do you think the economy is having an effect on the amount of shops available? I used to see lots of available shops all the time but they seemed to have dried up.

It has been for at least 15 years.

Absolutely.

Of course. However, I have not seen a reduction in the amount of shops available. For example, tons of bank related shops, gas shops, fast food shops, grocery shops, automobile shops, and phone related shops are always hitting the boards. What types of shops are you referencing? Perhaps the shops that you used to see "lots of" have been taken by another MSC or moved to a different platform. That happens all the time usually without notice.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/22/2024 03:33AM by 1forum1.

I feel like the largest decrease of available shops I saw was during/post Covid, but businesses change their priorities and discontinue their shopping programs for economic reasons too.

I think Joanna is right. There seem to be a LOT fewer restaurant and food shops since the lockdown. At least one grocery chain that I used to shop has suspended their mystery shopping program. And several fast food places too. I think the fast food QSR stuff is starting to come back little by little, but of course, not in my area.

Yes. I think it has a lot to do with it.

It's the "garbled ice creme economy." Of course when a government spends deeper into record debt, it can't do anything but have a major effect on the overall economy. Like a big ship that hits a big bridge, there's going to be a lot of damage that will take a long time to fix. Our thoughts are with those that perished.

I still see tons of shops all over the areas I search.

I do not see tons of shops I would take.

But I'm still finding enough in my region to keep me in better cash flow than driving rideshare.

and yet the stock market is booming, check the charts! good times being had all around...we are in a great economy right now, there's a job for anyone who wants one. I suspect, purely speculating, that many corporations may be slowing their MS efforts while other companies come in to give them presentations on AI and how AI can save them money...money they used to spend on mystery shopping efforts.

I suppose in some cases they get enough feedback from regular customers that they don't really see as much of a need for secret shoppers. Take that info, combine it with AI and all the other latest and greatest statistics tools, and voila, you have a new normal or something that may become the next new normal.

I shopped for a Rolex today and had to wait 30 minutes to enter the store because they service one on one and there were already two customers inside with 2 associates. Another customer was waiting ahead of me....so bad economy, but folks are looking to buy $10k+ watches..sort of surprised the heck out of me. I suppose there are a lot of folks doing quite well these days..not my circle however.

Again, I see no shortage of shops. What MSC's are you checking? I see hundreds of shops recently posted. I know I am leaving about $1000 worth of shops on the boards this month that I would ordinarily take because I have other responsibilities now that are restricting my time. Anyway, check those job boards. If you don't see much, you might want to sign up for a different MSC.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/29/2024 04:54AM by 1forum1.

There are so many moving parts to the economy it is hard to make a correlation between it and the funding of mystery shopping programs. What I do know is corporations are making record profits right now, so I would be hard pressed to say they are cutting MS programs because they can't afford them.

Soooooo many places want you to do everything online too. Order a pizza? Use our app. Need groceries? Put in an order with our app or instacart.
A McDonald's in the next town over from me was rebuilt and had very little actual seating on the inside now. They have two kiosks to order from instead of a cashier. They built an extra large parking lot for mobile app orders, and the interior had an area set up for door dash/3rd party companies to pick up food.
A lot of big corps are waffling on their decisions to put in self checkout too, so I think in some cases retailers are dealing with other issues that are higher priority - like high theft, low staffing, etc.

@jp43209 wrote:

I suppose in some cases they get enough feedback from regular customers that they don't really see as much of a need for secret shoppers. Take that info, combine it with AI and all the other latest and greatest statistics tools, and voila, you have a new normal or something that may become the next new normal.

I think the reduction in jobs is a function of not only companies cutting back but also more people using shopping as extra income to just get by.

I believe the minimum wage increase in many states has caused companies to go with automation to eliminate jobs that previously had been filled by low wage earners, high school kids, retirees etc. To cover the higher minimum wage requirement, profits would be drastically cut and/or cause them to raise prices to the consumer. I don't see how such high minimum wages are sustainable for small businesses going forward without cutting jobs and or hours to their employees, especially for mom and pop type places, bakeries, fast food establishments and such.

@MsJudi wrote:

I believe the minimum wage increase in many states has caused companies to go with automation to eliminate jobs that previously had been filled by low wage earners, high school kids, retirees etc. To cover the higher minimum wage requirement, profits would be drastically cut and/or cause them to raise prices to the consumer. I don't see how such high minimum wages are sustainable for small businesses going forward without cutting jobs and or hours to their employees, especially for mom and pop type places, bakeries, fast food establishments and such.

McDonald’s net profits were up over 10% in 2023 from 2022. Starbucks were up over 9%. Chipotle, which has been crying about minimum wage increases, made over 12% net profit. This is with 29 states instituting minimum wage increases for 2023, including six of the ten most populous states (Cali, Florida, NY are three of the top five). Its not just fast food; Walmart made 12 BILLION in profits, while costing taxpayers an estimated 6 billion dollars/year because so many of their employees qualify for welfare due to low wages While I do agree that minimum wage does impact smaller mom and pop stores (largely due to competition from mega-stores/corporations that can under price them due to sheer buying power), it’s not minimum wage that’s the issue; it’s corporate greed.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/2024 05:22PM by mysterioso412.

