I'm a online shopping picker - AMA

[ifoundthebread]

As the title suggests. I'm an online shopping picker for a major supermarket. Ask me anything.

[Aroundtheworldin80moves]

Do you compete to make the most ridiculous substitution or are they all genuinely computer generated?

[sophienelisse]

Do you pick the stuff with the earliest or latest end date for fruit and veg?

[WirlyWillowtree]

Do you have regulars you pick for?

[ifoundthebread]

@Aroundtheworldin80moves

Do you compete to make the most ridiculous substitution or are they all genuinely computer generated?

Majority of our substitutions are computer generated. Some of them are ridiculous and if available we are supposed to go with what the computer says (although some know how to override this and chose our own). If a substitution isn't given we do select our own, we are supposed to chose something close to original product if possible and price isn't a huge difference. Branded instead of own brand of difference is only 20p for example. All own chosen substitutions are then approved/declined by team leader on shift.

[User843976]

Do you pick a whole shop or just a small part of it like all frozen or all fridge.

[ifoundthebread]

@sophienelisse

Do you pick the stuff with the earliest or latest end date for fruit and veg?

Always the latest available. Although somethings are not dated and go off personal opinion. Own branded lettuce doesn't have a bb date.

[ifoundthebread]

@WirlyWillowtree

Do you have regulars you pick for?

No doubt we do, but as pickers we do not see any personal information. In my store we can be picking 10 different customers orders at once, hard to keep track if you do the same order regularly. Some can be remembered though, as get bigger quantities of the same item 10 shower gels, 10 packs of bourbons, 10 long life milk. Orders like that you remember but don't know if the next big quantity order is for the same customer as will have a different order number.

[ifoundthebread]

@User843976

Do you pick a whole shop or just a small part of it like all frozen or all fridge.

If we are picking our days shopping which has been placed before 11pm the evening before then we will only pick one department at once ambient, chilled or frozen.

[sophienelisse]

Do you enjoy it? I think I would. I will ups feel like I was shopping but not if you know what i mean.
I quite like walking round shopping listening to my headphones or do you need to be super quick?

[sophienelisse]

Lastly from me, do you do your own shopping or get yours online and picked?

[ifoundthebread]

@sophienelisse

Do you enjoy it? I think I would. I will ups feel like I was shopping but not if you know what i mean.
I quite like walking round shopping listening to my headphones or do you need to be super quick?

I don't necessarily enjoy it but I don't dislike it either. The 3am starts are the worst part of the job, not everyone starts at that time but my shifts mostly start then. You are targeted but it is understood that you may not be reaching target if you are picking when the shop is open as you are still expected to help customers if needed. They need you to be as quick as possible as some days when you start there is over 15k items needing to be picked.

[ifoundthebread]

@sophienelisse

Lastly from me, do you do your own shopping or get yours online and picked?

If I have plans for the weekend I will order online and collect it in the hour i finish, but if no plans I'll often shop for myself once my shift has finished as I like to take my time and impulse buy 😂

[Haveatakeaway]

Do you ever come across weird combinations etc? I love finding people's receipts or shopping lists in trolleys and seeing what they've bought

[CorneliusVetch]

Do you pick from the warehouse or the shop floor?

Do you place items in boxes or bags?

Do you leave the shopping somewhere for the delivery driver to collect or is there someone who takes it from you and arranges collection?

[ifoundthebread]

@Haveatakeaway

Do you ever come across weird combinations etc? I love finding people's receipts or shopping lists in trolleys and seeing what they've bought

When we do ubereats order we sometimes think wtf 🤔 lube + any item makes you wonder what they have planned 😂

[ifoundthebread]

@CorneliusVetch

Do you pick from the warehouse or the shop floor?

Do you place items in boxes or bags?

Do you leave the shopping somewhere for the delivery driver to collect or is there someone who takes it from you and arranges collection?

We pick from the shop floor. Items are placed into plastic drawers/totes (unless an uber order then we bag it). We collect the items we need, place it into the correct drawers, we then pass them on to our service crew who sort it into van runs or click and collect time slots. Click and collect orders are stored there and delivery orders are stored in the drivers hub. The drivers then load their run onto their van.

[inmyslippers]

Do a lot of neurodivergent people do that job? I imagine it attracts people who don't want to be around people. I would love to listen to an audiobook and move around

[ifoundthebread]

@inmyslippers

Do a lot of neurodivergent people do that job? I imagine it attracts people who don't want to be around people. I would love to listen to an audiobook and move around

I would say so, yes, there are a few of us who definitely prefer to work when the shop is not open and we can just plod on in our own little bubble.

[Nadamar]

If you can’t find the item on the shop floor do pickers just say it’s not available?

The last few times I’ve ordered a click and collect from Asda I’ve had orders not available, but when I go into the shop they’re on the shelf, (I go in to pick up meat from the halal butchers that I can’t order online)

[samthebordercollie]

On average how many kilometres do you walk in a shift? What temperature do you work in?

[ifoundthebread]

@Nadamar

If you can’t find the item on the shop floor do pickers just say it’s not available?

The last few times I’ve ordered a click and collect from Asda I’ve had orders not available, but when I go into the shop they’re on the shelf, (I go in to pick up meat from the halal butchers that I can’t order online)

A lot of times this happens when items come in on a delivery after your pick has been done. We start picking at 3am, deliveries happen at all hours and can be worked at any point. So if it hasn't been put out when we do the pick then it will be marked as unavailable.

[ifoundthebread]

@samthebordercollie

On average how many kilometres do you walk in a shift? What temperature do you work in?

I'm not sure in km or miles as I just take notice of steps. In an average 8 hour shift I can reach 16k steps. Temperature varies across the shop floor, no different to temperature customers shop in.

[AnotherPoster]

How long is your shift? Is it always a night shift? I also want to know what a pp has asked re how far you walk each shift.

[AnotherPoster]

Oh you answered me before I asked! Ok then, are you always busy for the entire shift? Is there a demand for more pickers? (apart from the unsociable hours, this job quite appeals to me).

[dudsville]

OP, yours is the only AMA I've every clicked on. I've been fascinated by this for years! I don't have any questions.