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