I’ve thought this a lot and I think I’ve said it before. Whoever walks into a supermarket at the same time as you will be walking out at the same time too. We don’t shop, we move and we are moved around stores in hyper-efficient ways. The website Bon Appétit has a meaty two-part piece about the psychology of these shops – and how when you know what is being done to you, you might be able to do something about it.

The simple fact of the matter is that going grocery shopping isn’t—and never was—as simple as you imagined, whether you’re on your own for the first time, or you’ve been shopping for a family of eight for 20 years.

Sometimes it seems less like you’re going out to buy milk and bread than you’re buffeted by endless marketing, too many choices, and not enough information. Does the perky green label mean that this box of cereal is good for me? Are there certain expiration dates that are less important than others? Am I a bad mom if I buy frozen spinach for dinner? How do I know what kind of fish to buy? Am I right to be a little scared of the butcher? And how did I end up spending $150 if all I went in for was some milk and bread?

How to Buy Food: The Psychology of the Supermarket – Michael Y Park, Bon Appétit (30 October 2014)

Read the full piece.

Via The Loop.