The joy (and pain) of grocery shopping
McClatchy-Tribune file photo.
I have always found individual grocery shopping habits pretty fascinating. I’m sure they say something about a person, but I’m no sociologist. Since I know my own household best, I’ll use it as an example.
We usually do our grocery shopping on Sundays, when the new sales start at Kroger and coupons and the circular come out in the paper. The weirdest thing we do is split up with our own grocery carts and check out separately. Neither of us have the patience to let the other one drive.
At Kroger, I always look for bright orange clearance stickers, particularly in the produce department, the organic frozen food department, the meat department and the deli (good scores on fancy cheeses). We also poke around in those clearance baskets that Kroger randomly parks in their stores and have found a few good deals there. For example, Howard recently found his shaving cream for $1 and it was only missing the cap.
After spending about an hour in the grocery store doing my main shopping for the week, we usually go home and remember something we forgot, which means one of us makes another short trip (or two) during the week. Recently, we’ve also started to swing by Food Lion once a week to buy things like dog food or deli meat or to check out their meat selection. I also often shop ethnic markets for better prices on exotic items and go to Wal-Mart about once a month for one or two products that are priced much lower there (namely, Clear Care contact lens cleaning solution and makeup). I rarely go to Fresh Market only because it is not near my house. When I do, it is usually for ingredients for that night’s meal or a gift/potluck situation.
My biggest pet peeves at the grocery store are probably the same as everybody’s:
1. Getting used to a product and then having it disappear from store shelves.
2. Getting to the store in the morning on the first sale day and finding that products have not been stocked.
3. Having to drive to a different store for a product that should not be considered the least bit out of the ordinary or exotic and yet is not available at my store.
4. Getting in the U-Scan line behind someone who has no business attempting what is clearly, for them, an incredibly confusing and complicated task (not the store’s fault, but still annoying).
5. Invisible U-Scan clerks.
Having said all that, I typically have nice grocery-shopping experiences. What about you – do you hate grocery shopping?
What is your grocery routine? Do you feel that it is efficient?
Do you think it’s worth driving to a different store to save a few bucks on certain items if gas costs an arm and a leg per gallon?
What are your favorite aspects of the stores you shop? What aspects are deserving of some constructive criticism?
February 21, 2012 - 6:33 AM
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UGH! Number 3 on your list really kills me!!! Even in Blacksburg, which has a more wide ranging ethnic mix that most areas around here, I run into this problem far too often. Luckily right across from my Kroger is Oasis and I can usually easily find whatever I can’t at Kroger. In December, I needed butternut squash for a recipe and of course not a single one could be found in Kroger. I popped over to Oasis and literally the butternut aquash were greeting me at the door…so many that they had them on sale for $1 a lb and had grocery carts filed with them. I stocked up!!
I have to say though…when I have confronted the produce manager about things that were missing at the S Main Kroger they have been very responsive in getting things in stock.
I’m with you on number 4. Some people, it’s like watching a teenager with a Ouija board. They should have a picture of a shopper holding a smartphone and a sign that says, “You must be able to operate one of these before you can use the U-Scan lane.”
My biggest problem with grocery shopping, and it isn’t the store’s fault in the least, is that I’m a complete sucker for anything new and different. Korean barbecue sauce? Gotta have that! Bacon horseradish potato chip dip? In the cart!
Then, once at home, I open my pantry and survey the irrational amounts of sauces, mixes, exotic ingredients, and just plain weird stuff (I’m sure I bought those anchovy-stuffed olives for a reason, I just don’t remember what it was). I very rarely eat salads at home, and yet I have eight different types of salad dressing. Why? Because Bacon Ranch!
What I need, and what the grocery stores will never provide, is someone to follow me through the store and just smack my hand whenever I reach for that interesting jar of mustard or that I-never-know-when-I-might-be-in-the-mood-for-Swedish jar of pickled herring in cream sauce.
