Saturday, September 15, 2007

Grocery Shopping

Going to the grocery store has been an experience from the get go! We started with the small market just below my apartment, we progressed to the more trendy, NIC, and I have now graduated to the larger, mass produced stored named Kaufland. With this progression, I have been forced to learn more. Here are a few interesting tidbits about grocery shopping in Bucharest!

Upon entering the store, you, like in America, may get a basket or cart. However, at the Kaufland, picking up a basket/cart is easier said then done! You must insert a coin into the cart which allows you to unlock it from the string of other carts. Unlocking it requires button pushing and the use of a metal key I still have yet to master. Carts are not taken and left in the parking lot, they are returned, by the consumer, to the cart corral and chained in again for the next user.

We have all heard about the large farmer's markets in Europe. Indeed they do exist; however the closest one to me is almost two miles away. Thus, purchasing fruit at the store is necessary at times. At all stores, fruit and vegetables are weighed and individually marked before going to the checkout stand. Some places have isolated weighing stations while others require a trip to the meat counter. Not weighing your fruit/vegetable before paying can cause quite a stir and ultimately omit the item from your purchases (I know this from experience; I didn't make it home with my bananas one day)!

Finally, the checkout process is slightly different. From previous experiences, in America, I had always assumed having your groceries bagged was a part of the buying process. As they say, you should never assume because it makes an .........I'm sure you know how the phrase goes. Grocery baggers do not exist here. A person is in charge of bagging all of their own purchases. In order to bag the items you purchased, you will also need bags! I have discovered that although stores provide small, almost transparent bags, if you want one that will last longer than the trip to the parking lot, you must purchase them! Many of the grocery stores have more sturdy carrying contraptions located at the checkout stand.

Happy Shopping!

32 comments:

Candice said...

I shall cherish my next trips to the grocery store. I'm sure you'll be an expert by the time you leave...you'll be helping all the other new tourists! :)
Candice

Lindsey said...

I will not complain about my trips to Safeway anymore! I hope that you have had some friendly people to help you get accustomed to foreign life. Good luck with all your new adventures! Can't wait to hear about each and every one!

Lindsey said...

Al, Bucharest was an answer on Jeopardy! yesterday and it made me think of you! I also got the answer right and beat Sean! Just another reminder of you!!!

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Now here in The USA we have ALDI - very similar:
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