5 Ways British and American Grocery Stores Are Very Different
Вставка
- Опубліковано 24 чер 2024
- Not only are Britain and America two nations divided by a common language: each has a strikingly different way of running its grocery stores (or is that supermarkets?). Here are 5 ways British and American grocery stores are very different.
For more videos like this, subscribe to Lost in the Pond right here on UA-cam: / @lostinthepond
Can't get enough of Lost in the Pond? Follow us at these places too.
Patreon: / lostinthepond
Facebook: / lostinthepond
Twitter: / lostinthepondus
Instagram: / laurence.m.brown
Website: www.LostinthePond.com - Комедії
"Considering the calories you're about to buy" I actually laughed out loud at that. My father in his 80s would go down to the 'supermarket' and walk every aisle everyday. The employees knew him. He knew how many miles it was for his exercise and was safer than walking down the uneven pavement.
Notice American grocery stores put the most commonly needed items such as milk, eggs, butter, and meat at the back of the store so you have to walk past all the other products you naturally crave on visual contact.
It is called impulse buying. Most stores make ALOT of money on these items. It is a marketing ploy. Same with candy at checkout/till area.
Simply because getting cold items at the end makes the most sense.
A major reason for cold items are in the back of the store because running electrical lines to the front or the center is illogical. The shorter the distance for the lines allows for cheaper costs by contractors. This is passed onto the consumer.
Second reason is due to stocking. The shorter the distance with refrigerated goods to the coolers lessens the chance of spoilage. If people can blame a store for food poisoning then you have a lawsuit. Lawsuits are passed onto the customers. Everything has a price.
Excluding Walmart most good for you foods are on the outer perimeter of the store. Take a left at a Safeway and it takes you to the fresh fruit, vegetable and nuts. Next is dairy and then meat and bread after that. All processed foods are in the inner isles. When working there I was told those are highlighted because their sales are what brings in the most amount of shoppers.
@@loriwyoming835 I was referring to traditional grocery stores not the modern ones. Anything is possible with modern refrigeration and electrical wiring. Plus imagination.
On the other hand logic dictates to buy cold items last before heading to the register.
Not exactly English, but years ago I was watching an Australian show and a scene was in a supermarket. I was shocked to see a box of what we call Rice Krispies cereal was called Rice Bubbles. It was the same box, same logo, same Snap, Crackle and Pop characters, but called something different.
Rice Krispies are the cereal bar version of the same cereal in Australia, also under the name LMC- this doesn’t actually stand for anything
LOL, yes I'm Australian and was similarly shocked to see our 'rice bubbles' on an American show called rice krispies LOL
Often it's some kind of trademark issue. The name in one country cannot be used in another. Sometimes it's a "translation" problem. The meaning in one country is something else in another.
@@GaelinW Right, "krispies" could mean something unspeakably nasty in Australia, lol.
And given the words that they routinely use over there, that is frightening, lol.
Btw, I read something funny somewhere that described Australians as being "British Texans". I'm American, and I can vouch for there being a lot of truth in this, lol. And FYI, that description is complimentary to both Australians and Texans.
Recently I helped out some British tourists in the grocery store. Their daughter had sent them to get a particular brand of biscuits, so of course they were in the cookie aisle because apparently "biscuits" are called "cookies" overseas. Blew their minds when I walked them over to the eggs/yogurt/biscuits section. Nice folks.
Yeah, I was looking for muffins to toast for breakfast but was led to some rather tasty and calorific looking cakes. Not sure how to slice those into the toaster but I bought some anyway 😂
LOL.
I'm so confused ( it never takes much)
The girl was British and sent her British parents to buy biscuits (cookies) but couldn't find them in the cookie aisle, so did they want a brand of cookies they couldn't find, or actually were looking for popin' fresh type american biscuits usually found in the refrigerated dairy aisle ? ?
I would have stayed in the cookie aisle or gone to visit the international foods aisle, they usually have popular products from around the world.
At any rate, thanks for helping them out to find whatever biscuits or cookies were needed.
It's always nice to be nice 👍
I believe that in GB and Europe, eggs are not washed making them safe to keep on counter. In usa. Eggs are washed for “ sanitary reason” washing removes the protective covering
@@lindawhitcomb6939 yes. I just never understood why eggs were washed if the protective coating helped keep them fresher ???
What's sad about USDA eggs bought in the stores is the yolks are always so pale and sickly looking.
Give me unwashed country eggs from happy cluckers any day !!!
I'm American and I've never heard of biscuits being anywhere near the eggs and yogurt let alone an eggs/yogurt /biscuit isle.
I don’t consider Walmart a “grocery store”. It’s a department store with a grocery store inside it. The US has stand alone grocery stores that don’t sell tires, car parts, etc.
When I was a kid, back in the 70's, here in the North East, there was a similar store called Majors. It combined a discount department store with a supermarket. Their stores were pretty big, but not as big as a Walmart. They even had a pet department, so you could buy a dog, a set of tires and all your groceries in one stop. Korvettes, also a big chain of department stores, had an affiliated supermarket chain called Hill's. The difference was they were two different stores, usually right next to each other, instead of one big store. You'd have Korvettes and next door would be Hills. They went out of business some time around 1980.
@@RRaquello In the late '50s there was a chain of stores in New Orleans called Schwegmann's, it was as big as a Walmart and besides groceries it sold clothes, records, other kinds of general merchandise, had its own label of scotch and bourbon, had a huge fresh seafood counter, and it had a barber shop, shoe repair, accountant, a bar, and other services on an upper mezzanine level. It went out of business in the '90s.
Agreed. I do not buy food at Walmart, I go there for shampoo and other sundries.
Yes, I remember being a teen when my town got a super center. And it was so confusing to me that you'd buy food where you can get everything else. We used it when it became the only real store. But then we moved to a small town. That has a Safeway's with shelving to the ceiling. It's so nice 😍 I never knew I could love a grocery store.
@@dialishious93 I've shopped in Safeways, and never felt anything as warm as like. But then, I'm from the city that birthed Wegman's. We take our grocery shopping pretty seriously, here. Even so, I was ecstatic when we got a Trader Joe's.
I'm in northern California and I don't know how universal it is here, but I've always used grocery store and supermarket (or even just market) interchangeably.
Jana Southerner here, the sign says Supermarket but never heard anyone say that, it's the grocery store
Yeah I’m also in the Bay Area and I’ve always used supermarket and grocery store interchangeably.
Same for me in Kansas
I have always used them interchangeably too. Some of my friends use supermarket to refer to places like Walmart, Kroger, and Meijer and used grocery to refer to places like IGA and Aldi's.
@@georgeworley6927 Aldi would be considered a supermarket in the UK aswell (Well it is I should say)
I moved from the US to the UK and when I went back for a visit, I had sort of reverse culture shock when I went to the supermarket... So many varieties of Oreos.
