Grocery shopping was fun, once.

[Telecaster]

What I dislike are the “loyalty” programs. Punch in your phone number or swipe an extra card to get, uh… not sure what I get in return. My wife thinks she gets something. All I get is to spend extra time in the checkout line. Just let me pay and get out. The store isn’t loyal to me, why should I be loyal to it?

 

[Glynn863]

Digital Discrimination

Home Depot gives a 10% discount to veterans. Previously it was gotten by showing your military ID card. Now, they insist that one use their smart phone to get the discount. (The military info has to be loaded on to the phone.) Yesterday I was told that the only way to get the 10% veterans discount is to use a smart phone. I do not own a cell phone! I was told, No cell phone, no veterans discount. I think it is time to shop else where.

One way to beat the smartphone requirement and get the vet discount is to order the item online for store pickup. I do that often, because I can go by HD on the way home. However, sometimes it takes them a couple of days to get the item ready, although I know it is in stock.

 

[Glynn863]

On another note, a bigger problem with some retailers is the scanned / charged price vs. the posted shelf price. Wall of CCP mart does this a lot. In fact, $$ General got fined in one state for doing this. I usually take a photo of some posted prices of expensive items before checking out, in case a different one scans.

 

[JcMack]

There are 2 grocery stores I use and they both have a digital coupon system. One is a Kroger store the other is in a local chain, both but in both stores you can key the phone # linked to your account and avoid using a cell phone to recieve discounts. The caveat is prior to going shopping you must use your Laptop or Desktop to "clip " coupons from the stores web site. Is it possible your stores use the same setup?

 

[Skeet 028]

Another way to get ya..Sign up for our email to yada yada discount. I signed up for office Max email for 25 dollar off (on anything over 100 dollars) in fine print. Printed out the offer on my almost out of ink or whatever laser printer. Went to the store to get a new cartridge for the printer...something like 50 dollars or so. OOS. sucks...Looked at printers...They had a newer version of my printer $199.99 on closeout. 99.99. I got a dozen pencils that cost 2 bucks. $101.99...gave 'em my printed off offer. They had the checkout guy send me an email which I got on my phone... 76.99...But I've gotten beaucoup emails for sale items already. A bit of annoyance till I got my email to recognize them as spam. Karma struck though...not even hooked up...went to yard sale 3 bucks ...new cartridge for my old printer. So...it's still going strong..what I don't understand isanyone linking their bank accountl to a cell phone to
pay or buy stuff at Mickey D's

 

[DWalt]

Are self check-outs faster? Sometimes! However they still charge me for a clerk. Just this week, on the national news they said, theft was double at the self check-out! I just wonder who is stealing from who?

It's just a way to do away with a person's (or 3) job and pocket the money! I try to use a real cashier whenever possible.

Ivan

I find that is usually quicker to go through the self-checkout and I don't mind using it. They usually have someone there who spot checks your receipt against a few items in your basket as you leave. As we live very close to both a Wal Mart and an H-E-B supermarket, we normally shop two or three times per week and so almost never fill the basket. I think it would be a good idea that anyone using self-checkout should get a few percent discount on all purchases, but that likely won't happen.

 

[wood714]

I never look at prices when buying grocery's, but have noticed I'm paying a LOT more than a couple years ago.

What's the worst is paying more for less. I just went to get some crackers, and noticed they seemed a lot smaller than just a few months ago. This isn't right, look how short the stack is. They use to come to the top of my cracker box.

 

[LVSteve]

I never look at prices when buying grocery's, but have noticed I'm paying a LOT more than a couple years ago.

What's the worst is paying more for less. I just went to get some crackers, and noticed they seemed a lot smaller than just a few months ago. This isn't right, look how short the stack is. They use to come to the top of my cracker box.

Another example of "shrinkflation".

 

[Rustyt1953]

 

[VictorLouis]

I will not mention the name of the store, sice this happens in a lot of them,
with the new digital down load system that is said to be the best of the best, don't you know.
.

A Safeway employee volunteered to download the app for me.
Took her TWENTY MINUTES, and it wasn't her first go-round.

Went to a local grocer here, Basha's. They had me text a 3 or 4 digit number. BOOM, that fast, my cell was registerd in their checkout system for the same style of e-discount program. Oh, and I get but ONE, simple, text from then each week mentioning ONE particular item. They don't spam the crud outta me.

