Competitor pickup jobs are included this month.

@JW wrote:

Competitor pickup jobs are included this month.

Where? There aren't any here..

Pickups post a few hours later. I didn't see any competitors at all but maybe I was too slow.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/04/2023 07:01PM by melg.

Mel, Kroger pick ups are posted. We're waiting on Competitors shops that don't seem to be coming.

I wonder if competitors rotate on a regional basis. I haven't seen any yet.

That's what I'm thinking too.

Are folks just doing one pick up a day now?

Between not scheduling the same location on the same day and the pace at which these jobs have flown off the board, these are becoming harder to make worthwhile.

Yes I'm combining one pickup with one or two in store per day. But I held off on taking 8 pickups just in case they post competitors.

I have been checking since before the shops were posted this morning. This is what I usually see (and what I am seeing today):

1. Regular in-store Kroger shops are posted first, without bonuses.
2. Bonuses are added to a few of the in-store Kroger shops. In my area, it's always the same bonus for certain locations. For example, the fee for all shops at one location gets bumped up to $23. Every month. There is no point in self-assigning a shop at $9.
3. If there are competitor in-store shops this month, they are posted usually long after competitor shops in other areas were posted. I know not to jump to the conclusion that other shoppers grabbed all the competitor shops in my area.
4. There are never fuel shops or Kroger pickup shops in my area.
5. There aren't competitor pickup shops every month. I am still learning not to stress myself out if I don't see them. Also, those usually get posted here LONG after similar shops are posted in other areas. If I do see those shops, they often stay on the board for more than a day in my area. I usually take some of the ones that are in cities where I have other shops and I try not to be greedy and leave some for other shoppers. Unfortunately, one of the competitor pickup locations (a chain) is due to be closed forever. I hope the client will pick another location and start offering shops there. There are still plenty of that chain's stores here.

Please forgive any typos. I am pooped and am busy finishing uploads and reports. I am not even going to proofread this before posting. I'll check for errors and fix them later.

No competitors here. I was able to snag 3 pick ups- then had to assign myself stores that I would not usually go to- as the ones in my area were all taken. Fuels flew off the board like fire- tried to assign and got "sorry already taken" message. Next month will be faster!!

@SueW70 wrote:

No competitors here. I was able to snag 3 pick ups- then had to assign myself stores that I would not usually go to- as the ones in my area were all taken. Fuels flew off the board like fire- tried to assign and got "sorry already taken" message. Next month will be faster!!

I’ve never seen them go so quickly in my area. I’m also shopping in areas I don’t usually shop this round.

I took a fuel shop, my first one, and an instore at a new store for me. Since I could self-assign, I guess it is okay to do a Fuel and instore on the same day. The pickup is at a different store. It's a 20 mile route that day.

Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/2023 09:44PM by melg.

@olympia tennenbaum wrote:

Are folks just doing one pick up a day now?

Between not scheduling the same location on the same day and the pace at which these jobs have flown off the board, these are becoming harder to make worthwhile.

I'm self-regulating to one pick up a day, based upon the email text shared by another shopper. I would hate to be excluded from these shops because I was identified as a shopper.

@melg wrote:

I took a fuel shop, my first one, and an instore at a new store for me. to make Since I could self-assign, I guess it is okay to do a Fuel and instore on the same day. The pickup is at a different store. It's a 20 mile route that day.

It is allowed. I make sure about the order, and make sure the fuel attendant doesn't see me go to the store, or come from it.

I spaced it, so arrived late I''m doing about 1/2 the shops I did last one and that's all right. Running out of things to buy.

I did not see any competitor shops. It seems like there are not any this period.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/05/2023 12:29AM by whosear.

It seems like competitor ones are every other month.

It was a rough one out there this month. I snagged 9 in stores and was feeling confident that others weren't watching, because only about 6 other in stores got picked up. The second pick ups were posted shops were all gone in seconds. I am usually really good at getting everything I want.

They go extremely fast in my area too. I try to keep a watch for when they post, then I blink my eye and they will have already posted and be gone. Oh well. It's a good busy month anyway, but I do like those Kroger shops.

They went quickly in my area too.

This is exactly why I don't answer questions about when the shops post. I don't need more competition.

@Morledzep wrote:

This is exactly why I don't answer questions about when the shops post. I don't need more competition.

Yeah, they really flew this time. I think there were 785 when I first logged in and they were down to 500 really quickly. There does seem to be a lot of competition!

@olympia tennenbaum wrote:

@Morledzep wrote:

This is exactly why I don't answer questions about when the shops post. I don't need more competition.

Yeah, they really flew this time. I think there were 785 when I first logged in and they were down to 500 really quickly. There does seem to be a lot of competition!

785 shops!!! The most I've ever seen in my area is less than 300, and I thought that was a lot. I tried to get my friend to do it, but she says there are no Krogers on the east coast.

@Mellifluy wrote:

785 shops!!! The most I've ever seen in my area is less than 300, and I thought that was a lot. I tried to get my friend to do it, but she says there are no Krogers on the east coast.

With competitors shops in my area, we have less than 150 total shops, including fuel shops. In cycles with no competitor shops we have less than 100. And that's including several locations in other states.