Thoughts on grocery stores? (I have a grocery store special interest)

[PastelPetals]

I have a special interest in grocery stores. I have a tab for my local grocery store's website open at most times. I like to make lists and plan out the week. I watch grocery hauls and then I like to watch what those same channels do with the food via lunch packing or meal prep videos. I read and watch food reviews and keep up to date with new food releases from brands.

I have a particular interest with store brands even more so in recent years as generic brands have been increasingly trying to differentiate themselves and position themselves as equal brands in their own right with many stores having multiple in house brands all with distinct branding.

I also like to go to all of the specialty grocery stores I can find in my area. when I am in my best mind space and have good energy I will go to a grocery store 3+ times a week often not really buying much of anything (maybe just one thing costing less than a dollar like an apple) but just too look around at everything. when I was a child I loved the grocery store too though back then I liked the packaging and how things were lined up a lot more. I would line up the out of place items and poke everything that could be poked (bagged pizza dough mostly but I got into a couple kerfuffles after getting into some whole fish on ice).

I know many autistics find it deeply unpleasant to go to the grocery store because it is overwhelming (and it is but generally if I wear my headphones and a kn95 mask I am all good. I always mask anyway but it really helps with unexpected smells and I feel better having most of my face covered. if I really need it I will wear a cap with a very sloped brim under my headphones and that acts like horse blinders) but it is something I look forward to. any other grocery store fans?

 

[Jumpinbare]

Guaranteed sensory overload for me. Sometimes just walking in the door. I know where my standard items are, so I can get in and out in as little time as possible.

 

[Judge]

Probably my favorite retail store is a chain of grocery stores known as "Grocery Outlet". In the background they're always playing music for boomers, which is fine by me. Otherwise the place usually has considerably less of everything that normally is an assault on my senses.

They specializing in buying lots of quality food products that other retailers may not want or just don't carry. Makes them kind of unique in an ongoing basis.

Discount Groceries - Supermarket | Grocery Outlet

Sometimes it makes me chuckle that a grocery store has become so interesting to me. Though the overall cost of groceries is starting to alarm me if I go into stores like Safeway. And going into Walmart to do most of my mainstream grocery shopping is a constant assault on my senses. But the price is right.

 

[PastelPetals]

Probably my favorite retail store is a chain of grocery stores known as "Grocery Outlet". In the background they're always playing music for boomers, which is fine by me. Otherwise the place usually has considerably less of everything that normally is an assault on my senses.

They specializing in buying lots of quality food products that other retailers may not want.

Discount Groceries - Supermarket | Grocery Outlet

Sometimes it makes me chuckle that a grocery store has become so interesting to me. Though the overall cost of groceries is starting to alarm me if I go into stores like Safeway. And going into Walmart to do most of my mainstream grocery shopping is a constant assault on my senses. But the price is right.

I really want to go to a grocery outlet but there aren't any near me sadly. it's on my grocery store bucket list along with a restaurant supply store and Jungle Jims in OH.

 

[Metalhead]

Groceries are getting a lot more expensive these days.

 

[tlc]

I don't have a problem with grocery stores. No sensory overload unless it's like Christmas season or something. I just don't like driving to town, and spending a ton of money. So I do it as little as possible. I'll usually try to tie the trip in with something I have to get anyway, like a prescription, or a gas discount day. But when I go, I go big. I do watch the few local store websites for things I am gonna get anyway, and when there's a sale, I stock up. So I try to only buy things on sale. When I get a bunch of something on sale, I look at it as all the normal priced items I got for free. I've also got a good idea of exactly what will fit in my freezer vs what's in the cart. I always seem to get it just right. I unbox most things to make more room. If I need the box for cooking instructions, I'll save it separately.

I too always mask in indoor spaces, and crowded outdoor spaces (but usually just avoid those spaces to begin with). And when I get out, I use a hydrogen peroxide based sanitizer on my hands because that is supposed to kill stomach viruses. I also use it on my phone when I get home for the weekend and ain't going back out. It's actually a multi step process of washing my hands while unbagging and unboxing for the freezer. Not OCD, just being aware of the path of virus transfer and stopping it. This spring has been the worst that I've seen in a long time. But so far so good for me.

 

[grommet]

I have a special interest in grocery stores. I have a tab for my local grocery store's website open at most times. I like to make lists and plan out the week. I watch grocery hauls and then I like to watch what those same channels do with the food via lunch packing or meal prep videos. I read and watch food reviews and keep up to date with new food releases from brands.

