The Walgreens Man

We will call him Fred....

All I have to say about Fred is that he is an up seller! He has successfully up-sold me twice. And let me tell you, I am Italian, a sales person and formally in retail management....I do not get sold....except to Fred.

I have a weak spot in my heart for old people and yes Fred happens to be elderly. He fits right into the classification of a "puppy" (in my own categorization of the elderly). To be considered a puppy you must do one or all of the following:

1. Have a "gobble" chin
2. Have "jowel" cheeks
3. Be a little overweight
4. Be adorable

Fred actually fits all four classifications! Lucky Fred. So he is a Puppy. (More on Turtle classification later).

Back to the story...
Over the summer my brother, Shawn and I were driving home from one of his soccer games and of course I had to make a pit stop at my neighborhood Walgreens for some much needed Pepcid AC. While I was preggers, Pepcid AC became a food group to me because my heartburn was out of control! Thanks Mady...

I digress...so there we were in the check out line and there was Fred. Fred graciously took my pepcid AC, slid it across the blinky red thing and asked (in his best upsale tone)

"Would you like to buy one of these delicious brownies....they are really good and only 99 cents. A lady was just in here and bought a dozen because they are so good."

[Ohhhhhh FRED! I'm thinking...you sly little devil...trying to up sell me!! The UP SELL QUEEN!!! How dare you think that I would fall for your little story....ohhh touche my friend, touche....]

"Yeah...SURE, we'll take one" I said, before I could even pick up the bar! I dont know if it was because Fred was a puppy or because I was pregnant and was, in addition to the Pepcid consistently consuming chocolate chip cookies like it was my job. Either way...i was SOLD! Here is a picture of the little "gems" in all their glory...



Not only were they delicious, but now my brother and I are addicted to them! Every time I am in Walgreens I have to stop and get one. I cannot resist.

So you think I would have learned my lesson on Mr. Puppy Fred's tactics and not fall prey to his aggressive sales moves again, you would think...

Then why do I currently have a pack of gum, a flavor of which I do not chew, and a brand I would never buy, for a price that was not that appealing (.79)? Ohhh, probably because Fred, puppy in disguise was selling them. Serioulsy, the girls scouts need to retire and just strap those dang sashes over the elderly and they'd double, maybe even triple their profit! I can see em now...trucking through your neighborhood, door to door with their walkers, wheelchairs and osteoporosis, you'd be sold too!

The sad thing is Bryan came home two days earlier with two packs of gum of flavors that shouldn't be gum, like "Havana Banana Coconut" or "Chocolate Pineapple Twist" (these may not have been the exact flavors, but you get the point)...he came home with them and I rolled my eyes at him saying:

"You just cannot resist those checkout deals can ya?"....to which he says..
"They were only 79 cents!!" and that's when i knew...Bryan was also a victim of Mr. Fred, the Puppy, the up-seller!