I've never left the US, and I'm still stunned when I see yet another Oreo variety. Just the other day I saw pink ones. WTF?
We have bourbon biscuits, why would we want Oreos at all? I know which I prefer and they're a fraction of the price 😉
Ooo! Red, white, and blue ones are coming out for July 4! Not in US, but in Japan they have amazingly different kinds of Kitkat bars.
As a Ex Pat I realise that the UK has more choice in cookies chocolates and cheese than the US as well as seafoods
@@garrys8314 I definitely envy the cheeses. And I hope the plenteousness of seafood continues even with the Brexit adjustments.
When my mom needed a new heart valve, both cardiologists asked her about exercise and she told each of them she walks to Walmart. She didn't mean from home, she was just talking about the walk from the car.
Not the walk from the car so much as the long walk from the entrance to the pharmacy always located 150 yards away at the rear of the store.
My wife typically parks so far from the entrance we might as well have just walked from the house.
@@Robob0027 pharmacy in the back of Walmart? Where? Every Walmart I have been in the pharmacy is in the front.
@@cp368productions2 This may be the case in the USA and perhaps only apply to Walmart stores. In the UK they are almost always at the rear of the store and in South Africa, where I now live, every large pharmacy, and we have only 2 chains, Dischem & Clicks, they are always at the back of the store. Walmart do own a large SA conglomerate but have no pharmacy sections. We hoped that we would get Walmart prices and service but ended up with them using the management and systems already in place.
Felt 😂
Seeing Cool Ranch Doritos in the Netherlands as "Cool American Flavor" was a shock, hah
Lol
I thought cannibalism was illegal.
In Nepal sour cream and onion Lay's are called American style onion and cream.😆
And they are cool original in England
If apple pies are made from apples and cherry pies are made from cherries, what are Eskimo pies made from?
Grocery stores are also called supermarkets in th US.
Yep.. And the layouts and selection are very much based on the region they are at.
I have always made a distinction between grocery stores for mainly food and home necessities, versus supermarkets which have a lot more clothing and home goods selection.
I've also heard Mega-Mart but that was only Alton Brown.
I am in the south they are Grocery stores
@@SantosZox Grocery stores are small. Supermarkets are large. Supermarkets don't necessarily carry much more than food and home supplies. Often, rural grocery stores will carry things like fishing lures and tackle and tourist crap. The usual distinction between a grocery store and a general store is that a grocery store will carry more perishable stuff like produce.
You forgot another difference: American biscuits vs British biscuits. British biscuits are cookies and crackers over here. American biscuits are a wonderful bread that you serve with your dinner, or as a breakfast with sausage and sawmill gravy.
This is the way we have fun annoying my future British son-in-law, the great biscuit vs cookie debate.
The US's biscuit is a direct descendant of the British scone.
@@genab2539 exactly, the us biscuit is really a neutral scone introduced to the south by scottish immigrants. currants and raisins were scarce and expensive in those days so they made their scones without sweet fruits, eventually they stopped cutting the ball of dough into 4 wedges and started rolling out the dough and cutting it into circles or dropping the dough into mounds on a baking sheet.
Thankfully, sawmill gravy has nothing to do with sawdust, however. :D Likewise, red-eye gravy.. -- Biscuits (American) are wonderful.
I'm apparently so Southern, one of the first things my mom and dad taught me how to cook was pork chops and gravy. But on the other hand, their version of spaghetti sauce, so I suppose the analogy falls apart somewhere in there, haha. No, I can't claim it's southern Italian. :D
What is sawmill gravy?
Baked goods like bread will almost always be on the opposite side of the store from dairy. Pasta/rice is usually opposite of meats. This ensures most people will have to traverse the entire store and see all the end caps.
I feel like that layout strategy almost backfires in a lot of cases. When I go to the store, I go straight for what I need and ignore everything on the way. I'm so used to having to walk past everything, I don't even give it any thought.
@@drakedbz That's why they occasionally alter the layout to keep you guessing.
the trolleys in the UK seems to float and glide across the floor, whereas in the US they are heavy and usually have at least one faulty wheel
Yes, the UK trolley has 4 wheels that rotate, whereas the US only has the front 2 wheels that rotate. I love being able to glide my cart in the UK!
They're not referred to as trolleys in the US. They're called carts or buggies. Cart mostly in the north, buggy mostly in the south. I've lived extensively in both areas of the US.
Matters are not helped any by the theft-prevention schemes some chains implement which cause the front wheels to lock up when the cart is moved past a certain line in the parking lot. The Store manager typically has a small electromechanIcal or RF "key" to restore the cart's functionality, but the keys get lost or the managers don't bother.
Trolleys don't have that bottom shelf for large items like paper towels and bleach. That really helps, along with the fact that all 4 wheel turn instead of only the front 2 like you find in the US. Sigh, I always get the cart that's been run over in the parking lot until the squeak is ear piercing and it only steers in a quasi-straight line.
Deadly Squirrel It becomes a problem in NYC where the cart you shop with and the cart in which you take your purchases home are both called shopping carts. And as soon as you hit the suburbs, no one knows that the second one even exists.
probably just me but i use supermarket and grocery store interchangeably
Lawrence, why didn't you discuss WHY the eggs are stored differently in America and the UK? In America, the US Government (USDA) requires eggs to go through a washing process that removes the outer protective coating, so American eggs require refrigeration. In the UK, eggs do not get that protective layer removed and so they are perfectly fine being sold unrefrigerated...... a difference with an explanation.
I think the reason they are washed is not to remove the outer coating which you are correct it does; but they are washed to remove the chicken poop that is sometimes on the eggs. (E-Coli ).
@@paulturner4898 yes, I think the US Gov't thinks that the poop will get into our breakfast and demands all eggs be washed off...... it's a poe-ta- toe/po-tah-toe opinion as I'm sure the Europeans have plenty of imperical evidence to the contrary.
We had Esso in the US in the 1970s (and probably before), at least on the East Coast where I grew up. It changed to Exxon in the mid or late 70s.
Right, pre-Exxon it was Esso in some parts of the US, and Enco in others.
And Esso is actually an acronym for Eastern Seaboard Standard Oil, which means it makes no sense whatsoever in Britain, though probably not as little sense as Standard Oil Company of New Jersey, which was what the company used to be called before it became Exxon.
Ironically, the company name on paychecks is Moyle Petroleum.
They are Esso in Germany too.
I have found it confusing where some gas stations charge for gas by the liter, but where I am, it sells by the gallon. And if you go inside some stores at the gas station, you can pick up a few groceries (limited), some beer, or soda (or pop). And cigs.
I'm old enough to remember when Exxon was Esso here, too.
(Put a tiger in your tank!)