It used to be taught that a higher minimum wage would decrease the demand for labor, and there would be fewer jobs. Then a bunch of states and cites did it on their own, and economists were able to actually study the issue using facts instead of conjecture. They were able to compare places that did it to places that didn't. They pretty much found it doesn't kill jobs, and in fact slightly increases employment of low wage workers, mainly because employees would quit less often and there were fewer unfilled vacancies. (You know, those signs on business doors crying that no one wants to work for them anymore.) As far as impacting small business, it might have an effect on them, although they already tend to pay low wage workers slightly higher than their big-business counterparts, on the whole. Plus, other things such as phase-ins and tax credits can be made available to ease the burden for them.

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/30/2024 08:49PM by mystery2me.

I find it is not a lack of overall jobs in my area but there must be a heck of a lot of shoppers. Here in the city these jobs pay way below the minimum wage for employees, fees have not gone up to match inflation and yet jobs get taken quickly esp if there is reimbursement as part of the job. There are way fewer restaurant jobs available but I think many of the restaurants here are still hurting. Wages for them are up ($25 an hour for fast food workers starting tomorrow I believe), turnover is crazy but perhaps that will change once the new wages come in. Most restaurants do not have enough staff. I see sections of tables and stations closed even with people waiting for tables and every few weeks I read of another restaurant folding. Amid all this staffing chaos in retail and food I would imagine running a mystery shop program is at the bottom of their list.

@sandyf wrote:

I find it is not a lack of overall jobs in my area but there must be a heck of a lot of shoppers. Here in the city these jobs pay way below the minimum wage for employees, fees have not gone up to match inflation and yet jobs get taken quickly esp if there is reimbursement as part of the job. There are way fewer restaurant jobs available but I think many of the restaurants here are still hurting. Wages for them are up ($25 an hour for fast food workers starting tomorrow I believe), turnover is crazy but perhaps that will change once the new wages come in. Most restaurants do not have enough staff. I see sections of tables and stations closed even with people waiting for tables and every few weeks I read of another restaurant folding. Amid all this staffing chaos in retail and food I would imagine running a mystery shop program is at the bottom of their list.

$20 an hour. Liberal news link for y'all.
[www.npr.org]

Thank you for correcting me. I did read yesterday that it would be $25 but that is the wage for workers in hospitals and that wage will reach $25 an hour minimum for any job in the larger hospitals in a few years. The article I read yesterday wrongly stated $25 for fast food. I know many fast food establishments in Los Angeles are already paying $20 an hour as I have seen their help wanted ads in windows with $20 an hour for at least a year. This rule is only for chains with at least 60 locations. With millions and millions of people living out here 60 locations is very doable just in this city alone.

@BayShopper22 wrote:

@sandyf wrote:

I find it is not a lack of overall jobs in my area but there must be a heck of a lot of shoppers. Here in the city these jobs pay way below the minimum wage for employees, fees have not gone up to match inflation and yet jobs get taken quickly esp if there is reimbursement as part of the job. There are way fewer restaurant jobs available but I think many of the restaurants here are still hurting. Wages for them are up ($25 an hour for fast food workers starting tomorrow I believe), turnover is crazy but perhaps that will change once the new wages come in. Most restaurants do not have enough staff. I see sections of tables and stations closed even with people waiting for tables and every few weeks I read of another restaurant folding. Amid all this staffing chaos in retail and food I would imagine running a mystery shop program is at the bottom of their list.

$20 an hour. Liberal news link for y'all.
[www.npr.org]

Minimum hourly wage in my city is slightly above $18.50, and we are estimated to be short 30-40,000 entry level workers to fill positions in retail, restaurants, and other sectors.

In reality, employers need to offer at least $20/hour to fill positions here. It’s a sellers market here for jobs, and it’s been this way for years now.

Why would anyone pick up a $5 Presto job that takes an hour to finish (including the drive to/from) when they can make 4x as much in an entry level position?

My only solution to this question is that the $5/hour job is picked up by someone who is unemployable for some reason: criminal history, a sexual offender on the list, chronically homeless.

There is no other rational reason to cut your income 75%.

I also want to add: I think that, during the pandemic, a lot of corporations took a hard look at their balance sheets and their “pain points.”

Mystery shops are not a necessity.

They involve working with MSPs, who employ some very unpleasant and unprofessional people. They are subject to shopper fraud (Photoshopped receipts, incorrect information on reports, Google Earth photos) and just a hassle overall to deal with.

I think the disappearance of the well-paying mystery shop began after the 2008 recession, accelerated during the 2020-2022 pandemic, and will be accelerated again when AI can reliably report consumer service and employee engagement.

@ColoKate63 wrote:

Why would anyone pick up a $5 Presto job that takes an hour to finish (including the drive to/from) when they can make 4x as much in an entry level position?

My only solution to this question is that the $5/hour job is picked up by someone who is unemployable for some reason: criminal history, a sexual offender on the list, chronically homeless.

