# Retail secrets usually only known by the employees **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [September 19, 2011, 1:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822 "2011-09-19T13:48:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 1:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/82 "2011-09-22T01:56:37Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Pre-WalMart, KMart and their ilk, department stores would typically have one model of something, like a radio, on display. ALL the stock that customers bought was in the back room. Only if the model was discontinued and only the demo unit was left would it be sold from the display rack. > > I used to work in a store like this (Famous-Barr in St. Louis). Many customers would visit each department, find what they wanted, and the clerk would write up an order that would be delivered along with the other stuff they purchased that day from other departments. Unless they had a chauffeur (and some did), the last thing they wanted to do was carry stuff to the car when it could be delivered to their door in a few days. So stock at the front of the department would have just been in the way. Some chains continued this catalog model until the early '90s, the most famous being Best Products and Service Merchandise. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 7:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/83 "2011-09-22T19:25:53Z")
Salsa not spicy enough at your favorite Mexican restaurant? The cooks in the back usually make their own super spicy blend for themselves. They usually don’t offer this stuff to the customers as it is too spicy. Next time, tell your server you want _that_. They might look at you all crazy as in: “How did you know?” but they’ll serve up for you if you ask. ---
**Author:** ![AndyLee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/898d66/32.png) [@AndyLee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AndyLee)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/84 "2011-09-22T21:06:56Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > I was just thinking back to learning about this in 5th grade. There was a drug store (I think it was Snyder’s or Woolworth’s) that had the price they paid for the item on the pricetag using the code BLACKSTONE. Here’s how it went: > > Pricetag would show that the consumer would pay $1.59 > Then it would have a code on the tag that would say: BLC > If you took the BLACKSTONE code and assigned a number to each letter, B=1, L=2 etc, you could see that the drug store paid $1.24 for the item. > > I haven’t heard of any cool secrets like that in a while, so anyone have any to share? My eldest sister worked at Osco Drugs in the 70s and they used Money Talks as their code M-O-N-E-Y-T-A-L-K-S 0-1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8-9 ---
**Author:** ![WordMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e8c25b/32.png) [@WordMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WordMan)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/85 "2011-09-22T21:21:19Z")
> [@Shakes](#): > > Salsa not spicy enough at your favorite Mexican restaurant? The cooks in the back usually make their own super spicy blend for themselves. They usually don’t offer this stuff to the customers as it is too spicy. > > Next time, tell your server you want _that_. They might look at you all crazy as in: “How did you know?” but they’ll serve up for you if you ask. Yes; I do this. You have to convince them that you’re not kidding; and then eat some directly in front of them the first time to prove you’re serious and your face won’t melt off. After that, they just know to bring it out. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![F.U.Shakespeare](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/aca169/32.png) [@F.U.Shakespeare](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/F.U.Shakespeare)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 10:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/86 "2011-09-22T22:42:21Z")
> [@stpauler](#): > > I was just thinking back to learning about this in 5th grade. There was a drug store (I think it was Snyder’s or Woolworth’s) that had the price they paid for the item on the pricetag using the code BLACKSTONE. Here’s how it went: > > Pricetag would show that the consumer would pay $1.59 > Then it would have a code on the tag that would say: BLC > If you took the BLACKSTONE code and assigned a number to each letter, B=1, L=2 etc, you could see that the drug store paid $1.24 for the item. > > I haven’t heard of any cool secrets like that in a while, so anyone have any to share? The music store where I worked in college used the same system. The code words were BUICK HORSE. ---
**Author:** ![rogerbox](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/76d3ee/32.png) [@rogerbox](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rogerbox)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2011, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/87 "2011-09-22T23:08:06Z")
> [@elmwood](#): > > I know Aldi in the US is controlled by “Aldi North” and Trader Joe’s is controlled by “Aldi South”, or vice versa – different companies, but still related. Still, I’m wondering if there’s any Aldi items that are exactly the same as what would be found on the shelves at Trader Joe’s under a different name. Aldi’s Orange Chicken (Fusia) is definitely inferior to Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken. Aldi pita chips (Clancy’s) seem the same as TJ’s, which are supposedly the same as Stacy’s. Since TJ’s won’t be coming to upstate New York, but Aldi is everywhere here, it’ll be nice to know what hidden TJ items are on the shelves. TJ’s are mostly just relabelled other items. What is weird is that when TJ’s eventually makes their own labelled version of a product that has already been selling in the store, they model the packaging after the old label. Whatever the cheap six pack of beers that is labelled TJ’s with the red and silver can, is just relabelled red arrow. ---
