The Strange Shopping List

Question

Recently, I got a letter from my friend, which is reproduced below.

Hey Man!

Do you think you could do some shopping for me? I'm a little tied up at the moment. Here's what I need (it's really important to me that you get the exact number specified on the list):

3 Iphones

1 kumquat

4 Pastrami sticks

4 cameras

1 Iceberg lettuce

7 VR Simulators

1 Milk

8 Cortland apples

2 Beef roasts

4 Granny Smith apples

4 computers

2 Carrots

7 Chickens

1 Pear

2 Table Creams

1 Plum

3 Whipped Creams

7 Cabbages

7 Stilton Cheeses

1 Dragon Fruit

It'll be easiest if you start by getting me the electronics, then the groceries, and then pick up the meat and then the dairy on the way home.

Well! What an odd letter! I've never been shopping with my friend before. I wonder if his list always looks like this?! Anyway, he's never sent me anything of the kind before. Why did he now?

Answer 1

Organizing the list in order of instructions:

You take the letter corresponding with the number of items to grab:

3 ipHones
4 camEras
7 vr simuLators
4 comPuters

1 Kumquat
1 Iceberg lettuce
8 cortlanD apples
4 graNny smith apples
2 cArrots
1 Pear
1 Plum
7 cabbagEs
1 Dragon fruit

4 pasTrami sticks
2 bEef roasts
7 chickeNs

1 Milk
2 tAble creams
3 whIpped creams
7 stiltoN cheeses

Which gives us:
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