Practicing Social Distancing When Grocery Shopping

~ Colline

Last night my family expressed two wishes: my husband wanted me to make coq au vin for dinner; and my daughters were craving our favourite chocolate cake. When I woke up this morning, I decided to take the time to bring smiles to their faces. Yes! I went on the dreaded grocery run. I added a few other items to my list and stepped out of our home at 8:30am this morning.

Usually when I shop at the grocery store this early on a Saturday morning, my experience is quick. Not many people get out of bed early after a long week of work to go grocery shopping. Now, however, lines to get into the store cannot be avoided – no matter how early you shop.

The mall where I do my grocery shopping is eerily quiet as the only store open in the centre is the one that sells food. My fellow Canadians are adjusting to social distancing and we all stood 2 feet apart while waiting patiently to enter the shop. What saddens me though is that this practice has stopped people from talking to one another. The chatter of the child standing behind me with his mother was a welcome respite.

I completed my shopping quickly, cognisant of the fact that others were waiting to enter the store. Once home, I placed the cake and the ingredients for tonight’s dinner in the fridge. I look forward to my daughters’ squeals of delight when they open the fridge later today. I will make the shopping experience worthwhile.

When was the last time you went grocery shopping? What was your experience like?

© Colline Kook-Chun, 2020

(This post was my first attempt to participate in the Six Word Saturday challenge)

31 thoughts on “Practicing Social Distancing When Grocery Shopping”

  1. This afternoon! Same thing. It was never a favourite experience but it’s become a miserable chore. I’ve tried smiling at people! Enjoy your supper 🙂 🙂 We’re having duck rice from a local restaurant, now doing takeaway. Saturday treat! 🙂

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  2. I went shopping yesterday here in West Los Angeles. It was just after noon, and there was NO line to enter. The shelves were full of items, except for toilet paper and paper towels. Dry pasta was less than full, but there was plenty of poultry, meat and seafood – just few eggs. We have a “2 per person” limit on diary, eggs, meat and seafood, but as I said, there was plenty. There are well marked spots to wait to check out, but the cashier can no longer touch your reusable bags – for me no big deal as I like to bag my own anyway. Also, they have now added a plastic “sneeze guard” that is 4 feet high between you and the cashier. This “new normal” is surreal to be sure, but everyone was relaxed and respectful. About half wore bandanas or scarves covering their mouths…

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    1. You must have entered at that sweet spot John!
      It is interesting that you have limits – they have begun to put that in place here too – as well as the plastic guards at the cashier and the marks on the floor guiding you on where to stand to maintain social distancing. I am finding, too, that people are adhering to this new normal – especially as we move into the fourth week.

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  3. Colline, I went yesterday in a small shop but I had a mask and gloves. In the shop people kept their distances ….most of the time!

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  4. The line was not as long at our store when we went the other evening, but we did talk to some people ahead of us. And made an effort to thank everyone working in the store! We are definitely Canadians…

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  5. I grocery shop online on Amazon Fresh, it’s so hard getting a delivery time, I have to continuously check for availability then you have to immediately check out before you lose items in your shopping cart 😤😅

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  6. The lines are wound around the carparks, you are clicked in and clicked out, no more than 60 in store at a time. Single shoppers only, no couples allowed. It’s stressful and no fun .💜

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    1. The number of people in our store is limited too – though no clicking in and out. I haven’t seen the extra long lines though as I tend to go out near the shop’s opening time. Luckily I am the family’s early riser 😀

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  7. Six feet here in the US, and I wore a mask and gloves the other day. It seems we’ll stay home completely a couple-few weeks since they predict it’ll be the best time in the NY area to avoid it all, so we stocked up as well as we could. We say hello to people across the parking lot or just strangers–people are still a little social in greeting, but not wordy about it in person.

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  11. Wow, I’ve heard of similar experiences. I’ve choose to order my food online and have it delivered. If I only do it 1-2/month it’s not that expensive. I bet your family were delighted.

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    1. I always see shopping as one way to get in my daily exercise 🙂
      My daughters were delighted with the cake and, as expected, squealed with delight when they saw it in the fridge – especially my youngest.

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