I have a particular interest with store brands even more so in recent years as generic brands have been increasingly trying to differentiate themselves and position themselves as equal brands in their own right with many stores having multiple in house brands all with distinct branding.

I also like to go to all of the specialty grocery stores I can find in my area. when I am in my best mind space and have good energy I will go to a grocery store 3+ times a week often not really buying much of anything (maybe just one thing costing less than a dollar like an apple) but just too look around at everything. when I was a child I loved the grocery store too though back then I liked the packaging and how things were lined up a lot more. I would line up the out of place items and poke everything that could be poked (bagged pizza dough mostly but I got into a couple kerfuffles after getting into some whole fish on ice).

I know many autistics find it deeply unpleasant to go to the grocery store because it is overwhelming (and it is but generally if I wear my headphones and a kn95 mask I am all good. I always mask anyway but it really helps with unexpected smells and I feel better having most of my face covered. if I really need it I will wear a cap with a very sloped brim under my headphones and that acts like horse blinders) but it is something I look forward to. any other grocery store fans?

Thank you for talking about this. I do not feel exactly the same way about them but I think I feel very well what you are talking about (sometimes words are hard so, sorry for the awkward sentence).

I do like department stores, if that is what a Walmart is. So clean and bright and they have so many things. I used to like office supply stores a lot. I loved hardware stores but I really liked making things so I liked seeing all the supplies I wanted or tools.

When I was sailing every week I loved going to West Marine. I wanted so much in there. I could not afford though, very expensive.

I do love grocery store parking lots at night. Something so peaceful to me about them. I like looking at pictures of them. I asked ChatGPT to make images or grocery store parking lots at night but it got them wrong over and over. It did some strange things. My favorite scenes in moves are when they show them. At night there are fewer people but I still get to be outside. I like the dark outside the store but the lights inside are bright and feel like you can leave the dark any time you want. I like anything that is peaceful and quiet and with almost no people.

Oh, there is a scene that takes place in the story, The Speed of Dark, in a grocery store at night. Actually there are a few. I loved those parts. I imagined myself there.

 

[Misery]

Here, have some photos:

That's the one I go to, located about 15-20 minutes away from home. It's a very common chain around this region.

There's also Walmart of course, though the quality of those varies wildly and they tend to be more crowded than other stores, so I dont go to them very often. Generally the longer I have to wait at the self-checkout lines, the less likely I am to use the store in question. I dont have much patience.

And then there's Jewel Osco, I almost never go there. There's something just off about that place, gives me the creeps every single time.

I often go to stores such as this not necessarily to buy anything, but just to wander. Gets me some exercise, and I have a fondness for just exploring in general.

I dont have a particular pull specifically towards grocery stores, but in general any big indoor space that I'm allowed to wander around.

I tell ya, the long period of quarantine was rough. Being completely stuck to just the house or the car, couldnt go INTO places, that got to me more than a bit.

I remember when quarantine around here finally lifted, I ran out to the local Walmart (that specific one isnt there anymore) and it felt like I was going to Disneyland.


What I wish I could show you here though is photos of a store called Marsh. I worked there once... this was many years ago (as it's been like 14 years since I last worked a job).

There's a memory I will never, ever forget, which was during orientation. This was actually before the store opened to the public, and it was a lot of us going around and getting a handle on where everything is.

The guy who designed the layout of the place was there, and one very odd thing he said has stuck with me all this time: "Yeah, I was inspired by like, theme park rides. So I wanted to design the layout so people felt like it was a cool ride instead of just yet another Walmart or something".

I tell ya, that place had the absolute strangest layout I've ever seen at any big store, and I've seen so many of them. Lots of circles.

I was going to say "I still have a keychain that I got from there with the logo on it", as I have a lot of keychains... the overall chain is about 3 feet long... but that specific one seems to have fallen off and gotten lost at some point. I wonder when that happened. Instead I have one for some place called Carstar, I dont know what that is or why I have that.

 

[Masked Man]

I do enjoy going to some stores. There's an international grocery store that recently opened up near me and I've been there several times so far. It's nice because it's large but never too crowded, unlike the box-type stores that are always packed and I have difficulty handling.