 

[Valmet]

I’ll usually “roughly calculate” in my head what my bill will be as I’m shopping so I have a ballpark when I check out (self or not).

 

[TIMETRIPPER]

Haven't used coupons since the kids got out of diapers.
Store brands are cheaper and usually just as good. Coupons themselves, digital or paper, are basically advertising and do nothing but add cost to the product. We've quit doing most of our shopping at the local Giant because of their newer digital coupon policies and price scamming. Only go there to buy what Aldi's doesn't have, which isn't much.

John

 

[Kevin J.]

I only need the two midwest man malls.
Menards (they sell groceries and mens "hygiene" stuff) and Fleet Farm (guns and ammo plus other man stuff) ..oh and a liquor store.

 

[BC38]

Another example of "shrinkflation".

Yup, that's the word you're looking for.

SHRINKflation - the practice of reducing the amount of product in a package to avoid raising the price. Generally speaking shrink-flation packaging LOOKS very similar to the previous version of the product and consumers have to look carefully at the quantity numbers (ounces, fluid ounces, etc.) to even realize that the package they are getting contains less product for the same price. Ice cream is a perfect example. The carton that LOOKS like a traditional half gallon now contains only 1.5 quarts. It is still priced the same as the old half-gallon container, but it is only 3 pints instead of 4 (25% less product) for the same price. Such is the genius of modern "marketing" tricks and techniques.

Marketing people suck...

 

[Golddollar]

Something that I have never aspired to be nor have I ever been accused of being is a luddite.

I try to use a real cashier whenever possible.

Ivan

I didn't aspire to be a Luddite either, but apparently I was born one.

My first experience with self-checkout was with another big box store. Every time I tried to use the system I had a problem. With that I decided I was never going to use one ever again. I want a cashier's fingerprints and DNA on everything I buy. I am not going to risk doing a perp walk because of a faulty machine and/or my lack of computer skills.

Remember, not all change is progress.

 

[JcMack]

It's been 10years since I worked for NCR, a business machine. ATM and cash register mfg.. I put 35 years in the company. Part of my job the last few years was installing self checkouts in major grocery store chains. Any customer over 40 hated them. I see the same problems plague the machines, namely any item that needs to be weighed, store employees assigned to watch the machines and assist customers are not patient enough to take the time to train customers on how to use the machines, any item erroneously scanned by a customer means flagging down a store employee to void the item and myriad more issues as mentioned in this thread.
I've read recently that stores like Walmart, Costco and even smaller stores are rethinking and de installing self checks because in store theft (shrink) and general customer dissatisfaction is growing. An example is if you key in code 4011
(bananas) and weigh a steak the machine doesn't know the difference between the two. I've seen store security monitor a check out lane. There's a camera watching what's scanned by a customer, and a duplicate receipt prints out for security. The receipt printed for security should match the items in the customers possession. Hiring additional security staff defeats the original purpose of the self checks, namely reducing the number of human employees.

 

[Telecaster]

But is a customer steal stuff in self checkout, what is done about it? Nothing?

 

[Golddollar]

It's been 10years since I worked for NCR, a business machine. ATM and cash register mfg.. I put 35 years in the company. Part of my job the last few years was installing self checkouts in major grocery store chains. Any customer over 40 hated them. I see the same problems plague the machines, namely any item that needs to be weighed, store employees assigned to watch the machines and assist customers are not patient enough to take the time to train customers on how to use the machines, any item erroneously scanned by a customer means flagging down a store employee to void the item and myriad more issues as mentioned in this thread.
I've read recently that stores like Walmart, Costco and even smaller stores are rethinking and de installing self checks because in store theft (shrink) and general customer dissatisfaction is growing. An example is if you key in code 4011
(bananas) and weigh a steak the machine doesn't know the difference between the two. I've seen store security monitor a check out lane. There's a camera watching what's scanned by a customer, and a duplicate receipt prints out for security. The receipt printed for security should match the items in the customers possession. Hiring additional security staff defeats the original purpose of the self checks, namely reducing the number of human employees.

I'm glad to get confirmation from somebody in the business.

 

[Golddollar]

Another worthless piece of machinery is the shoplifting detector at the door of a store. I can't count the number of times the machine has gone off when I walk INTO the store. I end up stopping and telling an employee that I was just walking in and the machine went off.