I completed 4 of these beer photo assignments. The beer company is trying to develop photo technology making it easier for the stores to order and maintain inventory. The technology is already out there. I use it mostly with Merchandiser.
They must be photos. They must be taken in a specific order. Coolers with doors are not part of the assignment. My pay was $15, and each store did take all of ten minutes. However, I live in a small town. The liquor stores are small. They do not have open coolers. Only one had an actual beer cave.
The assignment says it is not necessary to check in, but to record any employee interaction if approached by an employee. The MSC provides an LOA. For me, because the stores are small, I did talk to the employee first. In every case they were pleased and extremely helpful in helping me find what I needed.
For a large store like Walmart, it could be more time consuming, especially if the products are located throughout the store. Most definitely I would not contact an employee first in a large store. In any case, the visits are easy peasy.