Just reeling over the passed events of this year and all that the new year may bring.

How do you think any of this will effect the mystery shopping industry??

I am always optimistic but would like to hear what the MS community has to say.

Mystery shopping at this point is all but obsolete. The jobs we are seeing exist mostly because they were already in the budget or contracted for. I don't think anyone expected a recession this hard or this deep or this long. Consumers are buying replacements only when they can't get their existing whatever repaired and can't live without it. Very, very few folks are expanding their lifestyles until they have some sense that we have hit 'the bottom'.

The questions businesses are asking right now have to do with survival rather than increasing their market share of business. Businesses are not looking to fine locations not following their training but they aren't looking to bonus them either for good work. Shoppers at the moment are an extraneous and counterproductive expense.

Several of the clients I most frequently shop have curtailed their programs greatly, while others have stopped shopping entirely as they circle the wagons for survival. My absolute bread and butter grocery shops I suspect will do some serious shop cutting in 2009 even as they open new locations. I was doing one of these this evening at around 5PM. The bakery section is overflowing with beautifully decorated holiday cakes, cookies and pastries with no holes in the displays where items have been selected. The deli area has brought in lots of specialty meats and cheeses for the holidays, but the displays are full and there was no wait to be served at the deli as there were no customers. As I went through all the departments, the story was the same. Lots and lots of product, few customers. And this was December 23rd! The store was ready, the shoppers were not there. They had all check out lanes open and a few had a single customer at the register, but nobody was buying much. The parking lot was almost as empty as at 3PM on a hot summer afternoon.

We had an errand at an outlet mall this afternoon where I frequently have done shops in the past. I noted that the parking lot was so empty we parked 3 spaces from the entrance and I could have parked my car at an angle covering the adjacent spaces as well without getting anyone upset particularly. As we walked to the shop where we needed to get a warranty repair done on a watch, I noted that four locations I have shopped in 2008 are now vacant and there is just a "Store Closed - Thank you for your past patronage" sign in the window--no announcement of a 'moved to' location. You could have bicycled through the mall without inconveniencing shoppers because there were very very few.

Business decisions about employee layoffs and store closings and indeed bankruptcy now are not based on whether the employees were attentive, smiled, gave good eye contact and attempted to upsell. The decisions right now are what inventory can you afford to carry, what locations are least profitable and which employees are the least productive/cooperative/useful.

I don't see 2009 as a reasonable year for shopping. Even if perfect economic policy decisions are made by the new administration immediately in January, it will take time for them to begin working and restoring consumer confidence such that the public will spend. That confidence will come when the public doesn't feel they need to hang onto the job they have no matter how much they hate it because they have other options. That confidence will come when they feel that things are heading back toward "normal". Only once folks are spending again will it be feasible to mystery shop in an effort to gain greater market share. I am only hoping that shopping becomes reasonable again in 2010.

I am not sure what will happen with MS'ing, as one grocery here cut there monthly shops in half in NOvember, but the malls are full. I mean ridiculously so. I have been to several this week, and several grocery stores, shops or not, and it is so crowded it is not even like the economy is suffering. And it is here, BADLY.

Of course different areas of the country are affected differently. Local realtors here are announcing that November home sales of both new and existing homes were better than October so are hopefully mentioning that 'we may have bottomed'. Of course at the same time nationwide new and existing home sales were down for November. Statistically still little enough is selling locally to make any statements of any significance. If you sold 1 house in October and 2 in November, that is a 100% increase in sales over the prior month, but if a year ago you sold 100 the 100% increase this month is no indication of a bottom or a recovery.

My outlet mall experience yesterday was that those who were there were not laden with packages, despite every store bearing banners proclaiming 60% or 70% discounts.

Where about are you Flash and Dee Shops?

I'm in Long Island, New York and have to say that there are some instances that I find the crowds are unbearable. Although, they are not ladened down with packages as in years passed. The malls in the more affluent areas of Long Island are buzzing along as though the economy is just fine. Walking in to a supermarket during the holidays in some other areas on the island was quite a different story.

