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Requirements:
SHOPPORTUNITY
Cadette / Senior Girl Scout Badge
All people have one thing in common: they are consumers. They use goods and services. In order to
survive, every person requires the necessities of food, clothing and shelter. Goods and services that make
life easier or more comfortable are luxuries. The decisions you make as a consumer now, or in the future,
will depend on what goods and services are available and where you buy them.
Recommended Materials: Paper, Pen or Pencil, and Hand-Held Calculator
Choose eight of the listed activities. Activities marked by an asterisk (*) must be completed.
1. Why Do You Buy?
You are hungry, you buy food. You break your leg, you go to a doctor. You live in a cold climate, you
buy a coat. These services and goods are for survival and protection. But there are other reasons that
motivate you or make you decide to buy. They are based on wants, not needs. Write down your
reasons for purchasing what you do.
2. * Choose one of the following activities:
a. What's So Important About Your Credit Rating?
What are credit bureaus? What are the names of the three major credit-reporting agencies? What
information is on your credit record? Where do credit bureaus get their information? Who sees your
credit record? How can you get a copy of your credit record?
b. Credit Cards Galore!
Pick up or ask for three different store credit card applications. Is there any incentive to fill out the
application immediately (like an extra 15% off what you're purchasing)? Compare the information
requested on the applications. What is the value line of credit offered? What is the interest rate
charged? Figure out how much a $100 charge purchase will actually end up costing if you pay
the minimum monthly charge plus interest until it is paid off.
c. Installment Plan
Installment purchases can be made at some stores. What types of stores offer lay-a-way plans?
What are the requirements for laying away merchandise? What is the difference between a lay-a-
way program and a credit card charge?
3. Advertising Is The Name Of The Game!
Ads suggest a person will be popular, have fun, be important, be like famous people, or just feel good if
you use a particular product or service. How are women portrayed in advertisements? Look through
magazines and newspapers and start an ad collection. Are women shown in professional situations or
only cooking, selling cosmetics, clothes and household appliances? Do these ads make women look weaker or less intelligent then men? Are any ethnic groups or disabled people shown? Is the
advertisement making a promise statement ("you'll feel younger” or “you'll have fun")?
4. Choose one of the following activities:
a) Available Consumer Research
Every CD player can reproduce superb hi-li sound. Check the ratings and costs in a consumer
magazine, then see what is available and at what cost in your localarea Investigate full-sized
players (single or multiple-disc changers}, magazine types (slide in cartridge, typically holds six
discs), carousel types (holds 5 or 6 discs around a platter), CD jukebox (stores 100 discs) and
portable CD players. Comparison-shop to see if the same brand costs the same at different
types of stores.
b) The Big Guy vs.the Little Guy!
Discuss and list with friends what you feel are the reasons for pricing differences on the same
product between the large national chain store and the local independent owned store. Do your
own personal research between the big chain and the little independent store. Check the price
differences between the same five food items, five hardware items, and five home appliances
between stores.Where's the best buy?
5. Choose one of the following activities:
1. Soft Drink Favorite
How much does your soft drink cost? Your favorite brand is usually available everywhere. How
much does a 12-ounce serving cost from a vending machine, at a fast food restaurant with unlimited
helpings, a sit-down restaurant with table service, at the grocery store, or at a discount store?
Compare the cost of a 12-ounce soft drink can bought individually from a vending machine or in a
6-, 12-, or 24-pack in various other locations. Share your findings with others.
2. Name Brand vs.Store Brand
Name brands are products that are nationally advertised and known by their trademarks. Store
brands are products sold in certain stores only. Even though national brands tend to cost more,
why do you think people buy them most often over store brands? Is one really better than the
other? Find out by doing your own product testing between national and store brands. Try things on
for size, sample food items and try personalcare products.
6. Tripping Costs
Pretend you are a family of four on vacation. What amenities do you want and are willing to pay for in
your motel/hotel room for a night? Consider things such as swimming pool, on-site restaurant, cable TV,
free continental breakfast, and the convenience of nearby tourist attractions. Shop around and find out
the cost difference between a no-frills establishment and your ideal choice for a motel/hotel. Are the
extra amenities worth the cost?
