Groceries & Words

For the literacy dig my team members and I went to a local grocery store at 10 o’clock in the morning to observe how this community hot spot incorporated literacy into the business. 

I was in charge of point D: “Observing and recording vocabulary, written or spoken, that is unique to this place.”  With that being said I kept my eyes and ears open for words and or phrases that would be considered foreign to people if they had never been in a grocery store.  Literacy was everywhere in this store!  Everywhere I looked there were vocabulary words that stuck out to me.  As I walked up and down the aisles I noted phrases such as “saving spot,” which was a sale item, on certain foods that were on sale that day. 

The place where I found the most vocabulary that would be deemed as unusual to an outsider was in the bakery/deli section.  In the bakery there were phrases like “cookie cake” that might be understandable to Americans and people who shop in grocery stores, but to a foreigner, this concept might be considered weird. Is it a cookie or a cake?  At the donut bar there were four large signs instructing people to “please use tissue.”  Use a tissue for what?  For shoppers who are familiar with grocery stores we know it is to pick up donuts, but for the first time shopping that might not be clear.  They might think you use a tissue to blow your nose.  Finally, in the deli section there is a “salad bar.”  Americans know this is a place where people can make their own salads with ingredients they like.  They can make it however big or however small as they want.  But for the virgin shopper this phrase might be confusing.  They might think of a “bar” as an actual rod or pole.  And then how would that incorporate into a salad? 

In the checkout lanes there were two phrases that are unique to a grocery store: “Do you have any coupons?” said by the cashier to the shopper, and “Paper or plastic?” said by the bagger to the shopper.  I cannot think of any other place where these two phrases are commonly used.  I think it is important to always ask “paper or plastic?” because some people might be environmentalists and prefer paper or even have brought their own bags from home. 

Literacy is crucial in a grocery store.  Shoppers who are on a tight budget need to know sale items and how much things cost.  That is why there are prices on every item in the store.  I also think nutrition labels are an important part of the store.  For people who are on a diet or who have food allergies, reading the nutrition label and ingredient list on foods could be a matter of extreme health precaution.  Finally, hanging from every ceiling is a sign that describes what types of foods are located in that particular aisle.  This is essential for people to locate certain items they are looking for.  A grocery store could be very confusing if you do not understand how it is laid out.  It takes a lot of trial and error to get used to grocery store design, but by using literacy and the guides at the top of the aisles can make it easier.  For example, my dad NEVER goes grocery shopping, but if my mom needs him to pick something up that she forgot she will have to remind him to look at the guidelines above all the aisles which tells you where certain foods are located. 

This assignment was interesting to me because grocery shopping is honestly one of my favorite things to do.  I have always enjoyed it as a little girl going with my mom, and now that I am living on own I also find it as a fun escape from my daily routine.  So to go to a grocery and look for aspects of literacy instead of actually shopping was a whole new world to me.  I, of course, knew that words were everywhere in groceries, but the way they can impact a shopper and even confuse a first time shopper where things I had never considered.  This experience made me realize that literacy is more than simply reading from a book or magazine or writing my homework.  It is all around us in daily life.