Thoughts From The Passenger Seat

We are blessed with a number of chain and family owned grocery stores to choose from for our groceries.

Because I handled the weekly shop for decades, I settled on our local Super Walmart. I like the way the aisles were set up and I created my shopping list to match their order. When they made changes, I made changes.

My husband, who took over the shopping a few years ago, prefers the smaller grocery stores. Family owned, but still large enough. Often though, something we buy on a regular basis will be out. For the longest time, the shelves for Quaker Oats were empty.

At times like that, I’ll make a list and head over to Walmart, because, as I tell him each time, “Walmart will have it!”. I continually try to get him to shop there, and one day we are going to a cost comparison as I’m convinced the prices are lower.

Which brings me to this morning. I had to get bloodwork done at 7:10am and I had to pick up some tea and almond butter so I figured I’d go to the grocery store afterwards.

I had a choice. Go to Walmart on my way home, or go next door to the chain supermarket. For Walmart, I’d have to drive, park, shop. For the other one, I would just have to walk to the connected building. I chose the one next door.

I walk in and look up at the aisle signs as I walk to the left. Tea…..Peanut butter…..tea….peanut butter. Nope.

I find an item directory at the beginning of an isle. Tea in aisle 8, peanut butter in aisle 25. I’m in aisle 4.

I look up at the sign for aisle 8 – cookies, crackers – ok what does that have to do with tea? Wouldn’t peanut butter fit better in that aisle? I walk to the end. There’s the tea across from the coffee.

I continue my walk to the other end of the store – past the drinks, cereals, cards, paper products – and I remembered why I don’t shop in this store anymore. The peanut butter and bread is all the way at the end of the store, in the farthest location from produce and any other food products. An aisle away from the health care items and across from dairy. It didn’t make sense when I shopped there, and it doesn’t make sense now.

I found the nut butter selections and I usually buy Barney Butter. None to be found. There were two Maratha options but the almond butter was crunchy and I wanted smooth with no salt or sugar added. I ended up with a large jar of Woodstock no salt added.

I headed to the self-check out with my items. I entered my phone number, but the machine couldn’t locate my account (I think it’s still active), but at this point I didn’t care! I swiped my items, paid my money, and left.

It would have been faster for me to drive to Walmart, park my car, hustle down to the two aisles for tea and almond butter, where I would have had my choice of even more than 2 options, pay, and head home.

Do you have a favorite grocery store? Do you get aggravated when your store puts items in weird places or moves things around?