anyone else hope they start limiting coupon use?

[mrsbornkuntry]

The local stores have no control over what comes in. So call the complaint line. Maybe corporate will get the hint. Doubt it though. And let's face it. If they got 40 of your deodorant the friday night boarders would still wipe out the shelves for their stockpile.

I can't speak for all stores, but I was a manager in an Ohio/Michigan chain of big box stores and yes, we did have control over what came in. If something was going to be a really good sale in my department and I knew it then it was my responsibility to call my buyer and up my order or with some products I could do it in the computer. So it may help to speak to a store manager or district manager about it.

I agree that there should be limits or the stores should pay better attention. My Food Lion has limits and they are almost never out of stock on sale items, even when they come out free with coupons, I've had good experiences with our Kroger as well. Harris Teeter on the other hand always is out and I've stopped shopping their triple coupon sales because of it, it's just too frustrating to go in there just to see they are out of everything on my list.

 

[mombrontrent]

Our cvs changes prices on Friday evenings, and the sharks are circling as the computer is changing them. :/. I feel so bad for the cashiers. They are sweet people.

How ridiculous! Seriously who does this? I live in Canada and coupons are nowhere near what they are in the U.S. We very rarely get any coupons in the paper. Stores do not issue coupons in the paper. Once in a while I will use a coupon if it is under the product I am going to buy in the store, but I mean I use maybe a coupon or two every month. Certain stores that have a particulary good deal usually have a limit of 4. I just came back from a two week vacation to Florida. While in a super Walmart in Kissemee I couldn't believe first of all how huge their grocery section was but how cheap the food was in general. Especially all the junk food was so cheap. A gallon bottle of Sunny D cost me $2.48, here in Canada they don't even sell that size but one half that size would be about $4! I was at a Walgreens and I saw a lady and her husband with a bunch of coupons and they were walking around trying to match up all the sales to the right products they had coupons for. Seemed crazy to me and such a waste of time, time is money too!

 

[GinnyEmma]

I can't speak for all stores, but I was a manager in an Ohio/Michigan chain of big box stores and yes, we did have control over what came in. If something was going to be a really good sale in my department and I knew it then it was my responsibility to call my buyer and up my order or with some products I could do it in the computer. So it may help to speak to a store manager or district manager about it.

I agree that there should be limits or the stores should pay better attention. My Food Lion has limits and they are almost never out of stock on sale items, even when they come out free with coupons, I've had good experiences with our Kroger as well. Harris Teeter on the other hand always is out and I've stopped shopping their triple coupon sales because of it, it's just too frustrating to go in there just to see they are out of everything on my list.

I only know about cvs. My cousin is the manager and does not have control. Very frustrating. Example was this winter they advertised a $99 netbook. They received 1. They have no inventory control at all. They are a company that I refuse to support due to their employee treatment. I do have to deal with them on the behalf of others though.

I'm glad it is not an industry wide practice though.

 

[richmond282]

I don't think its just couponers. There are plenty of times when I go to the grocery store and have something on my list that's a good sale, and the shelves are completely wiped out. It happens all the time. Like a few weeks ago, there was a good sale on napkins. When I got to the napkin aisle, it was completely empty. Well the lady that was in front of me in line had like 20 packages of them (I think she single handedly wiped out the shelf). She did not have any coupons (they were store brand). I was so annoyed. The stores should limit the amount of an item that can be purchased. I know a lot of stores do have limits, but I guess not all of them.

I haven't read the whole thread, but I agree with this. The problem is not only couponers (admittedly I AM one). Stores need to limit the amount of a "hot" sale item a custoemr can buy. They also need to have ample supplies on hand for sale items. I have been to a store on a Sunday to pick up a hot sale item and the store only has 2 of said items on the shelf. If I buy both, I "cleared the shelf."

 

[fakereadhed]

This thinking is right up there with the "I wish WDW would raise their prices so the parks would be less crowded" threads.

No, I don't care if the sale items aren't in stock. If I cared, I'd get there when the store opened on the day of the sale. Anything on sale for a great price tends to get cleaned out early, coupons or no coupons. If the store didn't stock enough sale items, I wouldn't shop there anymore.

 

[mrodgers]

When I worked in the grocery store, during summer holidays, 12 pack Pepsi was always on sale. People would wipe it out at every store.

We had to hang a sign that stated every Pepsi distributor in Pennsylvania and Ohio was wiped out of product and we were currently working on trying to get supply from the 3rd distributor of West Virginia. This was a weekend sale for Memorial Day.

How is that the store's fault that every supplier in 2 states and half the suppliers in a third state was out of product from a sale on Saturday and Sunday?

People walking into a store and buying 100 Ban deodorants within an hour is not normal. A store that sells 10 Ban deodorants normally and ordering 100 in stock for a sale and selling that 100 to many customers through the week rather than the regular 10 would be normal. A store can not order correctly if someone is going to come in and clear a shelf.