I shop in short trips after work (when I’m tired and cranky)and grocery shopping is quite pleasant because the grocery stores actually want you to buy their stuff so they label the isles. I am one of those people who has a melt-down in the U-scan lane (why does the paper change come out in one place and the coin change come out in a completely different place?), so I NEVER go there, I leave that to the young’ins. If I go into a store that the isles aren’t labeled I leave. If I go to a gas station and parts of the pump mechanism doesn’t work or it’s difficult to maneuver the sale I never go back. Like I said, I am cranky, but grocery shopping is great, plus I get to eat when I get home!
I think it’s actually easier to use a U-Scan than a smartphone. In my opinion, the only problem with U-Scan is that it is virtually impossible for a human clerk to be standing there at all times. And if they are not standing there, that’s exactly when I am going to need them.
Jeff, what you need to do is create a game for yourself where you have to use one pantry item each week or something. I have an inordinate number of rubs, sauces and marinades myself so I understand the problem.
What drives me crazier than anything is when they re-arrange everything. I shop at the Daleville Kroger and they did this right before Thanksgiving, no doubt to get shoppers to make more impulse buys while wandering from aisle to aisle in search of canned yams or whatever. In my case it had the opposite effect, as I ended up spending less because I was irritated I couldn’t find what I needed. I also find their shelving decisions really counter-intuitive at times, but I suspect that’s a subjective thing and what makes no sense to me makes perfect sense to someone else.
It’s a trek to my nearest store so I try to plan my shopping carefully. I used to go once a week, but I’ve found that a lot of food ended up getting wasted (and produce, whether from Kroger or a farmer’s market, just doesn’t last a whole week) so lately I’ve been shopping for 2-3 days worth of food at a time. Maybe once every couple of months I’ll make the trek to Fresh Market for something special, usually from their produce department or meat counter, but I’m trying to buy more from local producers.
Two things that matter to me are store size and aisle width. I don’t like shopping in the superstores because they’re so cavernous as to be overwhelming, but on the other hand the older stores with narrow aisles make me feel claustrophobic. The Daleville Kroger is just the right size for me, and as long as I avoid the busiest shopping periods it’s generally a pleasant experience.
I have to admit I’m one of the slow people at the U-Scan, but I prefer to use it because I can pack my groceries the way I want them. Yes, I’m picky about how they’re packed. I HATE to have heavy items thrown on top of delicate ones, cans tossed on top of my bread, a 2 liter soda bottle put into the same bag as my grapes, etc. I’m sure baggers hate to see me! Also, I’m handicapped and slow. Most clerks are irritated by the slow part and dislike that I ask them to pack the bags lightly. I’m really not doing it to annoy them, it’s just that I can’t handle them when they’re heavy. Also, my reuseable bags are rather large so it’s easy to overload them. I try to be polite and always thank them for their help because it can’t be easy to deal with someone like me!
@Laura, good point about aisle width. That’s another pet peeve of mine – when an aisle has so much stuff in it that you can’t maneuver through it if there’s anybody else in it.
@Vickie, you deserve to use the U-Scan as much as anybody else and it sounds as if you know what you are doing, you just want to take your time. Everybody has to wait their turn in life, right?
Now that my kids are old enough to stay at home alone for short times, grocery shopping has gotten much easier. I try to look at our schedule for the week and plan dinners then shop accordingly. My current “pet peeve” for the grocery is the “new” plastic grocery bags. I used to put 2 gallons of milk in a bag (then double bag) at the U-Scan. With the “use less plastic” bags they have now, both of the bags end up with one handle broken. I’ve learned my lesson, but it still annoys me.
Part of the problem with U-Scan is that even when you do everything perfectly, sometimes it decides to randomly throw up a “please wait for attendant” error for no apparent reason. And it seems like once that happens once, it’s more likely to happen again in the same checkout session. Combine that with #5 and you’ve got a recipe for frustration.
My husband and I go grocery shopping together, usually on a Friday night. We do the majority of our shopping at Walmart, usually one big trip a month. But then I watch the sales at Kroger and if they have something we need I go after the gym since it’s on my way home, no special trips needed. We will also shop Sam’s club once every 2 months or so for meat.
