and shared bath with only three bathrooms on four floors, with over 60+ people sharing them. Figure it out.

AT&T $51.98/month $623.76/year

I am going to cut AT&T even though I've been with them 10+ years. They inform me that I'm on "the cheapest plan" but I'm not convinced. My phone bill is supposed to be $39.99 but they add in all these extras and taxes, including a very shady Administration Fee of $0.61 that was not approved by customers. Needless to say, I could write another article just on how much AT&T rips me off. Now I just have to figure out how to transfer data from a very old flip-phone to my monthly to-go smartphone.

StraightTalk $40/month $480/year

Recently, StraightTalk along with TracPhone was involved in a lovely scam where they "throttled" data speeds, even though customers paid money for Unlimited Data Nationwide. Unfortunately, I missed this FCC claim process because StraightTalk conveniently did not send me a letter, as they were supposed to, informing me that I had a right to a refund.

However, since I had to use my smartphone to get my cheap $850/year lease in San Francisco, I'm willing to forgive them this once and continue to shell out money for their product that I desperately need. So far my data limit is under 3GB, so I should be fine. But I would rather have this phone than pay more money for AT&T. I'm also using Google Voice but we'll see how long that lasts before I have to pay for that too.

Bus/MUNI/BART in San Francisco $83/month $996/year

I get a monthly pass for $83.00 and if my card gets stolen (like it did a few days ago), I get a replacement with all my benefits and money sent to me for just $5.00.

San Francisco is one of the few cities in the United States of America, where you don't need a car. I don't have a car anymore but luckily, I don't need one here. San Francisco has three options for transportation: Bus, MUNI and BART (along with those sketchy: Über, Lyft, etc. rideshares that take money away from city-licensed taxi drivers). I don't ride my bike here (yet) but even walking is possible where I live and as long as I live in San Francisco (hopefully forever), I will never need a car except to rent one when I go out of town [promo plug-in for Enterprise-Rent-A-Car here].

Comcast $54.95/month $659.40/year

Without Comcast Internet, I wouldn't be writing this to you now. Internet has become one of the most important utilities in civilization: more than a phone, TV, radio (or even Gas/Petroleum). Because, without this communication you couldn't: find a place to live, find a job, find your way around town, sell junk you don't need, find unemployment, etc. We should all have free internet in this country with sufficient speeds to adequately complete these daily activities (no streaming movies, etc.). Let me write it again: We should all have free internet in this country with sufficient speeds to adequately complete these daily activities (no streaming movies, etc.).

For the time being though, this monthly cost will be the last thing I cut from my budget and I'd rather cut food for it. I'm using a Wi-Fi to-go plan which may be eliminated soon so I have to use it while I can.

Food $200/month $2,400/year

$40/week × 5 =$200. I'm not sure if this is a strict budget or not. I shop at Safeway and try to get gluten-free products there. Due to my Celiac Disease (it's a disease, not a diet!), I can't have bread, so this significantly changes my whole budget. Gluten-free food is ridiculously expensive. Lucky for me, I like Asian food and can get by with rice but there's only so much you can do before your tastebuds start yelling, "I'm bored! Get me sugar and chocolate!". So yeah... I'll see if I can cut this down without cutting my weight down too.

So... how much is this all costing me, you ask? I'm guessing you're bad at math like I am. Here's the answer:

$1,866.93 a month. $22,403.16 a year.

Seems like a lot, doesn't it?

For one person, I'm sure it is. So given my circumstances (and unemployment situation), I was willing to cut a few things, should my purse become a bit lighter in the future.

Without Health Insurance, AT&T, Storage and YMCA, my expenses would be:

$1,287.95 a month $15,467.16 a year.

(Cutting those expenses I listed would save me: $578.98 a month and $6,936 a year.)

Now, here comes the reality check. If I don't find a job and my situation gets worse, I'll have to make more cuts. Let's call it, the Major Crunch. I want to keep my Bus/MUNI/BART, internet for job and school and smartphone to keep my life going but if worse comes to worse I can live without it, though it would really, really, suck.

Here's the breakdown on Absolute Living Expenses With No Frills Whatsoever:

Rent: $850

PG&E: $60

Food: $200

= $1,110 a month $13,320 a year.

But guess what? It's still ABOVE Poverty Level (one person). In 2015, the new Poverty Level for one person was listed (according to GOOGLE) as: $11,770 a year.

Federal and state wages have yet to match San Francisco's generous minimum wage standard.

In Chico, I made $10.00 an hour MAX. But even with that wage, I never made $11,770 a year. Why, you ask? Was I lazy or unemployed? No. I had two jobs then. The other job paid: $8.70 an hour. Even with these two jobs, I never made that much money -- not even enough to pay my rent of $795 a month.

I didn't have enough hours and the one job that gave me enough hours was cut but was only paying me $8.70 an hour. ($0.70 above Chico's minimum wage, but with forced union dues, I made less than that an hour).

It's a delicate balance between wage and hours worked to make a living. I've counted and re-counted this dozens of times to get a formula table fit to show any economist who dares insist that minimum wage standards are enough to live on.

