8A • Thursday, February 9, 2017 NEWS The Republic-Monitor • www.perryvillenews.

com

Slices of Life: Stalking the secret shopper

It was an unassuming tive department, because ing black coat. examined it and returned it But in order to be under- wright, author and member
Sunday afternoon. I had to it wasn’t long before I had I clearly have a writ- to the shelf. I repeated this cover, they’ve got to appear of the National Society of
venture to the store for a one following me. ten list of items I am look- a few times wondering how undercover. Newspaper Columnists.
few items. He was easy to spot. As ing for, making me a seri- long he’d stay in the aisle In a word: stealth. This Don’t miss a slice; follow
It was a obvious as a fake beard on ous and legitimate shopper with me. He remained in- means they should look like the Slices of Life page on
leisurely Santa Claus, whom he sort – versus a thief. My tiny tact, pretending to look at they are actual shoppers. Facebook.)
excursion. of resembled. purse has room for a wallet, golf balls. I sauntered over This means walking with
Unlike He was a late-middle- phone and nothing more, to the next aisle. He fol- a cart. Approximately 99
most days, aged gent, without a coat especially not stolen items. lowed. percent of shoppers use
I wasn’t in (despite the cold tempera- My appearance practically As much as I wanted to carts. Not having a
a hurry and ture outside), without a cart, screams law-abiding citi- keep the fun times going, cart depletes the
JILL indulged in without any items to pur- zen. I actually had items on my covertness of
PERTLER the luxury chase, strolling at a leisure- I saw him out of the cor- shopping list. I exited the any undercover
SLICES OF of lollygag- ly pace pretending (in the ner of my eye looking at me sporting goods department status. If it is
LIFE ging my most conspicuous of man- out of the corner of his eye. and headed toward dairy. cold outside, they
way through ners) to be looking at items I had to stifle a giggle. He I lost him somewhere be- should wear a coat.
the aisles. Picture a nor- and shopping. Ha! Without thought he was so under- tween electronics and pet If a man is
mal, average shopper in the a cart! Who does that? cover. Not. food. walking around
camping department exam- A secret shopper, that’s Because this isn’t my Here’s my take on store in a store without
ining flashlights. Common- who. first secret shopper show- detectives: they are an im- a coat and without
place, ordinary and routine. Secret shopper is my down, I did my best to act portant and needed com- a cart, where is his
That’s me. code for store detective. suspicious. You know, to modity. coat?
Or maybe not. I didn’t They have a penchant for give him a sense of pur- Honest shoppers like me It’s in the break
think I looked overly sus- following me, although I’ve pose in his job. Sometimes depend on them to stop a room where the
picious, but apparently I yet to figure out why. I’m you’ve got to find your own thief from absconding with employees put
was. Either that or it was a an unassuming mom, typi- fun in a situation. a large screen TV or bottle their coats, that’s
slow day in the store detec- cally wearing an unassum- I picked up a flashlight, of nail polish. where. Any nor-
mal, unassum-
ing shopper
with a grocery
“There are endless reasons to call Liberty G lass list and cart
can tell you
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• Entry doors, store fronts, energy-efficient windows, bullet resistant (Jill
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ROZIER’S FOOD CENTRE • 217 NORTH MAIN STREET • PERRYVILLE, MO 63775