 

[amylynne01]

I see the same thing all the time. Those couponers can be animals, nobody needs 40 cans of tuna.

You may not, but a family of 8 could use that in 5 lunches! I have 50 pouches in my stockpile, and I'm the only one in my family that eats tuna. Call me extreme if you'd like (I don't think I am), but since the store PAID me $0.10 for each pouch, I'll buy it and use it before it expires.

I thought about this after posting last night --- how do these employees just happen to know it was "couponers" who cleared the shelves?? Were they put on special post to watch who purchases items? I doubt it. Probably just some disgruntled store worker.

Exactly. When you see a cleared shelf, you don't know if 10 couponers bought 10 each, if 1 couponer bought 100, or if 20 customers bought 5 each with no coupons. A cleared shelf is disappointing but not something I get upset about. I missed the deal. Oh well for me. On to more deals!

 

[StitchBuddy]

I would hate to see coupons disappear. I don't use a lot of them, but I do use some. I saw a lady in front of me the other day ring up a bill of $359.00 and only pay around $30.00. I say good for her. But, she had a bunch of stuff I would never buy, so that wouldn't work for my shopping style. That being said our Kroger had an amazing deal on canned veggies a few months back, I think it was 29 cents a can if you bought 10. I bought 20 and then went back later in the week and bought 10 more. But, the store was very well prepared and there were many flats of veggies.

 

[EllenFrasier]

So today I was sent to the store to pick up something, it took going to four different stores to find it. At the second store while staring at empty space on the shelf I asked an employee if the product had been recalled, nope couponers had come and both them out. Not a lot if different shoppers, but people filling their carts, same story at the third store. Seriously this is getting ridiculous.

Many of the stores around here limit the quantity you can buy, but of course the person could get back in line or bring family members to buy their own limited quantity. I guess you have to get to the store the day of the sale if you want to have a shot at the items on sale. Same as any other stores, coupons or not.

 

[Tinkerbellie16]

The grocery store I shop at rarely has something out of stock. There has been occasion when I have an awesome coupon deal and find that the item is out of stock - but that's usually at Walgreens. King Soopers is the best at having things in stock and Super Target does too (but their selection can be limited so they don't always carry the brands I'm looking for).

I don't want them to limit coupons because I pay for about 30% of my total grocery bill with them. I do not 'extreme coupon' though. There is no reason I need 40 bottles of mustard and no way I could store it!

 

[PA Princess]

Maybe stores should do a better job at stocking on sale items.

This is what I think as well!

The grocery store I use does the points for gas savings, and they often will have specials where you buy a collection of certain things to earn additional points. I try to match this with our needs and coupons.

I hate, hate, hate when I get all the items gathered but one and I get to the last thing I need of 7 to 10 items and the shelf is empty for that item! It is so frustrating because I have wasted significant time and energy.

 

[GinnyEmma]

Eh, they can't stock an infinite amt.

 

[MrsPete]

I don't think limits on coupons would do any good for two reasons:

1. Only a small percentage of people do the "extreme" things that've found their 15-minutes of fame lately. Limits would inconvenience stores (resulting in higher prices or slower lines) for little result.

2. People who are going to reach for "extremes" would get around the limits anyway: They'd come in and go through different lines, shop every day of the week, use multiple customer cards, etc. It's been decades since America had anything remotely resembling a "we're all in this together" attitude, and people are more concerned with getting their own deals than fairness to others.

 

[mainelyj]

I use coupons and do save quite a bit each week 75-90%. But I get 1 paper and use internet coupons. I never use the coupon unless the item is on sale. However, I am with those who get very frustrated from empty shelves.

With the recent PR on extreme couponing, empty shelves with items on sale ARE due to those being selfish and trying to increase their stock pile. I too wish stores would limit items to a reasonable amount.

Now with this being said, it does not hurt to ask the store if they could substitute for the "sold out" item or get rain check. In fact, Rite Aid did a substitution for me today - the manager said a woman came in during the morning and wiped them out of the item I wanted. I got a bigger size for the same price.

It just pays to be a smart shopper - that is why we belong to these boards - you have saved me thousands over the years on my Disney trips.

 

[CajunDixie]

So today I was sent to the store to pick up something, it took going to four different stores to find it. At the second store while staring at empty space on the shelf I asked an employee if the product had been recalled, nope couponers had come and both them out. Not a lot if different shoppers, but people filling their carts, same story at the third store. Seriously this is getting ridiculous.

Maybe the stores should learn to order more product!! Think Black Friday...stores have these huge ads with low cost items but when you get there they say sorry we only had 3 in stock.

I have stopped shopping at CVS for this reason. After three weeks in a row of them being out of everything on my list and refusing to issue rainchecks (I was told it was against policy), I was done.

The strange thing is that I used to get the CVS ad every week in the Sunday paper. I have not gotten it once since I decided I was not going back there. Weird coincidence!

