Another supermarket gimmick?

Checkers has joined the line of supermarkets giving away ‘free’ collectables to parents when they spend in store. Pick n Pay appears to have started the trend when it launched its Stikeez campaign last year, and Spar is currently running its Angry Birds promotion.

Checkers launched ‘The Minis’ this past weekend. There are 29 Minis to collect, encompassing a range of South Africa’s iconic brands in miniature. However, unlike the campaigns that other retailers have run in recent months, Checkers have placed some focus on teaching kids entrepreneurial skills.

The promotion

As with the Stikeez and the Angry Bird promotions, for every R150 that you spend you will receive one ‘Minis’. The Checkers website explained: “For every R150 you spend at Checkers or Checkers Hyper nationwide, you will receive a Little Shop mini grocery collectable. If you spend R300, you will be eligible to collect two Little Shop minis, R450 gets you three, and so on.”

However, there are certain product categories that are excluded from the Minis promotion. “These categories are liquor (excluding wine), Checkers gift cards and top-ups, money transfers, prescription pharmaceutical goods, third party services and payments. These include but are not limited to: electricity, USA Visa tokens, Just Surf, Retail Bonds, all lottery tickets, transactions through SAA, bus tickets, MultiChoice, traffic fines, SplashOut Mall Cards and pension payments.”

There is no a clear cut-off date for the Minis promotion, as Checkers have stated that it will run for as long as there is stock.

For a list of the Checkers stores running the Minis promotion, click here.

Setting up shop

The Checkers website offers tools and tips for kids to help them make money and run their own ‘businesses’ with the Minis. These include price tags for the items, a stock book, addition and subtraction worksheet, a profit and loss worksheet, and a cost, pricing and discount worksheet.

In addition to these free downloadable items, there are add-ons to purchase. There is the mini trolley for R149.99, the mini shopping basket for R49.99, a small shop house for R149.99, and a collector’s case for R29.99.

If you are collecting Minis, but have duplicates, or missing collectibles, Checkers is hosting a Swap Day on 30 July at Checkers and Checkers Hyper stores around the country.

“On Saturday, 30 July 2016 (between 10am – 4pm), you'll be able to trade your extra minis with other future bustling business moguls. Visit any Checkers or Checkers Hyper with your parent/guardian and find the poster at the front of the store to start swapping,” explained the Checkers website.

Collect and win

Checkers have created an incentive for collecting the Minis. By collecting all 29 Minis you can win R10, 000 for child and an additional R10, 000 for their school. To enter the competition, you simply need to take a photo of your child with all 29 of their Minis and submit it on the application form available on the Checkers website. Click here.

Just another gimmick?

While this is yet another lure by a supermarket chain to get customers through their doors, this one does appear to be better thought out. The similar promotions which have been run by Checkers’ competitors offered toys with extras you could purchase, but there was no lesson behind the products. The Minis campaign from Checkers seem to have the added benefit of teaching kids about money and how costing, pricing and money work in an everyday environment they are familiar with, a store.

However, the onus is on the parents to bring the lessons home, as they are only available on the Checkers website and will need to be downloaded for your children to make use of them.

 Handy tip: If want teach your child about money and saving, why not open a savings account. Click here to compare accounts on Justmoney.