Ralph's is a SoCal grocery chain that was purchased a few years
ago by Kroger, a grocery chain based in Cincinnati, Ohio.

At first the changes in ownership were few and subtle starting
with private label canned products such as tomatoes being
introduced.

Recently have noticed the introduction of Kroger brand red meats
such as sausage.

Today, I stopped at Ralph's to get a ham, packed by a local
packing house, which was on sale.

Unfortunately, they were out of stock, but they did offer a rain
check,
which I accepted.

What was in stock, at a significantly higher price, was a SugarDale
ham.

I did a double take since SugarDale is a meat packer located in
Canton, Ohio, some 2,500 miles away from Los Angeles.

When I lived in NorthEast Ohio, SugarDale had a major portion of the
market including my business so I was comfortable with the brand.

Buying a SugarDale product in Los Angeles meant there was some
serious shipping involved.

Makes you think about all those 18 wheelers traversing those
interstates.

Lew