Grocery shops asking a general question

I did a grocery shop yesterday after work and I ask a general question.. "Do you guys sell clam strips".. The person was near buy stocking eggs.

In my report I mention the question that I asked and I marked the frozen section. They e-mail me back and said
Were the clam strips you asked for a frozen item? If they were a fresh seafood item, please change the inquiry to an item from the grocery aisles.

Clam strips are a frozen item that is usually located next to the fish and fries..

I guess people have never heard of clam strips.. I believe Mrs Pauls used to have them and you can get them at Red Lobster.

So how will I answer this Frozen or Grocery? I thought it will be frozen area since it's in the frozen area next to the fish.. But I guess it could be a grocery item

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2015 07:57PM by Isaiah4031a.

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I try to steer clear of questions about products that could fit in more than one category. I pretty much stick with questions on oils, coffee (beans v. ground), packaged muffin/cake mixes, etc.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/29/2015 08:02PM by bestofbothworlds.

When I asked this question I never thought that it could be either one of the two.

I used to get them all the time but they don't carry it any more.. Next time I will ask a different question

A lot of it depends on how the store is organized. The ones I most frequently shop have distinct jobs in distinct areas but there is overlap. So the meat department actually handles both fresh and frozen meats, the seafood handles both fresh, thawed and frozen seafood, grocery handles the dry 'center of store' goods in addition to dairy (which is eggs), etc. So in my circumstance, clam strips I should ask at seafood, the majority of frozen I should ask grocery, frozen Johnsonville sausage I should ask meat. I don't know that this helps since you are obviously working with a different grocery chain where the 'division of labor' may be different.

In which area do you need an item? Frozen or Grocery? I would take my chances and claim the inquiry for that department.

Sounds to me like the editor didn't know what Clam Strips were (I didn't know either), so I bet if you just explain what they are (Ms. Gordons, fish-stick like) just like you did for us, and then leave them in frozen you'll be OK.

Shopper in California's Bay Area

Yup, you could include a picture of one and a guess as to where the bellies of the clams disappeared to as well. I never could figure what happened to all the bellies. As a kid I thought there really were clams that had no bellies. When I grew up I discovered those were models.

Happily shopping Rhode Island and nearby Massachusetts and Connecticut

Thanks every body.. I changed it to Grocery and I also explained it to the editor and they took it

Now I'm in the mood for clams

@ wrote:

Now I'm in the mood for clams

Glad this whole thing worked out well, Isaiah!

If I'm required to ask for the location of an item, I always use protein bars. Every store keeps them somewhere different, and it's not usually a logical location (in my mind, anyway).

So true about protein bars. In my preferred grocery store, they're near toilet paper. Go figure.

If it's the shop I think it is, frozen = grocery, but seafood = meat/seafood. So, just clarify it was a frozen item, and for your grocery department question.

Protein bars near toilet paper.. That's funny

That's an good idea about protein bars.. I know some times they are at the front buy the registers...

Thanks

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Grocery shops asking a general question

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