We have had some interesting "couponing ethics" discussions on this site....and this is an issue that frequently has people gnashing their teeth!
What is a Shelf Clearer? Simply put, it's a person (or persons) who goes in to a store and promptly clears the shelves to take advantage of a good deal. Go to almost any couponing message board and you will find people complaining that they were unable to get the good deal because someone else cleared out the store.
The problem is, there are many factors at work here:
1. Stores not providing adequate stock
2. Resellers who, for example, use coupons to get 50 tubes of toothpaste for free, and then turn around and sell them at flea markets
3. The perception among customers that fellow shoppers "owe it to them" to leave some stock.
I have mixed feelings on the topic of shelf-clearing.
If I go in and buy 30 boxes of Corn Flakes in one trip because of a great deal, is that considered shelf-clearing? if I only buy 29, am I then "ok"?
If I go in to a store and there are only 5 boxes left of those Corn Flakes, am I "obligated" to only take 4? Or am I ok to take all 5 because there are only 5 left and the store should have more stock?
If I go to CVS to stock up on a moneymaker on toothpaste and the deal is "Limit 5" and there are 5 tubes left, am I being selfish for taking all 5? Should other people looking to do that deal be mad at me? Or mad at CVS for not having adequate stock for the deal?
Do we couponers owe it to others to leave product? Or is it a case of "you snooze you lose"?
I've never actually bought 30 boxes of Corn Flakes, but I have taken the 5 tubes of toothpaste...and I can't really say that I have felt bad about it. I do try to be considerate of other customers (mainly because I don't want to go to a Home & School Meeting and be beaten to death for taking all of the Pantene), but I work on the Law of Averages: I may clear a shelf for a Pantene deal one week, but sit out the next 3 deals because I am still using up my stockpile.
And then there are other issues:
If I DO clear the shelf of 30 boxes of Corn Flakes and then turn around and donate them to a food pantry, am I "hurting" those who don't qualify for Food Pantry services?
If I leave 1 box for the person who doesn't qualify for Food Pantry services, should I have left 2 boxes?
With the economy tanking, I've seen more and more people complaining about Shelf Clearers. It's easy to take full advantage of a deal when you are feeling flush. For many, couponing can be a "rush"....a game to see how much you can get for how little. But once you are on a limited (or no) income, I would imagine that it would be frustrating to count on the $.17 cereal to feed your family...only to find that the shelf has been cleared.
What do you think? Do we owe it to others not to clear the shelf? Should we blame the stores for not having adequate stock? Or is it truly a case of "you snooze you lose"?
Jennifer @ the Coupon Mommie
I have 3-4 Kroger, Walgreens & CVS stores that I frequent so as to "be nice". I also stop in on different days of the week when they've had time to restock. But, in my opinion; I get rainchecks and have no problem just grabbing one of them to make things easier later on.
Mindi
I split my trips as well, especially when there is a good Catalina deal going.
CJSime
I only get frustrated at shelf clear-ers at CVS because I am pretty sure it was only possible because they had multiple cards. That side stepping behavior swindles product out of CVS set limits per card.
But for the most part I think first come first serve. I don't do couponing to the level that others do so I have never had enough coupons to buy all the stock (I only buy 2 papers a week). Some times there is enough for everyone, other times there isn't. It is the nature of the game.
Monica
Mindi-
Great post and great questions. I can go either way on this one. I get frustrated when the store blames it's customers for the shelves being empty on the first day when it really could be b/c of poor ordering on their part.
Unless you see a person clear the shelf it is hard to know if the empty shelf is due to hoarding or the stores poor stock.
I have had a bad experience with a "hoarder/ shelf clearer" before so I know they are out there. Read this you will see where I am coming from. http://www.fabulesslyfrugal.com/2009/01/beware-of-crazy-shoppers.html
So I do think that you should be considerate of others especailly if they are standing right there. No one person is entitled to everything on the shelf.
Some times it is ridiculous to stock up like on toothpaste for example. You can get it for free at Walgreens 1-2 weeks out of the month. There is no need to have 30 tubes on one sale. I think 5 is reasonable as long as you don't have 30 at home already. Toothpaste lasts long enough that you do not need to have a huge stockpile especially since the SALE WILL COME AGAIN!
Other food items could likely expire before you use up a stock pile of them so that is a dumb time to go over board too.
Also if a person really feels the need to stock up they should make an order with the store to avoid taking everything on the shelf.
Mindi
Wow! I've never had to deal with anyone like Crazy Diaper Lady!