So you must be 65 years old at minumn?
@@robertbrawley5048 nope, I'm 56 and I remember Esso stations in N.C. when I was little.
In Canada it's Esso.
Once upon a time it was Oklahoma, Humble and some other name I can't recall. My dad owned a gas station in the '50s, that's how I remember that much.
@Sparky Puddins 29 cents in 1970 equals $2.00 today.
Does anyone else here love visiting supermarkets in other countries? My colleagues (flight attendants) and I love it, hands down our favourites in the US are Mariano’s in Chicago, Whole Foods, and Publix in Miami. Love comparing and contrasting different juices, cheese, chocolate etc all over the world
Not in other countries, because unfortunately I've never been outside the US, but I have been to New Jersey.
As my SIL drove me out of Newark to her home elsewhere, I could not believe the litter.
Another odd thing was ppl in black cars creating their own lane out of the right hand verge on the 'Garden State's Parkway or whatever; no left turn lanes, you had to turn right and use what they called a jug-handle; and the narrowest lanes for traffic I've ever seen.
But as for Grocery Stores, I go to them every where I can bc they are all mostly different.
Wegmans in Woodbridge(or one of it's 10-12 townships, each with a different name) had the widest variety of foods from all over the world and not just on the shelves...I'd never seen a flipping olive bar before! They had freshly cut or killed meats, prepared dishes, strange produce even. And then on the other side, it was unfortunately like a Walmart.
But that was so cool.
I could've spent hours in there just looking at everything.
Even the Walmarts are different bc of the unions up there. We went to a Wally WITHOUT a meat department! Because it was within so many feet of a butcher shop.
OMG. You are not in (previously civilized home region of the country) anymore.
I travelled a lot in my life and that is one of the simple joys; to just seeing and appreciating the differences.
I’ve never left North America, but I loved Wegmans went I went to Pennsylvania.
Q sweets, you GOTTA go to Wegmans!
what a waste of time
Huge difference: In the US we have egg salad sandwiches. UK and Ireland, you have to ask for egg mayonnaise. "Salad" is a generic modifier for lots of things in the US, like tuna, ham, shrimp, etc. all cold bits of whatever with mayo.
That's an interesting one. I think of salad as a cold meal, usually (but not always) with some form of lettuce. I would expect an egg salad sandwich to contain lettuce, tomato, (maybe cucumber) and possibly a bit of dressing/mayo. Thanks for that.
It’s so on-brand that “with mayo” counts as “salad” in the US 😂😂😂
This reminded me of the way Germans apply the word “Salat” , as in “Jetzt haben wir den Salat!” (now we’re in quite a mess!) or “ein Kabelsalat” (a rat’s nest of cables) or “ein Wortsalat” (a word salad).
What about bagging your own groceries in the UK? That was a huge shock after the experiences of shopping at Publix in FL and GA where they not only bag your groceries, they then take them to your car and load the trunk (boot) for you! I miss that!
Fortunately, now they even deliver to your house.
Walmart has a garage. If you need a tire, you usually drive around the back and they can even change it for you.
Not all Walmarts have a garage. Where I live not one Walmart has a garage. But, I did get a flat tire repaired when I was 1200 miles from home at a great Walmart auto department at some tiny town in West Virginia for a low price.
Wtf, in the UK you'd have to go to a specific car mechanic place like kwik-fit or something. You can get petrol at the supermarket and you can wash and fill up on tyre air but you definitely can't get your tyre changed
@@janek5970
My brother was born in West Virginia but he only stayed their for three months and moved to the previous house due to my dad promotion. My dad did have to go this meeting and if my dad has got accepted to promotion and I will be in California . He did make promo and 9 th grade in AR.
Just check the lug nuts before you leave. Usually missing at least one.
@@danielle2781 the service is sometimes questionable, but yes, most Wal-Marts have a full automotive center. You can pretty much get anything done from an oil change, tune up, battery replaced or even new tires installed... while you shop.
As a general rule, grocery store lay out is natural, unprocessed foods (veggies, dairy, meats) are on the outer edge of the store and processed foods are in the middle.
I always shop the perimeter. Makes things quick and easy.
Yup. Only venture into the middle aisles for pasta, rice, beans, spices, condiments. Stay away from the cardboard food.
I've only just found your channel (like today) but I love listening to your comparisons. You see, I wasn't born and raised in the US, although I am an American citizen by birth (both of my parents were citizens). I was born and raised in the Canal Zone, Republic of Panama, as my father was a lifelong employee of the Panama Canal Company. Thus, I grew up in two worlds, one decidedly Panamanian, and one almost, but not quite, American. We didn't have grocery stores. We had the Commissary or we could go into Panama City to the Mercado Publico (public market). The culture shock when I moved from the Canal Zone to the US was incredible, and I still, all these (mumble) years later, am frequently surprised by things.
I learned of brand name differences when my company packaged laundry goods for Proctor and Gamble. We'd do a huge run of Downy bottles, and then another identical run and the only difference was that the label said Lenor instead of Downy.
Having eggs in the dairy section makes sense in the US because it's refrigerated, and eggs here are washed before sale, thus removing the bloom and potentially allowing bacterial contamination. Good to know where to find eggs in a UK store, though. :)
Eggs are washed, so the protection is lost? Of all the weird things in the world...
@@gardenjoy5223 -- True though. www.nytimes.com/2017/02/13/insider/why-do-americans-refrigerate-their-eggs.html
Refrigerated eggs can also last 2 to 3 weeks if kept under 40 degrees. Our refrigerators are bigger so we can store more food.
We dont wash eggs here because what ever your cleaning it with enters through the shell some law here not to wash eggs or meat
@Jim Elliott Doesnt US have more food poisoning and contamination issues that EU tho?
OMG! I was watching this and when you asked Alexa what they're going to change her name to MY Alexa, that was a Christmas present and I COMPLETELY forgot was behind me, answered! Startled the hell out of me. 🤣 Her answer by the way was, "I don't have an opinion on that." So thanks, I guess, for the unexpected heart rate jump and laugh. I'm certainly in a more humorous mood than I was 3 minutes ago.😊
Haha mine did too.
Hi, when we visited the states the thing that really surprised us was all the different brands and fat percentages in the milk aisle, and trying to find Oxo or Bovril cubes to make gravy. I don’t think we ever did find them, nor could we find what we call minced beef. Please take care and stay safe in these unusual times.
We call minced beef ground beef and Oxo cubes are called bouillon cubes here. There's dozens of brands.
In Washington State where I moved to 3-4 years ago, I was SHOCKED by my first liquor purchase. Not only is there sales tax but city tax, state tax, and liquor tax. My $30 bottle of Scotch cost me nearly $45!!!
That's because there is no income tax in Washington state to spread around to cities & counties..."they" gotta make up for it somehow!