**Author:** ![PigArcher](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/bcef8e/32.png) [@PigArcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PigArcher)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/88 "2011-09-23T00:25:59Z")
> [@Oslo\_Ostragoth](#): > > Ten percent ethanol is 89 - which one would it be added to? Dunno, they didn’t sell ethanol when I was a pump jockey (20 years ago). I’d assume it’s added to the 87. Also, if what **t-bonham** said is correct then the 91/92 is just the 87 with additives as well. ---
**Author:** ![Bearflag70](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/8e7dd6/32.png) [@Bearflag70](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bearflag70)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 1:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/89 "2011-09-23T01:28:06Z")
At a music store … the secret code to alert other employees of suspected shoplifting was to ask another employee the following in a fairly loud voice: “Did we get the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ [product located near the suspected shoplifter] from the \_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_\_ [fictitious nearby store location] store?” For example, if the suspect was at the front of the Rock/Pop CD collection, you might say, “Did we get the Duran Duran CDs from the Vernon store?” Of course, the employees all know there is no Vernon store, and all eyes turn to the suspect’s location. ---
**Author:** ![Waxwinged](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c2a13f/32.png) [@Waxwinged](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waxwinged)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/90 "2011-09-23T02:19:07Z")
Not sure if this applies, but: any art gallery that sells stuff on consignment takes anywhere from 30 to 50% of the cost for itself. So contacting the original artist can get you a hell of a discount. ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 2:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/91 "2011-09-23T14:50:38Z")
When I was selling jewelry at several upscale jewelers, there were a few different codes to indicate to your fellow employees that you thought the customer you were helping might be considering something bad. (i.e. a “smash and run” or a sleight of hand trick to replace a real diamond ring with a faux, etc.) We would ask another employee, “John, can I borrow your loupe?” Once the “can I borrow your loupe” code had been called, the other employees would stand guard at all the entrances, and the manager would start writing down descriptions of the customer, his license plate number on his car, etc. etc., just in case. If a customer that was not personally known to us (random guy off the street) came in and asked to “see” (i.e. hold and inspect) a piece of jewelry or a watch that retailed for more than $5k, we had to take them into the “VIP lounge”, and bring the jewelry in and out on trays. The VIP lounge had a panic button, as well as a very heavy armored door that could be used to barricade someone until police could arrive, in a pinch. Never had to use it. We also had one other “shit is hitting the fan” code that never got used (at least while I worked there) but was in case of a hold-up or robbery, bomb threat, or other panic-type situation. “Mr. Richard’s daughter called” or “Mr. Richard’s daughter is on the phone” were both codes that all employees were to immediately secure themselves inside the walk-in vault and lock the door from the inside. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 3:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/92 "2011-09-23T15:16:23Z")
> [@Sarabellum1976](#): > > “Mr. Richard’s daughter called” or “Mr. Richard’s daughter is on the phone” were both codes that all employees were to immediately secure themselves inside the walk-in vault and lock the door from the inside. Reaver attack. Yeah, those happen out on the rim. A branch library I worked at a long time ago had a “call the cops” code which was to say to someone, “Theresa asked if you would check the thermostat.” At my current branch, we say, “Please call the police.” 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/93 "2011-09-23T15:36:37Z")
When you shop at a Salvation Army, there are six color tags on every piece of inventory ( clothing, bric brac, linen, toys.) Furniture and “collectables\*” are different. White Green Blue Yellow Purple Tan. Each tag color is run for one week on sale. If Yellow is on sale, it means the product has been on the floor for 5 weeks and this it the start of the 6th week and it needs to go. That is why on either Friday’s or Saturdays the Sal’s have their 5 for $5 sales. So the customers buy the inventory that is going to be tossed anyway. Let the customer’s do the work. While Yellow is on sale, the merchandise that is coming out of the back room for restock is tagged a different color, usually the previous weeks color sale, but it gets all jacked up AFAICS. If you think something is overpriced, look it over for a flaw ( pills, stains, tears.) and ask the cashier if it is possible for a discount. Don’t go up with a spotless, still in style leather coat and say its all jacked up (where there is zero wrong with it.) and you want it for $1. yeaaah.) The nicer you are, the better your chances and don’t get pissy if you don’t get it, because the cashiers and managers remember Aholes. If there is a 50% sale day (check on line. All the major bank holidays.) and be the first in the door at 7am. If you go any time between 10am and 5p, you will witness near riot conditions. Come fully fed and caffeinated and if you can, have someone else wait in line for you while you shop. The lines are insane. Furniture has to be on the floor X amount of time at X price before a markdown in price. Unless it is senior, student, military day. Some stores will give a bigger discount if you can take that big ass couch or whatever then and there because storage in the backroom is next to impossible. **Remember that the employees make minimum wage and never get a raise**. Bring your cloths out of the dressing room on the hangers . Don’t poop in the dressing rooms. \*Majority of the collectibles are not. Don’t fucking complain about not getting a real Coach or Fendi bag for $15-25 at a Salvation army or I will shove the fake down your throat.) ---
