In store q's

[Ejayne]

Do you take extra time at the store to look for in store q's like tearpads, blinkies, hangtags, etc?? I have a 14 mo. old, and shopping with her along is a get in and get out as fast as I can kind of thing. I really don't have extra time to spend going up and down aisles that I wouldn't otherwise go down just to find q's, BUT, now that I'm learning more about q's and seeing how valuable the instore q's can be, I'd really like to be more intentional about looking for them. I try to go shopping without her whenever I can, but that's not always possible.
What's your strategy for finding those kind of q's?

[tmsmalley]

Keep your eyes peeled. If you're in an aisle, have a look down both sides of the aisle for tear pads and blinkies. And my absolute advice (although I know everyone can't follow it) is to leave small children at home. I can't think at all when I've got either or both of my 2 1/2 and 5 year olds with me. If you can leave them with a relative, or trade off with another mom, I highly recommend it.

Also, I do the big shopping very early Saturday or Sunday morning. That way dh can watch the munchkins.


Tess

[mkmattingly]

Since you don't have as much time, definitely monitor the main aisles and anywhere they have big displays of product. Often, that's where you find the tearpads. Or if they have a cardboard standup with product on it, frequently they have tearpads and other Qs on them.

Also, consider going to stores you may not frequent, just to hunt down Qs, you may find that some stores are more apt to have them than others. For example, we primarily shop at Meijer, which rarely has tearpads, blinkies, etc. However, we have several Kroger stores around, and they always have Qs laying around. If there's a particular Q I've heard about and I know Kroger is likely to have it, I even go on the occasional Q hunt, being mindful not to waste too much gas or time.

I've only been on the lookout for Qs for the last 6 months or so, but once you've found a few and know what you're looking for, you'll be suprised how quickly your eye is trained to spot them from across the store. I've gotten to where if I see a big display of product, I'm disappointed if I don't find something.

[tmsmalley]

I'm thinking that it also might be smart to ask at the customer service desk. I think some stores put tear pads on a bulletin board somewhere tucked away. I know some stores hate to put them out because they end up a mess.

Tess