I literally just discovered you yesterday but I think you might be the most naturally charismatic person on this beautiful, disgusting, eye-opening, mind-closing website.
wow i feel insulted on behalf of both parties you compared in your statement. 😳
As an American, I've always thought of grocery stores as being just and only that -- a store that sells groceries and little else -- whereas supermarkets, as the word implies, are larger and sell quite a few things that are not edible in addition to those that are.
In the UK a lot of supermarkets sell things that aren't food, even clothes.
Gregory Jewell I always thought it was ridiculous that most grocery stores see a bunch of other stuff in America like I go to HEB in south Texas and they sell toys clothes other stuff but mainly food though. I go there for food and toiletries. But I’m not going to eat a toy or makeup lol 😂
@@97AshleyRose toys are tasty
In New York, what we called a "grocery store" was usually. small neighborhood store that you went to when you needed one or two items in an emergency. It was usually a corner store, the local candy store, with magazines and some small grocery items.Your mother would send you there when you came home from school to buy milk or something she needed for supper that night. It was kind of like what they call a Bodega in a Spanish neighborhood. A supermarket was somewhere off on a highway or a big commercial strip, and you went to it in you car and did the weekly family shopping. It would be in a plaza with a bunch of other stores, like a department store (like K-Mart), a few smaller stores, take out restaurants (pizza or Chinese food) and sometimes even a movie theater. But not a shopping mall, because it wasn't enclosed in one building.
Me too
apparently the way American eggs are cleaned, it removes the protective layer from the surface leaving a porous shell, and needing to be refrigerated. UK eggs are just washed, and don't need to be refrigerated.
Here in México, the tax is also incorporated into the price. Since we speak Spanish, VAT come out as IVA, but works the same way as in the U.K.
On my first visit to a supermarket in Ldn, I couldn't find a shopping cart. When I asked a clerk for help I had to resort to hand signs before I finally discovered that I was looking for a trolley.
In Kentucky we call it a buggy lol...I bet they would really be perplexed if you had asked for a buggy.
@@Musication717 get a hand book on travel educate yourself as usual rude yanks
@@christinerose4839 why are you being so snobby she was just saying that in kentucky they call it a buggy as to the other poster called it a cart and then you give your RUDE limey response . Calling her usual rude yank was really showing how unintelligent and apparently not as world traveled yourself huh?
@@Musication717 West coast is cart, the south is a buggy, and the east coast where I live it's a carriage. I am from Calif and will never get on board with the carriage thing. Same with freeways (western), back east they don't know what I'm talking about. It's interstates.
@@christinerose4839 Uh, the revolutionary War ended a long time ago. Get over it...we have.
Fun fact: Walmart headquarters actually DOES have its own zip code!
Leon B I thank I’ve heard that there are some Walmarts that have post offices in them. Not necessarily their own zip code, just a post office.
Walmart does not call it "headquarters". Walmart calls it "homeoffice". Back in the 1990's I spent six months in Bentonville working with Walmart and it seemed like six years.
A few years ago I read a news story that said that there was not a direct flight from New York City to Little Rock, Arkansas but there were several direct flights daily from New York City to Bentonville.
that's because you had to put in 6 years worth of effort!
Yes... Unique zip codes are for high volume addresses. But, you can certainly get mail there using the standard Zip code.
Biggest difference is our trolley (cart) size, if you're British/ European you know that the trolleys in Aldi are like a basket on wheels 😂
I sometimes worry about large trolleys. Every time I reach for an item at the bottom it's like I'm going to fall in. 😂 Much prefer the higher ones. Keeps me from overspending too.
I don't live in the US but I do know that their sales tax is very complicated and there are a TON of different tax rates so it would probably cost quite a lot for stores like Walmart to have that much different labeling. In Canada they don't show the tax on the tags either. There are different tax rates for each province. You learn about tax really quickly when you say "hey Mom, can we buy this? It says it's only 2.99!"
Raw foods, seeds and medicine are not subject to sales tax.
Each county may have a different sales tax, but it's not usually a problem, you automatically add it in. Sample, where i live our sales tax is 7% and the neighboring county is 6.5%. you get used to it.
"How are you going to get a tire out of the store?" Loved that one. I'm cracking up picturing a guy in line with tires in several shopping carts. He plans on putting them on the car himself in the parking lot.
Went to a Sainsbury's in South London when visiting. That was a good size, though not as big as the biggest I've seen here in Canada (or in USA). Most notable difference is that your cashiers are allowed to sit down. And why shouldn't they be? Making cashiers stand the whole time is brutal and unnecessary.
Aldis get to sit!
@@joanvonsternberg6361 That is good. Not the thing in North America. They make them stand the whole time.
@@wclark3196 yes, here in Lake Geneva, WI, they sit. Only place in the US I've seen it!
@@joanvonsternberg6361 Because they do things German style.
They can't sit YOU ARE BARBARIANS😁
Abroad: the stores tend to be room temperature and not air conditioned. Eggs as mentioned aren't cooled, the stuff that is cooled isn't cold. You actually have to go to a pharmacy to get most OTC. The cashiers tend to be seated. A wider variety of flavors and local brands.
Several years ago when I was on vacation in Australia I did walk through a grocery store and did notice products we have here in the USA but they were named differently. I thought it was funny.
As an American, I experienced the sales tax issue in reverse when my wife and I visited the UK; our luggage had been lost by the airline, and we had to purchase a few items to get us by until our bags caught up with us. We went to a Sainsbury's (roughly equivalent to a Target store in the US, IMO), grabbed a few items, and headed for the register. I recall having a mental total of our items, and kind of dreading the after-tax total, as I had no clue whatsoever as to what the tax rate might be. Alas, I was delighted to find that the point-of-sale tax rate was 0%! I GREATLY prefer that method of sales/VAT tax collection to that which is prevalent in the US, but I also understand why it is the way it is in the US (there is no sales tax at the national level, so it varies from state to state and even county to county and/or city to city at times).
The sales tax is not always 0%, it is already included in the price at 0% or 20%, or exempt, depending upon the item.
The fact that taxes are different in different areas is no excuse for not including the shelf price as the shelves are not going to be moving to a different tax region.
The shop is not going to be moving to a different tax region so why are the prices marked *in each store* not the final price *in that store* ?
One thing to note when shopping in a grocery store or supermarket, food is not subject to sales tax. I don't know anywhere where there is a sales tax on food. I mean, I live in New York and it isn't taxed here, and if it isn't taxed in New York, it isn't taxed anywhere. So the price you see on a food item will be the price you pay. Non-food items (like soap or paper towels) will be subject to sales tax. And, of course, prepared food, in restaurants, are subject to sales tax.
Tax free New Hampshire! One other point along this line is that certain items are exempt in certain jurisdictions.
