Personal Shopping in Knoxville, TN: Planning Guide

Choose the help you need

Describe the result you want in concrete terms. For groceries, send quantities, preferred brands, dietary restrictions and acceptable substitutes. For clothing, describe the occasion, sizes, fit concerns and pieces you want to reuse. For gifts, specify the recipient, deadline and maximum spend per person.

Decide whether you want to shop alongside the provider, approve a shortlist remotely or receive purchases at home. Ask a wardrobe shopper for an example of how they would approach your brief. For errands, ask how the provider will report unavailable items and confirm delivery. Choose someone whose proposed process matches the task.

Give the shopper a rule for decisions you cannot answer during the trip. You might authorize a different package size within your spending cap, require approval for a clothing substitution or ask them to skip unavailable gifts. State which purchases require approval regardless of price.

Get a quote you can control

Request separate amounts for shopping work and merchandise. Ask whether the provider charges for consultation, advance research, travel, waiting, delivery and returns. If the quote uses an hourly rate, confirm when billing starts and stops, any minimum charge and the point at which the shopper must request more time.

Use a written purchase limit and an agreed payment method. Specify whether the shopper needs advance funds or reimbursement, when you will receive itemized receipts and how they will return unused funds. Ask them to disclose any retailer commission or purchase incentive before you approve store choices.

Tennessee’s Department of Revenue lists a 4% state rate for food and food ingredients and a 7% state rate for most other taxable items and services. Prepared food, candy and dietary supplements carry the general 7% state rate, plus applicable local tax. These are state rates, not Knoxville combined rates; ask the shopper to include checkout tax within your merchandise cap. [1]

Plan the downtown route and parking

For an ordinary weekday trip, PBA lists Old City South Lot at $1 per hour with a $3 maximum. It lists Locust Street Garage and State Street Garage at $1 per hour with a $7 maximum, Monday through Friday. Choose a facility after checking the stores you need, the walking route and your pickup arrangements. [2]

Check the appointment date against event parking before agreeing to reimburse parking. PBA lists a $40 credit-only game day or event rate at Locust Street Garage and warns that availability can change with special events. Ask the shopper to confirm the applicable charge and obtain approval before using a facility above your parking allowance. [2]

For a trip with several stops, ask the shopper to propose the store order before departure. Identify any fixed fitting appointment or pickup deadline. If you need purchases brought to your door, include the delivery entrance, steps, access instructions and a way to contact you on arrival.

Agree on receipts, returns and handoff

Tennessee Consumer Affairs advised in its December 2015 guidance that retailers may set their own return policies, require proof of purchase and charge restocking fees. The agency also noted that return deadlines can differ for fresh food, electronics, holiday items and clearance purchases. Check the current policy at each chosen retailer before authorizing a purchase. [3]

Ask the shopper to record the return deadline and any final-sale restriction with each purchase. Decide whether you or the shopper will make returns, whether that work costs extra and how you will receive refunds. For gifts, request gift receipts and keep tags and packaging until the recipient decides to keep the item.

At handoff, compare the purchases with your approved list and receipts. Note missing items, substitutions and any exchange you want. For clothing, arrange a time to assess fit before the retailer’s deadline. For a recurring grocery trip, update the substitution list before the next visit.

Published weekday parking caps for a downtown shopping trip

Match the shopping brief to the job

Your hiring checklist

1. Send a purchase list with quantities, sizes, preferences and a delivery deadline.
2. Set separate limits for merchandise, service fees and reimbursable expenses.
3. Confirm billing start and stop times, minimum charges and approval for extra time.
4. Write substitution rules and identify purchases that require your approval.
5. Approve the store route, parking allowance and delivery arrangements.
6. Agree on payment, itemized receipts and repayment of unused funds.
7. Assign responsibility for returns, refunds and any additional shopping visit.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much should I budget for the shopper’s service?

Request a quote for your actual list, stores and delivery address. Set the merchandise allowance apart from the service fee and ask about consultation, travel, waiting and return charges. The parking figures here describe published parking charges; they do not establish personal shopper rates. [2]

Can I authorize shopping without attending?

Ask the provider whether they will work from a written brief and send purchase options for approval. Give them sizes or quantities, acceptable substitutions, a spending cap and a contact method. Agree on what they should do if they cannot reach you.

Can the shopper return something that does not fit?

Agree on return work before booking, then check the retailer’s current requirements. Tennessee Consumer Affairs’ historical guidance says retailers may set their own policies and require proof of purchase. Ask who will retain receipts, make the return and track the refund. [3]

Should I reimburse downtown parking?

Decide that in the quote. Ask for the planned facility, an expense cap and a receipt. PBA publishes ordinary and event parking schedules, so confirm which applies to the trip before approving the expense. [2]