GREAT suggestion about placing an order. I am waiting for the next time Acme put the 93% lean turkey chubs on sale at 10 for $10. They only do it a few times a year and I have already told the meat manager that I would like to order 50 of them at the next sale. It's just courtesy to the other shoppers (and the employees who have to deal with ther customers complaining!)
Tirade
You snooze you lose!
I don't hold back because I don't expect other shoppers to hold back for me. If the shelf is empty, other people can do what I do in that situation--get a raincheck, try again later, or go to another store.
Mindi
I also think that people are too quick to blame a single shelf-clearer.
What if I wait until after church to stop by CVS and they are out of everything? It would be wrong to assume that one person came in and cleaned them out. It could have been 4-8 people in the area who also spotted the same deal and simply got there before me!
DianeScraps
Honestly the only place I seem to be missing out on what I need anymore is the Dollar Tree, last week I couldn't go till mid day Sunday and both the local stores were out of papers! Personally I think they need to get more, cause they know they are going to get rid of them.
As far as myself buying, I rarely make just one trip to a store during a sales cycle. The first day I will get a couple, second trip a couple more. If I am there the last day of the sale, and it's free, I will take as many as I can use / have free coupons for and can donate.
I have enough of a stockpile though that toothpaste deals and the basic deals that come every few weeks definitely don't have me running to the store at first light.
If I know ahead of a great deal, I do ask them to order more for me.
Heather
If the shelves are empty when I arrive, then I simply arrived too late. Yes, it's frustrating but I don't have the luxury of owning my own vehicle. I go to Acme every Friday evening and Target every Saturday afternoon. Sunday mornings I'm starting to snag my fiance's truck while he's in bed but other than that I can't pick up and go whenever I want to so I can get something.
Last week for example, Acme had a fabulous sale on a new kids yogurt product called Crush cups. My son really wanted them since he first saw the coupon for them. Friday night we go there and they are completely cleared out. He was disappointed when we came home without any but understood that the store was out, it wasn't that I forgot to pick them up.
Sunday morning, he and I went to Wal-mart to see if they had them (which they didn't) and also to pick up a few other items. Afterwards, we stopped at Acme since it's in the same shopping strip. We managed to get 6 4-packs of Crush cups for him. Normally I wouldn't buy so much of any one product but they were on sale, I had a coupon, AND my son is such a yogurt freak that he can eat 16 cups of Dannon yogurt in one week.
Jennifer Y.
The only place I really run into this is at CVS. And, I really do blame that on poor ordering. Seriously, WHY do they never order extra stuff that is on ecbs. I try to keep things in perspective. If I can't do a deal that day (or even at all), is it really that big of a deal? No. Frustrating, yes. Earth-shattering, no. Plus, I usually just get a raincheck and do a deal later. I've also asked a mgr to set things aside when the next truck comes in. They are happy to work with you. Also, CVS is big on substituting a comparable item, even with ecbs stuff. They want to make a sale right then, as much as you want to make a purchase. If you leave without buying anything, they can't be sure you will come back.
My Acme is always VERY well stocked with sale/deal items, so I rarely have a problem. I have to laugh at Monica's post on the Acme/Albertson's diaper deal because I remember that deal well. I went to 3 stores during that time to do that deal. (First 2 were out, I was not the shelf-clearer!).
I do disagree with this statement, though: "No one person is entitled to everything on the shelf."
Actually, yes, they are. It really comes down to this. If you have the money, and you want buy it, you have every right to buy it. The store is in the business of selling things. Not playing "save-ises" or whatever you want to call it.
PS - I'm not saying I wouldn't give you a pack of diapers out of my cart:) I'm not totally heartless!
Julie
It is frustrating to get to the store and find a big empty space where the product is supposed to be. It's more frustrating if I've made a special trip just to get that item.
Many times I leave the store with just a raincheck. The upside is that I have a chance to find additional coupons to get more of the item. The downside is that some stores limit the amount you can buy with the raincheck
I've never cleared the entire shelf of 30 or 20 or even 10 items. I just don't go through enough of whatever it is to buy that many. I have taken the last three or four and felt no guilt, though.
Amanda @ Fake Ginger
The only place I really deal with this problem is at CVS and I blame the store for not ordering enough. I've been in there first thing on Sunday morning when they only have 3 of the free after ECB items. What do they expect? If I have time, I usually leave that store without buying anything and head to another. If they don't care enough to order enough product, I don't want to waste my time or money there.