Let's start with 20 hours, as the basis for part-time work...

20 hours a week.

Here's the breakdown on San Francisco's minimum wage and a part-time job of 20 hours per week.

$12.25/HR × 20 hours a week × 4 times a week (estimated paycheck arrival) = $980 a month.

(This does not include money subtracted for taxes, unemployment, etc.)

That's $11,760 a year.

Guess what? You're making: LESS THAN POVERTY LEVEL! ($11,770 a year)

Forget paying the bills. Forget saving money. Forget going to school (even with financial aid, you have to shell out for books, paper/ink, etc.).

Let's try getting more hours...

$12.25/HR × 25 hours a week × 4 times a week (estimated paycheck arrival) = $1,225 a month.

(This does not include money subtracted for taxes, unemployment, etc.)

$14,700 a year.

All right. Now things look less grim. You can make a living wage and maybe go to school if you have previous savings and are really, really lucky at not having any medical bills or catastrophes to upset this delicate financial balance.

$12.25/HR × 30 hours a week × 4 times a week (estimated paycheck arrival) = $1,470 a month.

(This does not include money subtracted for taxes, unemployment, etc.)

$17,640 a year.

Great. Making a living wage with more money and the increased possibility of making it through school is a step in the right direction! Let's see how long this lasts.

$12.25/HR × 35 hours a week × 4 times a week (estimated paycheck arrival) = $1,715 a month.

(This does not include money subtracted for taxes, unemployment, etc.)

$20,580 a year.

Yay! A proper living wage and United States living standard enough for you to pay your bills, go to school and maybe save for the future.

Oh wait... looks like I forgot something.

This is for a single person living in San Francisco, on "generous" minimum wage, granted an unheard of 35 hours per week without any cuts, excluding taxes and emergencies.

How many people actually make this much? Not many.

Let's do the math with $10.00 an hour, $9.00 an hour and $8.00 an hour...

$10.00/HR × 20 hours a week × 4 times a week (estimated paycheck arrival) = $800 MO. $9,600 YR.

× 25 hours a week × 4 = $1,000 MO.      $12,000 YR.

× 30 hours a week × 4 = $1,200 MO.      $14,400 YR. 

× 35 hours a week × 4 = $1,400 MO.      $16,800 YR.

(This does not include money subtracted for taxes, unemployment, etc.)

$9.00/HR × 20 hours a week × 4 times a week (estimated paycheck arrival) = $720 MO. $8,640 YR

× 25 hours a week × 4 = $900 MO.        $10,800 YR.

× 30 hours a week × 4 = $1,080 MO.     $12,960 YR.

× 35 hours a week × 4 = $1,260 MO.     $15,120 YR.

(This does not include money subtracted for taxes, unemployment, etc.)

$8.00/HR × 20 hours a week × 4 times a week (estimated paycheck arrival) = $640 MO. $7,680 YR

× 25 hours a week × 4 = $800 MO.        $9,600 YR.

× 30 hours a week × 4 = $960 MO.        $11,520 YR.

× 35 hours a week × 4 = $1,120 MO.     $13,440 YR.

(This does not include money subtracted for taxes, unemployment, etc.)

Notice the less you get per hour, the more hours you have to work to escape "Poverty Level". Since the Poverty Level is so unrealistic in this country, it doesn't take into account living standards in today's economy.

Imagine also, if you had a family to support on this income. Many single mothers (even with supposed government benefits) struggle to make ends meet, and they make above poverty level.

I did this to illustrate what money really means in a job. How even $1.00 more an hour can be the difference between living at poverty standards or scraping by at every-day standards.

I may not be an economist but any ordinary person can figure out the Poverty Level system is wrong and needs to be corrected immediately. No rich person can argue this evidence, saying that "we make a decent living" on such pitiful wages. Never mind the fact that employers are cutting wages and hours every which way they can. Even bank tellers have only 20 hours a week... You can find for yourself where they stand on the chart.

Having this information puts my job search in perspective and may hopefully help others bargain for better wages... unless it means getting laid off in your job. It's easier to bargain for more hours than for higher pay but even with more hours, employers will look at cutting you...

(as what happened to me at my other job).

If you dare to ask for living wages, more hours and a better life, you may get punished. But by not asking for this, you are living in a state unfit for our standards today in the United States of America, home to the greatest number of billionaires on the planet.

My financial circumstances mean little compared to the big picture of the economic crisis in America. Plenty of people get by living on the streets, though I'm not sure I'm willing to do that (yet). However, I think when everyone starts having this conversation, we can reach an agreement that there's a lot to be done concerning our budget and financial situation. Deciding what to do about it after, is another question (and a much more lengthy article to write).

For now, I'm still looking for a job. I'm saving my coins in the meantime. If I'm lucky, I'll have enough coins to do laundry next week (It's $6.75 to do laundry every week). Oh no... I forgot to budget for laundry! I guess when times get tough for me, I'll be the smelly person on the bus.