They place some bills and coins in the bottom cup, so you #1 see that the cup is for leaving something for them, and #2 so no one thinks it is just spare change you can reach into and use to pay for your order.
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Agreed as I have noted above.
I don’t see the tipping thing here in central NJ, but every once in a while there is a group raising money by bagging groceries for customers (often these are developmentally challenged people). I prefer to bag my own (and have my own bags that don’t hang on their racks, etc.), but I do always tip $1 anyway.
Digital coupons. I’m not that keen on coupons in general, because the restrictions (like what size they’re good on) are often printed in very tiny print, but the digital ones are worse, because there is
no good way to look at them when you’re at the store, unless you have a smartphone, and either you have a data plan or the store has wifi, and you can figure out how to navigate their website, …
We now have to contend with sales, extra money off for the affinity card, paper coupons (if the circular gets delivered), digital coupons, … No wonder places like Aldi and Lidl are becoming popular.
That is true. We have digital coupons AND when there is something really good the coupon is in the circular. I hate that!
Reading this thread is like scratching that itch you can’t reach… YES to so many things already mentioned!
There must be special training on leaving carts in the most inconvenient place possible for Trader Joe’s customers. I don’t get it, do you slowly walk down a busy aisle and then just leave your cart right in the walkway and go for a wander anywhere else? Would you stall your car in the middle of a busy road and leave to walk back a few blocks to pick up a cup of coffee?
Look at all the other “parked” carts - there’s a reason they’re not in the middle of the aisles.
Maybe this is a nyc supermarket special, but pallets of to-be-shelved goods blocking already-shelved goods during business hours.
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The bane of my existence, Food Lion, has some sort of coupon machine in the store. Right as you enter the store. So if someone is using it they are blocking the entrance and risk being rammed with a cart! I’ve never investigated it but have noticed signs placed by products which indicate a coupon can be obtained at the machine. I’d rather they just link it to the loyalty card and be done with it.
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I’m lucky, Food Lion lasted a short time here before being driven out by intense competition and a poor shopping environment and sub par products, especially meat.
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You are fortunate! Kroger recently closed their stores in my area. Their locations were older but the selection and staff were very good and their prices were similar to Food Lion. This has left a big gap in the area offerings. The remaining grocery chains are either a bit more expensive or offer a narrower selection albeit at a good price (Aldi, TJ’s, Lidl). On the plus side, Wegmans will be opening later this year!
Amen to that.
One of those days I guess. First the guy who walks up to my left while I’m waiting to be served at the deli counter just as an employee came up closer to him than to me. Of course… he just tells her what he wants and she helps him while I’m still standing there.
Then the guy who parks his cart, at an angle no less, right in the middle of an empty aisle as he walks 10 feet away to peruse the milk case. 
Kroger still hangs on and I have two nearby despite being crushed by a mega HEB Texas favorite with prime meats and a sprawling seafood counter.
I use Kroger for a few quick items but the main shopping is at HEB despite it being a zoo. Shopping early or late is the best.
Crazy thing about one of the Krogers is in the evening swarms of birds descend on the store and adjacent ones plus the power lines and perch on cars making it look like a scene from Alfred Hitchcock’s The Birds.
The city put up speakers sounding like cannon going off every minute or so and they left but it scared the shoppers and they were removed.
The birds are baaack!
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Any idea what sort of birds? It’s so strange how they’ll descend en masse at a particular location.
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They’re Grackles. You can see flocks of them coming in during the evening.
Not many grackles in NC. I always liked watching them when I lived in Florida - very gregarious birds. They do like certain spots - I know I can always catch my first sight of them at the Florida Welcome center on I-95!
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I’m a little girl with a big mouth. That happens to me a lot since I’m sometimes lower than the counters if they are piled high with stuff. It started getting on my nerves so now I always speak up. Ahem - I was next!!
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Here they hang out on the trees behind the McDonald’s. A lot of them. And they’re vultures–literally!
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This isn’t just for supermarkets - but for any company that has loyalty cards (or some type of equivalent) - but I wish they just applied the coupons when I check out, regardless if I had the coupon or not. I mean you have my loyalty card, you send me emails, you may even mail me coupons from time to time - so if I buy something that you have a coupon for (based on your circular printings) just apply it, don’t require me to have the coupon.
I don’t typically buy based on coupons (e.g. just because Campbell’s soup has a coupon, I don’t buy Campbell’s soup) but if I buy something (just by chance) that you’re running a coupon for - apply the 25 cent discount (or whatever). I get this wouldn’t work for coupons from other sources necessarily - but come on, advocate for your customers a little.
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Our local Ralph’s (Kroeger) sends us coupons based on products we’ve bought there using our rewards ID. I’ve noticed that’s most of the coupons they give us at checkout are the same. Pretty cool!
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-Stop frikin’ moving things around
-If you’re going to force me to check out my own items, offer me a discount, a spiff, something
-your digital coupon app thing is horrible (stop&shop)
-I’m stealing presunto’s zip tie idea
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