I have been very loyal to my grocery store over the past couple of years. I'll be honest. I love it. I love the people that work there. I love their kindness. I know the lay-out (and I like it!) I like their products, their prices, and the attentiveness of everyone there. However, in an effort to maximize our finances and ensure we're not spending money unnecessarily, I have agreed to a one-month trial of shopping at a competitor's store.
I've heard all the ads and seen all the hype. So I decided to see if it's real. Will it actually save me enough to (1) be worth the drive (it's a few minutes further) and (2) give up the people I have built relationships with at MY store? I know it sounds silly to say I build relationships at a store. But when certain people see me and my son, they know our names. They smile. They ask about him on the occasions when I shop without him.
So, Jackson and I ventured to the new store today. They use a rewards card program to offer lower prices on products. Thus, our first stop was the customer service desk to sign up. I told the lady I had not been in this particular shop before, I was loyal to their competitor, but willing to try and see if they can save me money. Boy, oh boy! If you want a company to clammer over themselves to make and keep you happy, tell them you like their rival! They started telling me all about their perks, their prices, their people, and generally what makes them better.
We got our card and went on our merry way, wandering through the aisles, comparing prices on things we commonly buy, even if we didn't today. Everyone was indeed very friendly and helpful. They carried a product I've looked for and couldn't find at my previous grocer. They offer self check-out lines. They definitely had some things going for them. There were also a couple of things I couldn't find though. And I didn't understand the lay-out because it is very different from what I am accustomed. But I'll adjust, should I decide to continue with the new store.
All that aside, the biggest tell was definitely going to be the receipt. (Drum roll please...) On my first shopping trip, I saved over $11 on a $53 bill. That's almost a 20% savings on the very first trip! If they can keep that up, they'll win my business. Here was the kicker though. (I had spoken with one of the assistant managers earlier while walking around.) As I was about to leave the store, that same assistant manager, who knew I was loyal to another store and exploring the possibility of defecting, came up to me and gave me a free coupon book.
I like when people fall all over themselves to earn and keep my business. Maybe that makes me silly or shallow. But it's nice to go someplace where people actually take pride in the organization for which they work. It's nice to know my business is important to them. So, I'll use their coupons and see what the receipts say over the next month. And I may still run mini-errands to the closer store or wander around there to say hi on a cold or rainy day. But I definitely may betray my grocery store loyalty.
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