7. Homemade vs. Store-Bought
Assume you have all the necessary knowledge, skills, and a sewing machine to make a prom dress. Be a
super sleuth and determine if you can make a dress cheaper than buying one off the rack at the mall.
Visit a fabric store and pick out a pattern. Make a chart to record the supplies needed and their cost to
sew your selection. Now search out the appropriate fabric, zipper, thread, etc. Don't forget to include the
cost of the pattern and $5.00 an hour for your labor (a minimum of 10 hours is an appropriate guess).
Before you start, which do you think will be cheaper? Which actually was cheaper? Do you think store-bought looks better than homemade? a) * What's the Best Buy?
"Best Buy,” “Beat This Low Price." "Best Buy In Town.” Would a sign like any of these give you the idea
that any product with a low price is a good buy or the best buy? Don't jump to conclusions! When buying
clothing, consider quality (how well a product is made}, durability (how long it will last) and maintenance
(the care that will be needed). On items other than clothing, what is the store's guarantee, warranty and
service policies? What is the store's return policy? A general formula to follow when buying goods or
services:
a) What is the need or want?
b) How will this product be used?
c) Compare types of similar products.
d) Compare price and quality.
e) Choose the best buy.
Grab pencil, paper, and an imaginary $100 bill. See if you can buy an entire outfit, from undergarments
to shoes to the barrette in your hair, with that $100. Make a list of every store and your item to
purchase there, plus each item’s cost. How well did you do? On which items did you have to
compromise?
b) Sales Tax
What is sales tax? Who pays it? Who is exempt from paying sales tax? How much is sales tax? Does
sales tax cost the same everywhere? Is sales tax added on all purchases? Where you live, find out
how much the sales tax is on grocery store food, restaurant food, clothes, and gasoline? Who gets the
sales tax money?
10. Choose one of the following activities:
a) What's On That Scratchy Neck Tag?
How much information can you gather from all the tags/labels attached to your purchases? Look
over the tags on clothes in your closet. What kinds of fabrics are your garments made from? Which
ones come from non-renewable fossil fuels? Which fabrics can be easily replaced in nature? How
are your clothes to be cleaned? If possible, tour a dry-cleaning establishment to evaluate the
alternative to using a washer and dryer. Is one more costly than the other?
b) Clothes Labels
What's the difference between a designer label, a brand-name label, and a private label? Did the
designer actually make the sketch for the garment? Did the designer oversee the production? Do not
assume anything based only on its "name". Do not assume you are getting the best value for your
money, until you CHECK IT OUT! Do some library investigating into the clothing manufacturing
business.
11. The Entertainment Industry Sells
What is the value of your favorite entertainer's voice? Think about the cost of a ticket for a 1-1/2 to
2-hour concert, a CD, a download, or listening to the radio. How would you budget for the cost of a CD,
CD player or concert ticket? How long would it take you to save for each? Which would be the best
cost per use? Which would give you the longest pleasure? Is there a new market opening for trading or
selling used CO's and tapes?
12. Alternate Methods Of Shopping
You can have it all without ever leaving home. What opportunities do you have to shop without stepping
outside your house? Create a list. What are the advantages and disadvantages of each? What steps
should you take to assure your purchase is hassle free?
13. Advance Technology
Technology has made the cashier's job easier. She rings in the sale, enters how much money the
customer gives her, and is immediately told how much change is due the customer in return. In
previous years, only total sales appeared on a cash register and the cashier was responsible for
counting back change. Pretend you are a cashier. If your customer's sale is $57.27 and she gives you a
$100 bill, what would be the least amount of coins and paper bills you could give her? Now, how do
you count back change to her, starting at $57.27?
14. *Mall Safety
There are millions of people shopping in malls daily, but are they safe there? Discuss with friends what
"could happen" in the mall or parking lot. Think about your purse, pulling money out of your pocket, your
purchases, going into public restrooms. Role-play methods of self-protection. If possible, take a self-
defense class.
15. Women's vs. Men's Clothes
Is there a cost difference between similar clothing for women and men (for example, jeans or T-shirts)?