@@cigmorfil4101 I agree
Cigmorfil it’s not included on the shelf price because some cities/counties change tax rates so much and it is easier to add the tax on the back end.
For tills and cash register we refer to the tray in the drawer holding the money as tills. Everything else is the register. (U.S) coming from cashier.
And Canadians call it the "cash".
When I worked in retail in the 90s, the register was called the "POS" for "point of sale", although they were so crappy we believed the acronym stood for something else.
3:58
all Super Walmarts have an Auto department that has its own entrance on the side of the building. so you drive your car around to that side and they have a full service garage to do things like oil change, tire change, ect. All of the auto parts and accessories are part of that department and close to that entrance....
Yes. I'm Canadian (Ontario ). In the liquor store, the price on the shelf is what you pay. As it should be. Elsewhere there are taxes added at the till. Always a surprise. Some items are taxable, some not.
Well, I'll be! Ontarian here, too born and bred, and I did not know that about the LCBO! Is it the same for beer stores?
In the US every locality has its own taxes. And because companies advertise a certain price for their goods that's the price that needs to be reflected on the price tag. If you buy an Arizona ice tea for example, it says 99 cents on the can, but the tax on that will be different in New York which adds 4% tax and Montana which has no tax. Also store send out adds with a set price, say 2.99 for a 12 pack of coke, and those adds are mailed to everyone, so the prices need to be the same everywhere, even if the taxes are all different.
“America is obsessed with rectangles.”
A Roman army camp comes to mind.
Most Norman Castles are square/rectangle
Rico Ten
I’m thankful for the GPS.
Also to create the illusion of size in older European towns and cities you curve the streets slightly so you can’t see the end. Something I learned when in Italy:)
@Rico Ten Actually, Washington DC is an exception as it was planned (by a Frenchman) on the radial plan. it is considered a intolerably diffiult city to drive in.
@Rico Ten a Good example of this is Manhattan - below City hall, it was before the grid system was instituted, above was when they statred planning to develop the entire island. 👍
This is my new favorite channel. A Brit that not only DOESN"T bash America, but can appreciate the things that the U.S. does well.
CRS That’s why I love him too!
Most of us do. There are merits to both countries.
Agree I hate the British v US where it just whines or puts down the US. I get you want to show that UK is great too but you don't have to bash the US in the process. The US is great too. Good and bad everywhere you go. I like that he just appreciates and tries to understand it all!
Most Brits who bash the US have never really been here. I speak as an ex-pat myself.
That's why I subscribed.
The auto section usually has an exterior door for pick up of large items. They also have flat carts for large items on request.
3:35 I've said for decades now that if I ever owned a grocery store, I'd have a section of British food that I'd call "The British Aisles".
We use the term "supermarket" here in America too; it's a large grocery store with a few extras, like magazines, school supplies, pharmacy.
My grocery store has all of that and I've always said grocery store. Age difference? Cultural? (I'm southern) Wal-Mart is Wal-Mart. "I'm goin' to the Wal-Mart….".
I consider stores that sell groceries plus like clothes and electronics and whatnot to be supermarkets. But I never use the name, because every time I go to one I'm specifically there for groceries (I might get some other stuff, but groceries is the main reason). So I always use the term grocery store.
And a florist.
@@jenniferh3479 yeah i never use the term supermarket. it's either grocery store. or super target/walmart/costco.
Lisa B. I can tell you putting “the” in front of something like “wal-mart” is definitely very southern. 😀
I lived in the UK for 10 years back in the 80's. There have been lots of changes since then but when I visit now, there are still a few things I notice. The shopping "trollies" are much smaller and seem to roll on all four wheels (don't know what that's called) so you could theoretically move them sideways. Also, I always forget that you're not automatically given "carrier bags" and you can usually expect to bag your own items. One thing you can get in the UK that we really love and don't see much here are the fresh packaged sandwiches, like at M&S specifically. We love those and always make a few stops just to get sandwiches. We love the fresh bread in most UK supermarkets. Much better selection than in the US.
I had no idea one of the prime tourist locations for USians in the UK is the sandwich aisle of M&S. Definitely tourist prices - £6 for a meal deal?! Daylight robbery! 😂😂😂
when I was very young my grandmother taught me something about grocery stores layouts. the "healthy" foods (meats, veggies, dairy, ect) are on the walls and go around the outside of the store. AND the "unhealthy" food were in the aisles (all the prepped foods, the chips, the candies, the box foods). This has held true throughout the years for every store I've visited.
Eggs aren’t refrigerated in the US because they don’t vaccinate the chickens against salmonella. They wash the eggs and refrigerate them. In Europe we vaccinate the chickens and then don’t wash the eggs because the moisture is a breeding ground for other bacteria.
It's very civilized that British cashiers sit at their register, while American cashiers are forced to stand all day.
Ummmm go to Aldi; the cashiers sit there.
mrmustangman1964 ...German company not American, even if they operate in the US
Agreed. I worked at grocery stores when younger - varicose veins at fifteen years of age - the floors were all tile with no mats of any kind.
In all of Europe Health and safety Laws. Require that sitting down is allowed. If it will not affect the ability to do the job.
I stood for 14 out of 16 years I cashier's terrible varicose veins major!!!
AS AMERICANS WE NEVER WANT TO FORGET THAT WE ARE BEING TAXED. We are touchy like that.
I doubt many will get your Tea Party humor. Nice!
I like to compare and contrast when I visit other states. Like, I believe that they tax food in Pennsylvania. Not in Ohio (except "dine-in" tax in a restaurant). Aside from that, only ever been in Canada (still banned until 2022, don't ask).
Yes, our government will never let us forget we're being taxed. They love to throw that in our faces. Also the whole 1.99 or BS instead of rounding up. Then you hear on a commercial "its less than $2"...yeah by a fucking penny, which isn't a lie, but it's bullshit...who the hell carries pennies anymore? I rarely carry cash, and when I do I put my change in a jar and when its full I bring it to a coinstar (and here is a tip) and use the money toward Amazon because coinstar doesn't take a percentage of the money. If you didn't know this...you're welcome.
And now we drink coffee
Hellcat M You know, pennies are worth more for their metal than the actual currency they carry.
Native Californian here. I've always gravitated towards the smaller grocery chains like Trader Joe's, Aldi, etc. Only occasionally do I venture to bigger stores when these stores don't carry what I'm looking for. I find that the amount of options to weigh at a bigger grocery is nauseating. Maybe it's odd but sometimes fewer options is better; particularly it is better, when you're at a store you trust.
The bigger the store, the more nervous I get.
Some States dont have Sales Tax, so some of us are just as confused as people from the UK😂
And some states don’t charge sales tax on groceries... but do on ukuleles...
