Grocery Store Profiling
Whatever you call them: chores, errands, assignments, duties, we all have stuff that needs to be done. I am guessing you have chores you like to do- some you tolerate- others that are just god awful. At our house we split them up-in part based on what chores we like/tolerate. Certainly for consideration is our ability to do the job right.
Jen (my wife) prefers to not do the weekly grocery shopping trip-so I do it. Sometimes one of our boys accompanies me, but not always. In the spring-fall we get fresh items from Jillson’s Farm or a local marker’s market, otherwise we are a Hannaford’s family. Our regular grocery list doesn’t change too much. I have my preferred route across the store (it does not conform to the store’s prescribed customer flow, but it works for me). I know the best times and days of the week to go shopping (and the times/days to avoid).
I have very few regular complaints about my weekly grocery shopping experience. My biggest complaint isn’t with the store, it isn’t employees or products.
Across the nation, according to Consumer Reports, there are 12 primary reason Americans hate grocery shopping. Too few checkouts, congested aisles, too few choices, pool selection of local produce, uninformed staff, confusing layout, out of stock on basic items, inept baggers, poor parking, too much junk food, poor pricing, out of stock on advertised items.
Don’t get me wrong; at one point in my grocery shopping life, I experienced frustration (perhaps even rage) with many of those same things. Some I have just learned to let go of or adapt. Grocery stores rely too heavily on outside distributors to stock shelves, there is rarely anyone who actually works at the store on the sales floor. On more than one occasion I have used my cell phone, from inside the store to call customer service and ask what aisle a product might be on or to see if something is in stock.
We also don’t count on Hannafords to carry local products, sure they have some seasonal stuff, fruit/veggies from local farms-but not something worth counting on-hence we go to farmer’s markets or a local farm.
My biggest beef with grocery shopping is other shoppers. It isn’t their behavior in the aisles, but their approach and how they conduct themselves in the checkout line.
I am not kidding!
It is amazing how long people take to empty their cart. I don’t know if it is a compulsive disorder, being super anal, or what it is, but nothing ticks me off more than people who put their items, single file on the check-out counter.
Those conveyor belt things are what, 4 feet long, 18 inches wide? Why put your paper products in a single line, and then frozen in a single line, produce in a single line. Under no circumstances, should the grocery bagger have to wait for you to put your food on the conveyor belt. Never-Never-Never.
The United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service says Americans spend nearly 43 minutes on each shopping trip (a number I believe to be very low.) Women, they spend nearly 46 minutes. Us men, closer to 40 minutes.
These people literally add minutes to my shopping adventure. Tick-tock! Let’s go people, I have to mow the lawn or take a nap in the hammock. A couple minutes per week-I have no doubt I have lost hours waiting-not for store employees — but waiting for shoppers.
As I prepare to check out I literally profile other shoppers. You can tell a good deal about a shopper by their cart. I don’t care what they are eating, but if they have organized their cart by type of product (frozen, fresh, dairy, feminine hygiene products), then I don’t want to be behind them at check out. If I spy that person who is in a hurry to get through the store-bingo! Stalk ‘em…er I mean follow them.
Jen makes most of the grocery list (with input from the boys and me). I double check to make sure I understand what everything is. Grab a kid (or two), take the bags, and head out. The actually shopping experience is fine-the checking out kills me!
My advice. If grocery stores want to do anything to help me. In addition to check out lines for “14 items or less”, create checkout lines for the anal retentive, pain the in ass, inconsiderate.
