Local Newswire Shepherd Express compares Roundy’s to Netflix, is still being removed from Pick ’n Save

Last week we told you about Roundy’s decision to remove the Shepherd Express from its Pick ’n Save stores beginning Nov. 5—a decision that obviously didn’t sit well with the Shepherd. In a “Call to Action” piece that totally wasn’t a call to boycott, Shepherd publisher Louis Fortis intimated that the decision was politically motivated, and urged readers to give Roundy’s a friendly call. Roundy’s claimed the decision was simply a matter of clearing clutter from its stores, and that other free publications would be removed as well.

But as the Nov. 5 deadline approaches, the two parties seem to be in a stalemate. In a new “Call to Action” piece that really isn’t a call to boycott, honest, Fortis further voices his frustration, and claims a Roundy’s phone number was disconnected after upset readers began calling. Oh, and he compares Roundy’s to Netflix. Wait, what?

To be perfectly clear, Roundy’s is a private company, and they have every right to make whatever business decisions they choose to make. They also have the right to shut down their phone line so that they don’t have to hear from their customers. That is a business decision. Just recently another popular company, Netflix, made some business decisions designed to increase their revenues, and their customers also expressed their disapproval. Netflix lost more than 800,000 customers, and their stock price fell 75%. Netflix quickly re-evaluated the business decision that had focused solely on what they thought would be good for their profits and had totally ignored their customers’ needs. Netflix then apologized to their customers and backed off.

So if Roundy’s is Netflix, does that make a Shepherd-less Roundy’s Qwikster? And if so, where does that leave Redbox? Is “Chairman Bob” Mariano actually Reed Hastings? And, more importantly, can we still stream Boris & Doris directly to our televisions, or do we have to set up a new account?