Tuesday, May 15, 2012

My Day as a Not So Mystery Shopper in New York City!



Years ago when the 'Mystery Shopper' idea became popular and people were looking for a way to supplement their income, programs cropped up like wildfire, some reputable, others not so much. I won't say the idea didn't intrigue me, but I never had time to pursue it.

The opportunity finally presented itself, well kind of!

As many of you know, I am now a Duane Reade VIP Blogger, it all began with my entry essay blog post where I shared a bit about what Duane Reade meant to me on a personal level which you can check out HERE. When I found I got selected it made that week's Moment of Gratitude, which you can check out HERE.

Here is a Group Shot of myself and fellow fabulous Duane Reade VIP Bloggers:

Can you spot the butterfly?


Being a part of this program has given me the opportunity to take on shopping missions and share with you a bit about my purchase experience, from how I selected what I was going to buy, the path to purchase and then the products getting used at home. It's like being a mystery shopper except without all the mystery!



For me my first shopping 'mission' was all about a lazy weekend and movie night. I knew I didn't feel like cooking, and wanted my favorite snacks at hand for my Movie Night, so I checked out the online  Duane Reader Circular to find out what was on sale before heading out to the store! (Prices in this reader are available through June 2, 2012). I was excited that right on page 1, I spotted my favorite treat, Haagen Daaz (2 pints for $7 which is a super deal) and I circled that, I already knew I'd be doing a bit of cheating on my diet that day, a better choice probably would have been the Good & Delish Veggie Corn with Flaxseed Tortilla Chips and the Good & Delish Organic Salsa. I'll probably pick those up on my next trip to the store (along with the sour cream and onion Pop Chips)!  I had already stocked up on another Duane Reader sales item The Dr. Browns Soda 6 Pack, 2 for $5 (I love the Dark Cherry and Cream Soda's from Dr. Brown's). and the last thing I needed was some eats, so I picked up a DiGiorno Pizza that was also on sale. Making movie night eats and treats complete! All my movie night picks were also on sale which made me extra happy.

During my last few trips to my local store, it was being renovated, and I was happy to see that it had been completed during my recent trip, the aisles are wider and brighter, and it's so much easier to find everything which is a big time saver!

Here are some shots of me on the way to the store, it's a busy shopping district, so it's not so easy to get shots of it without someone invariably passing by and getting in the shot!







Here's me finally inside!





Below: And as soon as I walk in, I find a super friendly employee wearing a Duane Reader tee shirt in one of my favorite colors purple, she agreed to let me take a picture of her!



I wanted to look around and see the renovations so I didn't quite go straight to my aisles.



Of course I got distracted by Beauty Brands, Products and items.



Latina Bella, beauty products made with Latina Skin tones in mind, FAB!

Finally made it to the eats!



MMM.....Pizza!




Then it was on to the treats!



Ice Cream plus warm day means I'll have to run home so it doesn't melt.

Movie Night was a blast, here are my purchases in use:




Eats + Treats = Fun Movie Night!

There are more photos of this shopping experience on Ascending Butterfly's Google+ Page, and you can connect with Duane Reade online, Twitter and Facebook. (Check out the VIP Bloggers Tab on Duane Reade's Facebook Page and you'll see a picture of me! Yay!)

Happy Shopping Butterfly!

If you purchased any specials in the Duane Reader, please be sure to come back here and let us know!


˙·٠•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ●•●•٠·˙˙·٠•● Ƹ̵̡Ӝ̵̨̄Ʒ ●•●•٠·˙


FTC Disclosure: This shop has been compensated as part of a special social shopper insights study for CollectiveBias. #CBias #DReade #DReadeVIP - However all opinions expressed are 100% my own. Being part of the Duane Reade VIP Blogger Program offers additional incentives for my participation. Questions about Ascending Butterfly's Disclosure Policy? Please visit: http://www.ascendingbutterfly.com/p/disclosure-policy.html

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