Yes, we're seeing the same situation here. From a business perspective, it makes good sense. Don't pay to inventory products the public doesn't want to purchase. I believe many full-scale home cooks are what I'd describe as "hobbyist" cooks, myself included. They don't cook because they have to feed the family. There are many ways to eat today without doing much prep at home. Many choose to spend their time doing other activities. Mass market grocery stores need to keep up with society trends. Studies all show that people want more & more prepared foods. I read a Pillsbury study a few months ago discussing that their prepared bread lines are thriving & the need to expand those offerings. We all have so many more choices today in how we spend our time yet still only have the same 24 hours. Making chicken & dumplings from scratch isn't too high a priority for a lot of the country. They'd rather go to Crackle Barrel. We're supposedly in a recession. Yet, at least in the northeast...the restaurants are PACKED. People are still eating in restaurants rather than cooking at home. I doubt that's going to change. Times are different. Priorities are different. People will cut expenses in other ways. Even Whole Foods is struggling with market share...not enough foodies to support the now integrated Wild Oats purchase of a couple years ago. Both Schwab & S&P have Whole Foods at an "F" & "Strong Sell" respectively. Their share price has plummetted. I won't be surprised if Whole Foods doesn't survive (that's just a guess...not a tip!). I don't really expect to see new specialty food stores opening up to any great extent...trends are just against them.

/tricia

Remember the day when even if you didn't know how to cook, you cooked anyway?
I realize there weren't as many mass produced items "in the day" to choose from, but sheesh.
Whenever I have friends in for supper there is always a big hula buloo about the things I've made from scratch. Basic things in my opinion, like oil and vinegar salad dressing! It gets almost embarrassing.
And Kathleen, I've banished V's from my store choices...every single time I'd leave their store without at least a few basic needed items, it got frustrating.

Since I never buy or hardly ever even look at the premade stuff, I really can't comment on those trends, but I do see a trend on stores carrying fewer items and fewer brands. For example, my local grocery used to sell collard greens, mustard greens and chopped kale, all frozen. No more. But they have expanded those "steam in the bag" items. The yogurt choices are getting limited--mostly to the junky kinds with artificial sweeteners and gelatins and other carp. I can't get loose leaf tea in the regular grocery store anymore. The soda pop is now limited to the two big national conglomerates and the store brand--very few specialty or small local brands. Same with coffee.

Supermarkets in Southern California haven't had union meatcutters/butchers for years. I think it depends on the area you're in--Pasadena and South Pas. Pavilions have smoked meat.

I'm finding that I'm shopping at the supermarkets (like Von's) less and less. I buy a lot of food at TJs, meat at Costco, paper and cleaning products at Target, specialty foods at Whole Foods and only a few staples at Vons. My way of shopping has changed dramatically the last couple of years, which is partly due to what and what is not being carried in the present-day supermarkets.

The last two times I have been to Von's I left without purchasing anything.
The first time I was trying to find smoked ham hocks and after waiting for the person behind the meat counter for 10 minutes he just pointed and said "Bottom of freezer and the end of aisle 11. What a mess that was.....frozen chicken fingers that looked older than I am and no ham hocks.
The next time I couldn't find what I was looking for.....the store was dim and no one was around to ask for help.
Since they re-did the store to look more upscale, the customer service has really gone down.
As I told DH...."That's twice."
But is the only real market in our town.

We have 3 major chain groceries stores in the area, Market Basket/Demoulas, Shaw's and Stop & Shop. Stop & Shop has always had a limited selection compared to the other two stores. MB has a good selection but is a not a flashy store. I shop there for the basics plus. For example, MB has the best fresh cilantro in the area. Shaw's has a wonderful selection is more upscale but tends to be pricey. I have noticed that all three have started to limit their selections more than they used to. I haven't been able to find duck breast which all three used to carry. Luckily the local butcher shop can get it for me. I shop a lot at farm stands and farmers' markets, the local family owned grocery store, local butcher shops and order online. It's not as easy as it used to be to one stop shop.

I agree that cooking from scratch which used to be the norm has become hobby cooking. My family has always been scratch cooks but I noticed more and more of my friends and co-workers leaning toward convenience. My BFF is a marvelous cook who always had a passion for cooking has decided that cooking is too much WORK and she NEVER cooks now. :-( Now she eats out or buys convenience items; ten years ago she would have been horrified at the thought!

I still love to cook and the bonus is my 18 year old daughter is now taking an active interest. We're sharing some great bonding time. This week we are working side by side each evening preparing for our annual Winter Open House this Saturday. We're expecting about 50 or so guests for laughs, camaraderie, tall tales, oh and food....Turducken, sides, appies and of course dessert. We've served Turducken the last 15 years hence it's become tradition and is always requested so.....

Yes, the pre-made and other fast cooking, instant, frozen or whatever, foods are taking over the stores. I've always wondered how young mothers, & fathers, too, can manage to hold down a full time job, be it manual labor, desk job, or whatever, keep up with a house and children, and still have time for 'cooking from scatch'. They don't. There are very few households anymore with a 'stay at home' parent in them. That's why the move to quicker meal preperation. What really gripes me is that the stores here, all two of them, are replacing brand name items with their own store brands, often at higher prices, and lower quality. And yes, they also carry only the items that sell quickly.
Rusty

Went to the one store that used to carry things like rice flour, gluten free flour, gluten, almond meal, buckwheat flour, etc, all those good things. They are no longer there. And guess what they have been replaced with. You got it, store brand mixes for corn bread, biscuits, etc. Grr-r-r-r-r-r-rr! ! !!
Rusty

I wonder if it would do any good to start ranting to store managers, & chains via their Web sites.

BTW, I don't mean to imply that Von's/Pavillions (Safeway) is unique; Ralph's (Kroger) is just as bad about not carrying other items, & worse about carrying private label or "other" brands.

I know I've reed many times that private labels are a good buy & that there is no difference in quality from national labels. That's probably true for items such as canned tomatoes, beans, etc., but I beg to differ on many other items.

Kathleen

After the last strike, I just never went back to the chains. TJs and Costco and the farmers markets work fine.
But my husband and I both worked, had kids and cooked dinner from scratch. I certainly don't think there's any magic to it.