Grocery stores are set up for you to buy more than you need. Fresh foods and staples are usually placed in the outside aisles or at the far end of a grocery store. At the front you will find convenience foods and sale items. At the checkout you will find things you probably don’t need, such as chocolate bars and magazines. The store is counting on you to throw a few of these items into your cart or basket. This is called impulse shopping. Can you resist the temptation?
Gathering and packing
Most grocery stores offer a variety of options for gathering and packing items. Don’t be surprised if you have to buy your bags.
shopping cart: pushcart on wheels (you may have to put a coin deposit in the slot)
basket: plastic container with handles; useful for quick grocery trips when you only need a few items
box:sometimes available for free at the checkout
plastic or paper bags: you may have to pay for these
reusable bags: bring your own (or buy and reuse)
Main Aisles and Sections
Here are the main aisles (or sections) in a grocery store as well as some example items you will find in them.
produce:fresh fruit and vegetables frozen food: juice, pizzas, fruit and vegetables bulk food:peanuts, candy, flour, snacks (You bag yourself. You choose the amount.) baking: pre-packaged goods such as flour, sugar, salt, and chocolate chips. breads:packaged breads, bagels, hamburger and hot dog buns meat and seafood: packaged beef, chicken, fish deli:freshly sliced meats and cheeses (You tell the butcher how much you want.) bakery: fresh breads, muffins, cakes to order dairy:milk, eggs, dairy, yogurt pasta and rice:spaghetti, penne, wild rice, whole wheat pasta ethnic foods:foods from countries in other parts of the world canned foods: beans, pasta sauce, canned fruit and vegetables condiments: ketchup, BBQ sauce, salad dressings, oil snacks:chips, packaged candy, cookies, crackers cereal:boxed breakfast cereals and bars, oats, granola. beverages:juice, pop, coffee, tea, household items: toilet paper, tissue paper, garbage bags, detergent, diapers health and beauty and or pharmacy: make up, deodorant, feminine products, medicine
Checkout
Read the signs above you before you get into a line.
express checkout:For people buying a few items. The sign will show how many items you are allowed to have (1-12).
automatic checkout: You swipe and bag your own groceries and pay with a credit or debit card.
closed: Many stores use a lighting system to show which line ups are open for service. If the light is on the aisle is likely open.
1 Supermarket trolley
2: Bread and cakes shelves
3: Small plastic bags for fruit and vegetables
4: Meat
5: Butcher
6: Drinks
7: House hold items
8: Paper towels
9: Grocery items in trolley
10: aisle
11: Stack of tinned food
12: Price of grocery item
13: customer buying fish
14: Fishmonger
15: Dairy products
16: Frozen food
17: Man in mobility scooter and queue of people
18: Express checkout (basket and 10 items or less only)
19: Cash register or till 20: Checkout assistant
21: Plastic carrier bags
22: Shopping basket full of groceries
23: Shopper leaving with carrier bags full of groceries
1 Supermarket trolley