I am becoming frustrated with buying from my suppliers. Aside from the fact that it is taking more and more time, it seems that both Sam’s and Vistar are losing their grip. I will start with Sam’s then add Vistar at another time.

Have you noticed that Sam’s club has stopped using the "in business for small business" slogan. I haven't, and there stores reflect the shift. As a result of slipping sales in end use customers to Costco, Sam’s has made a shift in their target customer and it is no longer me.

They are systematically doing away with the very reasons I shop there in the first place. They have taken down the "flatbed" designated checkout lines. This leaves customers with a handful of purchases in the lines without the conveyors and me with three flatbeds in a lane with a conveyor. I'm sure that the 65 year old 95 lb lady that they used to stick at the "flatbed" register is very happy about this change!

The packages are changing from bulk packaging (for business) to a mix and match variety pack. Everything from pastries, Gatorade, and chips are making this switch. Vendors cannot sell variety packs as nothing ever sells in the ratios that its packaged. Sam's Club knows this, but they don't care. As items switch from bulk single serve to variety single serve, I have no choice but to stop buying those items.

The date control is out of hand and Sam’s doesn't care. One week all the dates on all of the Frito Lay products are normal 6-8 weeks. The following week every Frito Lay box expires in only 1 week! It is very obvious that the Frito Lay Rep dumped all their short dated crap at Sam’s and pulled back the good dates. I complain to the CSM and the store manager, place an emergency Vistar order to fill the gap. The following week I show up and every box expires on that very day! Since I needed chips I began searching the pile for any good dates. I ended up removing almost all of the boxes from the shelf and left them stacked in the middle of the isle to prove the point. I have since done this on every trip with expired product. If I have to move the half a pallet of diet soda to get to the cases that still have three weeks left on them, I am no longer putting the expired stuff back. Maybe the Sam’s employees will get tired of moving all the expired crap like I do 3 times a week!

Is it really that hard to make at least half of the 4 faucets in the bathroom work. There is nothing like trying all four sinks to find one that works only to get done and find that the paper towel dispensers are empty. I know that occasionally these things happen, but this is week after week. The one sink closest to the door has not worked for a year and a half. Either the store manager never washes his hands or he just doesn't care.

So keep up the good work Sam’s! I know your sales through the Great Recession have suffered, but is turning your back on the small businesses that made you successful in the first place really the solution? As I look for alternatives for suppliers I wonder, just how many large families do you need to add as customers to equal the 40-50k I spend there annually? I know nothing at sam’s club happens by accident, but what makes you guys think that people want to pay a $40 membership fee for the same items and terrible service we can go to Walmart for? You have made it clear that you are going, [i][b]out of business for small business![/b][/i]