Shopping: do you already know what you are buying?

[Chris142]

When I shop I go in to get what I need and leave. I even put things in order say at the grocery store so I go in one side and out the other. Walk in get friluits and veggies then bread then soda then meat and finally exit by passing the frozen food it has less time to thaw out.


When going to say Baskin Robbins do you know what you want or do you stare at the buckets of ice cream and keep taking samples while the line behind you backs up?

I got sent to Target this morning. Not somewhere I would choose to shop myself but whatever.

I was then asked to go to the starbucks inside the target( another store I would never patronize if I had a choice) ahead of me are 2 large families of 5 and another of 6. None of the people in those families could decide on what they wanted.

Took them 30 minutes to decide what they wanted.

If I go somewhere I'm getting chocolate ice cream or Valvoline Restore and Protect etc.. Nothing else normally although I may check out the clearance section.

Normal or not?

 

[4wd]

I tend to have a time saving plan and use DG like a convenience store. Yesterday I go there and they have reconfigured the entire store - totally twisted the whole time looking for things …
We have two - will try the other today …

 

[JunkdrawerDog]

I always know what I'm buying otherwise I wouldn't be going.

 

[DCDG]

When I shop I go in to get what I need and leave. I even put things in order say at the grocery store so I go in one side and out the other. Walk in get friluits and veggies then bread then soda then meat and finally exit by passing the frozen food it has less time to thaw out.


When going to say Baskin Robbins do you know what you want or do you stare at the buckets of ice cream and keep taking samples while the line behind you backs up?

I got sent to Target this morning. Not somewhere I would choose to shop myself but whatever.

I was then asked to go to the starbucks inside the target( another store I would never patronize if I had a choice) ahead of me are 2 large families of 5 and another of 6. None of the people in those families could decide on what they wanted.

Took them 30 minutes to decide what they wanted.

If I go somewhere I'm getting chocolate ice cream or Valvoline Restore and Protect etc.. Nothing else normally although I may check out the clearance section.

Normal or not?

I am very regimented I do the same with my food lists. I get totally disoriented when my wife says lets go to a store we don't frequent even different neighborhood wal-marts or Lowes home improvement throws me for a total loop.

 

[Tdbo]

I'm 99.8% certain of what I am buying when I go into the store.
I allow some flex for good sales or clearance items that we may need in the near future.

 

[Chris142]

I am very regimented I do the same with my food lists. I get totally disoriented when my wife says lets go to a store we don't frequent even different neighborhood wal-marts or Lowes home improvement throws me for a total loop.

Look the item up before you go in. Their site will tell you where to find things.

 

[robbobster]

…and if you arrive not knowing what you want, then fer chrissakes use the time waiting in line to look at the darned menu

 

[DCDG]

Look the item up before you go in. Their site will tell you where to find things.

That's too easy. But I get it what would we do before the days of phones lol

 

[I<3oil]

I always know what I'm buying otherwise I wouldn't be going.

Bingo

 

[Kira]

You gotta organize purchases. Consumerism, done badly, is horrid.

 

[wwillson]

I am a buyer, not a shopper. I make a list of things I need on my phone, then go buy them. I do not browse the isles to see if I make want something. I don't have time or desire to "shop" or buy things I don't need.

 

[The_Jeff]

Starbucks does the paralysis of analysis thing on purpose to get you to spend more. A family like that would probably drop $50-60 on something with $1-2 worth of ingredients.

I've always felt like the DMV should have two sets of lines, one for people who know what they're doing and one for the idiots. Mine has an "information guy" who checks your paperwork on the way in but it's not enough.

 

[supton]

Depends. Grocery store, I generally know what I want, so in and out. Hardware store, sometimes I haven't a clue how I want to cobble something together, so I might be jogging around, while thinking about how to rig up whatever hack I want. Fleamarket or ham radio fleamarket? I'll wander around for hours and buy nearly nothing, but enjoy myself all the same.

 

[Timmastertech]

I generally know what I am getting when going shopping most places other than the grocery store. At the grocery store I usually have a general idea but things like meat may change based on what looks good or is on sale. At a quick service restaurant if I Do not know what I am getting I wait to get in line until I have read the menu and have decided. I dont want to hold up anyone while I am figuring that out.

 

[AZjeff]

I am a buyer, not a shopper. I make a list of things I need on my phone, then go buy them. I do not browse the isles to see if I make want something. I don't have time or desire to "shop" or buy things I don't need.

Me too unless I go in a gun shop. Need and want sometimes get blurred.

 

[dogememe]

Online pick up in store/curbside/drive up is where it’s at.

Drive up is the best. Just park, sit there for two minutes, and leave. Minimum human interaction. Target has done well on this. Very rarely is an item expired, damaged, or missing.

 

[fdcg27]

I'm 99.8% certain of what I am buying when I go into the store.
I allow some flex for good sales or clearance items that we may need in the near future.

Exactly!
Go with a list of what you actually need to buy and take a quick look at in-store specials and clearance.
Get in and get out.

 

[JayhawkRoy]

I am primary cook in the house. I keep a running list for all items I think I need. We are now fortunate that I can get nearly any groceries I need from three different stores within 2 miles. Previous house, six to ten miles for groceries; three miles to DG.

Try to identify most items on line for availability before choosing the store (s) location.

Tend to forget one or two items off my list occasionally, never 100%, but generally not a big deal.

Use a Word document to keep track of items by store sales, etc, and sometimes pen and pencil.

Nearest Walmart has changed their layout and after three months, the correct aisle numbers are still not correct, so sometimes WM turns into a Costco "Treasure Hunt" experience. Wife does all the browsing so we tend to end up with more stuff than I ever intended.

Being a college town, all the drive ups can take some time to get your order, because lots of residents use the service. I do use it to find stuff in Walmart especially if I am unsure about where it actually may be. I also want to hand select my produce anyway.

My late father was a "get in, get out, get on with life" person, so I now resemble him far more than I thought I would.....

 

[Dave Hess]

90% of what I buy is already in my head.

10% are impulse purchases.

 

[KGMtech]

I am always amazed at how slow the day proceeds at almost any of my relatives, they get up late, they ponder a shower, they ponder where they want to shop, they debate the merits of one store or another, then they decide what they want for breakfast.

I'm standing in the driveway 20 minutes after waking, I've already cleaned my windshield, checked the oil and now reading a book while eating a bagel. I will be ready for a nap before these idiots figure out the plan.