Supermarket etiquette?

FunWithFlags

Hi everyone!

I usually do my "big shop" online but had a brain fart the other day and left half my shopping off (doh!) so popped down the local supermarket on Saturday about midday ish. I don't drive so I took baby and the pram with me. I'm careful when walking around not to block aisles etc with the pram as I know how annoying it is for people to have to squeeze past someone who is in their own little bubble and knew what I was getting so was not dilly dallying either. While I was down one aisle, I overheard a man tut to his girlfriend/wife/female shopping partner and say something along the lines of "Why can't people with prams and kids do their shopping in the week when the rest of us are at work?". I was quite surprised because as far as I'm concerned, if I need to go to the shop I'll go to the shop! Similarly, a friend of mine once said something along the lines of "I hate when old people go shopping when I'm on my way home from work, they've had all bloody day!".

So it got me wondering, is this something a lot of people think? Should people go shopping at certain times depending on their circumstances/age so as to not bother other people? Do you choose to go shopping at a certain time depending on whether you have the kids/grandkids with you?

Tropez

Nah, it's just people having a moan. I'd probably be one of them.

At the end of the day, people can go shopping whenever they want (providing the shop itself is open, of course) and if anybody else has a problem with it then that is their problem.

Personally, I find the whole supermarket experience to be so thoroughly soul sapping I try my best to avoid going. There's no "good" time to go as during the day there's far too many people wandering around, ramming into you with their shopping trolleys, and at night, the aisles are crammed with the shop's trolleys while people restock the shelves. Hence, I buy online, and if I do forget things, I'll just re-order. Sod the £3 delivery fee. It's worth £3 not to have to go that anarchic jungle.

poet123

I think a lot of working people do think that those who are mostly at home during the day should (if at all possible) avoid lunchtimes and Friday nights/ Saturday afternoons. I have certainly heard it said at work, and I have thought it myself when in the queue at the PO at lunchtime behind those who are obviously pensioners. I know it is uncharitable and maybe unreasonable as everyone has their own priorities and issues, but I have thought it.

miss_independent

I go to Aldi now because it's generally much quieter whenever you go and its such a relief! Morrisons locally isn't too bad either but Tesco is a complete nightmare, it's insane and I'd gladly never go their again. I have a retired relative who could go to Tesco at anytime but chooses to go at 3 in the morning when it's quiet because it's "that bad".

I think you can go at anytime of day. It's none of people's business. Who knows that you don't work or that your child isn't usually in nursery, they have no right to assume anything. People work nights, OAPs work into their seventies, why should people assume that everyone is on the same 9-5 til 65?

I think people are generally just more intolerant now. There are some things though that genuinely drive me crazy, such as people having 20 minute chats two trolleys abreast across an aisle,

people who block aisles/ shelves with their trolley and then spend an age comparing jars/meats etc whilst there are five people behind them waiting to grab something off the shelf the trolley is blocking,

children who are allowed to run riot or worse yet push the trolley (usually INTO the legs of little old ladies with paper thin skin),

parents who suddenly scream at their kids and usually right into your eardrum,

people who whizz round corners with their trolleys and right into you,

:mad:people who push their trolley whilst texting

, or who suddenly come to a complete stop so you nearly go into them with your trolley usually because someone else is pushing their trolley up your !!!,

People who sigh impatiently whilst you are unloading your items onto the belt, or who try to put their items on the belt before you've finished,

People who let their kids stand and stare at you, dance manically around you or pick up your items whilst you are trying to pack them.

Adults who do the same as kids above,

People who breathe heavily down your neck in the queue, or those that generally give you no personal space whilst unloading/packing/ entering your pin

People who cough/sneeze all over the fresh produce/bakery items

Oh dear.... I think you've opened up a can of worms :eek::o:D

GobbledyGook

People can just be rude at supermarkets. Last person who chirped at me about not shopping when 'working people' need to had it rather bluntly pointed out that many, many, many people multi task by having children AND a job.

I think a grump will always find something to grump about and if it's not that then it'll be something else and don't give any heed to them. Nobody's time is more valuable or more important than anyone else's imo. I try and avoid the really manic Saturday afternoons in the supermarket, but that's more to do with the amount of rude people than anything else.

Silaqui

I think that quite often But mainly because if I was in a position to go when it was quiet then I flippin' well would! I HATE going round the supermarket when it's busy and if I had the choice I would go in the morning when it's quieter so I didn't have to put up with the crowds!

Obviously sometimes it's unavoidable for whatever reason, but in general I can't understand why someone would chose to shop at a busy time if they didn't have to!

ETA - I would never be rude to someone doing it - probably just look at them in admiration for braving it!
x

snowyz81

I've been off work sick for the last few weeks and now going on to my maternity leave, i thought that rather than doing my shopping on a friday night. i'll do it friday morning when i've dropped DD at school. Big mistake, its full of old person blocking the aisles chatting about doris down the road whos had a bad turn.

Also i wish people would realise that its not easy trying to push a trolley around while 36 week pregnant, and not just stand there staring while i struggling to manoeuvre around them, like i'm the bad person.

Wilma33

I think this every time I am in a queue full of pensioners in my lunch break or trying to get a doctors appointment before/after work and can't because the people who have ALL DAY have already taken them!

dontone

I hate going to the supermarket at any time of the day, but I get more hacked off at those who block the aisle or the crossroads bit by chinwagging than anything else.
Last week, we were in Morrisons and this eldery lady in a couple of people in front of us coming out of the beans aisle decided to stop dead in the crossroads bit because she saw a friend of hers and proceeded to chat away.
Trouble was, they both stood there while the shelf stackers were coming from the left, shoppers from the right and others coming up and down. The couple who were directly behind her almost run her over and the lad (who was about 5'3) said something along the lines of "silly old cow almost got run over" Unfortunately, the old lady's son happened to be waiting for her, and this guy was about 6'8, and he threatened this lad a few times. The girlfriend of the lad ushered him away, but it never occurred to the big fella that it was his mam who was at fault. Big bully. The lad did actually say that she was in the way but the big fella was having none it.
Had she have had a trolley in her back, I dread to think what would have happened, still her fault though.

thegirlintheattic

I do have a moan I have to admit but usually in my head. It's not so much families being there but it's when there are 5+ of them blocking the aisle, kids running around bashing into things, parents doing nothing and, recently, some little begger dipping into our trolley when he saw something he liked.

I do moan, again in my head, against old people in the GPs in the evenings as it's really hard to get an evening appointment.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I always went shopping on Friday nights when I worked, as Saturdays were insane.

Once I left work, it was usually during the day with an occasional Sunday shop, partly as a means of getting out of the house and partly for pressganging the offspring into porterage duties.


Today, I thought, as I was bored and out of milk, teabags and cat crunchies (:eek:), I'd try the supermarket at 4.30pm, allowing for just after school people to have gone home, along with the older customers, and before the office workers normally finish.


It was pretty much empty and so much more relaxing (comparatively speaking - I don't like shopping) than the other times, so I'll be doing that again - if I were to have my own transport, I'd probably shop at 3am, as that would suit my body clock more. I would have used the Sainsburys Local that has just opened opposite my local last night, but I misjudged closing time by five minutes.



It's no skin off my nose when people choose to shop - they could be working, they've got as much right to be there and spend their money as I have, whether they be PJ clad mums screaming at their screaming children, disorientated pensioners or stressed desk jockeys. But for my own sanity, I try and avoid as many of them as possible.



On the grounds of stress levels and blood pressure, I suspect I'll last longer than the moaning, shouting twits will.