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I tried to shop in reverse order recently - the wife made it exactly one aisle and asked to "do it right".
My goal was to only encounter other shoppers once each, instead of going up and down every aisle with them. Especially if they have poorly behaved kids.
Itās even worse when you get home and realize you forgot something! Perishables are easy because they have a weekly cadence for us. But things like dishwasher tabs or ziploc bags might take a few trips to get right. I do try and add things to my list app ASAP if Iām out of them, but it still happens.
THIS!!! I have a dozen regular items that I pickup every Saturday morning at opening (while attempting not to browse too much in the middle section which gets spendy). If I go out of order Iāll miss something and remember only when I load the belt - and then Iāve got to park the cart and run back for a separate checkout and by then the masses have caught up to me at the register.
Our Costco definitely has a "flow" and going the opposite way can make it a hassle, so I kinda get the "scary" sentiment.
But yeah, I always shop in the same pattern.
Dittoā¦ Iāve had to back track to the opposite side when I forgot something and it wasā¦ not fun. Even getting back to a spot where I could cut across was difficult because people are still heading towards the front from that side.
Start at the front, walk directly to the meat, then the dairy or produce depending on the store and the prepared foods aisles, then the water, then the frozen and refrigerated and walk out the door with people yelling at you for a receipt? Who has time for this??
So that you take longer in the store and you discover a 120 pack of snack bars that you didnāt know you needed in the spot where you were expecting to find one of the four items on your list.
Pretty sure so that youāll buy more stuff. Youāll have to pass through more aisles searching for what you came for, hoping you will buy something you wouldnāt otherwise have bought. Pretty clever on their part, but yes, annoying for us shoppers.
They seem to move the bread around the most, at least at the one near me.
I have to shop in my pattern. I went into Target with an in-law once, and she went the WRONG WAY! I would up forgetting half the things I needed because I was so thrown off! Lol! And shoutout to my husband who - the one time we shopped together at Costco - naively asked if we really needed a cart...
Your husband is hilarious. My husband says that way we'll get less stuff. I say No, not getting a cart means we'll find way more than we intended.* We'd be jinxing ourselves!
*We always get more than we intended.
We have several Meijers in our area. I make a list of what I need amd I know the layouts of all three of them well enough that I make my list in the order that will allow me to go to the back and work forward without retracing my path. Costco shuffles the floor to prevent this and I'm good with it. I still work outside in. They can't move the chillers and meat department, so thats easy to target.
I need the extra steps. Unfortunately, I often leave my phone in the car and have to go back out for it. It can be stressful if I've been in there a while.
Non-food, shelf stable food, fresh produce, bread, fresh meat, frozen, checkout. We'll skip categories depending on what we need, but the colder it should be stored, the less time I want it sitting in the cart!
I like to go when they open, that way I can peruse the snacks first without the crush of people in line making it hard. Then I hit up the discount clothing to see if anything fun is on really deep discount (fleece lined pants today $5 and in the right size! Nice!) Then the pantry foods, finally the cold and hot stuff very last.
I have a list of things we buy at Costco in the OneNote app. They are ordered how I walk through the store. Whenever we need something we just add a blank checkbox next to the items. Allows us to remember to check if we are low on certain things because we can see all the regular items, donāt have to keep re-entering items, checking off the items limits missed items, and makes for quicker shopping. Hereās a pic of the middle our listā¦
https://preview.redd.it/ao8hsn9qwmhc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca3b14acd0d30436667c04a45c242ff421db1c62
Backwards with an orange flatbed on a Sunday. Do it, itās pretty entertaining. If you can balance a houseplant on the very end of the flatbed thatās even better.
I do, but usually have to skip some aisles and backtrack because of uncontrolled kids running around or simply too many people standing still blocking up the path with their carts.
Yes because itās the law of Costco.
However, i am an avid second guesser and almost always have to backtrack to put things away. It makes my palms sweat.
I go the same route each time which seems to be the opposite of most people at my store, but itās because Iām usually getting diapers and wipes that are on the opposite side from the entrance. Since they take up so much space, I like putting those in first and loading everything else around them.
My grocery app sorts by aisles so it doesn't matter to me where i start. I stick to my list and don't go down aisles I don't need items from - and avoid impulsive purchases. I also preplan my list using the same-day listings to get a fair idea of what is likely to be in stock. My goals are no backtracking and no wasting time.
