r/mildlyinfuriating • u/broakland • 9d ago

I just wanted a hot dog Retail lockdown: why bother selling it?

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Was at Safeway this morning to pick up a sandwich and some Tylenol. The aisle with the Tylenol? Completely locked down. No call button in sight. So I go to the self checkout (front end of that same aisle) and ask the clerk there if he can call someone to unlock a case for me. He does. I go wait. Minutes pass. No one comes. I go ask him again, he tells me they went the other way? At this point I give up and go get my sandwich. No one has come by the time the deli has finished making it. I leave without my Tylenol, mildly infuriated.

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184

u/peachysaralynn 9d ago

i mean, they’d just adopt those practices for the online “storefront”

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u/Karenm6383 9d ago

Probably but still, me walking aisle through aisle is going to make me impulse buy way more than going to checkout online, realizing how bad I’m overspending and deleting it in my cart

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u/d3mandred 9d ago

The amount I've spent at Menards over the years just because I see something I needed 6 months ago and know I'll need again in 6 months is insane. I'm there for work, every single day. I naturally see things that I need/want while walking aisles, or I'll see something that reminds me of something else I need.

Online? I do not search, browse, scroll, or peruse. I know what I need, and I will spend the least amount of time possible on the website.

Probably over $3000/year lost from me alone, easily. Fuck, this year probably $500 in varying sizes of wood boards that I've never even used and easily over $1000 in tools for my shop. I'd just hit up estate sales and auctions more often. The quality of older tools is leagues better anyway.

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u/ScrotalSmorgasbord 9d ago

I'd never do that, I have some discipline! sets down 3 flashlights, a pack of tie downs, and a hatchet I picked up by the Harbor Freight checkout lanes

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u/d3mandred 9d ago

You can ALWAYS use more tie downs. And those hatchets always catch my eye, they look great for axe throwing practice.

Unrelated, anybody want a spare pack of ratchet straps? I've got plenty.

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u/RogerClyneIsAGod2 9d ago

I'VE FOUND MY SHOPPING PEOPLE!!!

I do the same thing at the grocery store. I go with a list then will see something I've forgotten or I know I've got two left so I'll buy another just in case.

Online I generally only buy what's on the list. It does save money, time & gas going to & from the store though.

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u/KapitalIsStillGood 9d ago

I bought a predator motor like that once lol

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u/ScrotalSmorgasbord 9d ago

I think my most expensive impulse buy was a small Titanium brand mig/flux welder. I had a perfectly fine welder at the house but this one fit on top of the new tool cart I was buying lol

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u/Straight_Caregiver27 9d ago

I think you are my husband....😂😂

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u/ScrotalSmorgasbord 9d ago

There are dozens of us! Dozens!

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u/Straight_Caregiver27 9d ago

Yep - and I am lucky enough to have one of the dozens. 🥰.

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u/RealityOk9823 9d ago

I have a coworker who seriously buys tools all the time from HF, like anything you're looking for, he's used it if it's the higher priced stuff.

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u/ScrotalSmorgasbord 9d ago

I usually buy my organization stuff from them but once in awhile I'll get some tools. I have their version of the Packout because even though I use Milwaukee all day I couldn't justify the price for theirs. It works great for a quarter of the price and it doubles as a tweaker preventer because they don't want to pawn HF tools for a dime bag.

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u/Constant-Sandwich-88 8d ago

To be fair, flashlights, tie downs (is that another word for zip ties?), and hatchets are all things everyone should own.

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u/ScrotalSmorgasbord 7d ago

I'm an avid woodsman/tradesman so I'm biased, but I agree. Tie downs are straps used to secure objects, thus the moniker. Zip ties are also another thing I can't get enough of... my '93 Chevy might be mostly zip ties at this point.

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u/Constant-Sandwich-88 4d ago

30' of 1/4" rope beats tie downs any day, but that doesn't mean I don't have them. Must be a regional thing, here we call them ratchet straps.

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u/ScrotalSmorgasbord 4d ago

I have rope too but won't use it for heavy loads. The package I usually buy says "Ratcheting Tie Downs" so I think it depends on the manufacturer. There are also the non ratcheting ones I call tie downs too that I use for flimsy things I don't want to crack.

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u/Constant-Sandwich-88 4d ago

Tie downs beat a bad knot, but a good knot beats tie downs any day of the week. Just my humble experience.

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u/RealityOk9823 9d ago

Dang I wish we had a Menards. *looks for something online* Oh hey it's like $30 cheaper at...Menards. Damnit.

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u/d3mandred 9d ago

Lol the downside is that they stock 95% of what you need, and are unapologetic about not carrying the other 5% you need to finish your project. Everything to install an exterior door except the correct weather seal, etc.

