Grocery stores should have either a manual cash registor or auxiliary power in event of a disaster.

When a disaster hits and the power goes out, most grocery stores have no way of making sales even to cash customers. If stores had a manual cash register or even a smaller generator to start it would make sales possible. A small market could have duplicate cash receipts. Without a receipt it is not legal since the store can not keep track of their sales.

We are having more disasters and I see more of a necessity than in the past. This gives a store the ability to gain customer support after the event. People should always have a little cash stashed, enough for a week of power outages, using credit cards or debit cards may not be possible. There is no law that says that a store has to accept a debit card, there is a law that money is legal tender both public and private. Don't expect a store to take a card if they may not get reimbursed.

This would give a lot of people a little peace of mind. This would also give customers some faith in their local markets to know that they will be open if even at a reduced status.

Any other suggestions for making things better during times of disaster anyone?

reply to post by rickymouse

Paper and pen go a long way too.

I think looters would be more of an issue. They are insured so I don't think they would care to charge people in the middle of a disaster.
At my work we had an outage and we did the bills by hand and added the sales tax. We swiped their cards on the old school carbon copier thingy or let them pay by cash or checm. After the power came back, we entered the card numbers from the carbon copies in the computer and completed the transaction. That's about the only way I can see doing it if there is no power or back up generators.

Who uses real money anyway?

manual $ register won't do a thing for credit card.

Besides that, we all already know what happens in a disaster/survival scenario.
Once one person walks out with a cart of goods ignoring the register, it breaks the dam to bursting and all the mindless panicked fishies follow.

reply to post by rickymouse


Absolutely agree but with only one slight insight.

Cash will be easier to use of course. A calculator can do it all.

However, I see so many people in my store that only carry plastic almost as a badge of honor..."I Never Carry Cash". And I ask them what happens when the lights go out? "Not for long" they always reply.

I was blessed with the chance to prove my point not too long ago tho. The power did indeed go out for a few hours. I was in a grocery store when it happened and by the time I got to the check-out, there were 11 carts full of food parked at the doors because of the badge wearers.

I pulled out my trusty cash and sailed right thru, cart and all.

And then we have the extended period of lights out. What then? What happens when the paper is worthless? (almost there) Gold, silver will do just fine.

People that rely on their little plastic cards are idiots IMO and I always ask this question:

"You put 100% of your hard earned savings behind 3 feet of concrete and steel and you are the only person to not have a key?" And for this you receive a plastic card to use only because they keep the system turned on.

It doesn't matter if the power is on or off, you don't control the card, the ATM or the debit machine at point of purchase.

Really?

Had to come back to S&F...

Peace

reply to post by rickymouse


Most businesses do manual invoices when the power goes out.

Any business without a "lights out" plan is poorly managed and certainly ill prepared.

And for those who only use credit/debit card, most businesses have a manual card swipe with carbon copy invoices. Does anybody remember these?

The big problem with this is that most large chains do not have all merchandise marked with a price even though it is required in some states. Some merchandise is marked on the shelf and the bar code is what actually rings the price into the cash register, so this would only work in chains that use price tags/stickers on every item.

Originally posted by superman2012
reply to post by rickymouse

 

Paper and pen go a long way too.

I've seen that done at a couple of the smaller Saskatchewan communities.
Cheques also come out, and the old manual credit card machines.
If all you have is a debit card though, the store really has to know you, and will do an IOU

I've never seen it anywhere else though.

In the event of a disaster ,all of the stuff you need will be gone long before you can get to the store,unless you live nearby or camp out overnight. But if you really need a toaster or hair curler at the last minute ,then you can always just lay down some cash on the counter and challenge the cashier to work out what $ 100 -$ 75 .good luck with it all,
I bought all my stuff yesterday.

reply to post by jude11


Something to consider;
How many diseases does money carry on average?
Any viral scenario coming into play, handling money will be suicide.
Money makes for a beautiful vector.

Cockroaches are actually cleaner, carrying all the same diseases, and far less than money.
You're cleaner, healthier, and less disease prone with pockets bursting full of wriggling live cockroaches than you are with a single $ bill.

I'm not disagreeing with you entirely.
I am, however positing that in most conceivable conditions where the lights don't come back on, money is useless by that time.

Wait a minute..........
Since the fancy cash registers came into being the cashier does not even have to know how to count money.

Register says exactly how much money to return to customer.
No thinking involved.
No math skills needed.

Would be a major head ache.

We are building a huge multi floored high school facility in my city.
Totally computerized.

Even students will not have books in paper form anymore.
Everything done with computers.

And cursive writting is not even taught anymore.
And you expect cashiers or any other worker to be able to think logically and apply it in a disaster situation?.
Ha.

reply to post by Druscilla

Something to consider;
How many diseases does money carry on average?
Any viral scenario coming into play, handling money will be suicide.
Money makes for a beautiful vector.

You could be struck by lighting and/or gunned down by an “assault rifle” on the way to the store, too. Pick your method…

I thought the OP was talking about natural disasters like we've seen in the past, not a complete SHTF scenario.

In that case, as you pointed out, money will be useless anyway.

