this post was submitted on 16 Feb 2026
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Hahaha! I will tell you, my own mother (70s) buys rotisserie chicken because it is cheaper per pound of meat than a raw chicken and is just as good or better than if she bought the same size chicken and roast it herself in her own oven. Something to know about my mom is she is frugal. She coupons, and will always seek out the best deal. Whoever wrote that WSJ article truly has no idea what it is to budget is what I see. Additionally, some of the neighborhoods that were listed, are some of the richest parts of NY, so of course people who have money will also go out and buy easy meals rather than spend time cooking.
The article also points out that grocery stores price rotisserie chicken at very aggressive prices because it's a great way to get people to come into the store and walk past everything else in the hopes they'll pick up some more items. So the stores know they're selling them at a very low price, that's an engagement model.
Yes, true on all points. Many people do not recognize when they are being sold to and also when they are being manipulated to spend more. I personally will never enter a store without a list of what I need. Then as I shop if I do see something that looks worth trying, I weigh whether it is worth the price. I am the exception rather than the rule though as a shopper :) I personally do not enjoy shopping, so I like to complete my list and get out.
Whoa, they're loss-leaders? That's good to know. I usually pass them up since I get better results at home but I appreciate that I'm not exactly pinching pennies to make the budget happen. I've been broke and/or between jobs before, so who knows? That is handy information.
Of course.
Rotisserie Chicken is a loss-leader. But that smell stimulates your appetite and gets you to buy more.
Plus you're gonna want some high-margin foods to go with it. Maybe some veggies, potatoes. Box mash is a pain in the ass when the chicken is already cooked, may as well get the pre-made heat-and-eat stuff. It's right here next to the chickens...
Plus if you get box mash you need to get milk and butter too...and walk nearly the entire rest of the store to get all three.
This is basic supermarket psychology.
You come for the chicken but walk out with 5 gallons of avocado paste for your toast. That's how they getcha.
TIL that people actually buy boxed mashed.
I used to have a bread machine and it came with a recipe for potato bread that used instant mash and it was so damn good.
I got rid of it after I gained like 100lbs. Still have the 100lbs but don't have the bread.
That seems like a totally legit use of instant mashed. I just feel like I’ve never known anyone to make “mashed potatoes” from instant (maybe as a backpacking thing). Maybe there are people out there that are overthinking mashed? Super easy if you do just a few things right.