@@SuperVstech And then there's Massachusetts who has general sales tax, but no sales tax on clothing or non-prepared food.
One must be careful with “Dove” here in the USA, as it is both a brand name of beauty care products (soaps, body washes, shampoos, etc.), a brand name of chocolates, and an ice cream brand!
Indeed, one tastes good and the other does not. ;-)
Then there's also the bird
it's all the same company.
@@Cole-ek7fh
Dove chocolate is owned and produced by Mars while Dove soap is owned and produced by Unilever. The birds are owned and produced by each other.
I always hear people say “dove chocolate “
The US used to have Mars bars but they were discontinued in 2002, there's a whole wikipedia article covering the history of it. Those of us old enough to remember the original Mars bars are still angry about it.
OldMan_PJ yes, Mars bars were the best!
Mars Bars were delicious
Yes. With "an almond in every bite" as it said on the wrapper. Six whole almonds as I recall. Then they went to almond pieces, then nothing. NOTHING! Whoever's responsible for this ought to be shot.
@@ogivecrush Only American Mars bars had Almonds. Apparently the rest of the world's Mars bar is the same as your Milky Way (nougat & caramel), and the rest of the world's milky Way is 3 musketeers in the USA. In the UK Snickers used to be Marathon.
Go to World Market, they have them!
*Layout* - US groceries are laid out to circulate the shopper through as many sections as possible to encourage impulse buying. *Size* - Walmart and other large stores is recent entries into groceries - it is a high volume product they require, it attracts traffic to the rest of the store, bonus because retail volume in general is declining but they still have to fill the same space. *Sales Tax* - applied at register to encourage purchase, and because some entities are exempt from paying sales tax on some items. *Brands* - even more surprising is the same item, but tastes extremely different, most noticeable with some sodas like Mountain Dew and Sprite.
You are aware that the layout that you just described isn’t just an American thing, right?
Most 1st world countries do that as well.
@opia704 You're manufacturing something to comment on, I never claimed it was unique only to the US. _You are aware_ that the video noted these as different from his home country. _You are aware_ I ended with a contrast between the US and other countries, expanding on the differences.
I've got a bachelor's degree in sociology and I was obsessed with the layout of US grocery stores and how psychological it is 😀, then I moved to Europe and I was like, Czech, German, Polish, it's the same all over the world 👌
Even within the US, product naming varies regionally. Hellmann's vs Best Foods, Edy's vs Dryers, Hardee's vs Carl's Jr.
McCormick vs. Schilling
Yep, this was confusing when I moved from the midwest to the west coast. Also some brands are only available regionally.
Also, I noticed he mentioned Kroger, which is a regional (and the original) name for a grocery store chain that started in the Midwest (Where he is). Here, where I live (AZ) the store is called Fry's Food. It has several other names throughout the U.S.
@@kathyl6677 Can confirm. Pacific Northwest has Fred Meyer and QFC (“Quality Food Centers”), both of which are owned by Kroger. Never seen a grocery store or supermarket just called “Kroger” in either half of the state.
In the Chicago area Kroger is called Mariano's, but outside of Chicago but still in Illinois it's called Kroger.
In the US most grocers have spent a lot on determining the best layout to separate you from your money. Eggs, in the US, are usually in the dairy dept because they need to be kept cold (unlike England) due to how eggs are processed in the US. Also, Walmart is not really a grocery store.
so true...its primary function is selling all that other stuff they carry...the food is an add on....but it is pretty successful. Me I am not interested in buying any groceries there because in my area of the country...ten miles is too far to go to buy groceries. Probably not true everywhere....but I prefer the local grocery stores nonetheless.
Walmart absolutely is a grocery store. More than half the Walmart's revenue comes from the grocery side of the building. Side bit of related trivia: the best selling item in the company is bananas.
Tax being added to price tags is something we need to adopt!
Each state would have to do it as taxes vary from place to place.
@@treetopjones737 where I live there are multiple sale tax rates within the same municipality, usually with higher tax rates where the shopping centers are. Every weekly store flyer would have to be personalized for each store's tax rate, and that would create a marketing nightmare.
@@angiebee2225 same in Chicago. Higher sales tax in the city center where tourists are, slightly lower in the neighborhoods where locals live/shop
I worked for a grocery store from 86 to 92 when I was a teenager here in the US. One difference that struck me odd when in was the UK from 97 to 2000 was the cashiers at Tesco (anyway) were all sitting on stools where in the US they stand up. Not only that but you had to bag your own groceries. No worries on bagging groceries myself because I did it for quite some years.
All that is starting to become obsolete today with the multiple self checkouts stores are installing which I actually prefer.
I wish someone made Worcestershire flavored potato chips in the US and sold Cadbury eggs year round. I have to improvise and pour Worcestershire sauce on my potatoe chips and buy a shitload of Cadbury eggs around Easter.
In the UK Cadbury's creme eggs are only sold from January to May
The cashiers at Aldi in the U.S. sit down. Not only do you have to bag them yourself, you have to pay for bags. And finally they are starting to get self-checkout.
I prefer bagging my own groceries because I know how to do it correctly (thanks to my dad who was a super market manager). It's not that hard. Bag cold items together. Bag the cleaners separate.
That sounds delicious. I just happen to have both chips and Worcestershire handy and need a snack. Thank you for this great idea !!! That will be my salt content for the week ! Lol
Not Worcestershire, but Utz makes a great crab ( old bay seasoning mainly) and a great fried pickle potato chip.
eggs - the laws are different - most of the rest of the world - eggs are just as they are with the natural protection. In the US eggs MUST be washed and a downside is that the natural protection is removed and this requires refrigeration.
upsides of washing include:
* removing all the chicken shit
* longer shelf life than in countries that don't wash and refrigerate
that last one is particularly important for americans who eat eggs but don't live anywhere near any of the farms that produce them. each and every little european country has its own egg farmers, but many american states don't, so eggs need to travel long distances.
@@sirmoonslosthismind , actually, washing the egg shortens the shelf life of eggs.
@@sirmoonslosthismind US eggs are far more likely to be contaminated and must be refrigerated, they don't last as long either. Our food safety standards are much lower than the EU. Food recalls are more common in the US. We are also way more lax with the use of perspectives and use of sugar. In fact many US breads have too much sugar to qualify as bread. Same is true of use of preservatives.
Auto part section has its own entrance/exit
@Annistar Usually has its own checkout. When I was a kid, my parents insisted using the automotive checkout even if we didn't use buy any auto stuff just cause there usually wasn't checkout lines there lol
Me and my British husband love your channel, Lawrence 😄. He teases me constantly on my Americanisms, and I tease him on his British stuffiness and accent. At any rate we love each other incessantly, and also love your channel.
“Once you get to the till/cash register, there’s another chief difference between our 2 countries: Sales Tax.”
