RULES TO AISLING & FAQS

Several weeks before the competition date, the organizers will announce the specifics of the event: the course (i.e. the starting position, which aisles of the market will be used, etc.), the time limit, and the list of products that need to be collected. This gives the competitors a training period during which they can visit the supermarket, identify the location of the products, and plan and rehearse their routines accordingly. A standard aisling competition requires a list of 15 products to be collected in 3 minutes, but variations are possible.

Competitors are able to check out shopping carts and keep them for the duration of the training period. If you plan to customize your shopping cart so extensively that it cannot be returned to its original form, you may purchase a cart from the event organizers at a special discount.

Download the Official Aisling Handbook! (PDF Format)

The rules for aisling are as follows:

1. Only one competitor performs at a time!
The order in which competitors perform is determined by lottery.

2. You must use a regulation shopping cart!
Most types of shopping carts are acceptable, but always check with the organizers of your event to see if there are any special restrictions.

Can I customize my shopping cart?
Yes. You may customize your shopping cart in any way you see fit, but you must utilize the entire cart. This means that you can add things to it or take it apart into pieces and rearrange it, but you cannot subtract anything – you must use all the original parts of the cart in your design. If you replace the wheels, for example, you must still have the original wheels somewhere in or on the cart when you perform.

Will I get a higher score if I customize my cart?
Not necessarily. An interestingly-customized cart is likely to increase your Originality score, but if the judges feel that the customization of the cart does not mesh well
with your routine as a whole, you will likely lose points in your Overall Impression score.

3. Your routine must be set to music!
Choose your own music, whatever best suits your routine, but always ask the organizers of your event if there are any special music restrictions.

4. You must collect all the products on the list – nothing more, nothing less!
Several weeks before the event, you will be provided with a list of products you need to collect during the competition. Everyone gets the same list. The products need to be in your cart at the end of your routine to count. Products in your hands or pockets are invalid. You will lose 2 points for any listed product you have failed to collect. You will lose 1 point for any product in your cart that is not on the list, or for any duplicate products ­ e.g., if the list says one can of corn, and you end up with two cans of corn.

4a. Bonus Item Rule
You have the option, but are not required to collect a specific bonus item. This item is optional because it adds a level of complexity to the aisling routine. A bonus item can increase your overall aisling performance and therefore your score. However it also increases the likelihood you’ll break other aisling rules. The bonus item is usually stocked in hard-to-reach locations or is precariously stacked such that the risk of dropping products, bumping into displays and otherwise causing damage, increases ­ e.g., picking an orange out of a neatly stacked pile of oranges.

You will receive 5 bonus points for the bonus item successfully collected. There is a limit of one bonus item per routine.

5. Do not damage your products!
A damaged product is invalid. For example, if eggs are on the list and you break them, they will not count. You will lose 2 points for each product you damage.

What should I do if I damage one of the products I need for the list?
If you damage a product you need, leave it in your cart and try to get a replacement before the end of your routine. Since damaged products do not count as duplicates, you will not be penalized for keeping the damaged item in your cart – for having two cartons of eggs, for example, if the first one is broken.

What is the definition of “damaged”? What if I just dent a can, for example?
A product is considered damaged if, under ordinary circumstances, the supermarket would no longer offer it for sale. If there is a question about whether a product is officially damaged, someone from the supermarket’s quality control department will judge.

6. Do not bump into anything with the cart!
You will lose 1 point each time your cart bumps into anything ­ the side of the aisle, a display stand, a checkout counter, etc.

7. Do not knock over or otherwise damage any product arrangements or displays! If, for example, you grab a box of pasta off the shelf, and you knock over the box next to it in the process, you will lose 1 point.

What if I knock over many boxes at once – do I get penalized for each one?
No. You lose 1 point each time you upset a display, regardless of the number of products affected. On the other hand, you will also lose 2 points for any box that gets damaged in the fall.

8. You must complete your routine within the given time limit!
Once again, please note that the list and the time limit are provided several weeks before the competition, giving the competitors time to visit the supermarket, identify the location of the products they will need to collect, and to plan and rehearse their routines accordingly.

If I do not finish my routine within the time limit, will I be disqualified?
No. But the judges will not consider any part of your performance that occurs after the time limit has expired, and having an unfinished performance will likely hurt your scores.

What if I have finished my routine, but my music is still playing when the time limit expires?
There is no penalty. Also, before performing, you can instruct the audio technician to fade your music out when your routine is over.

Download the Official Aisling Handbook! (PDF Format)