 

[Mary Terry]

I shop at Kroger for most of my groceries and occasionally shop at Costco for meats which I have to repackage in smaller portions for the freezer and to stock up on shelf-stable stuff like coffee and flour.

My favorite stores to just wander around and look at everything are the local Asian and Mexican food stores. They have lots of things that are exotic or unfamiliar to me. I have an adventurous streak for cooking and eating foods that would be considered exotic where I live. I recently bought fresh squid/octopus at the Asian store and grilled it. It was delicious. The Asian store has the best fresh seafood in town. I also buy nopales (prickly pear cactus leaves) at the Mexican store and like them a lot. They taste a lot like green beans. And I can buy fresh banana leaves at the Mexican store to make tamales and cochinita pibil in the outdoor smoker.

 

[grommet]

Here, have some photos:

View attachment 141788
View attachment 141787
View attachment 141786
View attachment 141785
View attachment 141784

That's the one I go to, located about 15-20 minutes away from home. It's a very common chain around this region.

There's also Walmart of course, though the quality of those varies wildly and they tend to be more packed with idiots than other stores, so I dont go to them very often. Generally the longer I have to wait at the self-checkout lines, the less likely I am to use the store in question. I dont have much patience.

And then there's Jewel Osco, I almost never go there. There's something just off about that place, gives me the creeps every single time.

I often go to stores such as this not necessarily to buy anything, but just to wander. Gets me some exercise, and I have a fondness for just exploring in general.

I dont have a particular pull specifically towards grocery stores, but in general any big indoor space that I'm allowed to wander around.

I tell ya, the long period of quarantine was rough. Being completely stuck to just the house or the car, couldnt go INTO places, that got to me more than a bit.

I remember when quarantine around here finally lifted, I ran out to the local Walmart (that specific one isnt there anymore) and it felt like I was going to Disneyland.


What I wish I could show you here though is photos of a store called Marsh. I worked there once... this was many years ago (as it's been like 14 years since I last worked a job).

There's a memory I will never, ever forget, which was during orientation. This was actually before the store opened to the public, and it was a lot of us going around and getting a handle on where everything is.

The guy who designed the layout of the place was there, and one very odd thing he said has stuck with me all this time: "Yeah, I was inspired by like, theme park rides. So I wanted to design the layout so people felt like it was a cool ride instead of just yet another Walmart or something".

I tell ya, that place had the absolute strangest layout I've ever seen at any big store, and I've seen so many of them. Lots of circles.

I was going to say "I still have a keychain that I got from there with the logo on it", as I have a lot of keychains... the overall chain is about 3 feet long... but that specific one seems to have fallen off and gotten lost at some point. I wonder when that happened. Instead I have one for some place called Carstar, I dont know what that is or why I have that.

It felt bad when you called some people at the store idiots.

 

[Misery]

It felt bad when you called some people at the store idiots.

Ah, I do apologize. I'll take that part out.

To a degree it's actually a bit of a speech habit, sort of. I figure, I'm a bit spiky/abrasive in terms of personality, people wont try to get too close to me. Oddly, this does not actually seem to work no matter how I try it. I havent figured that part out yet.

But also it's due to too many bad incidents in dealing with random people in public places. And from having worked retail a million years ago, which left some scars, so to speak. Working retail tends to leave one with a sort of automatic negative perception of customers that walk into the store. That is of course not logical, but... neither is the way customers often treat retail workers. Well, not much about those jobs was logical, really, but I digress...

It's not actually directed at anyone specifically (usually). Rather just thrown into the wind.


Ya know, I guess that's the one huge issue I do have with grocery stores in general: they can tend to bring back memories I'd rather drop. I do my best to not let that ruin the experience though, but every now and then it can.

The good thing these days is that I can avoid traditional checkout lines and use automated ones instead. Going through a traditional one sets me off more than I'd like to admit.

 

[PastelPetals]

Thank you for talking about this. I do not feel exactly the same way about them but I think I feel very well what you are talking about (sometimes words are hard so, sorry for the awkward sentence).

I do like department stores, if that is what a Walmart is. So clean and bright and they have so many things. I used to like office supply stores a lot. I loved hardware stores but I really liked making things so I liked seeing all the supplies I wanted or tools.

When I was sailing every week I loved going to West Marine. I wanted so much in there. I could not afford though, very expensive.