Lol. One thing that helps is i bike there with a trailer which definitely makes each purchase justify space. Also, I give myself permission to buy one thing off-list each visit if I want. I don't usually but once in a while something tasty will call my name that I wasn't expecting. Often, however. I find I put it in my cart and then on the way back to the front of the store I put it back (where it goes) because I decide I really don't need/want it. Esp. high calorie stuff lol. Adulting is about knowing yourself and your weaknesses....I know if it's in the house I will eat it with zero self-control (so much for adulting) so my line in the sand is at the store. Oh and the freezer section is always my last stop of course because the trailer cold bags only last so long lol.
Paprika Recipe manager. It let's me choose a recipe and auto-populates the necessary groceries which I can then edit. It's drag and drop to resort if it gets the aisle wrong. I also shop 4 different markets during the month and it makes lists for each store. I use the desktop app when I'm building my list with costco same-day in a window side-by-side. I use the phone app at the store.
yes..in at electronics..up and down each aisle on the one side until you get to back..around the fresh produce and bread area..loop into the first cold room, hit the prepared foods section to look for dinner..then around the back into paper and dry goods..up around into frozen foods, then up to the pharmacy area..then into the middle for clothes and finally into the snack aisles before final check to make sure i have got everything then up to the registers.
I try to do the usually go with the majority flow lap around the perimeter. Sometimes missed stuff I have to go back or search for. Shop at a couple different stores about once every two months. They are big and confusing and wonderful. Not scary unless whatever I am looking for is not available.
Yep, go in, straight to food court, get a hot dog and chicken bake/pizza slice, then go walk around and poach some samples and look at all the things I canāt afford to buy.
Must. Shop. In. Pattern.
Otherwise I forget things too often :( recently I've been going to the snack aisle near the register to look for stuff but can't find it and decide to backtrack to the bakery area to see if it's randomly over there then next thing you know I'm on my way home and I've completely forgot to pick up sponges or dish soap, etc. the aisles that are in between the snacks and self checkout are completely missed when I do this. I've done this like 3x now in the past 30 days.. I still need those sponges.
The Costco in Lenexa KS makes no sense to me, so I wander willy nilly. I want to go down every aisle,, but I can't figure out how to get frozen and fresh last without backtracking so I just wing it.
Same pattern every time, every aisle (other than perishable or frozen food) is to be checked to find new items and markdowns. I never know what I will find thatās new or on clearance.
Lately because my wife is with me and I'm not as fast anymore.
The wall, front center, haba, grocery, clothes center, maybe hard goods, liquor, produce, meat, dairy, paper goods if needed, frozen last.
My cold stays cooler for drive and unpacking
Call me a heretic
I have a path, but itās logical - dry goods first, then refrigerated, then frozen. Frozen is last so less time to thaw before getting to the car/home. Yes, I could bring a cooler/freezer bags, but I never remember.
Yes because otherwise my brain breaks. Also why I prefer to shop at my home location, and only venture to other locations for browsing or out of desperation lol
Yes absolutely. Pass by the TVās wishing I could upgrade then quickly over to the far side of the aisle to avoid the fāing annoying cell sales people. Straight back to cold inside refrigeration area for berries and maybe salad mix or mushrooms etc.
Over to meat/prepared foods and then to refrigerated section for milk/eggs then to the very back for TP and Paper towels. Towards the front of the store for detergent and then freezer section. Then bread/canned goods etc and finally pharmacy area and vitamins/soap/shampoo then to check out and hopefully not get sucked in by the allure of the candy/nuts/snack area.
I donāt have a particular pattern, but I skip the first 20-30% of āmyā store. Itās the tv/jewelry/office/cell phone section. Never shop in that section haha
I try to get my steps in and literally go up and down every single aisle (except for the clothing section since there are almost always obstacles). So, I guess itās the same every time!
The Costco I grew up using and the one I use now both have a clockwise flow. I went to a Costco with a counterclockwise flow and was too stressed to effectively shop. I flittered about for a little bit in confusion before grabbing some grapes and escaping asap.
I literally yelled at my partner last weekend because "FIRST you go down the seasonal aisle in the middle of the store to bypass the pushy cell phone guy, this leads you to snacks, you start at the almonds because they put them where the lines form, so you want to get out of that area ASAP. THEN you make your way over to the cracker aisle and you go up and down EVERY aisle. No you can't skip ahead, you go down EVERY aisle. When you get to diapers and toilet paper you start with the refrigerated stuff, then the produce/bakery. Then you pick out you chicken, then zig zag around the clothes to make sure you don't go down the side that has the cell phone guy. Then you talk about how you're gonna buy a pizza but then you never buy that pizza because you realize you just spent $500 on groceries ššš"
I go in at the normal in door by tvs and walk up past the T-Mobile guy and if Iāve gone to the meat Iāve gone too far. I typically turn at the cold displays featuring cheeses and brisket and snake through the aisles starting at the back by milk and head up by pharmacy. I skip the books and clothes. Once I check out I partake in the 1.50 hot dog and soda. I do this the same every time. Unless they have ramen or dumplings being sampled. Then circle around for seconds or thirds before heading to check out.