I will use the U Scan at Kroger when I have just a few things and I have to say that the U scan cashier at the Westlake Kroger is always close by.
I hardly ever go to Food Lion unless they have a really good deal. They seem to be the most expensive in everyday items.
I do have to agree that I hate when a store moves stuff around. That’s the whole point of going to the same store, you know where everything is!
We have a chest freezer and pantry so the only thing we really need from week to week is produce and dairy/eggs. Kroger for most of it, Fresh Market for prepared foods, and the occasional Williamson Road run for soba or seaweed.
I prefer to go several times a week on my way home from work than make a special trip. I save time/money/gas that way.
I enjoy shopping by myself. At work and at home I am “in demand,” and a half-hour of wandering the aisles in my own bubble of solitude is refreshing.
I prolong the solitude by using the self-checkout lanes, although I have mixed feelings about them. I would rather be useful than stand around watching someone else pack my groceries for me, but I know the self-checkout lanes result in fewer jobs.
Why do stores have their stockers blocking aisles during busy times? Stock shelves when the stores are closed or, if open 24 hours, late at night when there are few customers. Also, U-Scans should be for 15 or fewer items. Most people want to use U-Scans when they are in a hurry and only have a few items and it really makes one mad when you see someone with a full cart at a U-S, and they seem to move as if they had all day. While I’m at it, those moms that think it is cute to see their little kids scan and bag items should stay away from stores at busy times. It ain’t cute when there are several people waiting.
Speaking of U-Scans, I read a few months ago that some chains are doing away with U-Scans. Will Kroger? Walmart may as well, they never seen to be working.
I usually go to Kroger once a week, and Food Lion once or twice. FL is closest to me, about 5 minutes. Then Wal-Mart is only a couple more minutes, then Kroger another couple minutes, so I’m lucky. At Kroger I buy meat, produce, sale items, and most other stuff. Like Lindsey I go to Wal-Mart on occaision for things that are much cheaper there. I look for “Manager’s Special” stickers in Kroger in produce/salad, fresh seafood, meat, packaged meat, cheese, and Boar’s Head packaged meat. Food Lion has red “value priced” stickers, mostly in the meat dept., and I always check for marked down meat and packaged meat items. Once, just before last Christmas, we found a buggy full of red stickered umbrellas, mittons, hats, scarves, etc. They were about GIVING the stuff away! Big, really nice umbrellas for $1.45 and the like. I bet we bought sixty bucks worth of stuff for no more than twelve bucks! I hit the food isles at Big Lots every couple of weeks, you can find some real bargains there. But there I run into Jeff’s problem, and a peek into my pantry will verify that! My pet peeves are much like Lindsey’s, but ad to it the people who stand there for five minutes while the clerk checks them out, and THEN pull out their checkbook to pay! And they are usually the SLOW ones. There is an unwritten law that no matter how obscure a place you are in the store, someone else will need to be there right after you arrive! And it’s awesome when a group of people stop to talk and completely block an isle! Stuff like that gets on my very last nerve. OK, so there’s my “book.” Thanks Lindsey, good topic!
@Dennis, I’m glad you got that comment through
@David, I have not heard about Kroger getting rid of U-Scans. I hope not, because I do like them. I have some kind of personal goal to scan and bag my items as quickly as possible. When I do go through the regular lines, if there is no bagger available, I want to bag my own stuff. But I am not sure whether that annoys the clerk or whether they find it helpful.
@Fincastle Mom, I try to remember to bring my reusable shopping bags but sometimes I leave them in the car. The Bonsack Kroger has a sign in the parking lot that reminds customers to bring in their reusable shopping bags. I wish every Kroger had a sign like that – I think it would really help!
1. I find that I quickly lose my temper at self-scan lines. I end up muttering craziness as if no one can hear me. I’ve noticed that the poor cashier peeps almost run to me because they think I’m going to have a stroke.
