Wish Your Grocery Store Carried Something? Here's How To Request It

The behind-the-scenes of how your grocery store runs is a complex web of strategy, business decisions, marketing, and psychology. There's a lot of thought that goes into how grocery store aisles are arranged (often tricking you into buying more), or in Costco's case, sending you on treasure hunts. Beyond this, there's money and marketing dictating which stores carry which brands, and strategies guiding how certain retailers — like Trader Joe's — keep prices low.

But, despite these factors which are outside the control of the average consumer, shoppers can influence what's carried at their local grocery. Perhaps more than you might think, consumer requests go a long way. So, if you're jonesing for a certain product but can't get it anywhere near you, or you're sick of having to store-hop to get all your favorite brands, don't be shy about requesting items at your local grocery store. Following a few basic steps will help your cries be heard or, at least, up the odds of your store taking your comment to heart. 

There are multiple ways to make your request — over the phone, in person, or on social media. The most direct way is to go to your store and ask to speak to the manager of that section (for example, the frozen section, produce, etc). You should tell them the exact name of the brand or item you're searching for, and how you'd like to be able to buy it at the store.

There's no promise a request will motivate stores to stock your requested product, but the more demand it hears, the better the odds. Smaller, boutique stores may have more flexibility and usually more willingness to bring in requested products, whereas bigger companies may have more red tape and complex processes to consider.

There's a lot of reasoning behind why certain brands and items are sold in some stores and not others — so, though it can seem random, it's not. In a basic sense, brands have to pitch their wares to grocery store buyers who decide which products to bring into which stores, considering things like sales numbers, competition with other similar brands, shelf space, and more. Demand is also highly considered of course, and decision-makers can catch wind of it if enough customers voice interest in a product.

All things considered, it's not as simple as it might seem to simply snap your fingers and get a new product in stores. Still, you should always ask. Speaking to the manager gets a bad rap sometimes — no one wants to be a "Karen" — but voicing your thoughts as a consumer has power and when done well can make a real difference. So, as long as you're polite and courteous, there's no reason not to speak up.