Grocery shopping tends to be a solitary affair. Even if you're the type who enjoys this weekly task, you're usually doing your meditative meandering without much interaction with other shoppers. Which is why actually getting into a conversation with a fellow customer can feel...startling. I, for one, welcome it. Do you?
Maybe it's because I'm a food writer and a food lover, and I welcome any excuse to talk about food. If I see someone struggling to identify the parsley from the cilantro, I can't help but jump in. Or take that woman wondering what to do with watercress. She had originally asked the check-out person and I just happened to be standing behind her in line.
People also initiate conversations with me all the time. They see something in my basket or they ask about my reusable produce bags. Or maybe I have a friendly face and people feel comfortable approaching me. Whatever the reason, I'm happy to have a little conversation before going our separate ways.
Do you ever strike up conversations with fellow shoppers? Does it matter whether you're at a large grocery store or a place like the farmers market? What about when other shoppers approach you?
Related: Weeknight Meal Tip: Quick Grocery Shopping Tricks
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I like talking to people in general, but at whole foods on south street in philadelphia, it's kill or be killed - so no.
I envy anyone who can find shopping meditative, especially with little sociopath kids screaming and running loose in the store. It depends on my mood, but I've had a few reallly nice conversations with eldery folks buying food for their kitties (we run a cat shelter, so I can relate) and one woman who complimented my boots, and it turned out she went running at the same lake where I run.
I don't always talk, but I do try to make eye contact and smile at every person I see (so long as they haven't blocked the entire aisle with their carts and refuse to move so I can pass!)
That said, one day it seemed like people were asking me questions at every aisle I went to. Not sure why I looked like an expert that day, but apparently I did. :)
I do my grocery shopping at about 6AM when the store is deserted and wear headphones.
Draw your own conclusions.
The last person to initiate a convo w/me was a street drunk waiting to cash in some cans. He kept calling the cashier and I "Sally" and we ignored him until he pointed to my stuff and said, "Sally here is a vegetarian." The cashier and I were so stunned by this lucidity we just gawked at him, and he slurred out, "She really is. She got the tofu, she got the cashew butter. She gonna make something."
No, I'm in and out.
If I am approached by someone, however, I will chat it up and be friendly.
I tend to chat with people on occasion. It can be hard these days though. People are so rushed, always talking on their phone or with their earbuds in listening to their ipods. I find people shopping the outer rim (meat, produce, fine cheese, bakery) tend to be the most connective. I definitely cozy up to the person I see buying Lynchee nuts and ask what they use them for or offer a tip for keeping herbs fresh instead of them turning slimy in the bag.
Nope... I deal with people all day every day, so if I go alone (I do enjoy grocery shopping with my sweetie), I want my grocery shopping to include only me and my thoughts!
cmcinnyc, too funny! Just laughed out loud...
My husband and I always do our weekly grocery shopping together (we both enjoy it, strange as that might seem) and we're always friendly, smile, and will willing exchange a few words with anyone, but it doesn't happen often. In fact, I can only recall three instances in the past year when we've had the briefest of conversations in a store with anyone not an employee of said store--twice we chatted with single, elderly gentlemen and once an elderly woman mistook me for an employee (no idea why!) and we helped her find . . . oddly enough, Marshmallow Fluff, something we never, ever buy!
I don't START the conversations, but everyone and thier mother seems to think its ok to talk to me. I get so many life stories and questions (where is the .....?) . It's a mild curse, esp on the days when all I want to do is grab my salsa and chips and run out the door.
It depends on where we're shopping. There is one store in particular where I hate shopping alone because I *always* get hit on. I'm not that cute, but it happens every time I go alone.
We tend to go to a lot of ethnic groceries and farmers markets which have a very different and much happier vibe than the local Push-N-Shove.
The last time I interacted with someone there was a highlight I think for both of us. I asked a guy for help grabbing something I couldn't reach off of a high shelf and he went to get it for me at which point his companion came up slightly flustered - turned out he was developmentally delayed and needed supervision - she thought he was making mischief. He was so delighted to have been asked to help and to have helped. I got my crackers and an awesome happy smile out of that one. Good times.
I know what you mean, I really like talking striking up conversation with people in the market, but always feel like they think "great, I'm shopping next to one of those weirdos, and you know for sure we're going to bump into each other in every aisle...super"
Nope I never strike a conversation unless someone strikes first.