I think my e-mail box has been just as full as during the earlier part of the year but this past week has been very quiet.

I do hope we all can press on and keep everything moving in the right direction and that everyone here will prosper in the year to come.

I am in Honolulu.

I am in SW Florida where last month 1 in every 59 homeowners received their first notice of foreclosure.

We went out to do 'after Christmas' shopping today and found that retailers had not taken significant discounts. We were pretty much burned up because before Christmas there were a lot of 40% or 50% off 'lowest price' and today it was 75% off 'original price' which made it more expensive than before Christmas. The retailers got to keep their stuff and obviously a lot of other shoppers were of the same notion. We ran into no lines, had no problem parking near the doors and aside from putting gas in my vehicle at $1.60 per gallon, my 'major purchase' was a large rosemary tree at 75% off 'original price' which got it to about $7.50. This is one of those that is a knee high plant. I was ready, willing and able to spend but the pricing was not there on the goods I was willing to buy.

modario Wrote:
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> I'm in Long Island, New York and have to say that
> there are some instances that I find the crowds
> are unbearable.

Same here in Westchester, shopping centers jammed, traffic awful. This is overall an extremely prosperous county, with many homes worth well over $750,00, some as high as $10 mill. For people who DO have money in their pocket, it's an excellent time to shop. In fact I've stayed out of the malls, and shop online or make gifts of my craft work. But Dec 24 and today Dec 26 I've gotten stuck in traffic on the street BEHIND a mall while trying to get to work and a single shop. Was ready to tear out my remaining hair.

I never do the indoor malls for MSing. Not worth the parking fees, and getting into the crowds with my bad knees.

You have to pay to park at a mall in your area? Wow! That stinks. Pay to have the privilege to spend your own money...It must be a really prosperous area. O'course, I live in the "city with the third highest cost of living in the country"...so I can't say much....

I'm in the Carolinas. Shopping here was pretty much the same before Christmas as afterwards. We went to 4 different malls, on the 23rd, 24th, 26th, and 27th. Prices are the same, inventory is still good. As Flash said, percentages off lowest price or original price - do the math, and the savings aren't there. The question is when do the retailers decide it's time to discount deeper. Gas here is $1.40 and I have a daughter always up for shopping, so if I have the time I'll gladly go with her. But, I'm waiting for lower prices before I part with my money.

I have noticed that stores are keeping product on the racks much much longer this year than normal. I suspect this is a two-fold effect. First, many are having difficulties getting the credit necessary to run their inventories so need to sell stuff before they can bring in more. Second, if they stand a ghost of a chance at selling it at break even or a profit they need to for the cash flow because few will be 'in the black' for 2008.

I have been fascinated at the resets in Target, Walmart and a few other stores. Normally the shelves are crowded with perhaps a 3 wide per item display going the full depth of the shelf and if feasible, stacked in several layers on the shelf. This year I am seeing a lot of 2 wide going only half way back the shelf and not layers with space between the faces and faces of adjoining items. This translates to about 1/2 to 1/3 or less product on the shelf. I also am aware that in some stores some shelves have been removed (you can see it from discoloration of flooring) and the aisles are wider. Hanging item pegs are usually spaced such that the items are almost touching side edges. This year there is likely to be 4"-6" between the side edges of items as the pegs are further space out.

As for stuff staying too long on the sales floor, I have noticed that fall apparel is still on the racks here and not heavily marked down. The other day I even noted halloween theme shirts still on the rack at only 40% off. A friend reported going back to Kohls on a 50% off sale to pick up a blouse she had admired at $29.99. When she got there, it was now tagged at $39.99 with 50% off. They lost a customer because she was really angry and didn't stick around to see what else they had.

