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Grocery Store Policies
Knowing your grocery store's coupon and sale policies can save you big bucks. A simple stop by the customer service desk and a few questions can help you plan your grocery trips better and maximize on savings you may have been missing out on. Since every store’s policies are different—often even within national chains—here are a few questions to ask your grocer on your next shopping trip.
Do you accept online coupons? This is definitely a question to ask the store manager or customer service desk instead of a cashier. I've run into a few instances where the cashier would look at my online coupon and tell me that it was not a valid coupon. Since I was aware of the store policy in these situations, instead of getting upset or giving up on the savings, I told the cashier that it was an online coupon that I printed at home and not a photocopy of a manufacturer's coupon. I also told them that per their store policy, I knew that the store accepted online coupons. A quick check from their manager and they ended up accepting the coupon every time.
Can I use competitors' coupons? Some grocery stores will actually accept other stores' coupons! Knowing this ahead of time can save you a significant amount of time (and gas) because you may not have to visit multiple stores to get all the great deals. This works especially well in a situation when Store A has an item on sale and Store B has a coupon for the same item. If Store A accepts Store B's coupons, you may be able to get the item at a very low price.
Do you match competitor's sales prices? Some grocery stores will match a competitor's sales price on an item—all you have to do is bring in the competitor's sales circular. If your grocery store prides itself on its low price guarantee, take them up on it and save yourself a shopping trip.
Do you accept expired coupons? Some grocery stores actually do accept expired coupons, but of course they would never tell you that unless you asked!
Do you double coupons? Not many grocery stores do, but if you find a store that does double coupons,take advantage of it! Some manufacturer coupons actually have "Do Not Double" written on them, but the majority of manufacturer coupons can be doubled if the store's policy allows it.
Can I combine a manufacturer's coupon and your store's coupon and use them on the same item? Let's say you are trying to buy a $3 bottle of shampoo at your grocery store. You can’t use two $1 manufacturer's coupons on the same bottle of shampoo, but if you have a $1 manufacturer coupon and a $1 store coupon, you should be able to use them both on the same bottle of shampoo. Check with the store upfront.
Does your store have a newsletter or any other place I can get store coupons from? Many stores offer special deals and coupons through their Web site, newsletter, email list or even the customer service desk. It certainly never hurts to ask and will be well worth the effort if it helps you find extra savings!
Do you accept online coupons? This is definitely a question to ask the store manager or customer service desk instead of a cashier. I've run into a few instances where the cashier would look at my online coupon and tell me that it was not a valid coupon. Since I was aware of the store policy in these situations, instead of getting upset or giving up on the savings, I told the cashier that it was an online coupon that I printed at home and not a photocopy of a manufacturer's coupon. I also told them that per their store policy, I knew that the store accepted online coupons. A quick check from their manager and they ended up accepting the coupon every time.
Can I use competitors' coupons? Some grocery stores will actually accept other stores' coupons! Knowing this ahead of time can save you a significant amount of time (and gas) because you may not have to visit multiple stores to get all the great deals. This works especially well in a situation when Store A has an item on sale and Store B has a coupon for the same item. If Store A accepts Store B's coupons, you may be able to get the item at a very low price.
Do you match competitor's sales prices? Some grocery stores will match a competitor's sales price on an item—all you have to do is bring in the competitor's sales circular. If your grocery store prides itself on its low price guarantee, take them up on it and save yourself a shopping trip.
Do you accept expired coupons? Some grocery stores actually do accept expired coupons, but of course they would never tell you that unless you asked!
Do you double coupons? Not many grocery stores do, but if you find a store that does double coupons,take advantage of it! Some manufacturer coupons actually have "Do Not Double" written on them, but the majority of manufacturer coupons can be doubled if the store's policy allows it.
Can I combine a manufacturer's coupon and your store's coupon and use them on the same item? Let's say you are trying to buy a $3 bottle of shampoo at your grocery store. You can’t use two $1 manufacturer's coupons on the same bottle of shampoo, but if you have a $1 manufacturer coupon and a $1 store coupon, you should be able to use them both on the same bottle of shampoo. Check with the store upfront.
Does your store have a newsletter or any other place I can get store coupons from? Many stores offer special deals and coupons through their Web site, newsletter, email list or even the customer service desk. It certainly never hurts to ask and will be well worth the effort if it helps you find extra savings!
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