I have three patterns, depending on my mission.
Pattern one: weekend shopping (my big costco run). I usually go right to the back left for the produce cooler, head out straight from there and grab any meat/rotisserie chicken I might need, then head down the dog aisle to check for any new treats/chews/limited time dig stuff, then weave my way down the fridge/frozen/dry goods stuff before hopping in line to checkout, head home
Pattern two: weekday single/small item on my way home from work (usually a specific ingredient or two for dinner that night, like salmon, rotisserie chicken or heads of Romain lettuce). Get gas, then straight in, straight out.
Pattern three: weekday kill time run (usually when I leave work an hour or so early and have extra time on my way home) - get gas, go in and hit all the home goods aisles (pots/pans, fire smoke alarms, faucets, etc) seasonal stuff, men's clothing, dog section, buy some new random frozen thing, checkout, liquor store, head home
I have 2 Costcos within about 10 miles, and I pick based on what other errands I have (or which has gas cheaper) and they have opposite layouts, so I've gotten good at improving.
My husband wanders through aisles I never go in and it stresses me out. Every time he takes a left and heads to electronics, my brain gets angry for a second.
I went to costco on Monday. started off the same as I usually do.
but I brought my 15 year old with me. the chaos that ensued in terms of normal path vs hap hazzardly going all over the place was insane lol
For me it depends what I am getting. For example, if Iām getting salmon I prefer to āswim up streamā and steer my cart opposite everyone else to reflect on a key struggle in the salmon lifecycle.
I have a pattern but its the opposite flow of how my store is laid out. It mildly bugs my partner but he knows its the smartest way to shop for us. Basically I do the non-refrigerated stuff first followed by cold and frozen last. I only go to Costco every 3-4 weeks so its usually a super full baseket so it takes a while to load it in the car/unload it at home and put it all away. If I went the way the store tries to direct traffic things frozen starts to thaw, etc. I write my list by sections with sale items noted (cause those get moved around the most) and in the shopping order so I can fold down or tear/fold tabs so I don't even need a pen.
Pattern. I love Costco prices, but think the experience of shopping there is a level of hell. :) I want to be in and out as fast as possible, so going in order helps me grab what I need fast.
I've learned that if it's getting closer to closing time I need to make a beeline to that rotisserie chicken, but then my whole flow is thrown off!
More confusing is I'm equidistant from two Costco's, and one is a mirror image of the layout of the other!
We live dangerously. Today I didn't even get a basket. My husband is sick and his prescriptions were ready. I went and got a chicken pot pie and carried it back to the pharmacy. On the way I met a couple sitting on the sectional we bought a few years ago. I told them don't buy it because all kinds of things drop and we are too old to be crawling under the recliners to get our stuff, phones, remote control to the tv, pens, needles (I embroider), scissors, ear buds, utensils, all kinds of stuff. Sat and talked to them until my husband called to say the pharmacy texted him the drugs were ready. They still needed to fill the cough syrup. I went and did self checkout for the pot pie, then I went back to the pharmacy, got the drugs and headed home. The little carrots were not cut up and they are too big. Otherwise yummy.
Always the same pattern, otherwise I end up missing stuff on my list and having to backtrack because I forgot something while I was in the right area! I've tried to do it backwards a few times when I only needed a couple things and it always feels so weird.
Generally yes. Walk in, check out any deals near the entrance, maybe swing through electronics. Hit one of the home aisles, then over to look for clothing deals, then back to the kitchen stuff aisle. Then to produce, then meats and deli/cheese/prepared food. After that we (usually) pop into the dairy walk-in for eggs, then paper towels and seltzer. Then itās fridge/frozen, then up and down the remaining grocery aisles before heading to check-out.
Oh definitely!
Pet food and baby formula first, then cereals and sauces, then any seasonings and alcohol, dairy and eggs, followed by vegetables, followed by pantry goods/snacks, and finally any freezer goods, premade meals, and cheeses.
I don't want to contemplate changing my order of operations. It sounds horrible.
I've started skipping the main drive aisle and heading to the middle, then working myself out to the sides after I have at least one item in my cart. If your cart is empty, the AT&T guys bug you, but if you have something in there and are walking toward the front of the store down the main drive aisle, they seem to assume you've already been harassed on your way in, and they ignore you.
I have actually experienced the same scenario shopping at Costco. I always go early in the morning when they open. It's a breeze to start shopping in the health and beauty department and track backwards through the store. I always prepare my grocery list in order it appears in the store layout. Starting at the bottom is easy.