I am not expecting to see 'good prices' until mid to late January when the stores realize that the holidays are over, the gift cards spent and the stuff is still sitting there. I will be in the market for GOOD QUALITY towels, bedding, kitchen electrics and equipment. These are not things I NEED, so if the price and quality are not there I can do quite well with what I have already. It is up to the stores to get decent quality stuff priced appropriately to persuade me it is a good deal to take it home. A turkey baster that was foolishly marked $15.99 and is reduced 75% to 'only' $4 is no bargain when I can buy a perfectly serviceable one at Walmart for $1.50. I will also be looking for a good deal on a new laptop, but once again, if the price is not right I can continue with the one I have.

dee shops Wrote:
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> You have to pay to park at a mall in your area?
> Wow! That stinks. Pay to have the privilege to
> spend your own money...It must be a really
> prosperous area. O'course, I live in the "city
> with the third highest cost of living in the
> country"...so I can't say much....

This is one of the wealthiest counties in the country, just north of NYC. I don't know if that's for home prices or per capita income. The 4 indoor malls all have parking garages, including Target and Walmart, which makes good money for the city where they're all located. I haven't shopped in those malls in several years, and I've managed to avoid doing shops there too. It's nearly impossible to get 2 nearby shops on the same day, and doesn't pay to do orphans with paid parking. I'm missing an awful lot of potential shops

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/28/2008 08:08AM by sneakers.

Flash, you're actually counting how many layers of products are on the shelves? you have too much time on your hands.

Looks like it's going to be a waiting game between retailers and customers. Waiting for WANTS versus NEEDS definitely favors the customer. I read that retailers are going to ask the new administration for a bailout in the form of three tax-free weekends in 09. Presumably, some retailers won't last that long.

Regarding mystery shopping, I chose to reduce my number of shops for December. I did keep an eye on available jobs though. There were not as many shops posted on the boards, several MSPs had no-shop dates from Dec. 20 to the end of the year, and few bonuses were offered for unbooked shops from several of my MSPs. How did others fare?

I ended up doing the most shops ever, by the end of 29th. 72 this month while working FT. I've been crazed. There is a lot of stuff here, but much is unpredictable, short notice, or comes in spurts (like the TS grocery pricing) so I nabbed what I could now. I know that when school starts in Jan. I won't have the time to do some, and won't have the chance to get others, so....I just packed em in while I could. Other than grading, which is time consuming, Dec. is a low impact month for me, teaching time wise. People are working on their projects and there aren't any demos to teach during class time-its all one on one work.

sneakers Wrote:
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> Flash, you're actually counting how many layers of
> products are on the shelves? you have too much
> time on your hands.

No, just observing how product sparse the stores appear and being curious why I was getting that impression so letting it register what the 'issues' were that led to my impression. When normally the nested stack of laundry baskets would be about 12 deep and there are only two stacks of 3 each on the shelf, it doesn't 'look normal'. When the endcap would normally be loaded to capacity with shampoo yet there are just a couple of layers on the front edge, you notice it doesn't 'look normal'.

You should move to NY. No shortage of products here. No shortage of mystery-shoppers either!

Been there, done that and awfully glad to be where I am even if I can't purchase 15 bottles of the same shampoo on the same trip because they are understocked

sneakers Wrote:
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The 4 indoor malls all have parking garages, including
> Target and Walmart, which makes good money for the
> city where they're all located. I haven't shopped
> in those malls in several years, and I've managed
> to avoid doing shops there too. It's nearly
> impossible to get 2 nearby shops on the same day,
> and doesn't pay to do orphans with paid parking.
> I'm missing an awful lot of potential shops

Sneakers, You think that other shoppers in your area are possibly being reimbursed for the parking fees? I would ask if the MS companies would be willing to do so that way you can get in on those more lucrative shops. I, also, have three malls near me in upper income neighborhoods that have high end retailers and they do pay better.

Sneakers, it costs $$$$$$$ to park in Waikiki, and most of the firms will reimburse for that. But I never heard of paying to park at a mall. :-) You could try to get a parking shop, too. I just tried them-super easy.

I just presumed we're not getting reimbursed for parking, except from one shop I did for Palm Scheduling. I might have seen a note on their websites long ago, but I'll I can check with these MSP's again. I recall Sinclair right now. The high-end retail mall shops here are paying only $12-15 anyway, unless I want to do luxury jewelry shops with layouts.