2. I absolutely love the Bonsack Kroger for a few reasons: Anything I’ve ever requested has appeared on the shelves. The managers are responsive to customer requests. The cheese department manager is wonderful – she always brings out special treats for my son because she thinks it’s cool that he’ll try amazing cheeses and olives.
3.I am OCD about packing groceries and will actually offer to pack them even when someone’s there ready to toss my stuff into my bags.
4.I have been known to call grocery shopping by myself “Date Night.” When I get to go without my kids, I soak up the alone time.
5. There is nothing out there that can bring out the ugly in me like WalMart. I will spend more money than go there because day or night, the place is a zoo.
Hey Lindsey! I had to weigh in on this. My wife and I make up a weekly recipe list and plan each nights meal around what we know Oasis, Eats, the farmers market and Indigo Seafood will have. We then build our shopping list around these ingredients in a notebook and split the shopping. We have to make a lot of stops on Thursdays and Fridays, but we buy almost 100% local, 100% organic and we don’t support non-local business unless it is completely necessary. My wife has never been in Walmart in her life. I haven’t been in 12 years. We either bake our bread or buy it from Our Daily Bread. This is easier than it sounds and I dare your readers to try it. It’s fun, you get to know all the vendors and you ultimately spend less money because you only buy what you need! You also end up with a cookbook, complete with notes and ingredients each year!
We do the bulk of our grocery shopping at our local Kroger in Fairlawn, a little more than a mile from the house, usually later at night like 9 or 10. We know that store doesn’t have everything we usually buy, but they carry most of it…and I think their meat department is the best in the NRV (very rarely is anything spoiled, everything usually looks very fresh). There’s a few things we also get at the nearby Walmart because we know we can save a substantial sum of money getting those items there. The rest of what we buy I get from the Kroger stores in Blacksburg, since I work not too far from one, and the other is on the way home if I take a slightly different route. For some specialty items, I know I can usually find them at Eats or Annie Kays, but they’re usually rare purchases.
As for pet peeves, the lack of sales items being stocked is definitely one. Since we need gluten free items, I was super excited to see that Chex cereal was on a steep discount a while back…only, they were completely out of corn Chex, and only had the flavored varieties. A different store did have them though, and we stocked up. Our local Kroger doesn’t have the U-scan lines, and I rather enjoy talking with the late-night cashiers…but if I hit the B’burg stores on my lunch break, I usually go through the self checkout to save some time, if no traditional cashier is free at the time I’m heading to the front.
As for items disappearing, that has always been a major pet peeve of mine…particularly because due to our food allergy issues, we often cannot simply switch brands to another similar item. I’ve noticed that Walmart tends to be worse about this than Kroger, because with our Walmart having a relatively small grocery section compared to say the Dublin or C’burg Walmart stores, they simply don’t have the same shelf space for the products…and it seems like they rotate their stocked items more frequently if something isn’t selling as quickly as they’d like. They live by the motto of ‘carry a little of everything, but not a lot of anything’ meaning you can might find something like what you wanted, but it may not be the exact thing you were looking for.
But all in all, I can’t complain too much about our shopping experiences. We’ve grown accustomed to the quirks of each store and dveloped a decent routine for shopping…and stocking up on sale and discount items when possible. Like meats…when things we buy ar eon steep sales, like Perdue chicken, we buy a lot of it and freeze it. I will also buy as much marked-down beef as I can, provided it’s not turning color. I’ll stock up on roasts, steaks, stew beef, ground beef, and other stuff that way when we can, and freeze that too.
Some of these comments are sad. Getting peeved because people run into friends and talk to each other in the aisles? A simple “excuse me” works pretty well if someone doesn’t realize they’re in your way.
I don’t use the u-scan as an express lane, I use it because I want to scan and bag my purchases myself. If I have a full cart, and the self-checkout lane isn’t marked as an express lane, I’ll use it and take my time with it. If I’m not moving fast enough for someone else, that’s their problem, not mine.
Relax, people. It’s not a race. If you don’t want to be inconvenienced by other shoppers, go at a less crowded time.