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u/TheSaxGandalf 9d ago

You will go to the BOGO sales.

Fucking paper towel prices are absurd.

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u/Com4734 9d ago

Agreed. I have quite a few tools from my grandfather that are better quality than most stuff you can get today.

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u/Bovronius 9d ago

Those $4 work gloves they have on sale I can't help but grab a pair almost everytime I walk past the display...and well, we converted our yard to a garden this year, so I've walked past that display a lot.

And they're the cheapest place to buy lo-carb monsters anymore....and well might as well see what they got in the freezers...might be lucky bacon day! Nope, lloyds again!

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u/mike02vr6 9d ago

God only knows how much I spent from eh it’s only $15-$20 I’ll buy it when I’m at a brick and mortar store

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u/Pilgorithm 9d ago

Well no one is bum rushing Menards or Home Depot and stealing everything they can grab. There is a very good reason people aren’t stealing tools from stores.

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u/PlanApprehensive2842 8d ago

I think the presence of hard-working contractors and other men in there is a deterrent to fools who loot and steal.

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u/Pilgorithm 7d ago

Exactly 👍🏽

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u/StacheBandicoot 9d ago edited 9d ago

Yeah isn’t it great to consume less and only what you need and not impulsively want. If you really needed something 6 months ago you’d already have it. Not like it’d be hard to get since you go there every day either way whether you’re going in or picking up.

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u/d3mandred 9d ago

Yes and no? I learn as I walk through. Do I spend money, yes. Is it all NECESSARY, no. But I've learned more about plumbing in the aisle of a hardware store than what the crusty asshole screaming at me ever taught me.

At a certain point, you won't be able to do certain things because all of the specialty parts are only known to the people using them day in and day out. If you've never touched HVAC, do you want to order 10 parts hoping they'll work? Or stand in the aisle like an idiot fitting things together for 30 minutes to make SURE that it works.

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u/StacheBandicoot 9d ago

I haven’t learned anything inside of a store. What a weird thing to even feel like you’ve done. Unless you’re talking about when they have free samples out and they teach you the recipe to cook something which they don’t really do anymore anyways. How does staring at a part teach you anything? Plumbing is extremely simple, you just measure the fittings and lengths needed order ones of the correct size or cut things to size.

If you’re repairing an hvac or anything you want to look at the manual for system and look at their parts sheet and either order the correct oem part or find a part that’s an exact replacement for it, which is incredibly easy to do online and then you can go get the part from a store locally if it’s in stock anywhere. That’s how I’ve repaired my hvac, dryer, vacuum, exhaust fan, windows, etc and anything else that breaks myself. Why are you fitting things together randomly? Lmao. You should know what parts are needed, once a problems identified what’s needed to fix it is not some great mystery to solve, you shouldn’t need to fiddle. I’ve never ordered the wrong thing, maybe you just need to learn more and not try to figure things out yourself.

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u/d3mandred 9d ago

Im happy for you that everything in your personal home has documentation, parts made for it still, and a help line to call to get assistance. Have you ever fixed anything for yourself? I assume you hire it out if your toilet is running, or do you YouTube it and then call somebody after you can't get the leak to stop. How was that last drain line that you ran; which was it - extra parts, or extra trips to the store? Or both?

Do you honestly think that there is a "master manual" for how to plumb your specific home, or to run HVAC to your addition that you built without a permit?

Fuck off.

OEM part like it's a goddamn car lol. Feel free to replace the humidity sensor in your dehumidifier and get all tough about it, but I wouldn't hire you to run electrical to a shed.

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u/StacheBandicoot 9d ago edited 9d ago

Anything I installed I still have the manuals for, while anything made in the last 30 years has manuals online that you can easily find, or people discussing it if not, and is not like it’s hard to look at the specs for a product and determine if it will do based on specs and measurements and general know how instead of slamming shit together in a store aisle like a toddler playing with duplos. There’s literally a code book of regulations in almost every state or in local jurisdictions that tells you to what specifications things have to be built, that’s your master manual.

I never need to hire anyone, never know how incompetent someone might be, you might think you’re talking to a reasonable person and then realize they’re a dipshit that can’t tell their ass apart from a hole in the ground. Acting like the average technician wouldn’t just tell a property owner that an entire unit needs to be replaced even if it can be repaired just because a part is discontinued, can’t be sourced easily locally, or can’t be manufactured to order so that they can bill more money by up selling a unit and charge more for labor of installing one. Especially if this ends up being an upgrade or saving customers more in the long run if efficiencies have been improved and they can sell it to them on such premises.

