How Often Do You Browse When Shopping in Store (to Find Bargains) during COVID?

Lcoffeetea on 04/08/2021 - 18:21
Last edited 04/08/2021 - 18:22

Hi all,

I planned what to buy everytime before I went to the shop, but it is not planned precisely (e.g I will buy the cheapest milk, the cheapest fruits). I still look for nearly expired food in store, and shop for some daily bargains.

Today I went to buy a microwave rice cooker which I planned before, and I decided to go to reject shop, they have one similar to Sistema, but cheaper ($8). Then I saw a $3 pasta cooker, I bought it because the price and sooner posted the deal, but I got criticized it is not essential enough. I am not on ketogenic diet, I need carbohydrates and a cooker for cooking it.

I saw less in-store deals posted on OzB during COVID, what does everyone think about the browsing ban (essential shopping)? How often does everyone browse the shop in store, and does everyone browse everything? What does everyone think about in-store bargains? Should there a time limit shopping in store?

There is a related topic about ‘essential’ retail businesses

Poll Options expired

  • 11
    Always - browse everything
  • 0
    Always - essential-browsing
  • 10
    Often - browse everything
  • 1
    Often - essential-browsing
  • 14
    Never, all strictly planned no browsing
  • 26
    Browse and shop online only
  • 0
    Pickup
General Discussion

Comments

  • apsilon on 04/08/2021 - 18:25
    +6

    I haven't browsed in store in probably a decade. If I go in to a store it's because I already know what I want and where to buy it and just don't want to pay for shipping and/or they don't sell online.

  • [Deactivated] on 04/08/2021 - 18:45
    +9

    WOW … just … WOW 😯

    You obviously have access to the internet so browse away online. Why do you feel compelled to browse in-store - contrary to medical & government advice - during a pandemic?

    • Mechz on 04/08/2021 - 18:56
      +2

      Because not everywhere is NSW or South East Queensland right now?

      • [Deactivated] on 04/08/2021 - 18:59
        +4

        OP is in Syd

        • kerfuffle on 04/08/2021 - 19:02
          +2

          And in Parra LGA

          • [Deactivated] on 04/08/2021 - 19:14
            +4

            @kerfuffle: Even better, LGA hotspot.

            • SF3 on 04/08/2021 - 20:18
              -1

              @[Deactivated]: Maybe part of that protest group too?

              • [Deactivated] on 04/08/2021 - 21:16
                +1

                @SF3: Nah, that protest group congregated outside, OP is all about browsing for daily bargains in-store in a LGA hotspot

  • Soluble on 04/08/2021 - 18:53
    +2

    So after your bargain post got destroyed , you hoped the forums would help? It's the forum commenters that destroyed your deal…

  • Ocker on 04/08/2021 - 18:55

    Don't waste my time "browsing" - if I want it I just buy it

  • popsiee on 04/08/2021 - 19:07
    -1

    Unless you check in store Kmart clearances are often not online . All other majors have most items online .
    `^ing rotten store that I sometimes check when doing my postings .
    A tip is to walk in the exit of the self checkouts to avoid the sometimes monster queues :)

    • mskeggs on 04/08/2021 - 19:15
      +3

      Yeah, but not in Sydney right now.

  • mskeggs on 04/08/2021 - 19:14
    +3

    Click and collect if you must have a pasta cooker (really?).
    No browsing at the moment.

  • mab5125 on 04/08/2021 - 19:17
    +7

    And people wonder why Sydney is still in lockdown with no end in sight.

  • SF3 on 04/08/2021 - 20:11

    grabs popcorn, before the rotisserie gets really hot here…

    especially with above comments: Sydney, Locked down LGA (Parra)

    When you see contact tracing patterns like this example, you got to wonder!

    Bankstown Woolworths Bankstown Centro Shopping Centre, Lady Cutler Avenue
    Saturday 31 July 2021 9am to 12:30pm
    Friday 30 July 2021 9am to 7pm
    Friday 30 July 2021 8am to 9:10am
    Friday 30 July 2021 7am to 7:30am
    Friday 30 July 2021 1:55pm to 2:15pm
    Wednesday 28 July 2021 10:30am to 3:30pm
    Tuesday 27 July 2021 10:45am to 6pm
    Monday 26 July 2021 12:45pm to 1:05pm
    Sunday 25 July 2021 8:55am to 9:10pm
    Saturday 24 July 2021 9am to 2pm
    Friday 23 July 2021 12:15pm to 12:40pm
    Thursday 22 July 2021 6:30am to 4:30pm
    Wednesday 21 July 2021 6am to 3pm
    Tuesday 20 July 2021 5:30am to 3:30pm
    • CheapskateQueen on 04/08/2021 - 20:31