I do love grocery store parking lots at night. Something so peaceful to me about them. I like looking at pictures of them. I asked ChatGPT to make images or grocery store parking lots at night but it got them wrong over and over. It did some strange things. My favorite scenes in moves are when they show them. At night there are fewer people but I still get to be outside. I like the dark outside the store but the lights inside are bright and feel like you can leave the dark any time you want. I like anything that is peaceful and quiet and with almost no people.

Oh, there is a scene that takes place in the story, The Speed of Dark, in a grocery store at night. Actually there are a few. I loved those parts. I imagined myself there.

grocery stores at night are very good. the parking lots are so empty and peaceful. just you and the streetlights. maybe you can go to parking lots at night and take some pictures? I take lots of pictures of interesting products I find at grocery stores.

 

[Rodafina]

I share your fascination, @PastelPetals, although I have a limited window of time before being inside a grocery store starts to feel overwhelming.

I am looking for work right now and keep coming back to the idea of an overnight stocker. I think it would be wonderful to be in a large grocery store when the music is off, the lights are low, and the people are gone.

I enjoy the organization and neat aesthetic of some grocery stores.

 

[grommet]

Ah, I do apologize. I'll take that part out.

To a degree it's actually a bit of a speech habit, sort of. I figure, I'm a bit spiky/abrasive in terms of personality, people wont try to get too close to me. Oddly, this does not actually seem to work no matter how I try it. I havent figured that part out yet.

But also it's due to too many bad incidents in dealing with random people in public places. And from having worked retail a million years ago, which left some scars, so to speak. Working retail tends to leave one with a sort of automatic negative perception of customers that walk into the store. That is of course not logical, but... neither is the way customers often treat retail workers. Well, not much about those jobs was logical, really, but I digress...

It's not actually directed at anyone specifically (usually). Rather just thrown into the wind.


Ya know, I guess that's the one huge issue I do have with grocery stores in general: they can tend to bring back memories I'd rather drop. I do my best to not let that ruin the experience though, but every now and then it can.

The good thing these days is that I can avoid traditional checkout lines and use automated ones instead. Going through a traditional one sets me off more than I'd like to admit.

I do not want you or anyone to censor themselves. I like what you said about 'throwing it into the wind'. I understand that. For me my whole life I have worried about being called stupid and I sometimes see people give me that soft look, like they are talking to a child. It feels bad. I am pretty smart but there are things I cannot do or have so much difficulty doing I think someone could think I was dumb. It would hurt if I heard them talking about me and saying I was an idiot.

I knew an autistic man with a PhD who worked at a sausage factory. He could not even do the simple jobs there he could only do the simplest - he pushed racks of sausages from room to room and he was still close to being fired. Some things are hard to understand and do and I think people have reasons for the things they do that might make them look one way but there is more to it.

Speaking only for myself, I do not believe I have ever met a stupid or lazy person in my life. People have reasons.

 

[PastelPetals]

Here, have some photos:

View attachment 141788
View attachment 141787
View attachment 141786
View attachment 141785
View attachment 141784

That's the one I go to, located about 15-20 minutes away from home. It's a very common chain around this region.

There's also Walmart of course, though the quality of those varies wildly and they tend to be more crowded than other stores, so I dont go to them very often. Generally the longer I have to wait at the self-checkout lines, the less likely I am to use the store in question. I dont have much patience.

And then there's Jewel Osco, I almost never go there. There's something just off about that place, gives me the creeps every single time.

I often go to stores such as this not necessarily to buy anything, but just to wander. Gets me some exercise, and I have a fondness for just exploring in general.

I dont have a particular pull specifically towards grocery stores, but in general any big indoor space that I'm allowed to wander around.

I tell ya, the long period of quarantine was rough. Being completely stuck to just the house or the car, couldnt go INTO places, that got to me more than a bit.

I remember when quarantine around here finally lifted, I ran out to the local Walmart (that specific one isnt there anymore) and it felt like I was going to Disneyland.


What I wish I could show you here though is photos of a store called Marsh. I worked there once... this was many years ago (as it's been like 14 years since I last worked a job).

There's a memory I will never, ever forget, which was during orientation. This was actually before the store opened to the public, and it was a lot of us going around and getting a handle on where everything is.

The guy who designed the layout of the place was there, and one very odd thing he said has stuck with me all this time: "Yeah, I was inspired by like, theme park rides. So I wanted to design the layout so people felt like it was a cool ride instead of just yet another Walmart or something".

