A Rant - Total Wine in Tucson a Disappointment

Yesterday was the day we do our running around including but not limited to grocery shopping, although because of the El Tour de Tucson bike race, we had to get a much earlier start than usual. Along with the usual 9,000 plus riders participating in the race there are at least double that in spectators which means if you're not into the event, you definitely want to be as far away from the race route as possible.

Consequently we took the back route and finished our day's errands at Total Wine - or so we thought. We had every intention of stocking our liquor cabinet in time for the holidays, assuming this huge booze warehouse would have the best prices in town. Well you know what happens when you make assumptions! While their lower prices may be true for some things, it's at a cost - their service sucks.

Having collected everything else on our list, we stood for some time with our cart at the glassed in Brandy/Cognac cabinet where the premium stuff is locked up, only to be completely ignored by the "gentleman" manning it. I guess he was too caught up talking to the mystery person on the other end of his bluetooth, or maybe he was just completely overwhelmed by his job. Whatever, after being invisible for far too long, we finally asked whether we needed to go "pick a number" in order to receive service. He finally obliged but took back the rather expensive bottle of Courvoisier we'd selected, saying he needed to walk it to the cash register on our behalf. Understandably, I mean it was imported and here we were trying to export it out of the store...legally of course.

The sad part was our bottle of Courvoisier never made it to the cash register and we left Total Wine totally ticked off, sans our bottle of holiday cheer. Funny how it only takes one bad experience in a store to make you swear you'll never go back there.

We ended up stopping at our local Walgreens - you know the chain drug store that Tucson has a proliferation of. There is one on practically every corner and oh, the people that work at the Thornydale/Overton store just happen to be really, really nice. They were having a "clear out" sale in their liquor department and low and behold we purchased cognac for $9.00 less than the bottle we were going to buy at Total Wine. Isn't that a kicker?

Not only cheaper, it just happened to be a different brand - our favorite Remy Martin which tickled us pink because we certainly wouldn't have paid the price they were asking for it at Total Wine. To top it off Walgreens was clearing out discontinued wines at 75 percent off their regular prices - ($2.87 for Ravenswood Merlot; $1.99 Turning Leaf Cab; $1.99 Turning Leaf Merlot, $3.19 for Coastal Estates Pinot Gris, etc.). By the time we left, we'd saved ourselves over $80.00.  Yippee, our bar is stocked for another year ...maybe. Isn't it a beautiful thing?

 

Comments

[Mags]

You really did get some fantastic prices at Walgreens!

And I agree with you. A bad experience for me equals never going back.

[Sarah G]

We never get sales like that on booze in Canada! What a coup.

[June]

Mags - their prices are usually quite competitive anyway, but the 75 percent off ...well, I was wishing we'd gone back with a truck. Ha.

Sarah - isn't that true. It's the darn "luxury tax"...as if wine is a luxury. In my book it's a necessity.

[pam]

Your Walgreen's sells liquour?!!! I am so jealous!

[June]

Yeah - isn't that something Pam. I'm sure it's one of the things I'll miss when we blow this popstand.

[Nanan]

I would call the manager of that Liquor store and complain - but that is just me - and I like doing that hehehehehe. I do also call the manager of stores when I get great service to let them know that, too! Now - you scored at Walgreens!!!!!!!! We can buy stuff like that in Pharmacies too - and groceries, too! Love Louisiana! We also have drive thru Daiquiri shops - but that is a whole 'nother story! HAHAHAHAHAHA

[June]

We did score big time, didn't we. Drive through daiquiri shops...now that's my kind'a place. LOL