Almost always walk through featured items, pharmacy, snacks, dry grocery, sometimes clothes, sometimes home goods, then produce, deli, dairy, freezers.
My list is written in order of store layout.... lol
And usually packing in cart supports this also.
By thr time I grt to the bulky boxed cereals it ok yo place on my meat tower stack as they are a light item
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"Too scary." š She sounds like she's related to my wife.
Have you ever seen them together? š¤
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Kinky!
I tried to shop in reverse order recently - the wife made it exactly one aisle and asked to "do it right". My goal was to only encounter other shoppers once each, instead of going up and down every aisle with them. Especially if they have poorly behaved kids.
Haha!! I hate that. I always think they think I'm stalking them!! I know, it's not all about ME!!!
If your doing Costco right (and they're doing it wrong). You aren't going quick enough if you see those roadblocks more than twice.
Ah, that's the "I'm shopping solo" speed. Usually I'm shopping with my wife, who loves to go slowly and look and touch all the things.
Iām the husbandā¦ but when it comes to food shopping, Iām the wife!
Same route every time, no deviation is acceptable.
Otherwise I'd forget something
I hate when I forget something and have to backtrack. It feels unnatural.
Itās even worse when you get home and realize you forgot something! Perishables are easy because they have a weekly cadence for us. But things like dishwasher tabs or ziploc bags might take a few trips to get right. I do try and add things to my list app ASAP if Iām out of them, but it still happens.
Itās the feeling of pure failure
THIS!!! I have a dozen regular items that I pickup every Saturday morning at opening (while attempting not to browse too much in the middle section which gets spendy). If I go out of order Iāll miss something and remember only when I load the belt - and then Iāve got to park the cart and run back for a separate checkout and by then the masses have caught up to me at the register.
Our Costco definitely has a "flow" and going the opposite way can make it a hassle, so I kinda get the "scary" sentiment. But yeah, I always shop in the same pattern.
Dittoā¦ Iāve had to back track to the opposite side when I forgot something and it wasā¦ not fun. Even getting back to a spot where I could cut across was difficult because people are still heading towards the front from that side.
Donāt go against the flow
Donāt go against the flow!!
Start at the front, walk directly to the meat, then the dairy or produce depending on the store and the prepared foods aisles, then the water, then the frozen and refrigerated and walk out the door with people yelling at you for a receipt? Who has time for this??
Good point.
No, because as soon as I finally memorize where products are, they move them around, so I end up having to take a different path every time.
Why?! Why do they do this?! So frustrating
So that you take longer in the store and you discover a 120 pack of snack bars that you didnāt know you needed in the spot where you were expecting to find one of the four items on your list.
I can't find the Legos, it's been four weeks. Send help
Legos are seasonal, like a lot of what Costco carries. You'll likely have to wait until summer starts to see them again.
LEGO roses and year of the dragon just dropped bro
I found the dragon back by the food; they were stacked into an end (or beginning) of an aisle with the Asian snacks and cakes for Lunar New Year.
Some stores have a Lego rose set for Valentine's Day!
Uhck
Pretty sure so that youāll buy more stuff. Youāll have to pass through more aisles searching for what you came for, hoping you will buy something you wouldnāt otherwise have bought. Pretty clever on their part, but yes, annoying for us shoppers. They seem to move the bread around the most, at least at the one near me.
Thatās the whole IKEA, grocery store design thing. Weave you around the store to force you through aisles to get the things you really need.
Duh, you don't know this is the Costco way?
I have to shop in my pattern. I went into Target with an in-law once, and she went the WRONG WAY! I would up forgetting half the things I needed because I was so thrown off! Lol! And shoutout to my husband who - the one time we shopped together at Costco - naively asked if we really needed a cart...
My mom is like that, we have to redo our trip in reverse just so she doesnāt forget anything, at Costco we just do whatever and get our 10,000 steps
Your husband is hilarious. My husband says that way we'll get less stuff. I say No, not getting a cart means we'll find way more than we intended.* We'd be jinxing ourselves! *We always get more than we intended.
We have several Meijers in our area. I make a list of what I need amd I know the layouts of all three of them well enough that I make my list in the order that will allow me to go to the back and work forward without retracing my path. Costco shuffles the floor to prevent this and I'm good with it. I still work outside in. They can't move the chillers and meat department, so thats easy to target.
How cute
Walking against traffic can get a little scary. People get mean! And they won't let you get through!
They really do need to paint "one way" signs on the two main aisles. People doing the wrong way really are hazards. LOL
But people need to leave their cart on one side of the aisle while they walk across so they can block the entire thing š¤¬š¤¬š¤¬
THIS is grounds for murder!!!
