Grocery Shopping

So, JMS and I made a trip to the grocery store today. I love that the Kroger bakery gives kids free cookies; it occupies him at least until I get through the fresh fruits, vegetables, and meat sections of the store. Then, I do my best to be creative and distract him through the remainder of the trip. I was super excited that we saved 25 dollars on this most recent visit, just in coupons; are coupons getting larger in value or is that my imagination?

Anyhow, if you know me well, you know that I hate grocery shopping. I just find it to be exhausting. And, in some of these super stores you have to start in the way back...and push your cart all the way back to the front - just to get MILK! I know that it is a marketing strategy attempt to get the shopper to buy more impulse items along the lengthy journey through the store. Honestly, though, when you already have 27 lbs of little boy in your cart, do you really want to push anymore to the check lanes? I know that I don't. And, then the final kick in the pants, is when you get all the way up front, look at your list, and realize that the key magical ingredient that you absolutely need to make the number one recipe on your agenda for the week is not in the cart...it is still all the way in the back of the store (OK run on sentence...) but really! So, you debate with yourself if it is really necessary to push this 300 lb cart all the way back for one simple ingredient? And of course, the answer almost always is YES...the recipe just won't be the same, and I don't want to make a return trip to the store, and...

So, grocery store designers...why can't you just make a section of the store...right near the check lanes, for the key ingredients that we always forget??? I'm sure there is a way to survey every shopper and find out what they regularly forget, and just add that to the front section. That would be marvelous! Thanks.