It took a global pandemic for the human race to need a reminder on grocery shopping etiquette once again.
The new coronavirus disrupted many lives already that the world doesn’t need us to go around and unsettle anything. Now more than ever, it is important that we know how to go through this without losing our humanity.
Here’s a guide to good grocery shopping etiquette amid the COVID-19 crisis.
1. Make a shopping list of what you need
This will limit the time you will be spending inside the grocery store and help you shop enough for what you need only.
2. Wipe down shopping carts with sanitizer
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the new coronavirus can stay up to three days on plastic and stainless steel. And at this point, you already know that you can acquire the virus by touching contaminated objects. So, wipe down the handrail of the cart with tissue and sanitizer. Or alcohol, whichever is available.
You can never be too careful.
3. DO! NOT! HOARD! SUPPLIES!
Buying basic home necessities is okay. Stocking up food for your family is okay. But do you know what’s not okay? Being inconsiderate and hoarding supplies. According to experts, anything beyond a two-week supply is considered hoarding.
We get it. You’re just preparing for an extended homestay. The lockdown causes too much uncertainty. And most importantly, you’re afraid of getting hungry.
But excessive stockpiling puts others, especially the most vulnerable, at risk. (Not to mention the massive supply chain problems that butterfly effects because of it.)
4. Be patient while on the queue
Aside from bringing tissue and alcohol, one thing you should be taking with you when you go grocery shopping is a whole lot of patience. The streets are empty because everyone seems to be inside the grocery stores.
There are no off-peak times anymore.
5. Choose digital payment options instead
One of the most hygienic solutions invented because of technology are the digital payment options available right now. With just a few clicks and taps, or even a QR Code scan, you get to settle transactions without going through your paper bills and coins.
Sodexo, for one, has digital solutions like the Sodexo Mobile Pass that allows users to pay for goods using their mobile phones. Ultimately, it’s the digital version of the most popular gift certificate in the country, the Premium Pass. It can be used in partner merchants like SM Supermarket, SM Hypermarket, SaveMore, and Rustan’s Supermarket, to name a few. You may check the complete list of merchants here.
(And while we are at it, let’s not forget to disinfect our phones, too.)
6. Treat cashiers and crew with kindness
If we are not health professionals, government workers, or front liners, the least we can do right now is be kind to each other.
Thank them for their service. It goes a long way.
