October 2006
Shop faster
Making a shopping list and planning your route through the store can make your trip more efficient. Using self-checkout lanes
might help, too, though they’re far from perfect (see Self-scanner glitches). Other time-saving tactics:
- Study circulars online. More than 70 percent of survey respondents said that they rely on weekly circulars to find out what’s
on sale. Nowadays, just about every chain posts its flyers online, so you might be able to compare prices at several stores.
Many sites also offer other time-savers such as online list-making, menu planners, recipes, and suggestions for healthy eating.
- Shop early in the sale cycle. Supermarket sales typically start on weekends. Shopping early will better your chances of finding
items in stock, and you’ll avoid a return trip with a rain check. Eleven percent of readers complained that supermarkets were
out of stock on advertised specials. The problem was about three times as frequent at Pathmark, Meijer, Acme, and Tops.
- Consider shopping online. It’s an option at quite a few chains. King Soopers, Safeway, and Schnucks are among those that
offer online ordering and home delivery at some locations. Delivery charges typically range from $5 to $10.
Some supermarket chains accept online orders only for hard-to-find packaged goods. Kroger calls its program “Special Order”; Hannaford calls its version “At Your Request.”
Harris Teeter gets even more hands-on with the chain’s Express Lane service. You place your order, designate a pick-up time, and a staffer has everything bagged and ready when you pull into the lot. There’s a flat $4.95 fee. - Try shopping clockwise. Most supermarkets have their entrance on the right side, and shopper traffic naturally flows in a counterclockwise pattern. When customers go against the flow and move clockwise, says Herb Sorensen, a market researcher who has observed hundreds of thousands of shopping trips, there’s a tendency to spend less time--and therefore less money--in the store.
