12.
Shopping
everyday shopping, foodstuffs
shopping centres / corner shops / markets / supermarkets
shopping habits
If you want to buy something, you can do the shopping in different places. Many people like
hypermarkets or supermarkets, others go shopping online, there are also some people who like
shopping in small corner shops.
I buy some bread and cold cuts almost every day in a little shop opposite our house, but we go
to a big hypermarket to buy other things for the household usually every second weekend.
We always buy cheese, yoghurt, margarine, butter, sugar, flour, cooking oil, spices, mineral
water, cereals, meat, cleaning supplies, nappy, consumer durables, electrical goods, toys, etc.,
so almost everything. Vegetables and fruits we buy at the market near my house because these
goods are fresh there.
Advantages of hypermarkets are that you can find almost everything from food to gardening
equipment in one place and there is also a wide range of goods. There is usually a place where
the children can play while their parents are shopping. The hypermarkets offer some products
at reduced prices and cards for regular customers.
I like shopping in hypermarket because I can buy everything in one place at a low price. The
disadvantages of hypermarkets are that they are often crowded, especially at weekends. These
hypermarkets are generally far from the town centre and it can take a long time to get there.
People like to write shopping lists because they often forget things to buy. Plus I like writing
lists because they help me not to buy unnecessary things.
I walk from shelf to shelf, filling my basket with the things I need. I have to think over what
to buy because I can’t afford to buy all kinds of things I don’t need. After finishing shopping I
go to the cash desk, where there is often a long queue. When it is my turn, the cashier adds up
the bill on the cash register and gives me the receipt. I can pay today in cash or by credit card.
Then I pack the things I have bought into a shopping bag and leave the supermarket.
Usually we get catalogues from super- and hypermarkets about sales so we go to there at that
time.
Recently I buy books and clothes on the internet. It’s very comfortable, fast and cheap. I like
it because I can order the goods I need.
In small shops the customer service is usually better than in bigger stores because the shop
assistants are friendlier and more helpful. These shops are closer to your home and aren’t so
crowded and you don’t have to stand in a long queue. Their disadvantages are that you can’t
find as many brands as in big shops and they are more expensive. These shops are the baker’s,
butcher’s, confectioner’s, fruiterer’s, greengrocer’s, grocer’s, fishmonger’s etc. They always
have fresh products, the bread is never stale or dry, the milk is never sour, and the service is
always fast and polite.
Nowadays you can buy almost everything you need at a market. The most typical goods are
fruits, vegetables, meat, honey, eggs, flowers, seeds, live chicken, hens, ducks. etc.
In my opinion people like markets because the produsts are fresh, good quality, home-grown
and you can also bargain over the price.
Shopping centers are popular nowadays because you can find several kinds of shops,
restaurants, cinema and sports facilities there .You can eat and drink in a café, you can watch
a film at a cinema, you can play some sports.They are especially popular with young people,
they can spend the whole day there doing all kinds of things.
Talking of my shopping habits I buy some food every day. Twice or three times a month I go
shopping for some clothes, some books, some stationery and some cosmetics.
Once or twice a week, I walk around the city usually with my friends and watch the shop
windows if I find anything interesting. I watch the new products and the prices. When there
are sales in some shops, it is very useful to know the prices because I can save a lot of money
this way.
I hate shopping alone, because it’s boring. I prefer shopping clothes with my best friends or
my mum. I really need their help and I trust their taste.
I would never buy second-hand clothes, because I have some sort of bad feeling about it. I
know that the second-hand shops wash and clean all the clothes but I like wearing my own
clothes. Some people save lot of money by buying second hand clothes because they are
cheaper than in regular shops.
If I travel somewhere I buy only some little gifts to my family and friends. I can’t afford
expensive things so I buy some chocolate or typical food for them. I am fond of T-shirts, so I
often buy a T-shirt with the countries logo on it. For me holidays are not about shopping so I
don’t buy too many things.
