Do YOU Put Stuff Back at Stores? (or do you 'let' someone else do it?)

Have you ever put something in your cart, then decided in the midst of your shopping that you did not want that item?  Never would you just dump the item on a shelf,  you seek an empty aisle, carefully look both ways, look for a camera, then slide the item on to a shelf in the store while pretending to shop for something on that shelf.  

...said no one ever...

When this happens it becomes a 'go back' - meaning it is an item that needs to 'go back' where it came from. Now this item may be an actual store item, or it may  be a vendor item.  Either way, it is momentarily 'lost' in the store.  This can cause inventory issues, ordering issues and beyond...

This also creates a pile or basket, or cart FULL of items that need to be re-homed...

Let me tell you, the industry I'm in has a lot of front end racking, i.e. racking at the very front of stores, the check lanes.  These are a very popular 'dumping ground' for things.

I've found (to mention a few)...

• a full bag of rice
• clothing
• toys
• used tissue/napkins
• Starbucks cups
• Soda cups
• pretty much anything that someone decides they don't want at the last minute...

The above does not include what I've found in our 'mainlines' which are in the store aisles vs checkouts.  LOTS of stolen items, also called 'shrink' at a store (shrink the reason prices go UP at stores, to counter the amount of theft that takes place)

• half eaten candy bars, chips, crackers
• empty cans of soda
• melted ice cream (on a stiiick)
• food from the deli
• food from the dairy
• empty boxes of medicines, make up, food, and more...

So next time you have an unwanted item, if you can, please put it back where it came from.  If you simply cannot make it back to the correct aisle, please take care with cold items.  i.e. place frozen items in a freezer and cold items in a fridge.  You'd be amazed how many 'cold' items are out on shelves, and then put back in coolers... 

Chillin'

Alethea Anderson
MultiMediaMom.com