Even then...I don't make conversation....
It's either a quick in and out or it's meditative...Pref without interruption.
I often end up in conversation with people while shopping! I try generally to treat everyone kindly and civilly: smile and make eye contact, say excuse me, etc. but I am not a big initiater. I think I just look nonthreatening and friendly.
The plus side is that I also get fabulous customer service while grocery shopping. Treating people in the service industry with respect goes a long way toward getting good service.
I don't mind a conversation with a fellow shopper now and again BUT if one more store employee ask me if I need help finding something... It drives me insane... it presupposes that I am too stupid to ask for help if I need it and it rings a bit insincere when they ask everyone... I hate it!
I've only ever had two people talk to me in the grocery store - one very nice woman asked me about how to cook the rhubarb I had sticking out of my basket. The other was an older man with a basket full of fresh produce who saw me struggling with my overfull basket (which I always do) and we chatted a bit about veg.
It was nice though. Makes you feel warm and fuzzy.
When it's appropriate, yes. If someone sees something in my cart and wants an opinion or something like vintagejenta mentions above.
My pet peeve is that 75% of the people in my local stores are on their cell phone so they can barely manage a cart much less a casual conversation.
Last conversation I had in a grocery store was to tell a woman that I thought it was disgusting that she left her daughter gum on an ice cream container that the woman then sent another kid to put back in the freezer. (Thankfully it was plastic coated).
The other kid agreed with me, but I was pretty sure I was about to get shivved. I really hate that grocery store, but it's cheap.
I go to the same grocery store during my lunch hour at least once a week, so the employees have come to know me and I chat with them a little. And I'm another one of those with a friendly face (plump 40-something woman = non-threatening), so people tend to ask me for help. The question I get most often is if those Power Bars and Clif Bars that I buy for my endurance-cyclist-boyfriend are any good; I tell them that I think the bars taste like crap, but they do keep you going.
If you look like you know what you're looking for and have some fun items in your basket, people will ask you all kinds of questions. I've been asked how to open pomegranates, how to cook with green curry paste, the difference between fish sauce and oyster sauce...
For the most part, they're nice people and I'm happy to help, but it does drive me nuts when a certain Whole Foods cashier wants to stop and talk about vitamins when there's already a line behind me.
:) I also end up in conversation with people while shopping. Sometimes they start, other times I start, mostly about cooking, or sometimes just a smile about someone grouchy in the same aisle :P
A sad (SAD) thing here in Portugal is that sometimes you still have adults (mostly old people) who can't read and they come to you to help them with a label or comparing products/prices
On the other hand, a nice thing here is that you may still smile/talk to kids that their parents won’t look at you as a possible immoral person
I like to go shopping with my hub, we go to local market some weekends and a supermarket nearby my house where everyone there is quite nice (clients & employees), it’s clean and has fresh and also different products (like maple syrup, you don’t find it everywhere here), and if they don’t have and you ask you may be sure that they will look for it and call you
About the reusable produce bags, I’ve never seen people using them here, mostly what we do is if you only take 1red pepper (for ex) you don’t put it in a bag.
I just tried to buy those online, initial price $4.99 in the end would be $12.58 so it seems like someone’s having a nice sewing weekend one of these days…
This said, I’d like to thank cmcinnyc for the laughs and tell MaryWynn that saying “I'm not that cute” was VERY CUTE
p.s. @Emma, a few weeks ago you were nice to answer my question at the “Banana Bread Scones" post but in the end I wasn’t able to try (and still didn’t), that’s why I didn’t answer
I don't start conversations but people always ask me questions. I answer them if I can or I try for an educated guess but let them know I've never actually done it.
I don't like to talk to cashiers though. They have to comment on everything I buy. Thank god for the new self check out machines.
#STH great comment, I think I must look like the crazy cat lady because people stop me for pet advice at the grain store. :)
Talking to strangers in very acceptable in the South, so yes! I talk to other shoppers. :)
I love talking to people in the grocery stores. And I just want to say it's not an appropriate place to avoid all human interaction by listening to your Ipod.
I totally talk to other people, but conversations tend to be pretty short with strangers. They're not so inclined to talk. (Of course, the grocery store is the last stop before home, so I imagine most people are anxious to get home.)