I'm also the person that if there's 2 items left, I'll take 1. I don't think I've ever "cleared a shelf". I live within minutes of 3 5 drugstores and 4 groceries so I tend to break up my shopping just to avoid the temptation to clear a shelf.
couponsavvy
I used to be so considerate of everyone... never taking much, always leaving more behind. Then I noticed as the economy started going bad more people were couponing and using the sales leaving less to behad on the shelves. I now get everything I need or want in one trip. If I only had one opportunity to get those 30 boxes of cornfalkes then yes I would get them all at once. If I knew i would have more tim ein the week to split up my shopping spree then yes I would split it up. I actually dont mind rainchecks.
Debbie
I have no problem with people stocking up on products that they will be using. Like the reader above, I do get annoyed at people taking advantage of CVS, however. There are people with multiple cards who try to sidestep CVS' policies, and then try to resell the product. This isn't fair to CVS or to regular customers.
I have never cleared the shelf of any product....I have just so much storage space and everybody here would get bored of eating the same thing day after day!
Heidi @ ggip
I guess I don't think this is unethical at all. And many times it is the store's fault for not ordering enough, but then again sometimes it isn't.
However, I look at it this way. Even if you are stockpiling, do you really need 30 tubes of toothpaste (or whatever) or are you actually hoarding? I read a message board about CVS when the enemas were free or a MM or something and a mother complained because she could never get any and her daughter had a severe medical need for these items.
So I just hope people think about this when they clear shelves of some items.
Jennifer
As long as they are goingn to use the items for personal use, I don't have a problem with shelf-clearing. It is frustrating to see cleared off shelves, especially when it's an item you need. It's not going to ruin my day though. I don't think I've ever cleared a shelf. I break my transactions up over several days.
Jennifer
Do people ever stop to think that a great sale clears the shelves because many people are buying the deal? If a store stocks 30 of something and 10 people buy 3, then the shelves are cleared, but no one person took advantage of the sale. I don't like seeing cleared off shelves either, but I guess I tend to think it is multiple shoppers, not just one. As long as I am not taking dozens of something I don't feel guilty about cleaning out a store. If I take the last 2 of something that is fine, I feel lucky to have gotten 2. I think for people to buy 50 of something and then sell it at a garage sale is not right.
Kristin
I think it's the same as anything else - if you genuinely need it, it is fine to take it. If you just want to have more to have more, it is greed. It's really subjective. I could use 20 cans of tomatoes in a month (esp if doing some freezer cooking) - someone else may only need 2. But I could never use 20 boxes of corn flakes.
And like Jennifer said, it's hard to know if it's one person or many people.
Manisha
I take what I need and/or have coupons for. I usually get 3-4 copies of the paper, so it's not usually more than 3-4 items. In the rare cases I've have 10-15 coupons, well, yeah, i've bought as much as I can. And, I'm not going to lie. I buy stuff I might not need.
There are a couple of reasons. 1. If I can get it free or cheap, I can donate it to someone who doesn't have the means. I can't afford to donate lots of money to the food bank, for instance. But, I CAN pick up zone bars for free and donate those. I do that often. 2. Sometimes buying stuff that I won't use helps me out. If there is a deal for a catalina on betty crocker cookie mix and icing, and I can get it cheap enough to make it worth it, yeah, I'll buy it. And if I have enough coupons, I'll do it over and over. It's how I got 250 worth of food for 20 bucks a few months ago. I cleared out cookie mix. But, I got a lot of good wholesome food I couldn't have afforded without those catalinas.
I'm not greedy though. I don't buy JUST to buy. There is always a motivation beyond seeing what I can get for free. Sometimes I figure *I* cleared it out, and sometimes, I get there and everything is gone. It's the nature of the beast.
What I really hate is when someone clears out blinkies or peelies. That makes me cranky.
Jennifer
I agree with the stores being to blame. It's not like these things are new to them, they know when certain things are FREE after rebate and such the shelves ALWAYS clear out! ... Although I feel they think they can gain from it. This is what I figure... They order enough stock to not really give away too much - I'm assuming they figure if you're going in there for the free toothpaste or razors and they happen to be out, 99% of the people aren't going to leave the store with nothing. If you walk in to cvs and they're out of the free toothpaste... do u strictly walk out or maybe walk around and shop other deals you might stumble upon?
I don't blame the people who take advantage of the good deals (although it is frustrating when I can't get in on them). Recently I donated a bunch of stuff to a cancer benefit and it was great. I felt awesome doing it and everyone loved them as well. As a matter of fact I have been asked to make more baskets for two more benefits!! I'm afraid I might have given too much out not knowing people would like them so much... Any help/ideas on how to get more for these events? ??
Darla
Ok I just laughed out loud so hard my family is for sure I'm insane: mainly because I don’t want to go to a Home & School Meeting and be beaten to death for taking all of the Pantene)
TOTALLY!