There is no other rational reason to cut your income 75%.

I agree with you on this. You forgot a few reasons, but I won't list them.

BTW Panda starts at $22 here already for line and cashiers. $25 and up for cooks.

AI has it uses for sure, but when I want the real information on a product, I go read customer reviews. People still provide me with the good info I need.

@ColoKate63 wrote:

I also want to add: I think that, during the pandemic, a lot of corporations took a hard look at their balance sheets and their “pain points.”

Mystery shops are not a necessity.

They involve working with MSPs, who employ some very unpleasant and unprofessional people. They are subject to shopper fraud (Photoshopped receipts, incorrect information on reports, Google Earth photos) and just a hassle overall to deal with.

I think the disappearance of the well-paying mystery shop began after the 2008 recession, accelerated during the 2020-2022 pandemic, and will be accelerated again when AI can reliably report consumer service and employee engagement.

Do you ever talk about anything other than AI?

I think companies will realize that real people can provide a unique perspective and give them the data they need. I do not see AI taking over.

Sorry if this is a duplicate. I posted a few hours ago but it does not seem to be here.
For Calif shoppers these are the fast food companies already announcing changes mostly to pricing due to the new min wage. From what I can see the reimbursement amts are about the same all over the country for many shops so this will affect your bottom line if you shop these places.
(from the LA Times this morning)


Here are the fast-food favorites that are hiking their prices or changing how they operate.

McDonald’s
There won’t be a uniform price change in the McDonald’s menu items because corporate-owned and franchise locations will be making different modifications to their menus.

A spokesperson for McDonald’s told The Times the company was exploring several ways to counterbalance the increase in labor costs and has yet to decide how much it will raise the price of the menu items at its corporate-owned stores.

At franchise locations, which account for 95% of the brand’s U.S. portfolio, McDonald’s provides “informed pricing recommendations,” but final pricing is at the discretion of franchisees, the spokesperson said.

Starbucks
Coffee aficionados can expect an uptick in their caffeine drink costs, but Starbucks hasn’t disclosed when or how much it will increase its prices.

The company elected to increase wages for all employees regardless of their level of experience, a spokesperson told The Times.

Pizza Hut
Pizza prices won’t increase, but two Pizza Hut operators in the state eliminated in-house delivery, forcing their local customers to rely on third-party apps.

The operators laid off more than 1,200 drivers to reduce staff ahead of the implementation of Assembly Bill 1228, Business Insider reported.

“Where select California franchisees have elected to make changes to their staffing approach, access to delivery service will continue to be available via Pizza Hut’s mobile app, website and phone ordering and the customer ordering experience will remain consistent,” Chelsea Mack, spokesperson for the company, said in an email to The Times.

Round Table Pizza
For the record:

2:49 p.m. March 28, 2024An earlier version of this article said Excalibur Pizza is the owner of Round Table Pizza. The owner of the franchise is FAT Brands.

One of Round Table Pizza’s franchisees, Excalibur Pizza, said in a Worker Adjustment and Retraining notification, a 60-day written notice of forthcoming layoffs, that it planned to eliminate 73 driver positions by mid-April. The most recent state WARN report shows the company served 71 layoff notices.

The change will shift Round Table delivery options to third-party service providers. Round Table Pizza told The Times that it saw the layoffs as a “transfer of jobs,” as workers will be needed for the third-party delivery services, where they are typically employed as contractors without many worker protections or benefits.

“That said, delivery service fees may increase, and the customer will most likely see even higher prices as a result of this ongoing shift,” said Erin Mandzik, a spokesperson for FAT Brands, owner of Round Table Pizza. “Operators are doing their best to retain staff and keep doors open, that is what it really comes down to.”

In regard to any price changes, that’s up to the franchisee, but FAT Brands is helping its operators maintain its margins.

“Whether that is devising a value-drive limited time offers, providing strategic guidance on menu pricing, or providing costs of goods savings with our significant purchasing power, we are in the thick of it with our operators,” Mandzik said.

Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon
Alexander Johnson is a franchisee of several locations of Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon in California. Johnson operates five locations of each business in the Bay Area and said the wage increase is making him consider layoffs and closing some locations, ABC 7 reported.

Among the drawbacks, Johnson said, it would also mean he would have to raise prices.

It’s unclear whether the pretzel or cinnamon pastry locations under Johnson’s purview will definitively increase their prices and when.

Jack in the Box
Jack in the Box menu items could see a hike as well. During recent earnings calls, CEO Darin Harris stated the company would depend on upward price adjustments, expecting menu prices to increase from 6% to 8%, Nasdaq reported.

The company is confident it will navigate these shifts as it works with its franchisee counterparts and will “lean into their decades of experience operating within the state,” a spokesperson for the brand said.

“Raising menu prices slightly will allow us to support our franchisees, many of whom are former employees themselves who began their careers as restaurant workers, in delivering a better customer experience,” the spokesperson said,

“We will continue to take a thoughtful approach to pricing strategies in order to meet our customers where they are and provide the best possible Jack in the Box experience.”

Times staff writers Andrea Chang and Don Lee contributed to this report.