I tell ya, that place had the absolute strangest layout I've ever seen at any big store, and I've seen so many of them. Lots of circles.

I was going to say "I still have a keychain that I got from there with the logo on it", as I have a lot of keychains... the overall chain is about 3 feet long... but that specific one seems to have fallen off and gotten lost at some point. I wonder when that happened. Instead I have one for some place called Carstar, I dont know what that is or why I have that.

thank you for the pictures! they made me feel very happy.

I have not been to a meijer since I was a child. once dominick's closed we started going to other stores because if I remember correctly the meijer was a bit out of the way but it was close to the dominick's so it made sense. now my family is a jewel osco family but they go to a handful of stores (costco, trader joes, woodman's, jewel osco, and some hyper local chains/stand alone stores)

right now I am a kroger shopper simply because that is the option near me but once I move back home in a few months I will have a greater variety of stores accessible to be which is exciting. besides kroger I do go to an international market as well.

I want to go back to a meijer at some point because they seem to be the only chain in my home state that has superman icecream which is a flavor I have become a fan of in the past couple of years since kroger has a version (tie dye burst). they also have a coke freestyle machine which is very cool I have not seen one of those in a grocery store since target changed all of their target cafe's into starbucks. I miss target cafe's a lot because they had icee machines and I could get a blue raspberry icee without going to the movies.

you are right grocery stores are good for wandering. some people like to window shop at macy's or other clothing stores but I find the energy to be much more stiff in those places. a grocery store is much more relaxed because the grocery store is utilitarian in nature they are not trying to get you to buy a fancy dress or anything. plus I am most interested in looking at branding and packaging which clothing stores more or less lack.

I looked up marsh it seemed like they had a store in the town I live in at some point (it is now a kroger because we have an unreasonable amount of kroger's). I have only been to that kroger once because the store layout was quite odd. I mostly noticed it in the freezer section. instead of having three or so long isles they had about six short isles of freezers tucked off in a corner vs being fully connected to the rest of the store. everything felt like it was going in the wrong direction. I wonder if that is a holdover from when the marsh was in that space. I got lost a couple times lol.

thank you again for the pictures and the anecdotes!!

 

[PastelPetals]

I share your fascination, @PastelPetals, although I have a limited window of time before being inside a grocery store starts to feel overwhelming.

I am looking for work right now and keep coming back to the idea of an overnight stocker. I think it would be wonderful to be in a large grocery store when the music is off, the lights are low, and the people are gone.

I enjoy the organization and neat aesthetic of some grocery stores.

View attachment 141797

I have also considered overnight stocking due to that and also because I have awful insomnia at times and I end up naturally sleeping during the day anyway. I think it would be a bit tough on my body though due to some other issues. my love for grocery stores has instilled a love for cashiering though! it's so systematized and there are so many protocols and it's all very soothing to me. I currently cashier on a volunteer basis but I hope to find work in retail at some point and do that for as long as I can before I burnout from the whole talking to people thing.

thank you for the picture! I love the sort of bird's eye view perspective. the only stores I have seen that keep the bakery next to the supplements are stores that are trying to brand themselves as more "healthy" like in the same vein as whole foods. I think that might be the case here as I can see some bulk cleaning products that have pumps probably to refill zero-waste containers people bring in. I also see method and seventh generation cleaning products but not clorox or similar brands which also points to it being a more specialty store. I am very curious about it. did you take this picture or find it online?

 

[Rodafina]

the only stores I have seen that keep the bakery next to the supplements are stores that are trying to brand themselves as more "healthy" like in the same vein as whole foods.

That's such an interesting observation and very much true in this case. It is a photo I took at a grocery store called Market of Choice in Oregon - it is a small chain that brands themselves as "healthy" for sure.

 

[tlc]

I go to Meijer often, there are many around here. Between that, Family Fare, Dollar General, and Aldi, since Save A Lot mostly closed up. I try to avoid Walmart, but some things are exclusive to them. I’ve been going to Dollar General since before it got all popular. I prefer the smaller stores, but I have to go to the bigger stores for things plant based or low in sodium.

 

[PastelPetals]

That's such an interesting observation and very much true in this case. It is a photo I took at a grocery store called Market of Choice in Oregon - it is a small chain that brands themselves as "healthy" for sure.

yay!! I am so glad that this particular observation continues to hold up. (and gives me more data for the future) thank you so much for the extra info I am truly elated!