      …clearly an employee(s) plus a few shoppers averaging 20 minutes

      • SF3 on 04/08/2021 - 20:36

        It wasn't the better example :P

        Cabramatta Woolworths Cabramatta, Cabramatta Plaza, 180 Railway Parade
        Wednesday 28 July 2021 4:10pm to 4:25pm
        Tuesday 27 July 2021 2pm to 2:30pm
        Monday 26 July 2021 8am to 8:30am
        Sunday 25 July 2021 9:45am to 9:55am
        Saturday 24 July 2021 1:30pm to 1:35pm
        Friday 23 July 2021 5:45pm to 6pm
        Wednesday 21 July 2021 12:25pm to 12:45pm
        • kerfuffle on 04/08/2021 - 20:39
          +1

          You want a good example? Check out Woolies Fairfield Heights. Much yikes.

          • SF3 on 04/08/2021 - 20:42

            @kerfuffle: There is a demographic that has to shop everyday for "fresh" fruit/veg daily (or else! lol) and have to see IRL the produce before they can decide what they want…

        • CheapskateQueen on 04/08/2021 - 20:45

          i'm still not sure what point you're trying to make?

          Are you suggesting it's the same person everyday? You've got a 5 min shop, 10 min shop, 15 min shop, 20 min shop and a 30 min shop being the longest. 30 minutes is pushing it in lockdown times, but still fairly reasonable for a big shop and check out line.

          I think the example that you'd probably want to be showing is contact tracing where you can see the movements of a person go from one store to another store to another store based on times/locations. I've seen that before, and it's like well great, you just spread covid to 10 different shops and potentially countless people.

  • CheapskateQueen on 04/08/2021 - 20:36
    +1

    no mate, there is no Fing justification for going to multiple shops and spending forever browsing deals to save a few bux right now.

    i havent gone to a single place other than WW/food/chemist stores since this started and as rarely as possible. I was in & out as quick as possible and still got pinged as a close contact with < 10 minutes in a grocery store. Apart from the 2 week isolation which is painful, the fear that i was THIS close to catching a serious disease is not worth $2. I think the thing that makes me the most angry that I was a close contact is that I do, and have always done, the right thing and then there are shmucks going from store to store and window shopping/trying to save a buck.

    p.s. i do absolutely everything online/phone now, including prescription meds which i thought might be hard, but turns out it was pretty quick and easy

  • th123 on 04/08/2021 - 20:47
    +7

    You know the right answer, stop seeking support for the answer you want.

    • SF3 on 04/08/2021 - 20:58

      confirmation bias and validation strikes again.

  • Godric on 04/08/2021 - 20:53

    lol

  • Clear on 04/08/2021 - 20:55
    +1

    There's been no local COVID cases in 15 months (touch wood) so it's business as usual. Certainly not as many clearance deals in many stores like there used to be though.

    • SF3 on 04/08/2021 - 21:00

      That's Tassie tho… OP in lockdown county.

      for Greater Sydney

      However, please consider online shopping if you can. If you must leave your home to shop for essential goods and services, go directly to and from the shop to get what you need. You are not allowed to browse in shops.

      • Clear on 04/08/2021 - 21:12

        How Often Do You Browse When Shopping in Store (to Find Bargains) during COVID?

        There's no state tags here though so it's directed at everyone.

  • brendanm on 04/08/2021 - 20:57
    +4

    I will buy the cheapest milk, the cheapest fruits

    Yuck.

  • morse on 05/08/2021 - 04:32
    +2

    Are you vaccinated? I’d kind of want to be spending as little time as possible in shops in Sydney at the moment. Saving a few dollars is probably not worth getting COVID for.

    Even if you’re not worried about the symptoms of the virus (you probably should be), if you either get it or go to an exposure site that’s a minimum 2 weeks quarantine, which would most likely cost you in terms of income and lifestyle.

    We have no known community cases on the Gold Coast and am still avoiding regular shopping trips and busy times, since it’s likely there’s cases going round that we don’t know about. I’m fully vaccinated but not keen to pass it on to my child, or anyone else. I must admit it’s difficult to fully avoid people though since my kid is in daycare and I’m still going to work in person some days.

  • Mugsy on 05/08/2021 - 07:54

    I chose the strict planning option but that's only because it's the closest to what I do: "Browse online, and just pick up what I've picked out when in store".

    I don't browse AND shop online as I buy lots of fresh veges/meat and they always seem to give me a partially rotting item which is why I buy in store.

    Note I'm in Brisbane… if we had Sydney numbers, I'd be shopping online.

  • ozhunter on 05/08/2021 - 09:47

    Same as before covid.

  • OzHunterNSW on 06/08/2021 - 09:32

    Well what an irresponsible question. You are in a pandemic. Shopping for flowerpots is not essential, is it.

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