A simple call to corporate will get their lazy butts moving and issueing rainchecks. The only time they can't give them is if the ad specifically states no rainchecks. And there is the problem of CVS stating in their ad that a coupon is available but again not stocking the item. Our store doesnt get their delivery until Tuesday.

 

[sydneysmom]

Honestly, no, I really hope they do not change coupon policy. I'm not an extreme couponer, but I do use coupons religiously every time I shop. I really don't think that it's the "extreme couponers " that are wiping the shelves clean. I think it's a combination of the store not stocking the items properly (our CVS STINKS at restocking...it's annoying) and more and more people using coupons and matching them to sale items.

But I think the big thing is that because of the economy, more and more people are starting to realize that using coupons isn't some "food stamp stigma". And I think that things are getting more and more expensive, so people have to be far more careful with their money than ever before. I think that more people are reading couponing blogs to learn how to become better "home economists" and learn how to pair a coupon with a sale. So if a store happens to be out of something on sale, perhaps it's because more people are coming in to purchase items WHEN they're on sale to maximize their dollar. it doesn't make people bad or greedy.....it makes someone smarter by trying to give their family the best that they can on a smaller amount of money.

Not everyone is like the extreme couponers. Think about it, when you go food shopping, how often do you "see" someone loading up 95 jars of Tums? Probably never. But now figure if it's on sale and they're coupons for it, you might find 60 people buying 4 or 5. That will wipe a shelf off. But it's not greedy people, it's just normal people. I'm one of them (not buying 95 jars of Tums....) . The other day at Kroger, they had Wisk on sale for $3.99. I had 6 - $2.00 off coupons. I bought 6 Wisk because it saved me alot of money and it's something I'm going to use and it doesn't go bad. It doesn't make me a shelf hog or greedy. It makes me smarter when I shop.

Personally, I don't want to increase our food budget because of higher prices. I think there's alot of people out there that are seeing prices go up and disposable income go down. This is one way that the average person can make their dollar go farther. If the stores are seeing a trend that sale items are starting to "move more", then they should order accordingly and keep their shelves stocked.

 

[LilyWDW]

Maybe the stores should learn to order more product!! Think Black Friday...stores have these huge ads with low cost items but when you get there they say sorry we only had 3 in stock.


A simple call to corporate will get their lazy butts moving and issueing rainchecks. The only time they can't give them is if the ad specifically states no rainchecks. And there is the problem of CVS stating in their ad that a coupon is available but again not stocking the item. Our store doesnt get their delivery until Tuesday.

I know a lot of this has to do with corporate, not the individual stores. An individual store does not usually get the power to order the amount of product they want or schedule their shipments. So, they get what they get... and then have to deal with upset customers when they don't have the product. This once happened to me when I worked as a retail manager. Corporate put out a new sales flyer, but didn't send us some of the items until 2 weeks into the month long flyer. So, for 2 weeks, I was yelled at and sworn at because we didn't have the items in the store... but there was nothing I could do.

 

[Zhoen]

I think the stores don't mind running out of things... the point of the sale is to get more customers into the store... and if you're there, looking at an empty shelf, they've met their goal. If you buy brand that's not on sale, that's a huge win for them... If you get a raincheck, it's no loss to them, it means you'll come into the store twice.
The store gets back the face value of a coupon, plus .08... that's it... doubling and tripling coupons is a gimmick to get you through the door, but that's money the store "loses." So if you're there, but can't get what you want with your triple couple, but you buy the rest of what you came for, that is the best deal for the store...

 

[scrapquitler]

So today I was sent to the store to pick up something, it took going to four different stores to find it. At the second store while staring at empty space on the shelf I asked an employee if the product had been recalled, nope couponers had come and both them out. Not a lot if different shoppers, but people filling their carts, same story at the third store. Seriously this is getting ridiculous.

Sure, sometimes if something is a really good sale (Pillsbury brownie mix $1. per box this week), it is out of stock. It happens and the store will happily provide a raincheck. It's not a big deal, really. Most stores here limit 5 or 10 of something that it an advertised sale. I only run into the store being out of something maybe once every couple of months. At holiday time or right before a snow storm is another matter

Rather than running around from store to store, I'd substitute a different size or brand of the same product in the meantime. In a day or two, the store will have whatever you are looking for back in stock.

 

[manhattan]

I don't think limiting coupon would really make an impact. I live near Century Village (retirement community) and whenever there is a good sale, I have to hit multiple stores or check in a couple of times during the week. Recently I had to go to three different Publix to get the Coke 6 pack that were buy one get one free (for our drive to Disney). Hit four different stores for razors, did not find any and went to three different Walgreens for Yardley soaps. I think everyone just stocks up nowadays. I just used my last Burts Bees Chapstick that I bought three years ago during the 90% off Christmas sale at Target, and you know I keep thinking I should have taken all they had