It says to buy "3 grocery items" (one of which is, of course, the required item). Does that mean I can buy anything they sell in the store? Charcoal for my grill, beer for my aunt, cigarets for my grandma?

I'm not joking. These are actual requests I have, and the shop is today. I don't want it thrown out because I did not buy 3 "grocery" items! I cannot afford beer and cigarets out of my own pocket -- or the charcoal. Other requests I know are good -- distilled water, bottled drinking water, stuff like that.

The only restriction on the shop that I could find is not to use food stamps or to purchase gift cards.

Please, please help me if you know the answer.

Thank you so very much.

(edited for grammar!)

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2017 05:35PM by ceasesmith.

I have never done the shop, but cigarettes and beer are not grocery items, and I suspect charcoal is not one, either. Grocery is generally food, in my experience.

Gift cards aren't grocery items, either -- but that's the ONLY listed exclusion! Other companies have no problem with listing exclusions -- no lottery tickets, no tobacco products, etc. Beer is right beside soda in this store.

I e-mailed the company when the shop was assigned, asking, but never received an answer. Now, of course, they are closed for the holiday weekend.

Cat litter, too, is requested; that strikes me as non-grocery.

I guess I really need someone who has done the shop to help me out.

Yes, hopefully someone will chime in. It's just in my experience as a merchandiser, grocery = food and non-grocery items are toilet paper, cosmetics, etc. I suppose beer might be a grocery item since it is consumable but seems doubtful to me. What time do you have to leave for the shop?

I do these shops and yes, you can buy whatever you want, as long as one purchase is Boarhead's Deli (1/4pd)
cheese or meat. I usually get the low sodium turkey or London Broil. I always go over spending normally 20.00 per visit, but get back 17.00 total, so, grocery bill's way down. I even get my allergy drops on this shop once a month.....get easier as you do them.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/03/2017 05:13PM by Irene_L.A..

Oh, Irene, from one "old" shopper to another "young at heart" shopper, thanks a BUNCH!!!!!

Well there you go, that's great news!

Yes, as there are (is?) 12-16 of these shops within 20 miles of me! I would be thrilled to be able to do one a day, every day!!!!

Fantastic!

Sorry, I'm a little late to the party, but yes, you can buy beer, paper towels, clothes, and other miscellaneous merchandise that the store sells. I asked the scheduler about this over a year ago and she gave me the thumbs up. I have personally purchased alcohol on at least one occasion for this shop.

I have purchased pet items many times. Just don't buy gift cards, as far as I know, that's it. Good luck and if you can do one every day that's a score right there on your grocery budget. I have done up to 5 in a day.

I have purchased cigarettes for my husband and have not had a problem (even though I don't like to encourage the smoking). But, no problem.

I have purchased body wash , paper towels etc.. with no problem. I have probably done at least fifty of these shops in the last few months they have significantly reduced my grocery bill.

Thanks, all. I got the required purchase, some grapes, and the cigarets! YAY!!!

It is easier to do the report if you use your phone or tablet open to the website via Chrome. Fill the shop in as you go. Most employees just think you are playing on your phone or texting but if you want to pretend to be a couponer, it is a good cover as well. I like to do this as then I do not have a stack of reports to do when I get home.

That is technically just way over my head. Maybe someday I'll learn how to do that.

Please tell me this shop gets easier! It's the biggest store I've ever been in. Two city blocks long, 1 city block deep. I couldn't tell one department from another. I was in the store from 2:10 to 3:35 -- and the report took an additional hour and a half.

For $17 total, I'm not willing to spend that amount of time.

Gotta say, this store is REALLY focused on customer service!

I have run across a shop that takes that long for the shop and the report, but I doubt that it is the same Grocer this store is in eastern Oklahoma. Interact with 5 or six departments and the cashier. But at least they have me try and walk out with anything. I get the required item and 2 pounds of coffee and a stuffed potato.

It gets slightly easier. I've found the the time in store depends on how accessible the employees are. Walking the length of these store multiple times trying to find someone to interact with is frustrating. Then there's that grid to contend with on the report. I only do these shops occasionally,



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2017 07:37AM by Lucy88.

We have a ginormous one, and also a regular grocer one in the Pacific Northwest. I can't get the really big one done in any less than an hour in the store (usually it's more like 1.25 hours), and another half hour doing the report. I used to get $8-$12 PAD to take those (won't do them for any less), but they disappear off the job board pretty quickly now, and I haven't received a phone call to do one in at least 6 months. I don't miss doing those, though. I would go to the bathroom halfway through the shop so I could make sure I had notes and descriptions for all the people and questions I had asked. Now the standard-sized grocery one I could knock out in 20-30 minutes and another 20 on the report. Usually the department staff were not busy, and I hardly ever found a person working in the aisles.