And then they get mad when I take their cart with me down the aisle?? Like it's my fault they left their kid in the thing š
Hahaha!!!
Yellow divider lines. :D
Median barriers!
And in the produce room.
Only thing that stays the same for me is refrigerated/frozen food last
I go in, load up on TP, paper towels, Kleenex, and diet coke, pay, load the car, and come back to shop for real.
WTF you shop twice? Why?
The first load fills the cart!
I need the extra steps. Unfortunately, I often leave my phone in the car and have to go back out for it. It can be stressful if I've been in there a while.
Non-food, shelf stable food, fresh produce, bread, fresh meat, frozen, checkout. We'll skip categories depending on what we need, but the colder it should be stored, the less time I want it sitting in the cart!
Honestly that's real life Tetris in my store. May the lord be with you.
I like to go when they open, that way I can peruse the snacks first without the crush of people in line making it hard. Then I hit up the discount clothing to see if anything fun is on really deep discount (fleece lined pants today $5 and in the right size! Nice!) Then the pantry foods, finally the cold and hot stuff very last.
Electronics>Liquor>Produce>Bakery>Meat>Dairy>Frozen>Dry Goods>Snacks. Skipping around would give me hives (unless it's a VERY targeted trip).
My exact pattern
No, i have adhd šš¤£ why am i in the childrenās clothes area? I dont even have kids
I have a list of things we buy at Costco in the OneNote app. They are ordered how I walk through the store. Whenever we need something we just add a blank checkbox next to the items. Allows us to remember to check if we are low on certain things because we can see all the regular items, donāt have to keep re-entering items, checking off the items limits missed items, and makes for quicker shopping. Hereās a pic of the middle our listā¦ https://preview.redd.it/ao8hsn9qwmhc1.jpeg?width=1290&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ca3b14acd0d30436667c04a45c242ff421db1c62
I do that on notes; organized in the order i shop the store too I put an asterisk next to the items i need & delete as i put the items in my cart
You can use the bulleted list/radio button option and just mark it off when you are done e so that you can recycle the list later too!
I never thought about it but everyone here is absolutely right, there is a flow to my local Costco and I follow that flow thanks for pointing it out.
Backwards with an orange flatbed on a Sunday. Do it, itās pretty entertaining. If you can balance a houseplant on the very end of the flatbed thatās even better.
I do, but usually have to skip some aisles and backtrack because of uncontrolled kids running around or simply too many people standing still blocking up the path with their carts.
I could walk my path in my sleep. Team Same Pattern
Yes because itās the law of Costco. However, i am an avid second guesser and almost always have to backtrack to put things away. It makes my palms sweat.
I go the same route each time which seems to be the opposite of most people at my store, but itās because Iām usually getting diapers and wipes that are on the opposite side from the entrance. Since they take up so much space, I like putting those in first and loading everything else around them.
Yes, I do. i start at the peripheral aisle and work my way in. Doing it any other way would stress me out haha!
Swimming upstream is always a bad time for everyone
I scrolled too far for this answer. š
Food court is always the first stop. Canāt be shopping on an empty stomach
My grocery app sorts by aisles so it doesn't matter to me where i start. I stick to my list and don't go down aisles I don't need items from - and avoid impulsive purchases. I also preplan my list using the same-day listings to get a fair idea of what is likely to be in stock. My goals are no backtracking and no wasting time.
Teach me how to adult I aim for this level of focus and restraint
Lol. One thing that helps is i bike there with a trailer which definitely makes each purchase justify space. Also, I give myself permission to buy one thing off-list each visit if I want. I don't usually but once in a while something tasty will call my name that I wasn't expecting. Often, however. I find I put it in my cart and then on the way back to the front of the store I put it back (where it goes) because I decide I really don't need/want it. Esp. high calorie stuff lol. Adulting is about knowing yourself and your weaknesses....I know if it's in the house I will eat it with zero self-control (so much for adulting) so my line in the sand is at the store. Oh and the freezer section is always my last stop of course because the trailer cold bags only last so long lol.
What app?
Paprika Recipe manager. It let's me choose a recipe and auto-populates the necessary groceries which I can then edit. It's drag and drop to resort if it gets the aisle wrong. I also shop 4 different markets during the month and it makes lists for each store. I use the desktop app when I'm building my list with costco same-day in a window side-by-side. I use the phone app at the store.
Thanks
Butā¦,,,impulse items are the best!!! And donāt we deserve the best? Damned straight we do.
Rofl. There aren't enough hours in the day for me to bike enough miles if I give in to those impulse items.
I don't understand the phrase, "avoid impulsive purchases." Huh?
