Super-couponing: Shopping with one eye on the other guy's cart
Here's the first column from our new columnist Jill Cataldo. This appeared on Oct. 12 in print. There's a new column and video coming on Oct. 19.
Recent columns on etiquette for Super-Couponers generated an incredible amount of email from readers. Shoppers who "clear shelves" in order to buy one product in quantity or who take multiple copies of coupons from tear pads or coupon dispensers are causing great consternation in the aisles.
Judging from the passionate letters I received, I don't think there's a more divisive topic I've covered in this column. Listen in:
Q: "Regarding the amount of coupons you take from in-store dispensers: You provide justification by saying that you take enough of the item in question to last your family until the next sale. Well, here's the rub.
"I'm sure everyone could justify the number of coupons they take or the amount of product they buy even when they deplete the store's supply in the process. You say that you bought 15 boxes of granola bars, which is justified because your family will use them. If just six people did that, I'm sure the shelves would be empty by the time I got there."
Q: "I read your article on etiquette for couponers.I was a little surprised by your comments about shelf sweeping. I live in a small town of about 2,500 people, and my trips to the grocery store involve an hourlong drive in order to feed my family on a budget.
"I've seen those looks from people when I'm in the store buying eight bottles of laundry detergent or 20 toothbrushes in one trip. If stores are going to advertise that a certain product can be purchased for99 cents with a coupon, then they better be prepared to have those items in the store.
"I think you're right. People should worry about their own carts, not mine."
Q: "The article on shelf clearing made me want to scream. I have three kids and, as many people know, growingchildren can clean the shelves at home in less than a week. I make two trips to the store every week for our family."
Q: "Like you, I buy more when there's a good sale. On a recent shopping trip, a woman I didn't know confronted me for having 10 identical cereals in my cart. The store was having a 'Buy 10' sale where you got a $5 coupon for every 10 items purchased. If I did not buy 10, I would have lost money!
"Makes sense to you and me, but not to her. She said, 'People like you shouldn't be allowed in the store!' If that's the case, why would the store even have a 'Buy 10' sale? I'm pretty sure the store wants my business."
A: As I said, reader responses are all over the map! To price-conscious shoppers, buying in quantity makes sense. I agree with the first reader: It's easy for anyone to justify what he or she is buying if it's something they will use.
For me, 15 boxes of granola bars was the right number. For the next shopper, eight bottles of laundry detergent was the right number, and so on. Yet the woman buying 10 boxes of cereal (during a "Buy 10" sale, no less) was chastised for buying too much.
The definition of buying too much typically boils down to "someone buying more than I would." I do wonder sometimes if the shoppers who critique other people's carts are losing sight of the store's purpose. Store managers are happiest when shoppers head to the checkout lane with full carts. It's how they stay in business.
Stores are even upping the ante with high-threshold sales, like "10 for $10" and "Buy 10" sales, which encourage shoppers to buy in larger quantities. Grocery stores operate on slim profit margins, so giving an incentive to shoppers to spend more per shopping trip is simply good business.
What do stores think of shoppers who buy several items at once? We'll hear from some employees in a future column.
Jill Cataldo, a coupon workshop instructor, writer and mother of three, never passes up a good deal. Learn more about couponing at her website, http://www.jillcataldo.com. Email your own couponing victories and questions to jill@ctwfeatures.com.
MoreFirst come first served. Take as many as you want BECAUSE that is what is allowed by the store. For those persons who are upset about being left out... stop crying because your comfort zone has been violated. Boo Hoo Hoo the winds of change are pushing you out of your routine. Get up earlier on coupon day and go shop before you go to work. Just do what you need to do if you really want to win your share. If there were a limit the store will also advertise that as well. If they run out... get a rain check. On behalf of those americans on fixed incomes and limited alternatives... its not fair and that's on purpose because the stores want to sell as much as they have but hopefully some new kind of method can be created to accommodate more patrons but like many things as you get older slowing down means less opportunities so perhaps asking someone to get what you want/need is possible. I feel for your plight and hope the stores stock enough so you too can claim your share. I hope you fare well.
It's the store's responsibility to keep the shelves stocked, not the customer's! Experience should tell store managers whether a particular item is going to be a target for bulk couponing--especially when that item is also on sale (!)--and plan their orders accordingly. The issue here is not "shopper etiquette" but poor planning on the part of the stores themselves to keep the products available as advertised.
Classic example of the tragedy of the commons.
"A dilemma arising from the situation in which multiple individuals, acting independently and rationally consulting their own self-interest, will ultimately deplete a shared limited resource, even when it is clear that it is not in anyone's long-term interest for this to happen"
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