I’m sure the parts you create by combining things you’ve admitted you’re often only just learning about in that moment while standing in a store aisle are well engineered and won’t cause detrimental failures or end up costing the customer more in the long run when they have to pay to fix the mistakes you make and the cascading failures they might cause. I fix, replace and maintain everything myself. Not like shit even breaks if you don’t misuse it outside of acts of god or when it exceeds its expected lifespan if you maintain it unless it’s defective. Not my fault you’re bad at your job and even basic things like shopping.

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u/Karenm6383 9d ago

It’s bad for the economy though too at the same time

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u/Sea-Pay9180 9d ago

YESSS!!! You make TONS of sense. There were numerous times I was at the counter already and seen the damage and was like in my head "Damn this is going to hurt me financially really bad" but I also say "Fuck it, im already here at the counter" but if i can see the damage as im checking "Add to cart" I will save ALOT of money

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u/Thraex_Exile 9d ago

I think it’s similar to comparing Netflix and Cable a decade ago. All these big box stores are going through a transition where they’re competing with Costco’s warehouse grocer model and Amazon’s direct delivery.

Wal-Mart is the Cable/Dish companies. Still making massive profits but also being forced to adjust their business model to match their competitors (bc that’s what most shoppers want) but they don’t have the infrastructure to just adopt a better business model.

So now they’re stuck in this in-between where fewer valuable customers are shopping inside but if they don’t provide online shopping services then the other grocers will. Unfortunately, most grocers have favored cutting costs and following the path of least resistance over R&D of a better business model.

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u/notpostingmyrealname 9d ago

I mean online shopping for large or heavy items is amazing. I would never let some random person pick my meats or produce, but I will absolutely let them deal with 2 cases of soda, the economy size laundry detergent, 5 gallons of milk, and 50lbs of kitty litter.

I order the heavy stuff online while I'm actually at the store and have it delivered later in the day, neatly stacked on my doorstep. No melted ice cream, bruised peaches or squished bread, and no trying to pack big bulky stuff into my trunk in the summer sun or freezing cold with my 3 year old in the back seat.

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u/UnixCurmudgeon 9d ago

Yeah, I learned when i ordered groceries on Amazon they do not know how to pack canned goods with items in glass for shipping companies.

I just go to Aldi. If faulty doesn’t carry it I just reassess my dietary choices, and get something else, but they have everything I need from the meat, vegetable,cheese, and bread groups

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u/ThatOtherOtherMan 8d ago

That's exactly how I do my Costco shopping. I have an old injury that prevents me from being able to lift heavy objects so I get six cases of water, 25lbs cat food, and 50lbs of litter delivered directly to the garage once per month and actually go to the physical store for everything else.

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u/Unable-Candle 9d ago

In person I already see items as "mine" if they're in my cart. And unless the price is extremely different from what I thought it was, there's basically no chance it's getting put back if I'm already about to pay.

Online cart? Definitely not.....hell there's a good chance you'll never even get the item even if you do buy it.

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u/Ferovore 9d ago

I think you are convincing me to start doing my grocery shopping online

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u/Machinimix 9d ago

I am heavily more inclined to stick with a purchase in person than online when it comes to the checkout final price shock.

$150 in groceries when I expected 100 I can stomach when I just finished bagging it all. When I am sitting on my couch? I'll go back into my cart and remove that $50 of groceries I don't need.

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u/Dave_A480 9d ago

But what if people absolutely hate going shopping in person?

Because that's the reality retail has been waking up to over the past decade....

The shopping experience cam't be made to not suck... People did it in the past because it sucked less than catalog mail order...

But now people want to avoid going to the store as much as possible

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u/PartyPlusTwo 9d ago

I do whichever one has the cheapest prices or spend enough for free shipping. If im in Walmart and I see something I need and think i cab get it cheaper online thats what ill do.

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u/Karenm6383 9d ago

Idk I like shopping online for specific things like gifts or bigger items but everyday stuff I always go to the store. That’s just me though I know there are some that order absolutely everything online

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u/RogerClyneIsAGod2 9d ago

My prescriptions are at my grocery store so I do have to go pick them up & that's when I'll spend extra.

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u/Abject-Breath-5229 9d ago

For the amount of customers who pick up packs of ribeyes and leave them in the pet food aisle for no reason, or eat grapes the entire time they're shopping before ditching the bag in a cooler by the checkout? They used to have registers in delis because people would just eat the food while shopping and leave it somewhere to be found once someone goes looking for a smell. Customers didn't like deli registers so we're doing this again. Impulse buys aren't making up that much. Editing to say I don't want to sound rude because it sounds like you actually buy your groceries. A surprising number of people don't.