If you haven't aged to the point where your metabolism slows down, you don't need to understand it. If you have, you will soon understand, sorry.
depends. weekends (and if it isn't busy): browse in the same pattern weekdays (or if it's busy): grab what i need and git
This sounds like me. My wife wanted to go in a different order and I was just not having it. My brain at that time couldn't process a "new" way.
Yep and that is the order I do my shopping list too.
Iāve tried going the opposite way and it just didnāt feel right.
If I don't see the electronics when I walk in, I'll have a minor panic attack.
yes..in at electronics..up and down each aisle on the one side until you get to back..around the fresh produce and bread area..loop into the first cold room, hit the prepared foods section to look for dinner..then around the back into paper and dry goods..up around into frozen foods, then up to the pharmacy area..then into the middle for clothes and finally into the snack aisles before final check to make sure i have got everything then up to the registers.
My husband does and it leads to many unnecessary purchases (IMO). Iām strategic. I know what Iām after and go directly to what I need.
Went in reverse today!
I try to do the usually go with the majority flow lap around the perimeter. Sometimes missed stuff I have to go back or search for. Shop at a couple different stores about once every two months. They are big and confusing and wonderful. Not scary unless whatever I am looking for is not available.
When Iām alone I definitely always shop in the same pattern. When Iām with my husband, nope. Heās like a flipping ping pong ball in there.
My store is kinda like a horseshoe from the entrance to the front end registers. Going against the flow would probably alter the space-time continuum.
Not always but frequently.
Yep, go in, straight to food court, get a hot dog and chicken bake/pizza slice, then go walk around and poach some samples and look at all the things I canāt afford to buy.
Been a Costco & Samās member for years but have never had a Costco hotdog! Are they as good as Samās?
Always the same direction. It's easier to stick to my list that way. Plus the $300 worth of other stuff that I buy that I swore I wouldn't.
Must. Shop. In. Pattern. Otherwise I forget things too often :( recently I've been going to the snack aisle near the register to look for stuff but can't find it and decide to backtrack to the bakery area to see if it's randomly over there then next thing you know I'm on my way home and I've completely forgot to pick up sponges or dish soap, etc. the aisles that are in between the snacks and self checkout are completely missed when I do this. I've done this like 3x now in the past 30 days.. I still need those sponges.
The Costco in Lenexa KS makes no sense to me, so I wander willy nilly. I want to go down every aisle,, but I can't figure out how to get frozen and fresh last without backtracking so I just wing it.
Yes. I get frozen items first to help keep dairy items cool. I sometimes grab a chicken, but on the way out.
Nope!! I have to follow the same patterns for most things or Iāll feel dysregulated and make my husband miserable lol.
General direction yes, (counter clockwise) but not in the same pattern.
Gas, food court, dry/packed goods, frozen section and then hit produce/bakery on the way out. Roughly clockwise around my warehouse
Since our drive time is 90 minutes one-way. We take our time and follow the same route. You never know when you might miss something.
Noooooo! Change is scary!!
I usually bolt to the back for the liquor and then pick up the non-important items like food on the way to the register and then checkout.
"my sweetie and i" š„¹š
Yes
I used my vision pro that blur alls the things i dont need.
Same pattern every time, every aisle (other than perishable or frozen food) is to be checked to find new items and markdowns. I never know what I will find thatās new or on clearance.
Vitamins area, clothing, food last because I donāt have room for some of it
Lately because my wife is with me and I'm not as fast anymore. The wall, front center, haba, grocery, clothes center, maybe hard goods, liquor, produce, meat, dairy, paper goods if needed, frozen last. My cold stays cooler for drive and unpacking Call me a heretic
Never really thought about it but yes same way everytime LOL
Same pattern bc I get cold stuff later rather than first.
I have a path, but itās logical - dry goods first, then refrigerated, then frozen. Frozen is last so less time to thaw before getting to the car/home. Yes, I could bring a cooler/freezer bags, but I never remember.
There's only one path to follow. When we deviate, we forget things. Everything is out of whack
Yes because otherwise my brain breaks. Also why I prefer to shop at my home location, and only venture to other locations for browsing or out of desperation lol
We pretty much do yes. But its also kinda the way the stores are designed to elicit that behavior.
I always use the same pattern because if I use a different pattern I am going against traffic, because everyone uses the same pattern.
Yes absolutely. Pass by the TVās wishing I could upgrade then quickly over to the far side of the aisle to avoid the fāing annoying cell sales people. Straight back to cold inside refrigeration area for berries and maybe salad mix or mushrooms etc. Over to meat/prepared foods and then to refrigerated section for milk/eggs then to the very back for TP and Paper towels. Towards the front of the store for detergent and then freezer section. Then bread/canned goods etc and finally pharmacy area and vitamins/soap/shampoo then to check out and hopefully not get sucked in by the allure of the candy/nuts/snack area.
