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The pantry is empty and the refrigerator is bare. You know what time it is . . . time to shop for groceries. As you drive to your favorite grocery store, you already know the actions you are going take. You will enter the store, grab a buggy, and browse aisles upon aisles of products. After your cart is full and all items are checked off your list, you will head for the front to pay, hoping of course, to find the shortest and fastest checkout.
But, what happens when you change things up? What happens when you decide to shop a different venue… say a farmers’ market? Well, in such a case, your traditional understanding of what it means to grocery shop has to change.
According to Dr. Christopher Sneed, Extension Specialist with The University of Tennessee Extension, the way consumers shop for food is based on a set of conditioned responses. “These conditioned responses guide consumers telling them ‘how’ to shop. In addition, the conditioned responses help consumers process information and make decisions during the shopping experience.” When you shop at new or different retail venues such as a farmers’ market, your conditioned responses may no longer work. Thus, you must rethink how you shop.
To help you make these shifts in thinking and to help you make the most of the farmers’ market shopping experience, Sneed offers the following suggestions:
Arrive early, but not too early. For the best selection, be sure to arrive early to the farmers’ market. However, do not arrive too early. Many farmers’ markets have certain start times.
Bring a bag. It is a good plan to bring a bag or basket with you to the market. Unlike, a grocery store, many vendors do not provide bags for your items.