The Blacksburg Kroger on South Main has a sign to remind shoppers to bring in their reusable shopping bags, as well. But if I’ve forgotten them and have had to hike from the back of the parking lot, I am not likely to go back to the car.
I hate the U-Scans, precisely because of the reasons Mark (#9) listed. The few times I’ve used it, I’ve always gotten an error for no reason and it’s just frustrating because I don’t want to hold up the line behind me. Also, I like to watch the prices ring up as the casher is scanning so I can make sure any sale or marked-down items ring up correctly.
Lindsey, if there is no bagger available in my line, I will bag my own groceries and just say to the cashier, “I hope you don’t mind if I help out”. Not one has ever minded the help!
I’m sure most of you know this, but I’ve seen some shoppers who clearly do not. The U-Scan bagging area is weighted. If you set anything there, even something tiny, that has not just been rung up then it’ll feel it and call for an attendant. It’s a loss preventative. I’ve seen people with children leaning on the bagging area while they scan and they can’t figure out why the machine keeps calling for an attendant. Reusable shopping bags trip the switch because you haven’t scanned anything yet but the sensor feels their weight.
I refuse to use U-Scan. My reason is simple, Kroger is union and the U-Scan takes someones job.
As for habits, I generally do most of the grocery shopping on Sunday afternoon. I go through the sales paper and get all of my coupons together and then make the trip. My hubby stays home with our 3 kids and I get “me” time
We inevitably forget something and have to stop back into the store 1-2 days a week. I have a stockpile of sale items in my basement, enough that we could easily live for up to 2 weeks off of it if we were snowed in. I try not to be a compulsive buyer, but like many, I just HAVE TO HAVE that rub, marinade or sauce sometimes.
It would be interesting to conduct an experiment and see how long some of us could live on the food we already have in our freezers, pantry, basement, etc. I have a couple of shelves in the basement full of stuff! Of course, once you run out of things to put rubs and sauces on, you can’t just eat the rubs and sauces… unless truly desperate.
My husband loves figuring out what dinners we can make from what’s stockpiled in our freezer and in our pantry. Before we moved into our house a few years ago we ate for weeks off of our stockpile of food. We didn’t want to have to move dozens of cans of tomatoes and beans and pounds of frozen meat.
My biggest pet peeve in the store (and all over) is cell phone talkers who think that the world has stopped around them whenever the phone is against their ear. Whether driving a car or pushing a cart, do us all a friendly and hang up.
The U-Scan now has a “use my bags” button on the screen which recalibrates the weight after you’ve put your own bags on.
I like to grocery shopped unless I’m rushed for some reason. I usually go every couple of days because there’s always something my wife needs me to stop and get on the way home from work. Also, I can’t stick to a weekly plan, because usually I’ve changed my mind by the end of the week as to what I want for dinner. It has to be something pretty special for me to go to a different store.
One of the first times I used the U-Scan, my grandson was with me. He was about 5 years old at the time and was excited that he was being allowed to help by bagging the items I had scanned. I was having a difficult time, as the scanner would add an item, then subtract it. This was happening over and over and I finally realized that my grandson was stepping slightly behind me with each item, so the scanner was removing it! He was looking at his warped reflection in the curved glass on the scanner. While I found it amusing, I’m sure other shoppers wouldn’t have thought it was funny. Thank goodness no one was behind us that day!
Years ago, I was looking through three grocery carts of marked-down items, like Dennis described, parked together at Food Lion. The first two were full of stuff I don’t buy, but the third had lots of things I wanted. I had put about 10 of them into my cart when I noticed a man standing behind me. He was a shopper who had stepped away from his cart, and was now back, watching me empty his cart into mine!
I shop Mostly at Daleville Kroger (and Wal-Mart)
I have been to Kroger’s twice lately and have left the meat dept. as the smell of bleach was so strong ! Why are they Having to use so Much? I don’t want to buy meat when there must be a reason for THAT much to be cleaning Something! I mean it REEKS! You cant breath!
If something in there is that bad I don’t want it!!
I Would like to know WHY they are using so much???