Grocery Store Etiquette (Part 2)
Going to the grocery store or supermarket can be a stressful experience, but with these 3 tips from Domestic CEO, you can make your next shopping trip a much more pleasant event.
Amanda Thomas
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Grocery Store Etiquette (Part 2)
Going to the grocery store can be a stressful experience – so many aisles, so many options, so many signs promising huge savings. And this is even more so during the holiday season.Â
A little while back my colleague Modern Manners Guy did an episode on Grocery Store Etiquette. He outlined some fantastic tips on proper grocery store behavior, which I perosnally utilize at every shopping trip.
But lately, I’ve been seeing a few other grocery shopping faux pas committed by my fellow shoppers. That’s why this week, I’m going to share a few more tips and tricks to make your grocery store experience a bit more cheerful and a lot less stressful (yes, even during the holidays).Â
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Tip #1: Follow Common Traffic Laws
First, let’s talk about what you should do once you have your cart and are heading into the store. Similar to driving on the road, traditional traffic rules for you and your grocery cart apply. Whether you’re walking through the main aisle of the grocery store or turning down one, you and your cart should stay on the same side of the aisle as your car would be on the road. This is a huge pet peeve of mine. How many times have you had to jump out of the way because someone and their cart have gone rogue and are plowing down the wrong side of the aisle? It drives me crazy.
Now, let’s say you’ve finally made it to the baking aisle and found that bag of cinnamon baking chips you’ve been searching for. Before crossing to the other side, make sure to look both ways. The same goes for when you’re heading out of the aisle at the front or back of the store—don’t just charge out!
Also, if you’re walking down the aisle and realize you don’t know where the grocery store keeps an item on your list and you need to stop, make sure to pull your cart all the way over to the right so others can still get around you. You wouldn’t stop your car in the middle of the road to consult the map, and in the same vein, don’t block grocery store traffic by stopping your cart in the middle of the aisle to ponder between chunky and creamy peanut butter.
Tip #2: Be Polite and Make Eye Contact
Now this next tip is a biggie: Make sure you remember your manners and say “Excuse me” whenever you might be in someone’s way, need to reach around another shopper, or want to move past someone. If someone is standing in front of the bread and you already know which type you want to pick up, politely say “Excuse me” and then grab the bread you want. Don’t dawdle.
It’s so easy to go into the grocery store and not acknowledge anyone else’s existence.
While you’re at it, remember to make eye contact with people around you. It’s so easy to go into the grocery store and not acknowledge anyone else’s existence. Take a moment, even if it’s just at the cash register, to make eye contact with the person checking you out. Say “Hello” to people as you pass by them, and maybe even flash them a smile. You never know; maybe the simple mile was just what they needed that day.Â
Tip #3: Treat Store Workers with Respect
The last tip I have for you is to remember to treat the store workers with respect. Make sure to thank the employees who help you in any way, whether it’s finding an item, grabbing something from a tall shelf, checking you out, or helping you bring everything out to your car and unloading your groceries. You could even throw in a “How is your day going?” for some added conversation. You never know how much this might mean to someone who might be having a particularly bad day.
Now, I know there will be workers who seem less than delighted to tell you where an item is, let alone to take you to the item or even crack a smile.  Even if the workers may not be all that cheery or don’t seem particularly willing to help you, you can be the bigger person and still show your gratitude with a simple “thank you” or “have a good day.”Â
Now here’s a big one for you, and one I’m sure we’re all guilty of: Put down your phone! Don’t walk through the store texting or only paying half-attention to the people around you. If you need to stop and text or take a call, make sure to go off to the side of the aisle or to a less crowded part of the store.
If you’re at the register and you really can’t get off the phone, make sure you mouth “I’m so sorry” to the cashier as you look them in the eye. Make it clear that they aren’t just a nameless, faceless drone scanning yuor groceries. But really, what’s so important that you can’t tell the person on the other end, “Hey, I’m at the checkout counter. Let me call you back in a few.” And then hang up.
One last thing, when you’re finally getting ready to pay, don’t just set your money or your credit card down on the counter. Hand it over to the cashier so they aren’t stuck picking individual coins off the counter. And when you’re finally ready to leave the store, make sure to give one last sincere “Thank you.”
Use these simple tips at the grocery store or supermarket and they will make your shopping experience much less stressful and much more pleasant.
Do you have a grocery store pet peeve? Let’s vent on Twitter where I’m @thedomesticceo.
Until next time, I’m the Domestic CEO, helping you love your home.
Woman shopping and other images courtesy of Shutterstock.