[Last modified: November, 15 2024 03:58 PM]
“How do I always pick the busiest time to come to Waitrose? Or is it always like this?” I think to myself as I awkwardly try to get around a group of students exiting the store. This Waitrose has become a frequent stop for me, yet I still find myself moving through the space without any real direction. Everyone in this Waitrose seems like they would rather be literally anywhere else.
I circle the same aisles over and over, trying to understand why cheesecake and pasta salad occupy the same shelf. Some products I’m used to seeing back home simply don’t exist in this Waitrose, but I scan the shelves nonetheless, as if though on the fourth scan rice vinegar will suddenly appear. Weaving through the aisles exhausts me.
I never quite know where to stand when I’m surveying the shelves. No matter what, I feel like I’m in someone’s way. I spend longer than I would like looking at each item. The brands are unfamiliar, and the order is seemingly random. I worry that if I stand in the aisle for too long, it’ll become evident I’m not from here. I try to keep my arms close to me and keep my body contained so as not to be more in the way than I already am.
The giveaway always seems to be the dance patrons do to get around each other in an aisle. Back home, that dance feels rehearsed and predictable, but here it seems like I never get the steps right. Another shopper and I step to the same side, so I faintly whisper “sorry” as if to acknowledge that it must’ve been me who made the misstep.
The end of my grocery trip isn’t usually marked by finding every item I need so much as it is my resolve to continue looking wearing off. I always forget to grab a basket when I come in, so once my arms are precariously filled with items that barely make up a meal I make my way to the self checkout.
Self checkout is the final test to prove to everyone in this Waitrose that I know what I’m doing. Being the most efficient at self checkout is the goal. You have to scan the checkout kiosks as you move up the line so that as soon as one frees up, you’re right there. Remember to put your items on the right side – no, the left – until you scan them. Waitrose card, pay, reorganise the items in your arms again. The end is nearly in sight. I feel my shoulders relax as I exit the store.