Tips for Tackling Super-Sized Grocery Stores?

I do a lot of grocery shops as my staple ms-ing. I feel it's worth it, because I have to grocery shop anyways, as it's an essential of life. I don't find I lose that much in terms of gas money and time usually, as a result. Occasionally, it can even be therapeutic and relaxing (plus you get exercise from walking).

However, those "super" stores - the super versions of Walmart, Kroger, Whole Foods (this one is arguable maybe, but the WF near me is always packed really bad that it's shoulder-to-shoulder shopping), etc. - that are like the size of an airport with a billion employees all over the sales floor are scary. I've never done one, but have considered it.

Are there any approaches to make these easier for people who do them? And do you find them more easily bonus-able? Are there certain days/times that people shop less and you can get in and out of there relatively quickly?

On a random note, Lidl looks like a really EASY grocery shop!

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I found it a lot easier after I learned the store layout; I go from required department to required department, and skip the others. Many of the large stores have maps available (where the store flyers are, usually), with the departments mapped out for you.

Even after familiar, however, I found I could rarely get out of the store in less than 45 minutes. Absolutely exhausting.

But fun, after I also learned where all the "bargain bins" were located. Love to spend that reimbursement on fancy cheeses, great meat, all marked down as "Manager's Special".

I as well love to grocery shop and have done many...my trick is to take a list of what you need, get it, do whatever you need and get out...this takes me 30 minutes, unless I feel like browsing, but I go at the time they start when it's not that busy, time is important, and am out...haven't been doing as many as normal as we have new shoppers here, and I'm eating out so much, not to my advantage as I always spend more...still it's been a great way to supplement my income and get gourmet food.

Live consciously....

I feel the same way. I have a love/hate relationship with these shops. I have never been able to get out in less than 45 minutes, and if I bring my own weekly list (instead of just purchasing the shop minimum) than it is usually 60-75 minutes. I go back and forth about whether it is worth the pay. Probably not on the surface, but since I was going to go there anyway, it's a nice cut in my grocery bill.

I do these in the 20-25 minute range with my phone out filling in some of the form as I go. I then finish it in the car before the next store. I get into a rhythm with the shops doing the walking around count and then hitting the departments. Remember if no one is there after two stops (for the most part) you are then done. No need to wait around. Half the battle is choosing the correct check out lane to keep you from being slowed down. I love these shops. Also I carry an envelope in with me with a list for the whole day and coupons inside if applicable and cross off as I get items.

Liz

@Traveliz wrote:

I do these in the 20-25 minute range with my phone out filling in some of the form as I go. I then finish it in the car before the next store. I get into a rhythm with the shops doing the walking around count and then hitting the departments. Remember if no one is there after two stops (for the most part) you are then done. No need to wait around.

I think the absolute fastest I've gotten out of a store is 25 minutes, but that is rare for me. I personally don't care anymore if they take longer, because I just want to do a good job on my shops and I don't mind the exercise.

If you think of it as: "Oh, I'm burning calories doing all this walking around pushing my cart, while I'm shopping for stuff I need." then it's not a big deal - at least, not for me. Your times are impressive, though. You must know the shop inside and out and have it imprinted into your mind. That's the way I am with Five Guys. I never have to review FG guidelines or pause for more than like a second before I know what I'm doing and looking for in the actual shop.

With grocery shops, you get new questions to ask every now and then and I have to come up with a good way to ask it (sometimes with a fake "set-up" question or two thrown in to avoid being suspicious with just that one question). And, I've not memorized every single observation yet. I still have to stop and look at my index card notes every now and then during shops.

I get out of the store after 40 or more minutes. But, as I said, I don't care anymore.

@Irene_L.A. wrote:

I as well love to grocery shop and have done many...my trick is to take a list of what you need, get it, do whatever you need and get out...this takes me 30 minutes, unless I feel like browsing, but I go at the time they start when it's not that busy, time is important, and am out...haven't been doing as many as normal as we have new shoppers here, and I'm eating out so much, not to my advantage as I always spend more...still it's been a great way to supplement my income and get gourmet food.

The list is a helpful tip.

I never used them in the past, but will try to develop one for future shops. I can see how it saves mental wandering.

The only thing that slows me down even more that's not planned a lot of times is checking stuff out for its own sake too during a shop. I'll be like: "Wow, what's this? Lemme see...." Next thing you know, I'm spending massive time I didn't prepare to.

For me how long it takes depends entirely on which store it is. The one closest to me, I can do in about 30 minutes because it's small and I know where everything is. The next store size up I can do in about 45 minutes if I've been in there a few times. The super sized stores take closer to an hour. Most of the time I spend for all of these is because of the counts. The 2 biggest ones I've been in (one had a beer bar?!!!) took me more than an hour. I swore I would never do that one again. To do it right, you have to go through every part of the store. And even though I only go down an aisle if I see a worker there, it still takes a while to cover the whole store. I have learned that in most stores the produce and deli sections are on the same side so I start on the opposite side. Then I do those two departments last, usually deli then produce. Then I go back to the deli and start the next phase.

What's done is done. An egg cracked cannot be cured.
There are 3 kinds of lies. Lies, Damn lies, and statistics.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/12/2018 03:41AM by sassymmmm.

@sassymmmm wrote:

For me how long it takes depends entirely on which store it is. The one closest to me, I can do in about 30 minutes because it's small and I know where everything is. The next store size up I can do in about 45 minutes if I've been in there a few times. The super sized stores take closer to an hour. Most of the time I spend for all of these is because of the counts. The 2 biggest ones I've been in (one had a beer bar?!!!) took me more than an hour.

Super Walmart and Super Kroger are the two hardest that I've seen. These AREN'T grocery stores. They're all-in-one stores that HAPPEN TO HAVE a grocery section in them!!

Yet, they are shopped. I don't do them, because: a.) I worry I could get confused and not get all the details right; b.) it probably takes so long and is frustrating that I'd rather do another shop in that time.

I was considering doing a super store when I wrote the OP, but after visiting the S-Kroger, I've changed my mind. It's too crazy.

I'd rather go online and tutor Chinese kids in English for $10/hour.

Speaking of grocery stores, are people seeing Aldi's and Lidl's popping up in your neighborhoods? I'm on the East Coast and they're spreading. The German discount grocery stores are GREAT for competitive pricing. I read online that, on average, if one of those two stores comes into town, then the neighboring grocery stores (usually American) lower their prices by 9%!! The competition is great for cheaper prices in town. I saw Kroger dropping their prices really low in specials after we got Aldi and Lidl. They have to!

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