SHOP TILL YOU DROP

Hopping from aisle to aisle while shopping for bargains and then filling a shopping cart to the max is a thing of joy for some. For others, it's an impossible task.

That's where shopping services come to play. A shopping service shopper will purchase groceries, pick up prescriptions, pick up or deliver dry cleaning and even take a pet to the veterinarian.

People with physical disabilities and senior citizens have found this to be an invaluable service. For a senior who is physically unable to get around or just doesn't feel safe driving to the store, shopping services help relieve at least one headache.

The grocer on the corner who gladly delivers your groceries to the door is practically non-existent. Asking friends, neighbors and family members to take care of shopping tasks makes some ill at ease.

Finding someone who actually wants to shop for others can be a real life-saver.

The cost to the consumer is usually minimal. Some charge a flat fee per trip while others ask for a percentage of the amount spent.

Still others charge nothing. They earn their fee by the use of coupons and taking advantage of in store specials and combining several errands into one trip.

For the true shopping buff, knowing they can shop till they drop without spending a cent of their own money is a dream come true.

Shopping for others isn't the only way to practice this skill. Many companies employ "mystery" shoppers to check on the availability of products and to check on the type of service stores are giving.

These shoppers travel from store to store to see what's on the shelves. Suppliers are interested in finding out if their product is being properly displayed.

Are all sizes and types readily available to consumers? Is the store willing to place an order to please a customer?

These professional shoppers are reimbursed for their expenses and many are given an added percentage to cover time spent.

Merchandisers aren't the only ones hiring these shoppers. Sometimes it's the store itself that wants to see how the customers are being treated.

They (the owners) want to know if an employee gripes just because a customer wanted the last one of a particular item and it happens to be out of reach on the top shelf.

Service industries and theme parks are even participating in the service. Going to an amusement park free of charge sounds pretty good to most families. Filling out a questionnaire or writing a brief report of the day's activities is a small price to pay for a fun-filled experience.

The next time you have that uncontrollable urge to go on a shopping binge, do a little investigating and see if you can offer your shopping expertise to someone in need.