Don’t Get Lost in the Aisle Maze at a Big Box Store
Shopping at a big box store is a very different experience from shopping in a department or grocery store. The prices are different, there are more bulk options, and even the shopping carts are more heavy-duty. It can be a rewarding experience, but it can also be frustrating if you're not prepared. Here are 20 things you will only experience at a big box store.
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1. Long Parking Lot Trek
Parking at a big box store is an adventure. The lots are huge and rife with shopping carts, and you'll often have to park very far away from the store's entrance. You'll need to create a mental map of where your car is to find it when you're leaving with a cart filled with items.
2. The Cart Stampede
Big box shopping carts are heavy-duty beasts. During peak hours, dozens move in unison, whereas others move in every direction. Handling one is like maneuvering a small boat, especially when aisles are crowded. You'll dodge your share of close collisions, play some scary games of chicken, and deal with at least one wobbly wheel.
3. Maze of Aisles
A big box store feels like a labyrinth that will test your patience, attentiveness, memory, and endurance. Aisles are long, and it's easy to forget whether the broth is in aisle 12 or 24. Many big box shoppers wander, and this is dangerous, as you could end up buying a lot of items that aren't on your shopping list.
4. Seasonal Shock Displays
Big box stores go from Halloween to Thanksgiving to Christmas without missing a beat. It can be jarring to see the holidays colliding, making you feel like each is right after the other, with no break in between. Seasonal displays also start early. You can see an inflatable turkey in August and a display of beach chairs near the end of January.
5. Samples
Head to a big box store on a Sunday if you want to attend a free food festival. You can strategically roam the aisles collecting an endless number of free samples. There's usually toothpick-speared cheese cubes, microwave pizza bites, or even mini cups of soup. Some of the more popular free sample stations will draw quite the crowd.
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6. Pallets Galore
A big box store is not a neatly-stocked boutique. Products are often stacked on full pallets that have been unwrapped and wheeled out to the floor. This raw display style is convenient, but can be a little intimidating.
7. Long Return Lines
Returning an item at a big box store is an event that takes patience. You'll most likely have to wait in a long line as other customers try to return big screen TVs, furniture, and there's always one person trying to return a single banana.
8. "Middle of the Store" Trap
The middle aisles in a big box store are retail quicksand. They are filled with "special buys", clearance items, and large displays of things that most people probably don't want, but are tempted to buy.
9. Self-Checkout Mayhem
Self-checkout should help you get out of the store quicker and easier, but that's not always the case. Scanning and bagging your own items can be difficult. The stations are often too small for your bulkier products, like crates of soda, and you'll have to be adept at balancing and stacking.
10. The TV Wall
Big box stores are notorious for having an electronics section with a wall of televisions. There are dozens of screens in different sizes, all playing the same show or commercial on a loop. It's hard to walk by and not stop and watch for a few minutes.
Vadim Babenko on Unsplash11. Endless Bulk Snacks
The bulk snack section is hard to resist, but you need to ask yourself if you need five pounds of gummy bears or if 80 granola bars for $15 is a smart investment.
12. Slow Pace of Checkout Lines
Big box stores seem to have a lot of open checkouts, but the lanes still move at a glacial pace. This is because most people have a shopping cart full of items. Be patient and try not to buy the gossip magazines.
13. Membership Card Drama
Some big box chains require membership, and you're likely to encounter some drama when you forget yours at home. It makes for an awkward moment at the entrance or at checkout when you find that yours expired six months ago.
14. Appliance Aisle Temptation
Big box stores tempt you to buy a new refrigerator thanks to their prices and merchandising. Testing one knob on an oven might convince you to buy one, but large appliances are not the smartest impulse purchase.
15. Traffic Jams
Aisles at big box stores can feel like a busy highway. Some carts move diagonally, and two others stop so the people can chat. This is especially bad during peak hours, so be prepared.
16. Relentless Lighting
Big box stores are purposefully lit with an array of overhead fluorescent lights that make the space bright, shiny, and sort of surreal. It can make every bottle of ranch dressing look stunning and impossible not to buy.
17. Indiscreet Price Checks
Price checks in a small store are discreet, but in a big box store, it's an ordeal. A cashier's voice will blast over the intercom, and several employees might have to get involved.
18. Intimidating Freezer Section
The freezer section at a Wal-Mart or Costco seemingly stretches on forever. The glass doors always fog up, and you'll be blasted with sub-zero temperatures when reaching for a TV dinner.
19. Impulse Purchases
The checkout lines at a big box store are a minefield, trying to get you to make some last-minute purchases. You'll find rows of snacks, some electronics, and magazines. The temptation grows the longer you have to wait in line.
20. Furniture Encounters
One minute you'll be shopping for bacon, and the next you'll be sitting on a couch and wondering how it'll look in your living room. Steer clear of the furniture showroom unless you intend to buy a new patio set or recliner.
