I may be one of the few, but I really enjoy grocery shopping. The list, the way you put items into the cart, the proper method of loading them onto the belt at checkout and even making sure things get loaded into the truck without crushing the bread.

I know I’m not the only one who gets annoyed when Grocery store etiquette is broken. I see eye-rolls from others when it happens.

Here are just a few of the biggest Grocery store etiquette violations I’ve witnessed:

The Middle of the Aisle Is Not The Place for Decision Making or Reunions

Photo by Artyom Kim on Unsplash
Photo by Artyom Kim on Unsplash
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This one always baffles me. Why would anyone choose to stop in the middle of the aisle for anything? If you’re looking for Lucky Charms, move to the side as you search for those delicious little nuggets of goodness. Treat the aisle as you would a two-lane road. If you want to stop and look, pull off onto the shoulder. And please don’t catch up with an old friend you haven’t seen in years in the center and block my access to Captain Crunch.

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Look Before You Exit an Aisle

Photo by Marjan Blan | @marjanblan on Unsplash
Photo by Marjan Blan | @marjanblan on Unsplash
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When you come to the end of an aisle, pause. Look left, look right, and continue with your shopping once any traffic has cleared. Treat the end of an aisle like you would a stop sign where the opposing traffic doesn’t stop. The cart not in the aisle has the right of way.

The Person Ahead In The Checkout Should Place The Bar on the Belt

Focus On: Aldi Store Tarleton
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This one can be tricky, but the polite thing to do once you’ve emptied your cart at the register is to place the little stick/bar separator at the end of your order. This way the person behind you doesn’t have to reach over your groceries or invade your bubble.

Put Your Cart Back Where It Belongs

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You can tell a lot about a person with “The Shopping Cart Test.” I’ve told my daughter to make sure that her first dates are at a grocery store. If they don’t put the cart away, you know they are horrible and not worth your time.

Seriously, if a person is unable to push a now empty cart 20 feet into the cart corral, then they don’t care about other people's vehicles or the poor person that has to chase that cart down.

Grocery store etiquette—like everything else—boils down to using common sense, looking out for other people, and being aware of your environment. Good luck out there and may your favorite cereal be always in stock.

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