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  1. #1
    Senior Dog janedoe's Avatar
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    Question about grocery store donations.

    Does anyone work at a grocery store?

    I had a bad experience today at checkout. The cashier asked for a donation to their sponsored charity and I declined. Her response was unpleasant. She said, very loudly, "I guess that's okay." Big sigh. The thing is that she knows full well that I buy food for a shelter and has frequently helped me identify clearance and specials at the store for that purpose. Her daughter has used shelter services in the past as well for the sake of her child. Needless to say, we chat a lot about these kinds of things.

    My question is, do these stores require cashiers to "sell" a certain amount of donations? To be honest, I believe that they are "purchasing" their own brand name products (they periodically put of displays of what your five dollars can buy) which frankly aren't that great so I wouldn't donate anyway. I know that restaurants often cut hours for employees who don't sell gift cards during the holiday season so I'm curious about what's going on here.

  2. #2
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    No clue. But I've never gotten that type of reaction when I've declined. Lots of times, there will be a sign requesting donations but the cashiers don't say anything at all about that.

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  4. #3
    Senior Dog SamsonsMom's Avatar
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    I wonder since she knows you support charity that she expected you to say yes to her and when you didn't, she took it personal?

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    janedoe (12-06-2017)

  6. #4
    Senior Dog smartrock's Avatar
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    I can't get worked up about other people's reactions when I decline to donate to something I don't want to donate to. We donate elsewhere and IMO, I'd rather make a more substantial difference to a cause I support than give $1 to a cause I care less about. At this time of year, especially, every organization seems to be asking for donations. There are frequently requests for donations at grocery store check outs, I may or may not be asked, but if I decline the clerks don't make an issue of it and if they did, well, tough. Since the clerk knows you and what you already contribute, maybe that was her way of making a joke.

    I doubt they're getting a bonus or recognition for getting people to donate since it probably doesn't directly benefit the store. I do know that when one of my kids worked at The GAP several years ago, if they asked if you wanted to open a GAP card and you accepted, they got some sort of little bonus. I always decline those offers also. For heaven's sake, how many store credit cards can one person carry?

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    janedoe (12-06-2017)

  8. #5
    Senior Dog Tanya's Avatar
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    I would complain to the manager. though i guess she's possibly know it was you...

    I NEVER EVER donate to a store charity. I chose who I donate to and donate DIRECTLY. it's my personal preference. who i donate to is my business. I don't have time to analyse and think at a check-out so I say no. I may take info on the charity if it sounds like something i may like and donate directly.

    I heard that many times when a store collects the money they report it as a donation they make. not sure if that is legal or true but it irked me.

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  10. #6
    Senior Dog Jeff's Avatar
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    I go through the self checkout line mostly. Less I have to interact with people the better, I can get in and get out.

    However, even if you do go through a check out lane. The computer screen where you slide your card through asks you if you want to donate, you just hit no and move on. No need to interact with the cashier.

    One of the reasons I never donate to grocery funding or like drive through ones. Yes they take your money and yes they donate it after the take out a fee for handling and processing. However it is then donated in the stores name not the names of all the customers. As if they, the store, actually donated the money. They can also then write this donation off as a deduction on their taxes. If you really want to donate. Go directly to the charity and donate it.

    Corporations giving to charity is one of the most abused scams around. There are scores on companies who give back to local community and do things. This makes them look good in peoples eyes. However this is terribly manipulated. So just to look at a couple companies I have rolling around in my head, don't ask me why I get these details rolling around. in 2007 Microsoft donated 322 million to charity, Walmart donated 310 million and Johnson & Johnson donated 127 million. Which company was the most charitable. Well that's where it all gets fuzzy.

    Microsoft donated 322 million, however this is 0.5% of their income. They also count donations of software and employee time. Well the donation of software is like Microsoft coming up and say giving you free Microsoft office. You might not have bought it, surely you could have got by without it, but they gave it to you great. However, they count that as giving you the full price paid for the software. Which they might not have sold to begin with. However they actually manipulate the data and they buy it themselves and give it to you. It also increases their sales numbers, they get to write off the tax donation and well it is all a numbers game.

    Walmart donated 310 million. This is I think 1.7% of their income, it could be 1.2%. Either way they actually gave more money out of their bottom line away. Kind of like the difference between bill gates giving $10,000 to charity and the rest of us on this board giving $10,000 to charity. However, Walmart also has those thing they ask you when you check out, would you like to donate X number of dollars to charity. So this 310 million is made up of a lot of money actually donated by it's customers. They get to claim it.

    Then you look at Johnson and Johnson. Only donated 127 million 0.7 of their income. However they donated products like Microsoft. They donated things like baby shampoo, diapers and so on. Stuff that people need.

    All three companies charitable, but how charitable and which one was better. I don't have an answer for you there. It's all confusing and manipulative data and it is designed to be that way. LOL, I know I took you on a long journey, disappointing end.

    My point if you want to donate you should donate directly. Don't feel bad about saying no especially to a corporation trying to solicit to make themselves look better.

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  12. #7
    Senior Dog Snowshoe's Avatar
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    INteresting. I rarely donate at the checkout. I say that I've already made my own donation and/or I support a different charity, which is true. I give a larger donation and I get my own tax receipt. No one has pressured me at a check out. But I never thought about the procedure till this thread. I'm curious so I asked Dr. Google and this is the first link that came out. INteresting, no idea how thoroughly this information was researched.

    4 Myths About Checkout Charities (The Truth Revealed!)
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    Oct. 15, 2007 - June 13, 2021
    Oxtongue Rapids Park. Oct. 2019 Hidden Content

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    janedoe (12-06-2017)

  14. #8
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    I work as a cashier at a grocery store, and the management does keep on to us to push donations. I don't tend to do it, because people get sick of being asked. Also, I tend to be on the express lane, so these particular customers are not spending a lot of money to begin with. All in all, if someone wants to donate, they will. Most of our customers are in at least twice a week, so they are tired of being asked.

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  16. #9
    Senior Dog POPTOP's Avatar
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    I'm the same, generally say no. I donate money directly to the charities/rescues. The one I have donated to is PetsMart. The local store has a local cat rescue they support and often have a pile of cans of cat food at the register. For a donation, don't remember how much, they take a can/cans and put it in a bin for the rescue. "Looks" like I am donating directly but after Jeff's enlightenment, it would be better for me to just buy a can or two and walk them back to the rescue area where they have cats available for adoption and hand them the food.
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    janedoe (12-07-2017)

  18. #10
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    In light of Jeff's corporate comments, I once worked for a company that had a culture of giving back to the community through organized volunteer events and I participated in a lot of those, until our CEO changed along with the culture. The day he said we should volunteer to make the company look good, was the day I stopped. That made me very skeptical of any charity drives or requests run by corporations, including those at point of sales.

    I never donate when asked at the register and I've never felt pressure or rudeness when I've declined to contribute at the register when asked.

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