Going into the grocery store to shop becoming a class signal?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At least for older millennial and gen X families*

My last few visits to grocery stores it looks like all retirees shopping, plus a handful of singles using the salad and hot bars. The aisles are filled with solo workers collecting orders. It seems like parents my age, whether they're actually wealthy and super busy ( ) or merely want to give that impression, exclusively do home delivery or drive-up pickup. Even the upper middle income SAHMs I know who have plenty of free time during the day do at-home delivery or drive-up pickup for groceries. Is grocery shopping in-person becoming lower class and/or elderly retirees thing?

It's almost like status-conscious people don't want to be seen grocery shopping because of the perception it gives that they're not wealthy or have too much free time. At least that's kind of what it feels like after Covid.

You are insane.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There are more productive uses of time than wasting 1.5 to 2 hours door to door grabbing the same grocery items once a week. And grocery delivery is basically free, so it’s silly not to use it.

It's not free. There's the uncharged on each item and 15-20% tip.

According to this weekend’s WSJ, it actually is free right now because Amazon, Walmart, Target, and other grocers are eating losses to run delivery and pickup. Sure, you should tip. Saving 1-2 hours of free time is worth a tip! You’re avoiding boring manual labor, you’re not putting miles on your car, you’re not burning gas or electric, you’re not wearing your back out loading and unloaded heavy groceries.

This feels overly dramatic for what shopping is like living in a city. We live a few blocks from a decent store (think Safeway not Whole Foods) and just get what we need a few times a week. It takes 15minutes and no back problems.

In other words you’re a childless DINK with no life? Who the heck has time or desire to hang out at Whole Foods a few times a week.

[Anonymous]

We are in our early 40’s with high income/net worth. I have been a SAHM since I was 28. And I have never ordered groceries online in my life, including at the height of Covid. There is a grocery store 3/4 of a mile from my home. I am there 2-3x a week. I also do a weekly Costco run.

I’m not clear how grocery shopping (or not) is some kind of status symbol. I could order if I wanted to, I just don’t want to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Why would I go to the grocery store myself when I can exploit cheap foreign labor to do it for me? I love immigrants!

Wut?
They chose to come to the great US of A and all need a job. If you feel they are being exploited you should advocate for them with Amazon owner, Safeway owner, unions, your elected officials. Many of those immigrants were highly educated in their home countries but can't work in that field (e.g. medicine) in the great US of A because it requires them to get a license or a degree or certification which they are either trying to get while they do "cheap" labor like shopping your groceris OR are simply doing cheap labor to survive living in the great US of A. What are you doing to help them? Ordering grocery pickup so they have a job, advocating for them to get better wages and job conditions, or both? Writing about them in an online forum will probably do neither.

[Anonymous]

Was waiting at grocery pick up when an old (in age) neighbor walks by the pickup area with his cart which had his groceries in reusable bags looking at the pick up line like why don't you go in and shop? Hardly see older people using pick up service. A few have items delivered to their front steps but not go to the store to wait for bags to come to the car.

[Anonymous]

You know what's a status symbol? TIME. Having the time to browse and shop. Most people don't have that luxury.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Not really. Maybe it signifies people who are comfortable having other people choose their meat and produce for them.
Many people who cook for themselves are picky about the qualities of what they cook. If I want “fresh looking leeks” and “unblemished dark Orange sweet potatoes “ then it’s simpler and better for me to pick them myself.

This right here. Someone in an earlier reply talked about the "opportunity cost" of shopping for yourself but that in my opinion is time well spent making sure I don't get rotten onions or the wrong cut of meat because the Instacart shopper was lazy and just grabbed the first thing they could.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Not really. Maybe it signifies people who are comfortable having other people choose their meat and produce for them.
Many people who cook for themselves are picky about the qualities of what they cook. If I want “fresh looking leeks” and “unblemished dark Orange sweet potatoes “ then it’s simpler and better for me to pick them myself.

This right here. Someone in an earlier reply talked about the "opportunity cost" of shopping for yourself but that in my opinion is time well spent making sure I don't get rotten onions or the wrong cut of meat because the Instacart shopper was lazy and just grabbed the first thing they could.

This. Low income/low education employees have no idea how to shop for the upper middle class.

[Anonymous]

This isn't a class thing, it's a time and convenience thing, dummy.

[Anonymous]

I like picking my on fruits and vegetables.
I can't imagine someone else's hands rubbing all over my pears.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I like picking my on fruits and vegetables.
I can't imagine someone else's hands rubbing all over my pears.

How do you think they get from the tree to the distributor to the grocery store to your fruit bowl?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like picking my on fruits and vegetables.
I can't imagine someone else's hands rubbing all over my pears.

How do you think they get from the tree to the distributor to the grocery store to your fruit bowl?

DP. Migrant workers on H2B visas, i.e., indentured servants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I like picking my on fruits and vegetables.
I can't imagine someone else's hands rubbing all over my pears.

How do you think they get from the tree to the distributor to the grocery store to your fruit bowl?

Touche. Great point.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You know what's a status symbol? TIME. Having the time to browse and shop. Most people don't have that luxury.

Middle class strivers are obsessed with appearing successful and super busy and efficiently using their time. Idly pushing a cart around a grocery store is deeply uncool to that sort of person.

[Anonymous]

Hot singles like to pick each other up at the trendy grocery stores