Shopping During the Pandemic

As long as you don’t cut in line or block aisles with your shopping cart, there wasn’t much harm you could do at a supermarket from an etiquette point of view. Times have changed and keeping the COVID-19 virus at bay has become the biggest daily challenge; therefore, something as mundane as going to the supermarket requires new thinking and customised etiquette.

Apart from washing your hands, wearing a mask, having your temperature checked and checking in to the supermarket via an app, here are a few things that you need to practice while netting your stuff.

01. Go Alone

As often as possible, go on your own or ensure that only one person from your household goes to a supermarket. This reduces the exposure, keeps the more vulnerable parties safe and reduces the crowds at these sorts of public places.

02. The Kids

Kids are kids and they love outings; don’t expect them to understand that we are in the midst of a pandemic. Plan your day so that someone else is at home with them or have someone look over the wall and mind them for a while.

03. Don’t Dilly Dally

Spare yourself the germs, get in, net them and get out as soon as possible. If you wander lazily down aisles and stare in to the shelves for hours, you are bound to be depriving someone else from entering the store. Carry a list and remain focused.

04. Keep Your Hands to Yourself

Touch and take only what you need, don’t keep picking things up if you don’t really have a plan to purchase them. Of course, you do need to make sure your vegetables and fruits are not squashed, but minimise contact as much as possible. You should neither leave nor pick up germs via products.

05. Sanitise Every Now and Then

I would recommend sanitising hands before moving from the fresh produce area to the other sections. This helps to minimise the spread of germs from one section to the other and keeps you safe.

06. Space Out

Quite often people stand carefully on the marked cages when in the queue to pay but throw caution to wind as they push their carts down the aisles, happily bumping into other carts, brushing past other shoppers and crowding around shelves. You are as likely to catch the bug when near shelves and down aisles as when standing in queues.

Being safe is of paramount importance while you are out and about; following good etiquette should help you keep and other safe. Be mindful and stay safe. If you have any questions, please write to us at fullofetiquette@gmail.com.

Photo by Viki Mohamad on Unsplash