Why do you think this is the case? Is there any manufacturing difference, advertising difference, cleaning
difference? Can you think of any logical reason for the difference between the way the two genders’
shirts button? Compare the cost of dry cleaning similar items between the genders. Compare the cost of
having a similar item of men's and women's clothing altered in the same store (i.e., a suit).
16. Shopping Recyclables
Draw the two symbols that indicate something is made from recyclable materials or can be recycled.
How many items, including packaging, can you find on the store shelves and racks made from
recyclable materials? Group the items into like categories, plastic,paper, metal, etc. Are recycled
products more or less expensive than non-recycled products? Why do you think this is the case?
17. Career Opportunities
There are many careers associated with the advertising and selling of products. Make a list of all the
careers you can think of pertaining to the ordering, display, selling, inventorying, etc., of products and
services. Interview at least three people who work at these jobs. Based on your observations, are
certain positions more likely to be filled by a man or a woman? Why do you think this is the case?
18. Merchandising
Visit various types of stores and notice the first things that you see as you enter each store.Talk with
salespeople about how they display merchandise. Look at the physical layout of the store and ask the
salesperson to explain why store layout is important. How often is the stock "rotated?” How are sales
items displayed differently? What items get the best locations (eye-level, end of aisle, etc.)? What kind
of items do you see while waiting in the check-out lane? What kind of items would you put near the
check-out lane?
OUTLET LINGO
ANCHOR - The largest tenant and drawing card into a shopping center.
BAIT AND SWITCH - An unethical and illegal sales practice, when a store advertises a particular item at a
very low price to lure customers into the store, but then reports that that item has been sold out (when it may
never have even been there) and tries to switch you to a more expensive item once you're inside.
CLOSEOUT - An item that has been cancelled or is no longer being manufactured.
CONTRACTOR - A manufacturer or mill that contracts with a designer to make that designer's lines.
FIRST-QUALITY - Merchandise without a flaw.
IRREGULARS - An item that has a minor defect that usually does not affect its wearability or utility.
LOSS LEADERS -Also referred to as "door busters," these low-priced items are advertised, at a sale price
which usually results in a loss to the store, to get you into the store. It is hoped that, once you are there,
you'll find other, full priced (or overpriced) items to your liking.
OVERRUNS - Items that are over produced (sometimes on purpose, sometimes accidentally) and sold at a
discount. Overruns make up a considerable amount of outlet inventory, though they are often marked as
irregulars so as not to irritate the full-price retailers nearby.
SAMPLES - A manufacturer's prototype that is produced to show store buyers what the item will look like.
These samples sometimes wind up in the outlets themselves or in sample sales. Manufacturers produce
limited sizes for samples, usually in the smaller size range.
SECONDS - Garments with flaws, sometimes big ones.
RESOURCES USED
Magazines
Consumer Digest
Consumers Report
Consumers Research
Junior Shopportunity
Be a Smart Shopper by Kathlyn Gay
Fashion by Judy
The Totally Awesome Money Book for Kids by Adriane G. Berg
Zillions (Consumers Report for Kids)
Cadette/Senior Shopportunity:
The Credit Repair Kit, byJohn Ventura
Secrets from the Underground Shopper by Sue Goldstein
Consumer Best Buy Book
Shopping for a Better Environment by Laurence Tasaday
The 2nd Underground Shopper by Sue Goldstein
Fair Credit Instruction Manual by Matthew R. Wunder
Charge It: Inside the Credit Card Conspiracy by Terry Galanoy
Careers in Fashion Retailing by Pat Koester
Making a Budget by Wendy Stein
The Guide to Personal Budgeting by David Logan Scott
Opportunities in Fashion Careers by Roslyn Dolber
Retail Merchandising: Principles and Applications by Ralph D. Shipp
Woman Power in Textile and Apparel Sales by Jerry Sherman
Advertise! An Assessment of Fundamentals by Keith Luscher
The Advertising Kit by Jeanette Smith
Strategy in Advertising by Leo Bogart
Ask the Coupon Queen by Mary Anne Hayes
Display Design by Laszio Roth
Thanks to Betty Moore and Becky Taylor for their assistance in the development
of the Shopportunity Badge Requirements.
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Shoppertunity, No Illinois Council own IP (Original)
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