How to Shop a Mega Event: What IS a Mega Event?
During a Mega Event sale at Kroger, you can save big when you combine instant savings with coupons. Usually these sales look something like this:
MIX and MATCH any participating items in multiples of 5 to save $5 instantly at checkout.
On your receipt, the discount will appear underneath each item. Pay attention to how many “offers” are allowed. Sometimes you’ll be limited to a certain number of groups, but often there is NO LIMIT to the amount of participating item groups you may purchase.
Sometimes, you need to purchase a group of 10 to save $0.50 on each item. Though the sale amount may vary, the idea is the same. You are always required to purchase a certain number of items (usually in multiples of 5 or 10) – and with so many good deals, the counting can get tricky – and a number of outside factors like these and you’ll find yourself counting and recounting:
- You’re using coupons that require a certain number of items to be purchased (like $1.00/2, $1.00/3 or $1.00/4, for example).
- Items you planned to purchase are out of stock in your store – and your carefully-planned list needs to change.
- You find additional unadvertised items in the store and need to modify your list.
- Select varieties of advertised items aren’t included as a participating item – and you don’t find out until after you’ve paid.
- You need to shop with “helpers” that are not so helpful.
How to Shop a Mega Event: Best Tips
How do you keep your counting straight during a mega event when shopping? It’s not always easy to get participating groups of 5 or 10 exactly right. Read these shopping tricks to help make your next mega event trip a success!
Make a list of “filler” items. Before you leave for the store, look for items included in the mega event that are a stock-up or good price without any coupons. Find the products you would use and create a separate list of potential filler items. After you’ve completed your shopping, add as many of these extras as you need to reach the correct total number of items.
Gather participating items in a basket. Use the top basket of your cart or a separate hand-held basket. When you reach the number of participating items in a group (5 or 10, etc.), move them into the main shopping cart area.
Separate other non-mega event purchases. Some shoppers use a hand-held shopping basket in their cart for this purpose, use the bottom shelf underneath the cart – or even pull a smaller cart around. You can also consider simply making a separate shopping trip of other items to keep things simple.
Make tally marks on your shopping list. You may already cross off the items you’ve found in the store, but use a spot on your envelope or page to tally the mega event items as well.
Bring along a willing helper. With one person to navigate the store and read the list and another to handle the counting, you can avoid some of the mistakes that come with multitasking during your trip! When possible, that also means shopping without young children. You’ll need to concentrate if you’re purchasing a number of mega event items, and kids can be known to (*ahem*) reduce your concentration.
Keep your list short. If you struggle with your sanity during a mega event, limit yourself to a smaller shopping trip. The more groups you purchase, the more confusing things can become.
Visit customer service. When your order still didn’t go as planned and your numbers didn’t work out, visit customer service with your receipt. You’ll find the total number of participating items at the very end of your receipt: PARTICIPATING ITEMS <+ = 25, for example. Most stores will allow you to purchase the additional items to reach the next group and then award your mega event savings in cash.
Did You Know? Facts about Kroger Mega Event Sales
- Most Kroger Mega event sales will usually last 2 full weeks, but prices and sale items are subject to change the second week. For just about every item that goes *off* sale the second week, there are a number of items that go *on* sale, meaning more savings on a different selection of items in the final week of the event.
- Only a small number of the Kroger Mega event deals will be featured in the weekly ad. The rest are marked with tags in the store. There are SO many tags to put up that not all items will always be marked at every location.
- Each participating item is marked with a <+ on your receipt.
- You may not want to group unpaid items into shopping bags in your cart to organize during a mega event sale. Many shoplifters use this method as a way to sneak groceries out of the store and (understandably) you could be watched or questioned as well.
Shop the latest KROGER DEALS!
Heidi says
I love the using a basket in your shopping cart tip! That will save me recounting everything 50x during my trip!!
jmk says
Bring a pen! Much easier to scratch off a list of ‘5 off of 5’ and go from there. Yeah, you can get a rain check, but sometimes you do not plan your checklist in groups of 5, so add things accordingly. Make a list of thinks you must have NOW and things you can wait a while for..Don’t forget to that Jolyn..lol
Jolyn says
Great thinking, jmk! Thanks!
jmk says
I meant *THANK Jolyn*
Shelley says
I use to do many of the suggested but in the last year or so I personally have found it just easier to just shop and then make the adjustment at customer service to either return the overage of items or purchase the necessary number of items to get me to the exact number of participating items for that particular sale to get the best value. I find keeping track during the course of your shopping can add up time wise and there is always factors that seem to blow the accuracy anyways, for example, items you planned to purchase are out of stock in your store, select varieties of advertised items aren’t included as a participating item, there is not always tags posted above all mega event items to verify that it is in fact is part of the mega event, etc. I always have filler items (with and without coupons) in mind too so I can quickly make the adjustment at customer service if this is required. I was lucky yesterday, it worked out to be exactly 40 for me. I always want to be at the exact number for participating items, $1.00 more per participating item is a lot more and definitely influences my thinking, a good deal or not a good deal. The Mix & Match (Mega Event) events definitely can be a little overwhelming with so many good deals .. but it is so worth the time .. good luck.
Thanks again for all you do Jolyn and Melissa! : ))
Shelley says
I find this to be such a sweet deal and is part of the mega event. The Italian loaf that they bake in the bakery is part of the mega event. It is only 0.29 after mega event. The Lake Orion store did not have a sale sign/mega event tag near it. The Italian loaf is packaged in a paper bag and is left open at the one end to help you find it. They are quite large too!
RosieOh says
Thanks for all your tips to help save us money! Really appreciate it!
Jessica says
Love the tips-esp. the basket one. Just was at the store last night and this deal, though worth it can be so tricky to keep track of. These will make life easier! Thanks Jolyn!
Shelley says
Another way to go about it is to have the cashier count the PARTICIPATING ITEMS <+ on your receipt before she finalizes your order. This allows you to add or subtract the necessary items to have that exact number of mega event items to maximize your savings. My experience is that most cashiers are very willing to do this for you but it is extra register tape paper as it is not your official receipt.
Shelley says
If you go this way; you will want to have those extra filler items with you at the register if you need to add to your mega event number OR know which items you will remove from your mega event number if you are over. I tend to only ever remove if it is the buy 10 mega event and need a lot more items to get me up to the next increment.
Katherine says
Thanks so much for the “basket” tip! I used it this afternoon and found it much easier than tallying to keep track of items. I shop for seven adults, and this tip was a real timesaver for me. For all you ladies do…THANK YOU!!!!
Veronica says
Thanks for the basket tip. This can get so confusing. I messed up last week and got 1 Barilla and 1 bertoli pasta sauce ( not in 5 for 5) and missed out on $5 off…bummer! I especially have trouble with Meijers 10 for 10 and 11 is free sale!! I count over and over to make sure I have 11, 22, 33 etc. 🙂
Shelley says
A trick to speed up the process of getting a rain check is to take a photo of the sales tag on your phone to take with you to customer service. It saves the store a lot of time too to not have to send a staff member over there to verify the price of the item if not listed in the ad. I often even get thanked by the customer service staff, it just makes it so much easier and so much quicker, for the customer and for the staff. A win win situation with taking a quick photo just like the rain check itself (and especially during a mega event)!!