We all have our favourites. And be it swinging in for a bottle of milk or a trolley-cart overloaded with everything required for a calorific weekend spent as far from the gym as possible, everyone has their preferred type of supermarket.
Where they tap their plastic can reveal a great deal about a shopper, so here is what your type of supermarket says about you.
Mega hypermarket
Shoppers certainly aren’t afraid to risk their life for washing up liquid here. At their calmest, mega hypermarkets (because all the adjectives) can present choppy waters that are tricky to navigate. At peak hours they turn into a full-blown tempest. But that’s the price to be paid for a dizzying number of aisles and the choice that comes with it. Captains of these trolleys are fearless, and delight in the anguish of waiting eight minutes to exit an aisle with 2kg of penne.
Organic market
Things are less intense (in some respects) at the organic markets, where instead of shoppers feeling the stress, it is the produce that is under scrutiny. There is extra effort required when it comes with frequenting this type of market, but it’s well justified when the fruits of the trip are whipped up into a gourmet meal fit for a king (and queen).
Online grocer
Online shoppers don’t have the time to weave in and out of aisles with sticky-wheeled trolley carts. Nor do they embrace rubbing lapels with fellow foragers while planning their next meal. These online consumers value their time (and possibly lives, depending on the alternative) highly, and are happiest when having super-fresh fruit and veg delivered to straight to their front doorstep. Shoppers rattle through their grocery list in the comfort of their pyjamas on a Saturday morning, safe in the knowledge they won’t bump into anyone they know while loading up on family-sized tubs of ice cream.
Corner shop
There’s an art to filling the pantry with supplies only proffered by the local cornershop, but we aren’t sure whether it’s Monet or painting by numbers. Shoppers will pile the basket (no room for trolleys here) high with instant noodles and jars of whatever’s available, so choose your response carefully if asked round for dinner. Crisps will always be on the menu, though (but it’s potluck on the flavour).
Produce markets
When only the freshest stuff will do, hit the produce markets. Hands down the best way to feed the tribe, and there’s something empowering about knowing the entire journey of your plate from market to sink. Don’t get spooked by iced-up fish giving you the eye, mind.