*laughs in Oregon*
I've lived in Oregon all my life since the 60s. Never had to pay sales tax. Never had to put gas in my own car.
*laughs in montana*
Sales tax is calculated differently state to state. The amount charged as well as what it is charged on. In PA necessary items aren't taxed. What is considered necessary could be up for debate. The some states don't have sales tax but their state income tax is high.
*cries in Maine*
We have sales tax in Oregon now. Have had since measures 66 and 67 were passed. It’s just levied on the store which is why everything suddenly doubled in price.
Maybe having some staples delivered every once in a while might be cool. But I thank having you groceries delivered is a good way to fall into a rut. I absolutely love going grocery shopping. Just looking at products on the shelves gives me great meal ideas I would have never thought of otherwise.
Also it's a bit of a social exercise. Almost everytime I go, I meet ppl I haven't seen in a while. It also gets me out of the house, dressed to look like I belong to the human race and an opportunity to exercise a bit in a climate controlled environment. Especially when I forget something on the other side of the store.
Having them delivered helps if you're Disabled like me, or if you have a busy work life.
Fresh fruits and vegetables are different every time I go to the store. But I live within a short walk of a grocery store and am retired so I can go every day.
Plus, you get a little bit more exercise in by walking around the grocery store vs. having it delivered.
@@lollypop2414 You also get to choose a lot more, some times I've done delivery here in the UK, when I injured my shoulder / back and couldn't lug shopping home with me. Half the time, stuff i was expecting to last a few days had the use by dates that day or the next... so I quit buying food and just bought cat food / cat litter / treats which were less likely to be screwed up. And were the heaviest items I ordered anyway. (Yes they're spoiled little fluffballs - the pair of them)
Thanks for making these episodes. I love it 😻.
Exxon was Esso in the 60's here in USA
Esso is a trading name of ExxonMobil
The name Esso comes from the initials of the Standard Oil company I believe it became Exxon in the USA to avoid confusion with other Standard Oil companies when the group split up
It was at (briefly I think) called Enco in Japan, until people pointed out that Enco was a contraction for the Japanese words meaning "Engine Damage"
I was caught off guard by the shopping carts in the UK. (At least in Tescos) All four wheels rotated in all directions, not just the front ones, so changing which way the cart was facing didn't necessarily alter it's direction of travel. You'd have to fight against the forces of inertia to change direction if you had a full load.
Checking out grocery stores is one of my favorite activities when travelling abroad! So interesting to see what others eat.
It's also fun to check out the "American" aisle (if there is one). A Tesco I visited in Cambridge was essentially filled with American junk food and condiments. If that was my introduction to American food, I understand why everyone thinks we're all obese...
Very interesting
A lot of my ESL students honestly thought Americans ate fast food for every meal. Yikes.
Ha, yes! The American section in German supermarkets have mac‘n‘cheese, squeeze cheese, marshmallows, pancake mix, peanut butter, Dr Pepper, Arizona ice tea and so on. Then there are German fake American brands covered in Stars and Stripes, with misguided products such as chocolate toaster pancakes, marshmallow ice cream, and pulled pork in a can. Bizarre!
@@lxine1868
All of those sounds delicious, besides the pulled pork in a can. That's just kinda odd.
@@susanma4899
ESL?
He is really good,..very honest and straight forward, also amusing.
Thank you for the video.
Americans have vociferously insisted that sales tax be calculated separately so that politicians can't "hide" the taxes and tax increases in the price.
Same in Canada. It used to be 7% GST + 8% PST, which would then be 15.56%, added at the register... They harmonized it and call it HST ... and it's 14.975%.
J.P. Boileau Holy smokes! It used to be 5% in Texas until Governor Anne Richards pushed a "temporary" increase in the 90's to 8.5%. It's still 8.5%.
@@ST-ov8cm Never fails does it!
@@ST-ov8cm Allowed cities (and now every little entity) to grab a sliver of the pie
And since the sales tax can differ in every political subdivision and change multiple times a year, manufacturers can just print a standard price on all packaging no matter where it will be sold.
Not every State has sales tax on food.
Many of the states that DO charge sales tax on Food,
exempt the basic foods like Milk, Bread, Meat... but not Icecream, Cheesecake, and FrozenBurritos.
The idea is poor folks dont have to pay tax on basic foods to stay alive, but fancier or prepared foods get taxed
I'm next Door to Maryland...No Food Tax. But...in VA we don't have speed trap Ticket Machines...It's an argument....Uggh.
There are a couple of states that do not have sales tax. Oregon is one of them. There are a lot of states who have sales tax and state income tax, but I don't know if there is a difference in the amount of state income tax from the states that don't have sales tax with the ones that do have sales tax. My state (Washington) does not have a state income tax.
RWBimbie frozen burritos are a staple of a lot of poor people.
Diane Thoroughman states that don’t have sales tax Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire, and Oregon. States with no income tax Alaska, Florida, Nevada, South Dakota, Texas, Washington, and Wyoming
I love your humorous take on the differences you find. But I especially love listening to how you pronounce words - it challenges me to check if I might actually have been mispronouncing a word my whole life!
LOL, when you said 'Alexa' while I was watching this it set it going! Got a chuckle out of it!
Just wait until he hears about Hellman's vs Best Foods and Hardee's vs Carl's Jr. lol
And there used to be Big Boy restaurants. Here in NC they were Shoney's and in Texas they were Kip's.
Or Carl's Jr's Green Burrito Co!!
Fry's Food and Drug VS Kroger or Fry's Food and Drug VS Fry's Electronics.
Edy's vs Dreyer.
That Big Boy thing was because they sold franchises for certain regions, and you couldn’t expand outside of your region. When a lot of franchisees decided that they wanted to do just that, into some other Big Boy’s territory, they changed their names.
There's a reason why the VAT is included in the price. It's so much higher in Europe. If we went to check out and saw a 15 or 20 percent sales tax, it would make our heads explode and we'd be looking to find ways to lower it.
That's what I figured. Thanks for the info on the percentage. Then there's gasoline tax in all of Europe...
Also, the VAT taxes in Europe are nationwide taxes and so uniform prices can be posted. The U.S. doesn't have any national VAT or sales tax--they exist in almost all U.S. jurisdictions, but they are entirely levied by state and local governments. That means that in many U.S. metropolitan areas the sales tax can vary quite a bit just based on governmental boundaries that don't really relate to how retail supply chains function.
Also many states dont have sales tax ... and in WA state, any liquor over ... 40%? I think ... percent alcohol is taxed at 20.5% in addition to 8.9% sales tax ... so yeah ... that scotch I like runs me 129.4% the cost on the label. Ouch. Chuck it in the harbor indeed.
Jason Roos Only two states don’t have sales tax-Delaware and Oregon 😊
@@CsillanRose And Alaska, Montana, and New Hampshire.
