Get a $20 Voucher for the “On Your Way Home, Can You Grab…” Text We All Know Too Well

You know the text. You’re almost home, indicator on, mentally already in your slippers, when the phone buzzes: “On your way home, can you grab…” And just like that, there’s one more stop between you and the couch.

Turns out you’re in very good company. New research commissioned by IGA has found the humble “on your way home” grocery text is basically a national institution, with nine in 10 Australians having either sent or received one, and more than half of us copping at least one a week – adding up to over 11 million of these little grocery SOS messages nationwide, every single week.

And now IGA, Australia’s largest independent supermarket chain, wants to reward the good sports who always make that extra stop. From Tuesday 11 August, shoppers can submit a genuine “on your way home” text via the IGA Rewards website for the chance to score a $20 IGA Cash Back reward.

What are we all being asked to grab?

According to the research, milk (57%), bread (42%) and snacks (27%) top the list of most-requested items, usually because someone’s run out of the essentials (51%), forgotten something at the shops (48%), or realised at the worst possible moment that dinner is missing one crucial ingredient (40%). But it’s not always about necessity – almost one in four Australians (23%) admit they’ve sent the text purely because they were craving something.

When it comes to genuine grocery emergencies, toilet paper reigns supreme, with 43% of Australians saying it’s the one item they’d truly hate to run out of, just ahead of milk (36%) and medication (33%).

And then there are the requests that go well beyond the shopping list. IGA’s research turned up Australians who’ve been asked to pick up everything from underwear and chicken feet to, remarkably, a bouncy castle and 40 loaves of bread. No word on whether that particular loved one made it home in time for dinner.

Interestingly, winter seems to bring out our inner delegator, with 40% of Australians saying they’re more likely to send the text during the colder months, keen to avoid the weather and cut down on how many separate trips to the shops they actually have to make themselves.

IGA store owner George Achram says the campaign is a way of recognising just how universal this small, everyday favour really is. “We’ve all been there. You’re almost home when your phone lights up with the classic ‘on your way home…’ text asking for milk, bread or that one last ingredient for dinner,” Achram said. “As a network of independent family-owned businesses, IGA is often that convenient stop on the way home, so we wanted to recognise the people making those extra trips by giving something back.”

How to claim your $20

From Tuesday 11 August, head to igarewards.com.au/onyourway

Fill out your details and download the IGA Rewards app

Submit a genuine screenshot of an “on your way home” grocery text

New IGA Rewards members will have $20 IGA Cash Back loaded into their account once they’ve downloaded the app. Existing members will simply have the $20 added to their account.

The offer runs from Tuesday 11 August until 6 September, or until the full $50,000 pool of IGA Cash Back has been claimed, so it’s worth digging out that text sooner rather than later. Open to Australian residents aged 18+ (Tasmania excluded). Full terms and conditions are available at igarewards.com.au.

So next time you get that text demanding milk, bread, or 40 loaves for reasons nobody has fully explained, remember: you might just be $20 richer for your trouble.