by Barb Hopkins

Created on: December 24, 2008

Choosing a grocery store is as important as choosing your doctor. The grocery store is where we purchase the food to nourish our bodies and the household supplies that allow us to maintain our homes. When we move into a new area, and there is more than one store to choose from, it is important to comparison shop, not just for the items on your list, but also for the store itself.

There are several factors to consider when choosing a grocery store.

CLOSE TO HOME? How far away is the grocery store? If it is more than a thirty-minute drive, you will need to consider bringing a cooler to transport cold or freezer items during hot weather.

WHEN IS IT OPEN? If the store is not open during the hours that you are able to shop, it is not the store for you.

OVERALL APPEARANCE. If the outside of the store is dingy and in need of repair, there is a good chance the inside is equally shabby. Grocery stores should have a bright, well-lit entrance with carts easily accessible near the store. The carts should be in good repair, we all know how much we detest that cart with the one wobbly wheel. A considerate store will have a hand sanitizer station or wipes available near the cart corral.

A brightly lit grocery store tells its customers that they do not have anything to hide. Stores with dim lighting and shadowing aisles are suspect. What don't they want you to see? Are their canned goods past the expiration date? Are they hiding an insect problem? If the store is dark and shadowy, take your business somewhere else.

Look at the center aisle displays. Do they appear newer or are they worn from multiple uses? Are the misters in the produce department rusty looking and spraying like they are simply spitting water onto the fruits and veggies? A store that maintains its displays and equipment cares about quality.

CLEANLINESS. Nothing is as gross as shopping in a store where there is garbage on the floor or worse, slimy old rotted vegetable pieces lodged in the cracks of the display bins. Other negatives include any kind of flying insect buzzing about the produce area or in the fresh baked donut case.

A grocery store that respects its shoppers will clean spills in a timely fashion and will have strict hygiene regulations in place for all employees. Look behind the deli counter and watch to make sure the employees wear protective gloves when preparing orders and that there is a prominently placed hand-washing station.

There should never be any sour-milk smell assaulting your nose when you

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