I was in a Waitrose and seem to recall that cash registers were at two entrances. Also, all of the coffee was instant. US grocery stores have lots of coffee, whole bean, ground, and instant.
I'm sure you'd be blown away as are people from other states going into our local Frys/Kroger supermarkets. My wife's cousin from Missouri lost her mind to see a wine and craft beer bar with a seating area in the store. I see it as a nice break from boring grocery shopping unless the kiddies are with you.
When we first moved to England, it took me a month to find the eggs. Other expats had given us so much useful advise, but they neglected to mention that eggs weren't refrigerated!
In the US commercially sold eggs have to be washed, which destroys their natural protection. My aunt used to get her eggs from a neighbor who had chickens, and she kept them in a bowl on a sideboard.
I actually love visiting grocery stores when I’m in other countries.
Sales tax is different in all states! Massachusetts does not tax food, but cloths and other stuff is taxed. And Walmart will put the tire on for you, you just have to drive to the back of the store
I didn’t shop in the UK, but I did shop in Ireland. The two biggest differences were their shopping carts. All four wheels pivoted not just the rear as in the USA. As a result the carts tended to go a little more randomly. Their bread was sold in unwrapped loaves. Unsliced. They had a slicing machine for you to use. Also, oddly in Puerto Vallarta Mexico, a supermarket I was in had motorcycles and tires for sale next to the produce department.
When I went to Australia. They had a section for mustards, and the normal yellow mustard, was "American mustard". I died in that store right there.
Well, they’re really right! What is more American than French’s Yellow Mustard!
@@samiam619 I mean. I have like five types of mustard in my fridge as I'm typing this. But how is that American? Is there not yellow mustard anywhere else?
Basic yellow mustard is quite American as in North American. French's mustard seeds are grown in Canada and the condiment is manufactured in the US.
@@Luridmoirai Fun fact: Most of the mustard seeds in the world are grown in Canada.
American-style mustard is much milder than varieties from other countries. Take Colman's English Mustard, for example. It's a similar color and consistency but it is much stronger. English mustard would be quite the surprise if you were expecting American mustard. A friend of mine tried Colman's and called it "yellow wasabi."
NYChas a “ green grocer”, “ bodegas” etc . Most groceries stores are supermarkets so most Americans use the terms interchangeably.
As U.S. folk, we visited two friends in England and went to Sainsbury to stock up. We thought we'd fill up a cart (trolley) for the household, buying as we would here for the next 2 weeks. Three days later I noted the milk turned as well as the bread being stale. We didn't realize the shorter expiration dates and had to apologize to our hosts for wastefully buying so much food. Our English hosts were too polite to say anything and one candidly said, "We just thought Americans had huge appetites." :D
No sales tax in our state of Delaware so it throws us off too when we go out of state.
I used to work in a grocery store here in the USA. The checkout line was where people stood. The checkers were the people ringing up the groceries. The till was a certain part in a cash register where the money was.
ASDA sounds like some sort of terrible legislation.
It stands for associated dairies
@@chrisward8323 And Tesco was named after the owner's wife, Tess Cohen.
@@ChrisPage68 thanks for that one, i never knew that!!
@@ChrisPage68 No actually Tesco got its name from Thomas Edward Stockwell who supplied Cohen with tea added together with the first two letters of his surname. Cohen's motto was pile it high and sell it cheap
@@johnlewis9158 yes and they have started using that name on a few items eg their copy of Weetabix
When I was younger my siblings and I had this game where we would try to count the exact amount Mom would have to pay at the cash register because of sales tax. (We were doing the math in our heads) Mom would promise to give $5 to whoever got the closest to the amount... which wasn't fair because she was competing with us and she usually got the answer. The game was really interesting when more then 10 items were added to the cart. I know it was a way to keep us occupied and not adding more to the cart.... actually now that I think about it... that game is completely EVIL. She was keeping us from adding things to the cart, keeping us occupied with a game we couldn't win, keeping us from wandering off (because if you miss something being added you don't have first hand knowledge of how much an item was... siblings can be horrible lairs when money is on the line), the game forces us to use MATH in our heads, and in the end she takes the prize!!!
Okay, I think I had a meltdown mid-paragraph. That felt like discovering Santa Claus isn't real. I'm going to call my mother and inform her that she's evil.
Your mom is genius! That really is a great game, if you're not the kids lol n I'm not the kids so 🤯.
imma do this when I have kids. thats brilliant.
I bet you are all very good at math now, as a direct result. So your mom was doing you all a favor.
Doing math in your head is a great life skill.
That’s genius! 🤩
@@elincarleklev4947 Maybe Evil genius.... proof: adding last minute coupons...
I recently found your UA-cam channel, and I absolutely ❤️ LOVE ❤️ watching you!
Lidl’s and Aldi’s are really taking off in my area (mid-Atlantic/Delaware, Maryland) and I absolutely LOVE them for many of the same reasons that these types of grocery stores are so popular in Europe. Oh plus, in Delaware (where I am originally from), there is no sales tax so it throws me off when in other states as well.
The only Aldi I have every been in smelled off and had no rhyme or reason to the way it was laid out. I understand this is not normal, but I have a really hard time not thinking of it as another dollar store.
Lol, actually the brand thing happens across the US too. Dryer's Icecream is Eddys on the east coast etc.
Happens with restaurant and store names too. It's pretty weird.
And Hellmann's mayo becomes Best Foods west of the Rockies.
Yep. Hardee's in the East is Carl's Jr in the West.
@@bobbob2932 It's due to corporate expansion. One regional chain expands into another market by buying the (very similar) competition. They streamline the logistics on the back end, but they don't want to toss out the established brand recognition. Keeping the name above the door minimizes disruption in the new market.
Kroger (east) and Food 4 Less (west)
Just within the US itself there are brand name defences too. Like Dreyer's ice cream vs Edy's or Carl's Jr vs Hardees. What you call Kroger is Fredmeyer where I live.
Carl's Jr. and Hardee's are owned by the same company but they aren't exactly the same.
Albertsons/ Safeway
Leon Carpenter Safeway/Vons
Also national brands vs. store brand like lays potato chips vs Walmart's "Great Value" brand" which is usually cheaper
Also mayonnaise, "Best Foods" in the west and "Hellmans" in the east.
You are so very entertaining you put big giggles in my life thank you so much keep it up we are watching
When I first moved to the States from Canada I was looking for icing sugar and couldn’t find it. Here’s it called powder sugar and what really threw me was the 10x, 20x. You can get digestive cookies here both in NC & SC Harris Teeter grocery stores. The Walmart’s here you can get digestives, All Dressed chips as well as Ketchup chips.
In Mexico Lays is Sabritas. Same font and logo.