Things Which Annoy Me In Stores

[TelephoneAngel]

Several things annoy me when I'm shopping.

1) Being asked if I need help every few minutes.

2) The fruit and veg being at the front of the supermarket so that they go in the trolley first and are then squashed by other purchases.

3) Music playing which I like but cannot find anyone who knows what the cd is which is playing on the intercom for the shoppers to enjoy.

4) Thinking I only need a handbasket then seeing lots of offers and having to go back for a full size trolley half way through shopping.

5) People taking samples of food which has been left out for them but over which I have just seen a dirty toddler running his hands.

6) Unwatched toddlers getting in the way of the trolley, and having to watch you don't run into them accidently.

7)People just having a conversation in the aisle with both trolleys facing in such a way as to block the aisle then being oblivious of other people trying to get through.

[Green_Fairy]

2) The fruit and veg being at the front of the supermarket so that they go in the trolley first and are then squashed by other purchases.

try backwards shopping. start in the back and work your way forward. that way, your veggies don't get squished and when you're done, you're in the front of the store where the check-outs are

[BookstoreEscapee]

try backwards shopping. start in the back and work your way forward. that way, your veggies don't get squished and when you're done, you're in the front of the store where the check-outs are

But then you get to the cold stuff first, and your ice cream melts...

[Severen13]

* screaming babies

* kids screaming and running all over the place

* oblivious idiots yammering away on cell phones and blocking the aisles

[Green_Fairy]

But then you get to the cold stuff first, and your ice cream melts...

not if you either get one of those frozen food keeper bags some stores sell or you get your frozen stuff right before produce...

[HYHYBT]

The fruit and veg being at the front of the supermarket so that they go in the trolley first and are then squashed by other purchases.

try backwards shopping. start in the back and work your way forward. that way, your veggies don't get squished and when you're done, you're in the front of the store where the check-outs are

But then you get to the cold stuff first, and your ice cream melts...

I set anything likely to get squished in the seat, and then sturdier stuff in the main basket; then it doesn't matter so much. Most stores around here put frozen foods in the *middle.* Actually, that's not too bad: whichever door you came in through, you can skip the frozen stuff on the way in and pick it up on the way out.

4) Thinking I only need a handbasket then seeing lots of offers and having to go back for a full size trolley half way through shopping.

Quite understandable. But there's no harm in getting a buggy every time; if you wind up only putting two or three things in it, it won't complain.

7)People just having a conversation in the aisle with both trolleys facing in such a way as to block the aisle then being oblivious of other people trying to get through.

My favorite store in town is Ingle's. When I was little, one of their TV ads touted their three-buggy-wide aisles. Though they don't mention it anymore, they haven't narrowed them. It's nice to almost always be able to stop and look at the shelves or talk with someone you haven't seen in forever without blocking traffic, and also to be able to get around others doing the same easily.

[BookstoreEscapee]

I set anything likely to get squished in the seat, and then sturdier stuff in the main basket; then it doesn't matter so much. Most stores around here put frozen foods in the *middle.* Actually, that's not too bad: whichever door you came in through, you can skip the frozen stuff on the way in and pick it up on the way out.

That's what I do. Produce and bread in the seat, everything else in the bottom. Though I rarely get a cart since I tend to do grocery shopping in small bits, since I'm only buying for myself, so I can't buy too much produce at once or half of it will just go bad, and I have limited storage space, so I can't really stock up too much on non-perishables or frozen stuff, either. I actually have extra juice and cereal on my bookshelf because I have no other place to store it.

None of the stores I frequent has more than one entrance. Wegman's has a long vestibule in the front with a door at either end, but the entrance to the main store is in the middle, and goes right to the produce department, with the bakery to the left. Every other store has just one entrance. They all go right into produce. Wegmans has frozen stuff in the middle, with dairy along the back wall, ShopRite and Pathmark have frozen/refrigerated stuff in the last few aisles to one side. Either way, it's meant to make you walk through as much other stuff as possible to get to the milk.

Quite understandable. But there's no harm in getting a buggy every time; if you wind up only putting two or three things in it, it won't complain.

When my grandmother lived with us and still able to get out to do some shopping, we would get a cart so that she could push it and not have to use her walker. I would do all the bending, reaching and lifting.

[AdminAssistant]

The Dillon's I go to is a freakin' palace. It's huge, but I love it. And they keep a selection of milk and eggs at the front of the store, right by the self-checks. My order is thus: produce, meat, quick pass through dry goods, frozen section, dairy last. I've never had an issue with purchases getting too warm before I can put them away at home.

[the_std]

Several things annoy me when I'm shopping.

1) Being asked if I need help every few minutes.

I feel bad when this happens at my work, but honestly it's mostly because we have to acknowledge customers within 30 seconds of their entering our department and, if you're helping other people when your co-worker greets them, it's almost impossible to know whether they've been talked to already or not. I try to be more attentive, but it still happens occasionally.

3) Music playing which I like but cannot find anyone who knows what the cd is which is playing on the intercom for the shoppers to enjoy.

This is probably because a lot of stores have switched over to things like satellite radio or corporate-produced playlists, so therefore people in store have no idea or control over the music playing. I've had this happen before, but my store is set to Galaxy - Pop Adult, so I have zero information over what is being played.

These things are pretty annoying, but they are rarely done with malice or ignorance. It's generally the fault of the suits at head office.

[Eric the Grey]

People standing in the entry of the store (not blocking it, just there where they can intercept everyone coming in) to ask them if they want to subscribe to the paper...



Eric the Grey

[Becks]

it's meant to make you walk through as much other stuff as possible to get to the milk.

They love tricking people into impulse shopping.

[KellyHabersham]

- People who don't watch where they're going when pushing a shopping cart.....especially when they feel the need to "speed" around corners.

- people using self-checkout machines when they don't know what they are doing. (bonus points if that person is buying produce, alcohol, or has a full shopping cart)