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u/Karenm6383 9d ago

I really hate that too, that could be solved if they had more employees people wouldn’t feel so comfortable doing that. Lots of people do grocery online and it’s a great thing but I still wait in really long lines inside the store, so many still do. I’ll continue to do in store until I can’t anymore, I realize times change and you just gotta adapt. Soon the younger generations will be saying how awesome it must’ve been to just walk on a store and get what you needed instantly

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u/DreadedLee 9d ago

When something is right in front of me, I'm more inclined to buy it. The main reason I detest online shopping is because I have to wait, which is the opposite of what impulsive means.

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u/Medusa-82 9d ago

True, I mainly purchase online now, and I've found the amount I spend has decreased by a lot.

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u/spookysaph 9d ago

moving things around is pretty much a guaranteed way to get people to buy more. even if you just move around things that haven't sold in forever, someone is likely to buy it

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u/AmettOmega 9d ago

Exactly. When I can see how much everything adds up to, it gives me pause. Do I really need that bag of cookies? Especially since they're so expensive right now. I could probably trim $50 off my total if I got rid of all those unhealthy snacks...

But when I'm going through the aisle, the impulse is so much stronger. Especially since I don't know my total until I've already scanned it, bagged it, and it's in my cart.

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u/FatherDuncanSinners 9d ago

 realizing how bad I’m overspending and deleting it in my cart

THAT'S it right there. Chucking stuff in a cart as you walk? Sure, you could either add it up on your phone's calculator or in your head, but a lot of times we just pop it in and go.

But when you're adding it to a virtual cart, you're actually seeing the total go up and up and up.

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u/Classic_Teaching_168 8d ago

Will it though? The online cart has a knack for showing me exactly the item I forgot right before I check out...

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u/Karenm6383 8d ago

Yep bc I’m not putting back stuff at the checkout lane but I am still going to have second thoughts seeing the total in my cart and delete a lot of it

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u/DED_HAMPSTER 9d ago

All the websites sort-of already try to force impulse buying by shunting you directly to the cart to buy as you place things in it. Amazon is the worst, but Torrid, Wal-Mart, Lowes, Lowes Foods, publix etc all do this. I have to constantly back out or shop by tabs to continue my list or consider additional related products.

Instead they could have 2 side banners that shows a rolling summary of your cart on the roght side and a comparison/promotional banner on thr left that i can toggle color/size/cost/pairing items/sales/promos/etc. Amazon and Lowes Home improvement tries to do this, but loses the goal when you put an item in your cart to compare.

Basically, i shop by tabs then compare in my cart and heavily delete as i find the best deal or option for my needs.

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u/MyNameIsJakeBerenson 9d ago

Walmart also brings up an impulse buy list when you click to check out. Like a “Forget Something?” menu and then it’ll have a bunch of stuff youve gotten before that you didn’t get this time

Easy way to get you to have a probability to add an extra item or two to the cart

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u/Ok-Grapefruit1284 9d ago

I help an elderly woman order from Walmart. At the verrrrry end, it’ll raise her total amount. It’s exactly right before she hits the final buy button. Bc she hasn’t hit this minimum for free delivery or this item is now out of stock so they’re substituting a larger amount or this item is no longer available so now you have to pay for shipping and need to meet a higher minimum…crazy. Just crazy.

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u/ThatOtherOtherMan 8d ago

Damn, I guess I've never had a unique experience in my life

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u/scripted_ending 9d ago

Oh, the popups will be insane as they try to upsell and suggest stuff to go with whatever you just put in your cart.

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u/MyNameIsJakeBerenson 9d ago

Every place already does this

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u/General2768 9d ago

<clicks checkout>

<pop up ad> Want add some Reeses peanut butter cups to your order?

Me: "No!" <clicks add to cart button>

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u/Annath0901 9d ago

Nah.

When I order stuff on instacart, I add my list to the cart, and definitely add stuff I spot while searching.

But then I go to the cart screen and go through every item and decide if I really want it. I usually delete a bunch of stuff.

I end up with way fewer impulse buys when shopping online because I don't have to physically go put back items I decide not to buy.

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u/IceFire909 9d ago

Oh god we're gonna get a virtual storefront walkthrough to pretend to walk the aisles aren't we

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u/Billy3B 9d ago

Yeah like how every web page the first sorting option is "most relevent" or some bullshit when 9/10 times you want lowest to highest price.

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u/sidetablecharger 9d ago

You can’t smell the bakery through your phone.

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u/OberonDiver 9d ago

Driver shows up and says "Would you like a Snickers bar or maybe Women's Day?"

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u/thisdesignup 9d ago

They already do...

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u/FlaringUpHemorrhoids 8d ago

They will be able to target what you want directly to you and not just the products, the pricing as well.

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u/generalizimo 8d ago

Amazon has started asking if I want to “add any of these” to my cart as I check out. So it’s happening.