Mystery shop your groceries

Mystery shopping in grocery stores is becoming more popular.

Deciding which foods you're going to put in your body is an important decision. Whether you're a health nut, on a diet or just an average Joe, it' can be nice to know you're eating healthy foods. But unless you are growing everything you eat in your backyard garden, how are you supposed to know whether the foods you eat are high quality?

You've probably heard of mystery shoppers food testing at various restaurants all over town, but it's becoming more common for mystery shoppers to examine grocery stores in detail as well. Mystery shoppers can provide you with plenty of information about your groceries. In addition to analyzing the quality of food available at different markets, mystery shoppers are on the lookout for the best deals in town. In fact, mystery shoppers might suggest buying groceries different from those you usually purchase - all in the name of helping you get the best deal.

"You could potentially do all of your grocery shopping there [a new grocery store], but you'd have to get used to buying brands you've never heard of before," mystery shopper Kevin Brasler told WPVI-6, an ABC affiliate in Philadelphia.

Secret shopping is especially important at grocery stores. According to Mystery Shoppers America, the average consumer visits the grocery store 2.2 times per week and spends an average of $34.10 per visit. That said, finding good prices on your groceries can help save you a lot of money over the course of the year. 

Mystery shopping for groceries can help you save money.Mystery shopping for groceries can help you save money.

Even if you trust yourself as a coupon-shopper, there are plenty of other benefits to being conscious of what you eat.

Years ago, people were concerned about their foods being organic. But according to Business Insider, the organic food trend has been replaced with a new one - farm-to-table.

What is farm-to-table?
Plenty of restaurants have enjoyed success when featuring menus with these kinds of foods. Farm-to-table means the foods you are eating were locally produced or delivered shortly after they were picked or harvested. So much of the appeal is found in the health benefits from eating farm-to-table foods. Think of where a tomato comes from. When your tomato is picked from the vine, it immediately begins to lose nutrients. Farm-to-table means you'll get fresher food with more nutrients intact.

Additionally, to help preserve food better as it travels to a grocery store, farmers will pick fruit or vegetables a little before they are fully ripened. The thought is that by letting it fully ripen during the journey, it has less of a chance of spoiling before it arrives. Farm-to-table operations help ensure that the travel time from the farm to your table is cut down significantly.

Customer service at a grocery store?
Although it might not be the first thought to cross your mind when someone says "customer service," grocery store employees are responsible for what you eat. They're the ones unloading the delivery trucks, stocking the produce aisles and baking the store-made pies. It's a good idea for you to make sure they're not doing anything they shouldn't be with the food you're eating on a daily basis. Mystery shoppers will also be attentive to how helpful grocers are while you're in the store as a customer.