To be on the safe side I would buy the required item and the other items related to food. (since you can't get ahold of the company) then the next time you do the shop, you will know by then (hopefully) if there are any other excluded items besides the gift cards. To me, grocery refers to any item not related to produce, dairy, meat or frozen.

I buy laundry goodies, shampoo, soap, bbq items, toilet paper, paper towels and kitty stuff. I haven't bought beer or cigs because I don't need them so I don't know if those are allowed but they are not specifically excluded, only gift cards are excluded.

I won't do the big stores. It's just not worth it.

@ceasesmith wrote:

That is technically just way over my head. Maybe someday I'll learn how to do that.

Please tell me this shop gets easier! It's the biggest store I've ever been in. Two city blocks long, 1 city block deep. I couldn't tell one department from another. I was in the store from 2:10 to 3:35 -- and the report took an additional hour and a half.

For $17 total, I'm not willing to spend that amount of time.

Gotta say, this store is REALLY focused on customer service!

@ceasesmith wrote:

Yes, as there are (is?) 12-16 of these shops within 20 miles of me! I would be thrilled to be able to do one a day, every day!!!!
I do average 3 a weekend, as the hours suit me (12/4) where on the weekday, hours are 4/8. I really have it down to a science....so enjoy and act natural when asking the question, definitely a good gig!!!

Oh, hmm, mine are 12-6 on the weekends. I wonder if they changed and I didn't see it. I'll check it out!

@spicy1 wrote:

Oh, hmm, mine are 12-6 on the weekends. I wonder if they changed and I didn't see it. I'll check it out!

Here it's always been 12 to 4...different locations, different times? Added; the lines between 4 to 6 would not be doable, after work...I do it at noon, and get out so much faster.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/04/2017 04:53PM by Irene_L.A..

It does seem that different areas of the US and Canada have different allowable shop times. Mine are always 4 PM to 8PM on weekdays and 12 PM to 6 PM on weekends. You can buy pretty much anything except gift cards. Although, at our store you can't buy cigarettes at a regular check lane -- which is in the rules as a requirement -- but I've gotten beer many times.

Our store has mix&match build your own 6-packs that are nice. I often get papertowels, cat food, kitty litter, feminine products, beer, floss, packaging tape, envelopes, thumbtacks, & basically anything on my list that I need. My store sells stamps so sometimes I get a book of stamps if I'm running low or there aren't any hazmats. I pick out the cheapest 1/4 lb item I can spot, then I'll make my way over and get a single banana (usually $0.12 to $0.16) and then my third item. Or, I'll buy up a bunch of small items I need. It varies but you can buy pretty much anything the location sells. I might grab a $1.49 cheese, $0.12 banana, and then spend my other $10.39 on litter, or whatever. These shops can work out really well for you. Oh, and you can use coupons, freebie Friday card rewards, your store card to earn fuel points, and digital coupons so long as you make that total at the end. (Donating for the $1 charity causes doesn't count though as an item so be sure you get 3 items and spend $12 or get 30 items, etc. to add up to it).

Yes, one of my interactions with a grocery department employee was about buying the cigarets. He said just get in any checkout, so I got in a regular checkout line. The cashier had to go to customer service to get the cigs! But she was VERY pleasant about it.

The bagger saw I only had 3 items, and moved to another line before I could get her description or have any interaction with her. Bummer. I was glad to see the report covered that!

Yes, the store was huge. I'm hoping it gets faster to do; I really need to offset the cost of groceries.

Thank you all for all the helpful hints!

@ceasesmith...yes it will get easier, you will get the swing of things the more you do. i also do their Whole Foods, Trader Joes and Food 4 less which Kroger owns....it almost kills me to spend my own $$, as I get about $240 per month from my food shops and since their are 8 + within a five mile radius, I'm a happy camper. Your food bill will drop, do as many as you can.

Wish I could ask what MSC but I know I can't. Oh well maybe I'll stumble across it some day. One of the Kroger owned chains is my usual grocery stop so it would be nice to get paid to shop there.

@sassymmmm wrote:

Wish I could ask what MSC but I know I can't. Oh well maybe I'll stumble across it some day. One of the Kroger owned chains is my usual grocery stop so it would be nice to get paid to shop there.

You need an EIN# for this MSC.....