These malls all have MUNICIPAL garages, as they're in a downtown area. I presume the income goes to the city, not the mall landlord. In fact every single parking space in the entire city of White Plains is metered or in a garage. I have seen ONE parking shop in the past year, for a non-municipal parking lot, but it was for a limited time frame, 4-6 PM. The municipal garages are not shopped.

Thanks, dee. Will check out the parking reimb on the next good mall shop that floats by.

When I have asked for bridge tolls here it does not mean that every shop I did on the other side of the river got to pay the bridge tolls, nor did it mean that I only did that shop while I was there. Similarly, when I am paid mileage to a nearby city, I usually try to make a route of it based on the promise of mileage from the one.

Many of the shops do pay for parking and other related costs. Others have the cost fiqured into the total pay. Having to pay these expenses out of pocket is not an option. I live in a small town and the only paid parking is in the downtown area where we have parking meters. Very seldom have I done these because I have gotten parking tickets. When you do a shop for $15.00 and you get a ticket for $25.00, it kind of takes the fun out of the whole experience. Shops here have been few and far between with the exception of the usual fast food chain.

The companies are tightening their belts because of the economy. They are now having their businesses shopped twice a month instead of the usual once a week. It stands to reason that the Ms'ing would be greatly affected. Many businesses are now doing their own stores. I beleive that it is only going to get worse as our economy is still in such a state. This will most likely continue for at least a few more years. It has taken many years to get into this shape and it certainly will take a long time to recover. I will continue to do Ms'ing as long as there are shops available. But no longer will I do the amount of shops that I have done in the past. We will have to wait and see what will happen in the future The expected business closures that are expected will certainly have a huge effect on all of us in Ms"ing. Good luck to all.

I was doing a gas station reveal shop today. I went in to purchase my gas from the CSR prior to pumping and had a wait in line as the cashier was counting out $3.76 for a purchase from a plastic box of change the customer had brought in. The cashier mentioned to me after the customer had left and while he was ringing up my purchase that you can tell about the economy first at the convenience store as folks break the piggy banks to buy food. I went and pumped my gas.

When I re-entered the store with my letter identifying me as the mystery shopper, the CSR was again counting change, this time out of a series of pill bottles the customer had brought in with coins. The customer had a work truck parked at the pump and they counted out a total of $7.28 in small change for gas for it.

As I took my photos around the place the CSR was rolling coins. He laughed and told me that I was one of the few customers today who had paid him with bills and he had already dumped the register coin collectors several times today to roll coin.

Sad to see but I have also been known to save my change for a rainy day. We just never know when we will have to use it.

Kinda early in the cycle though to be having to hit it . . .

This doesn't surprise me at all. When I was an undergrad, at the end of the month we used to break out the coin join to buy stuff - diapers, formula,sometimes food or gas. In light of our situation, I started the coin jar back up again in Dec. :-)

It is sad, regardless of current financial situations, one can't feel a sense of security. I save coins in a 2 lb. coffee can, the lid is taped shut, and a slot cut in the top to stuff the change in. I had hoped hubby and I could splurge when we stuff it full, but we're just not in the splurging frame of mind.

Ours is an old brown beer ball It has its 'place of honor' on the floor between the dresser an the laundry hamper so as you empty pockets to throw pants into the laundry the coin goes in the ball, the other pocket goodies go to the dresser top and the pants to the laundry. It currently is fairly empty because I discovered a bank where I opened an account in connection with shops has a coin counting machine that customers can use free if they are depositing the proceeds into an account. So whenever I'm in rotation for that bank I empty the ball and deposit the cash.

Mine is a mayonaisse jar..........only put nickels, dimes and quarters in it.
It is almost full..........but when I do count it out........I put it in my grandson's savings account..........along w/all my ms checks.
I keep the ms paypal and auto bank deposit though......
Benjamin is 3 and half and I have accumulated $3722 by doing this......hopefully by the time he is 18.......I will have $18,000 for him.......trying to do $1000 for each year. Course, now I have the granddaughter so better start doing some for her.....