Shopping at a Real Canadian Superstore will help you save money on groceries. Superstore is an ideal grocery store as it has various departments to be your one stop shop for your family’s needs. Implementing tips on how to efficiently shop, save money and how to use the PC Optimum program at Superstore will help you save time and stay within your grocery budget.
Disclaimer: I am not a financial planner or expert. All information in the post is my opinion and should not be used as financial advice. This is based solely on my experiences. Any action you take based on the recommendations from this blog is at your discretion.
How to efficiently shop at Superstore
Shop between 10-6 pm on the weekends
The best time to shop at Superstore is between 10-6 pm on the weekends. The store tends to put out their best produce and stock as they anticipate larger crowds. The store may be busy, but they have every till open during this time period! Here are 5 reasons why shorter line ups make it easier to shop:
1. Shorter line ups at the till save time!
2. You can pack up your groceries without having to rush because there isn’t a line up of impatient people behind you at the till
3. You have time to see what each item is coming up on the register
4. You have more time to manage your kids (if they happen to come along!)
5. There is time to ask the cashier for price matching or price checking if needed
6. The cashiers are not as stressed and thus may provide better service.
Order groceries online with PC Express
The PC Express is ideal when you don’t have time to spend in the store. In the comfort of your own home, you can order groceries online and then schedule a pickup time. You don’t even have to step foot in the store. The staff will bring out your pre-ordered groceries right out to your car. Additionally, they reserve parking spots right in front of the store.
Scan through Superstore’s flyer
You need a plan to make your grocery trip efficient. You need a grocery list. Take a look at Steps 4 & 5 from “9 Steps to Effective Meal Planning” to help you create this list.
4. REVIEW THE FLYERS: to see what is on sale and then come up with meals or find recipes using these sale items. This will help you stay within your grocery budget. For example, chicken breasts are on sale. So then come up with some recipes that use chicken breasts.
5. CREATE YOUR GROCERY LIST: Now that you have come up with a list of your meals, write up your grocery list for the missing and needed items.
TIP: Organize your grocery list by departments in the order that you will walk through the store. Use the meal planning template below to help you create an effective grocery list.
How to Save Money on Groceries at Superstore
Use Coupons
Most stores will have a large coupon board right inside the entrance. Scan the board for items that you regularly use and don’t hesitate to take a few of the same coupons. Advantage – the store will most likely have the item in stock and the coupons are not expired.
On the Superstore website, you can print the coupons.
You can also access coupons from Save.ca and Websaver.ca
Price Matching
Superstore will allow you to price match items. Price matching is a great way to save time and money as you don’t have to travel to another store to pick up an item that is cheaper. Here is how you would price match: Let’s say you know the other store is having a sale on an item that you want. Bring this competitor’s current print advertisement to Superstore, with the wanted item to the till, show it to the cashier and they will charge you for the price on the ad.
Raincheck
Superstore puts out great sales and sometimes they may run out of stock on that sale item. If this does happen, be sure to request a “rain check.” You can use this rain check when they receive a shipment for that sale price at a later date. Get the rain check at their customer service.
Cost per unit labels
At Superstore each price label will give the cost per unit. Use this information to compare prices between items. This is helpful when the items come in different sizes or quantities. For example, there are 5 different types of yogurt in various sized containers and you want to see what is the best price between the 5 types. Take a look at each of the labels to see what the cost is per 100g to determine what is cheaper.
Scanning code of practice (SCOP)
As you shop, keep in mind what each item should cost. The most efficient way to ensure that you have paid for what you expected to pay is to review your receipt at the end of your shopping trip. If you see that you have been charged more than what was listed on the label you can expect the store to follow the Scanning Code of Practice. Take the receipt and the item to customer service. Show the staff your receipt and as per the SCOP they will refund you the cost of the item up to a $10 maximum.
SCOP Hack: If you notice during your shopping trip that an item is marked incorrectly (by price checking it using the self scanners around the store), take a picture of the item and label. Either at the till or customer service, show the staff your picture as evidence that the item is priced incorrectly. This will save time as the staff does not need to send someone to go check the actual label.
Note – you can ask for a price check both at the till or at customer service.
PC Optimum Program
The PC Optimum program is one of the best reward systems to save money on groceries. You earn points that you can redeem at the store. If you have not signed up or not familiar take a look at their website to familiarize yourself with this awesome program: PC Optimum Program. It’s a really easy way to save money!
10,000 points = $10
Here are 6 ways to earn more PC Optimum points:
1. Before you shop, review your personalized weekly offers on the PC Optimum app. Fine tune your offers by deleting the offers that don’t interest you.
2. Scan the actual flyers for bonus PC Optimum points on various items
3. Get gas at Esso or Mobil locations. With your PC Optimum card, you receive 10 points for each litre of gas purchased. If you pay with a PC Financial Mastercard you receive an extra 20 points. This works out to a 3% return value! You receive more points if you purchase their premium gas.
4. Bring your own reusable bags. If you are paying with a PC Mastercard you will get 50 PC Optimum points per bag! Let the cashier know that you have a PC Mastercard and how many bags you have. Win-win. You don’t have to buy bags, you get points and you are being environmentally friendly!
5. Apply for a PC Mastercard. Your points will grow much faster if you use their PC Mastercard. With the PC Elite Mastercard, you receive 3% back in points at Superstore, 4.5% from Shoppers Drug Mart, 3% from PC Travel, 3% from Esso/Mobil gas, and 1% back when used anywhere else.
6. Be a member of the PC Insiders Program. For $99/year (or $9.99/month) you can pay for a membership to be a PC Insider. Check here to check out how you can earn more PC Optimum points with this membership. This program is worth looking into for new parents. You get 200 PC Optimum points for every $1 spent on baby diapers and formula!
Let’s say in one month a family needs to buy a box of diapers and 3 cans of formula. As a result, the points earned from just this purchase would equate to $22 – which is more than enough to cover the cost of the monthly membership!
Diapers – $35 x 200 points = 7000 points
Formula – $75 x 200 points = 15,000 points
Total = 22,000 points = $22.
Flashfood
Flashfood is an app that helps you save money and reduce waste by buying food items nearing their best before date. It’s available in Canada and some US states (Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, and Wisconsin). Most Superstores in Canada use this app program to sell their discounted food items.
Download the Flashfood app using this referral, click the store you wish to shop at, choose the discounted items you wish to purchase, pay for them and then visit the store for pick up.
Interested? Sign up for the Flashfood app here. You’ll get $5 on your first purchase and we’ll get a discount too.
Controlling your grocery spending is a great way to help you stay within your overall budget. A great way to save money on groceries is to shop at Superstore. Using the tips above will help you shop efficiently, save money and earn more PC Optimum points when shopping at a Real Canadian Superstore.
What tips will you use the next time you shop at Superstore to save money on groceries?
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9 Steps to Effective Meal Planning
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I shop online but the biggest saver I’ve found is using a recipe/items to buy maker. No more guessing about what to buy, its all laid out on my list.
Great tips! I also use cash back apps like Checkout 51 where I submit my receipts based on the offers they have and get money back for it. People think it’s time consuming but totally worth it in my books. I’ve already redeemed close to $250 just for scanning my receipts. It’s that simple!
Josie! Thanks for the amazing tip! I will have to retry the Checkout 51 app.