Walgreens pretrip frustration

[cahileman]

Tonight I had to go to Walgreens around 8:30 PM for a legit item I needed now... Anyway normally I go on Saturday nights about 11:45 to get the deals at midnite. The couponing around here had gotten so bad that if you aren't the "early bird" you can kiss the worms goodbye, cause they're gone!
Anyway, I had to go early for a needed item, so I figured I'd check to see what the stock looked like for the Clean and Clear bodywash that my daughter uses. I get there, and they are ALL gone.... at 8:30 Sat night!! So it just so happens the manager is walking by, and I stopped her to ask. How they are all gone when the sale hasn't even started yet?
She tells me that once they post the shelf tags for the sale, they honor that price. She goes on to tell me that some "ladies" came in and bought them all. She wasn't happy that these "extreme couponers" (Yes those are the EXACT words she used) were clearing her shelves. I expressed my dissatisfaction to her, and she said she might be able to have some in by Friday! Wow did I feel better..... NOT!!!

Anyway things have gotten really bad around here... Spring Hill, FL area. I was in CVS at 11:45ish Sat night two weeks ago for the Dove mens deodorant for free, and there were three ladies in there that cleared eight rows of deodorant and were waiting for midnight to check out.
Publix was "sold out" of there bic razor deal by Tuesday (sale started Monday) and the HBA manager told me she ordered over 160 for the sale!! She said one lady wanted to buy 100 at one time and they limited her to 10 per transaction. But she came back multiple times. And that that was the reason they were changing their coupon policies
Last week as others have said, Walmart was sold out of hundreds of papers @ 6:00am. And there were no others to be found.
Not sure if it's the publicity of the TV shows or what, but alot of people that I talk with reference the show. It's a shame... Hope I wasn't too late for the "honest" coupon bandwagon (doing it to save my family money)

Sorry for being so long winded

[leslieas6]

I am also getting frustrated that the shelves are wiped clean. I have gone to several different stores for deals and have been unable to get them.
I'm definitely not an extreme couponer, just trying to keep the household items we use for a family of 5 stocked enough for when my husband is laid off, which is generally 5-6 months of the year. Preparing for the inevitable layoff now helps tremendously. I also have other family members hit hard by the economy to benefit from it.

[434Teresa]

Here there is NOT many couponers but my walgreens for the last two months have not been stock on things I want to get on day one of the sale and if there is RR for the items then they dont get any in the whole week, I go on the day the truck comes in right about 2pm and still none came in...........I think walgreens is now holding things back and acting as if they sold out, thinking that we will buy other things since we are in the store already, not!

I really do think this for I have saw to many post about this lately

[cahileman]

Well all is good.... at least for today. I took the Walgreens ad and my coupons to Walmart, and they didn't blink an eye. Price matched and took my coupon. I got 10 Clean and Clear bodywashes, two Reach floss and my remaining 3 Nivea body washes all for free. Guess this week Wally World made points with me!! Walgreens not so much!

[ioncewasamjskeptic]

I believe its the show myself, I Never had clear shelves probs. at the grocery stores! and went to albs. last week and EVERY item I coulda got for free or cents, was gone! I hope this dies down some, I am by NO means a shelf clearer(dont have room in my tiny apt!) and it is so frustrating to travel for a few things to find none!

[cahileman]

advice: Only go to walgreens if you are in the mood to be completely frustrated, want to kick yourself for going again even though you promised yourself that you would never go back, want to meet some very incompetent people, and waste a ton of time. Otherwise run! Lol

agreed!!!

[gctattoo]

Well all is good.... at least for today. I took the Walgreens ad and my coupons to Walmart, and they didn't blink an eye. Price matched and took my coupon. I got 10 Clean and Clear bodywashes, two Reach floss and my remaining 3 Nivea body washes all for free. Guess this week Wally World made points with me!! Walgreens not so much!

So WM let you use the BOGO Q with the price matched BOGO sale to get two bottles for free? I'm contemplating avoiding WAG completely and opting for WM if they'll do it. I know some managers (at either store) would have a stroke if I attempted it.

[everprincess]

I believe its the show myself, I Never had clear shelves probs. at the grocery stores! and went to albs. last week and EVERY item I coulda got for free or cents, was gone! I hope this dies down some, I am by NO means a shelf clearer(dont have room in my tiny apt!) and it is so frustrating to travel for a few things to find none!

I really believe it's just a fad and it will not last. My local HT is tripling has been since September and it's a toss up whether the stuff is in stock. I just get a raincheck if it's out and use it the next time stock is available. I know for some it's a pain because they are just starting out. I'm pretty blessed with a nice stockpile so I don't get upset about it.

[shashabell]

I hate that Extreme Coupon show just because of things like this.

[joshmamabear]

We just have to learn to live with the fact that it is the MFRs that are taking control of sale of these freebies. This stock issue isn't just happening @ WAG. Just observe other stores with loss leader sales, like OP said, if you're not the early bird (not just early but know how to strategize the day before a sale goes on), then don't expect to find any of the sale products on the day of sale.

At most WAG now (it true, it has gotten bad since EC series), couponers bang the doors on non 24 hrs stores to buy the sale items and if they don't find them, they get mad @ the store personnel on duty With this happening, how can store personnel not learn to fight back? They don't control what is sent to them on the week of sale and afaik, the mfr will send ONLY a specific number of freebies, once that X number is met......stores can place more orders all they want but it doesn't mean they will get more of the items. That is I go against massive special orders weeks in advance that only goes to a few (mostly resellers) who get hold of ads 6 to 8 weeks in advance Manufacturers hold the control, whether we like it or not and they will not give away all their items especially if their coupons are used as payment and THEY KNOW THIS so we know now why there are stock issues everywhere that the retailers cannot fulfill as much as they want to sell more. It is just the way it is and it will get worse, not better. Let's just brace ourselves :(