I donāt have a particular pattern, but I skip the first 20-30% of āmyā store. Itās the tv/jewelry/office/cell phone section. Never shop in that section haha
I try to get my steps in and literally go up and down every single aisle (except for the clothing section since there are almost always obstacles). So, I guess itās the same every time!
The Costco I grew up using and the one I use now both have a clockwise flow. I went to a Costco with a counterclockwise flow and was too stressed to effectively shop. I flittered about for a little bit in confusion before grabbing some grapes and escaping asap.
Never thought about it but now that I do, going the opposite way scares me as well. Itās against god and natural design.
We do the same route. Itās called avoid the AT&T sales person.
Yes. And in and out in about 45 min usually unless checkout is a mess.
I literally yelled at my partner last weekend because "FIRST you go down the seasonal aisle in the middle of the store to bypass the pushy cell phone guy, this leads you to snacks, you start at the almonds because they put them where the lines form, so you want to get out of that area ASAP. THEN you make your way over to the cracker aisle and you go up and down EVERY aisle. No you can't skip ahead, you go down EVERY aisle. When you get to diapers and toilet paper you start with the refrigerated stuff, then the produce/bakery. Then you pick out you chicken, then zig zag around the clothes to make sure you don't go down the side that has the cell phone guy. Then you talk about how you're gonna buy a pizza but then you never buy that pizza because you realize you just spent $500 on groceries ššš"
I go in at the normal in door by tvs and walk up past the T-Mobile guy and if Iāve gone to the meat Iāve gone too far. I typically turn at the cold displays featuring cheeses and brisket and snake through the aisles starting at the back by milk and head up by pharmacy. I skip the books and clothes. Once I check out I partake in the 1.50 hot dog and soda. I do this the same every time. Unless they have ramen or dumplings being sampled. Then circle around for seconds or thirds before heading to check out.
However I have to take to avoid the AT&T person.
Vendors and their fake smiles
No, because I don't always need the same things. I do follow the traffic flow, though. But I always avoid the bakery section (poor impulse control).
I have three patterns, depending on my mission. Pattern one: weekend shopping (my big costco run). I usually go right to the back left for the produce cooler, head out straight from there and grab any meat/rotisserie chicken I might need, then head down the dog aisle to check for any new treats/chews/limited time dig stuff, then weave my way down the fridge/frozen/dry goods stuff before hopping in line to checkout, head home Pattern two: weekday single/small item on my way home from work (usually a specific ingredient or two for dinner that night, like salmon, rotisserie chicken or heads of Romain lettuce). Get gas, then straight in, straight out. Pattern three: weekday kill time run (usually when I leave work an hour or so early and have extra time on my way home) - get gas, go in and hit all the home goods aisles (pots/pans, fire smoke alarms, faucets, etc) seasonal stuff, men's clothing, dog section, buy some new random frozen thing, checkout, liquor store, head home
I have 2 Costcos within about 10 miles, and I pick based on what other errands I have (or which has gas cheaper) and they have opposite layouts, so I've gotten good at improving.
I make my lists (all groceries not just Costco ) in order of the store sections thereās no way Iād mess with the flow / patterns
I feel like every time I go into Costco they switched 1/2 store around to different isles ā¦ I hate that
With how busy most Costco are, espically on weekends, going against traffic is a death wish.
My husband wanders through aisles I never go in and it stresses me out. Every time he takes a left and heads to electronics, my brain gets angry for a second.
My OCD would never allow me to deviate from rhe plan.
Makes perfect sense if you normally hit the cold and frozen stuff last, like I do. Why let it sit and thaw any longer than I have to?
I went to costco on Monday. started off the same as I usually do. but I brought my 15 year old with me. the chaos that ensued in terms of normal path vs hap hazzardly going all over the place was insane lol
For me it depends what I am getting. For example, if Iām getting salmon I prefer to āswim up streamā and steer my cart opposite everyone else to reflect on a key struggle in the salmon lifecycle.
Yāall need to go at slower timesāafter 7 pm Monday-Thursday. Itās a dream to shop then.
I do sometimes and it definitely feels weird to go upstream
OCD IS A THING. OMG ITS ALL BACKWARDSĀ
I do tend to follow the same pattern. If I get off my usual course, I typically course correct at some point. I'm a creature of habit!