**Author:** ![butler1850](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/779978/32.png) [@butler1850](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/butler1850)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 3:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/94 "2011-09-23T15:41:28Z")
> [@WordMan](#): > > Yes; I do this. You have to convince them that you’re not kidding; and then eat some directly in front of them the first time to prove you’re serious and your face won’t melt off. After that, they just know to bring it out. 😉 I will caution folks to never, ever, utter the phrase “Hurt me,” in order to get the spicy stuff. Especially if they know to bring out the hot stuff as a matter of course. I did that once, ate it all (a spiced up burrito), said it was good, but also added that I think I prefer it the “regular extra-hot” version. I think they were impressed that the Gringo didn’t melt after their attempt. Everything came out much more to my liking going forward. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/95 "2011-09-23T16:14:43Z")
> [@kenetic](#): > > There are only two grades of gasoline: 87 and 92 octane. If a gas station sells a mid-grade (usually 89) it’s a blend of the other two. and if the pump only has one nozzle, and you select which grade you want, it’s blended in the pump. If the pump has separate nozzles per grade, it’s most likely blended at the depot as it’s being loaded onto the tanker. ---
**Author:** ![Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a183cd/32.png) [@Prelude\_to\_Fascination](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Prelude_to_Fascination)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 5:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/96 "2011-09-23T17:13:35Z")
> [@Ellen\_Cherry](#): > > Settle down, **bartleby** , or you’ll be a candidate for a visit to the ER room. 😉 Where treatment might cost you $200 dollars… ---
**Author:** ![DorkVader](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/73ab20/32.png) [@DorkVader](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DorkVader)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/97 "2011-09-23T17:26:04Z")
that precor treadmill or elliptical you bought brand new at a brick/mortar store for $7-10,000 wholesaled to the proprietor for $3-400, typical delivery/setup fee for excercise equipment runs at a minimum of $400. Setup instructions for all home gym equipment except for bowflex is written at a 3rd grade level, not so the average person can understand it, because its that simple to set up. ---
**Author:** ![Orionizer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/orionizer/32/4442_2.png) [@Orionizer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Orionizer)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2011, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/98 "2011-09-23T17:35:39Z")
> [@Lute Skywatcher](#): > > Some chains continued this catalog model until the early '90s, the most famous being Best Products and Service Merchandise. As well as Brendle’s and Keymid (Keymid might have just been a local one to me, though). ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2011, 12:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/99 "2011-09-24T00:23:30Z")
> [@jz78817](#): > > and if the pump only has one nozzle, and you select which grade you want, it’s blended in the pump. If the pump has separate nozzles per grade, it’s most likely blended at the depot as it’s being loaded onto the tanker. I worked at a gas station that had seperate nozzles per grade, but still blened mid-grade onsite. ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2011, 9:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/100 "2011-09-24T09:40:16Z")
> [@butler1850](#): > > I will caution folks to never, ever, utter the phrase “Hurt me,” in order to get the spicy stuff. Especially if they know to bring out the hot stuff as a matter of course. > > I did that once, ate it all (a spiced up burrito), said it was good, but also added that I think I prefer it the “regular extra-hot” version. I think they were impressed that the Gringo didn’t melt after their attempt. Everything came out much more to my liking going forward. But a friend of mine who is half Indian tells a nice story about his father going for a curry with a colleague. The colleague asked for the hottest curry they could make, but the waiter brought the chef, who asked the colleague politely to hold this innocuous little seed pod in his hand for a minute. The colleague subsequently ate a _normally_-hot curry one-handed while his other hand rested comfortably in an ice-bucket for the entire meal. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2011, 1:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822/101 "2011-09-24T13:18:41Z")
It’s been many years since I worked there but still when I left (about 8 years ago) Safeway’s policy was to allow anybody to sample anything, and I mean _anything_. I was specifically told in person by a corporate VP that if, for example, somebody requested to taste an Oreo I was to rip open the package and let them have one. We were not to cook anything, so this didn’t apply to steaks or lobsters or the like, but anything else in the store was fair game. Also, damaged goods, usually canned items, if they didn’t get sent back to the warehouse, got put on the “reduced” rack at a massively discounted price, like dented cans of whatever for 10¢ which was just written on the top of the can with a black Sharpie. Well, checkers never questioned those things and just rang 'em up. Do you see where I’m going with this? I’m not going to spell it out for you but I think you can do the math on this one. Not that anyone here would do anything unethical. > [@t-bonham@scc.net](#): > > - It’s possible for a specific store to _actually_ have better produce: the produce manager can spend the time to monitor the truck unloading, open each case, and reject ones he finds unsatisfactory. Some produce managers actually did that. I was that guy when I was (briefly) the produce manager at a Safeway. Truck drivers _hated_ me because I would make them wait while I broke down the pallet and inspected every single cucumber, every head of lettuce, every bunch of grapes, everything and made them take back anything that didn’t meet my standard. But I had the best produce section in the county. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/retail-secrets-usually-only-known-by-the-employees/596822.md?page=6)