Confessions of a Grocery Store Worker
There are all kinds of things going on behind the scenes.
A few years ago, when I was in my mid-50s, I found myself needing to supplement my income due to some unforeseen financial difficulties. In an effort to keep my head above water, I took a job at a supermarket whose name most readers would recognize. The pay wasn’t great, but it was acceptable and I needed the money. The work wasn’t terribly hard, and most of the people I worked with were fun to be around. I ended up staying there for 3 1/2 years.
Like most people, I never gave much thought to how a supermarket is run, where the food comes from, or how it gets on the shelf. I assumed that the people working there knew what they were doing, and were generally happy.
I also assumed what I bought was quality, and over the years I developed shopping habits that made me think of myself as a savvy shopper. I did, after all, read the labels and the expiration dates, and I knew for certain that if I reached to the back of a shelf, I would be getting the freshest items. I felt pretty competent when it came to grocery shopping and never gave a thought to what might go on behind the scenes.
All that changed when I began actually working in a supermarket.