Most of the bigger grocery stores around here aren't prepared. I doubt if a younger cashier even knows how to use one of those slide credit card machines. I doubt if they even have one in Super One here in town. I asked the manager about ten years ago what they do and he said shut the doors. They can't sell anything without a receipt anyway.

Someone brought up a good point, no prices are marked on products in those stores.

reply to post by dizziedame

And you expect cashiers or any other worker to be able to think logically and apply it in a disaster situation?

It happens every day somewhere when the power goes out, friend. It's a pain in the arse but its part of doing business.

I’m glad you think so highly of the people flipping your burgers. Don’t tell them what you think or you’ll get a surprise in your food. As ignorant as you think they are, they certainly know how to take care of douche bag customers.

reply to post by rickymouse

Most of the bigger grocery stores around here aren't prepared.

The method of payment will be the least of our worries.

I’d be more concerned with the supply chain. Have you ever been to a grocery store at 3 am? The shelves are completely depleted. The trouble will be the next day when the trucks don’t show up. Many truck drivers won’t be able fuel up because they couldn’t pay at the pump ($600 cash in pocket required to fill up the average big rig) so there won’t be any food to buy after 48 hours at most stores. Then you have the panic buyers and looters…

Originally posted by Druscilla
reply to post by jude11

 

Something to consider;
How many diseases does money carry on average?
Any viral scenario coming into play, handling money will be suicide.
Money makes for a beautiful vector.

Cockroaches are actually cleaner, carrying all the same diseases, and far less than money.
You're cleaner, healthier, and less disease prone with pockets bursting full of wriggling live cockroaches than you are with a single $ bill.

I'm not disagreeing with you entirely.
I am, however positing that in most conceivable conditions where the lights don't come back on, money is useless by that time.

edit on 10-3-2013 by Druscilla because: (no reason given)

And then the trade items?

Gold, silver, seeds, fuel, alcohol, cigarettes, coffee, salt, sugar, flour, medicine, tools, guns, ammo, water...all worth more in a time of no dollar bills and much more valuable for the long term.

Peace

Originally posted by superman2012

Paper and pen go a long way too.

There you go thinking again....

Ever get a total of 11 dollars and hand the person instead of the one 20 you got, 21 so you get back a 10 to help them out and they look dumbfounded trying to figure it out.

I would say and abacus would be good to, but hell...

Originally posted by seabag
reply to post by dizziedame

 

And you expect cashiers or any other worker to be able to think logically and apply it in a disaster situation?

It happens every day somewhere when the power goes out, friend. It's a pain in the arse but its part of doing business.

I’m glad you think so highly of the people flipping your burgers. Don’t tell them what you think or you’ll get a surprise in your food. As ignorant as you think they are, they certainly know how to take care of douche bag customers.

What ever do you mean seabag?

My grandchildren are flipping burgers and going to college.
I think a whole lot about them and all workers no matter what field they are in.

I certainly did not mean to give the impression that I was talking about cashiers and burger flippers only.
I include all workers in any profession or business.

So nice to know you think I am a douche bag. You do not know me.

And I do not eat burgers unless they are flipped by my family or friends and not at a burger joint.

I have 4th stage kidney failure and am on a strick diet with as little additives as possible.

We grow our vegatables, chickens and try very hard to keep it all as natural as is possible.

I dislike your attitude and assumptions.

Mean bitch would describe me better but love gets in the way of my being mean very often.
The mean comes out when I am attacked .

reply to post by dizziedame

What ever do you mean seabag?

My grandchildren are flipping burgers and going to college.
I think a whole lot about them and all workers no matter what field they are in.

I certainly did not mean to give the impression that I was talking about cashiers and burger flippers only.

I include all workers in any profession or business.

So nice to know you think I am a douche bag. You do not know me.

I don’t know you. I was referring to your comment. You said:

Even students will not have books in paper form anymore.
Everything done with computers. And cursive writting is not even taught anymore.
And you expect cashiers or any other worker to be able to think logically and apply it in a disaster situation?.

Do you think these kids are incapable of simple addition and subtraction or manually swiping a credit card?? That’s basically what you said. If you were a customer who said that to me I’d think you were a douche bag.

And I do not eat burgers unless they are flipped by my family or friends and not at a burger joint.

I have 4th stage kidney failure and am on a strick diet with as little additives as possible.

We grow our vegatables, chickens and try very hard to keep it all as natural as is possible.

I dislike your attitude and assumptions.

I’m going to quit while I’m behind….

Mean bitch would describe me better but love gets in the way of my being mean very often. The mean comes out when I am attacked.

No attack…calm down!

I don't know you...I can only interpret what you type on here. Sorry if I misunderstood the intent of your words!

I worked in a grocery store for many years and we did have auxillary power when it went out. The tills and emergency lights worked.

We would close the store for other reasons though.
- when power goes out, so does the security cameras.
- when it's dark, people can trip/ get hurt
- the deli hot food heating lamps go out, so the food becomes unsellable.
- food in the freezers/coolers starts to warm.

Luckily I live in an environmentally stable area, so long term power outages never happen. A few hours at most.
But if SHTF, and there was no power... there would be no employees either.
Luckily, I still have a key to the bay doors, so if it ever happens, I'm opening the back door and pulling up a truck