When was the last time you ran into the local supermarket just to take advantage of the meat discounts?
Grocery shopping is an activity that few people enjoy doing. It’s a monotonous chore that must be done weekly when you’d rather be out with friends or enjoying some time alone.
Obviously, shopping at the supermarket is no fun task, at least for most people. However, there are things that make shopping even more frustrating. Surely that you’ve experienced at least one of these, which made you never want to return to the store again.
Long Lines
The last thing you want after a long day at work is to spend what seems like hours waiting in line to get your purchases scanned. Be it technical issues or the lack of available cashiers, long lines are a common sight during the afternoon and evening rushes at the grocery store.
Sometimes it seems as if the managers scheduled their newest employees for training during the store’s peak hours. Regardless of the reason, waiting in a kilometer-long line is a major source of frustration, especially if you have yet to prepare dinner when you get home.
Congested Aisles
Navigating grocery store aisles shouldn’t make you feel as if you were on an over-crowded bus, with everyone trying to push past you. Unfortunately, though, spacious aisles are a luxury if you are doing your grocery shopping outside of working hours.
There are short lines and empty aisles during the daytime. How will you be able to shop if you’re busy earning the money that you’ll spend on your groceries?
Going to the supermarket after work means that you don’t have to take time off work to do it, but it also comes with a price.
No one else wants to give up part of their salary to spend that time at a store instead, and lose even more money in the process.
Poor Customer Service
In the age of technology so advanced you can theoretically comfortably live your life without leaving your house. You may wonder why people even bother to do their grocery shopping in person.
One reason to choose the local grocery store, instead of clicking a few buttons, is the fact that theoretically, you will easily be able to get help and information about any product. However, this little advantage turns into a major frustration when you come across rude employees, who are just as happy about being in the store as you.
Sometimes there are no employees around, or maybe there’s that one guy who seems to be more lost than you are. Being unable to find the item you are looking for or its price is something that can turn your trip into the most stressful event of your day.
Cleanliness
No one wants to walk into a grocery store where the floors are covered in dust and spills.
A sticky conveyor belt and extremely rusty baskets and shopping carts are huge turn-offs for customers as well. If employees can’t keep the property clean, then how can you trust that they take good care when handling meat, fruit, cheeses, and baked goods?
After all, you don’t have any proof that the fresh-smelling baguette you’re about to buy hasn’t come into contact with the same floor you’re walking on.
Product Freshness
Yes, it is true that you have no way of knowing how fresh certain items are, especially if it is produce or something else that gets packaged inside the store.
However, if you happen to discover a moldy fresh fruit or some extremely bad-smelling meat, you may begin to question the freshness of produce and other items inside the store.
After all, it is the grocery store that decides when to stick that “packed on” sticker on each item. And as for fresh fruit, something that may look beautiful may be completely rotten on the inside. And we all know that grocery stores aren’t always so keen on giving refunds for fresh produce.
Limited Selection
A limited selection is mostly an issue in smaller stores. However, it isn’t impossible for a chain store to run out of an item, especially if that item is on sale.
It is also possible that some large supermarkets don’t carry certain items or certain brands. This can be a major frustration if you need to do your monthly grocery shopping and the store you go doesn’t sell half the items on your list.
In Conclusion
In short, grocery shopping can easily transform from a regular chore to an unbearable activity. While some frustrations may be avoided by changing your shopping routine, others are more unpredictable and will depend on your luck. What was one frustrating grocery shopping experience that made you want to switch to online shopping?
You can avoid long lines by shopping during off-peak hours, using self-checkout if available, or using grocery delivery or curbside pickup services.
