10 Tricks that can help save time in the supermarket queue

The increasingly fast pace of life forces people to plan every part of their day. Many even make lists of things that need to be resolved by the end of the afternoon, in an attempt to organize their routine a little better. It is precisely because of this frantic pace that the time we need to spend, for example, in line at the supermarket, seems like a huge waste.

Thinking about it, the incredible.club listed 10 tricks that can help you choose the fastest queue at the supermarket and thus not waste too much time on it.

A long line, with many people and few products in the cart may seem faster, but it is not. Always choose the one with the fewest people. Although shoppers have a lot of products, these queues are usually faster. It is estimated that each customer interacts, on average, 41 seconds with the cashier. That is, more people in line means more interaction time, even when there are few products in the cart.

Fresh foods offer many health benefits, but try to avoid queues where people have too many of these products in their cart. These items often take longer to pay for; some need special approval codes, which also means longer checkout times. Always look for queues where the carts have basic and similar products, as it is much faster to pay for three identical cookies than three different products.

Most people are right-handed, so the tendency is for customers to always choose the right side. That is, if you have to choose a queue on the right or on the left, choose the second option, as fewer people are likely to prefer it.

A good trick to avoid long queues is to go to the supermarket at empty hours. How to get this information? Google Maps has a tool that can help. Just look for the supermarket and, in the information about the establishment, click on “Popular hours”. You can consult a comparison chart to find out the days and times with fewer customers.

Some studies say that the consumer’s experience while waiting in line is more important than the total time they wait to be served and complete their purchases. In this sense, whenever possible, go to the supermarket accompanied. In addition to being able to secure a place in more than one queue and see which one advances the fastest, waiting for two can be much more enjoyable.

Stay away from queues that have “visual obstacles” to the person operating the register. A study revealed that employees work faster when they can see the number of customers to serve. Feeling that the queue is moving slowly and not being able to see where it ends can be a source of stress. When the cashier sees that the line is moving, he feels more stimulated.

Customers should always be kind to the cashier, and it’s important that we know we can help speed up the checkout process. Arrange the products so that the bar codes are all easy to find. Avoid products that don’t have a price, remove hooks that can get in the way (for example, on clothes), always leave the labels on display and have your wallet at hand. These small actions make the employee’s job easier and speed up the purchasing process.

Supermarket self-service is a great tool to speed up the shopping process. However, it is important to consider some things so that the time is effectively faster. Don’t use self-service when shopping for a lot of products, after all, looking up all the bar codes can take a long time. Also, remember that some products require authorization from an employee, which can make the process even slower.

According to queuing theory, there are several variables that we can consider when choosing a queue, and they go far beyond the number of people. Watch the shoppers in front of you. In general, people take an average time at the checkout, but those who are distracted or talk for the elbows end up taking longer and will prolong your wait.

Sometimes, the only alternative left to us is to wait. Try not to get irritated if the queue takes longer than expected, do your best to choose the best queue and try to distract yourself. Remember that patience helps reduce stress. The less frustration you feel, the greater the feeling that time has passed more quickly.

What did you think of these tips? Do you have any other tricks you use to speed up the grocery shopping process? Share with us in the comments!