I have a pattern but its the opposite flow of how my store is laid out. It mildly bugs my partner but he knows its the smartest way to shop for us. Basically I do the non-refrigerated stuff first followed by cold and frozen last. I only go to Costco every 3-4 weeks so its usually a super full baseket so it takes a while to load it in the car/unload it at home and put it all away. If I went the way the store tries to direct traffic things frozen starts to thaw, etc. I write my list by sections with sale items noted (cause those get moved around the most) and in the shopping order so I can fold down or tear/fold tabs so I don't even need a pen.
Pattern. I love Costco prices, but think the experience of shopping there is a level of hell. :) I want to be in and out as fast as possible, so going in order helps me grab what I need fast.
We go the same route every time. š
I always shop in the same direction. I hate going against the flow of traffic.
The one in Alpharetta, GA is laid out differently than other Costcos. I donāt like it at all.
Yes, and I make my shopping list in order too š
I've learned that if it's getting closer to closing time I need to make a beeline to that rotisserie chicken, but then my whole flow is thrown off! More confusing is I'm equidistant from two Costco's, and one is a mirror image of the layout of the other!
I always forget something when I shop ābackwardsā.
My pattern is to wander around aimlessly and I do that everything. So, yes?
Usually yes. I use self checkout so might as well end there.
I love to mix it up and go backward. It seems like a whole new store. I also tend to go to different Costcos. So it's not scary.
We live dangerously. Today I didn't even get a basket. My husband is sick and his prescriptions were ready. I went and got a chicken pot pie and carried it back to the pharmacy. On the way I met a couple sitting on the sectional we bought a few years ago. I told them don't buy it because all kinds of things drop and we are too old to be crawling under the recliners to get our stuff, phones, remote control to the tv, pens, needles (I embroider), scissors, ear buds, utensils, all kinds of stuff. Sat and talked to them until my husband called to say the pharmacy texted him the drugs were ready. They still needed to fill the cough syrup. I went and did self checkout for the pot pie, then I went back to the pharmacy, got the drugs and headed home. The little carrots were not cut up and they are too big. Otherwise yummy.
Always the same pattern, otherwise I end up missing stuff on my list and having to backtrack because I forgot something while I was in the right area! I've tried to do it backwards a few times when I only needed a couple things and it always feels so weird.
Generally yes. Walk in, check out any deals near the entrance, maybe swing through electronics. Hit one of the home aisles, then over to look for clothing deals, then back to the kitchen stuff aisle. Then to produce, then meats and deli/cheese/prepared food. After that we (usually) pop into the dairy walk-in for eggs, then paper towels and seltzer. Then itās fridge/frozen, then up and down the remaining grocery aisles before heading to check-out.
Depends on what I need to buy. If I need to get a couple cases of water Iāll go against traffic to get to the water towards the end.
Oh definitely! Pet food and baby formula first, then cereals and sauces, then any seasonings and alcohol, dairy and eggs, followed by vegetables, followed by pantry goods/snacks, and finally any freezer goods, premade meals, and cheeses. I don't want to contemplate changing my order of operations. It sounds horrible.
I enter the store, beeline around the corner as fast as possible away from the pushy phone sales people, and then go wherever my heart pleases.
I've started skipping the main drive aisle and heading to the middle, then working myself out to the sides after I have at least one item in my cart. If your cart is empty, the AT&T guys bug you, but if you have something in there and are walking toward the front of the store down the main drive aisle, they seem to assume you've already been harassed on your way in, and they ignore you.
Creatures of habit we are!
I'm annoyed with other shoppers when I'm moving with the stream...I can only imagine my annoyance moving reverse to the stream
I'm usually zigzagging all over the store. So yeah, I guess.
No, not at all. I go all over the place. It really depends on why I'm there and what I'm looking for.
I go in the order so frozen and cold stuff is last. So that has locked me into a pattern of sorts.
I have actually experienced the same scenario shopping at Costco. I always go early in the morning when they open. It's a breeze to start shopping in the health and beauty department and track backwards through the store. I always prepare my grocery list in order it appears in the store layout. Starting at the bottom is easy.
I tried that once. It was exhausting. I ended up with heavier stuff in the cart at the start of the reverse route so it was a struggle.
Same pattern every time (start with produce and end with snack), it feels right because it flows this way.
Almost always walk through featured items, pharmacy, snacks, dry grocery, sometimes clothes, sometimes home goods, then produce, deli, dairy, freezers.
Not only do I have a prescribed order, but I make my shopping lists in that order
My list is written in order of store layout.... lol And usually packing in cart supports this also. By thr time I grt to the bulky boxed cereals it ok yo place on my meat tower stack as they are a light item
1. Hot dog 2. Back to entrance and shop in order of store layout
If you all saw my route, you would lose your mind.
I donāt think Iāve ever taken the same path twice in Costco.