I used to shop in hypermarkets a lot. Most of the time it’s Tesco, but sometimes I go to Giant and Carrefour. Some of them are quite hazardous, the aisles are too close together, causing trolley congestions, accidents and flared tempers.
No joke. There are trolley aisle hogs and trolley aisle bullies. Ever heard of trolley aisle rage?
If not, here are some tips for Malaysian hypermarket shopping survival (Not applicable to Makro).
- When moving with trolley along the aisle, don’t come to a sudden halt. Somebody will bound to bump into you from the back. (This rule applies to pasar malam shopping, too)
- When moving around in the hypermarket (or any shopping centre for that matter), don’t make eye contact with all those sales people hawking credit cards and water filters. One glance at them, and you’ll be gripped by their jaws of free gifts and membership fee waivers.
- Keep your hands on the horizontal bars of the trolley handle, not on the sides. If you do that, you’ll stub your fingers when another trolley grazes your by the side.
- In busy aisles, the convention is similar to the Malaysian traffic code. Keep left, unless overtaking. (This does not apply to Ah Lian aunties. They drive and stop anywhere they want, blocking anyone else.)
- I can’t emphasize enough the importance of choosing a good trolley. Imagine after half an hour of shopping and your trolley is half full, you then realize that the trolley’s free wheel is crooked under pressure and you can’t steer properly. Just like your car, wheel balancing and alignment is very important. Or if your trolley wheels emanates a horrifying creaking noise.
- If you’re shopping in one of those place that have a coin operated trolley, MAKE SURE you have a correct coin ready. If you don’t have one, no one is going to change it for you, ESPECIALLY NOT the shopkeepers.
- Speaking of coin-operated trolleys, don’t bother trying to release the coin using the device attached with a chain to your trolley (used to slot in the next trolley to release the coin). Believe me, I’ve tried before, and it’s impossible.
- If you’re buying only a few loose items (like most bachelors), be considerate and use a basket, not a trolley. Don’t add to the trolley traffic congestion.
- When lining up to pay at the cashier counter, choose the lines with the seasoned shoppers and bachelors with small baskets. Those move the fastest. NEVER line up behind all those aunties and makciks with groceries. They take forever to clear and pay.
- If the paying counters require you to bag your groceries yourself, pack a few items in more plastic bags. It’s easier to carry more bags with less items than a few bags filled to the brim. Trust me.
- Never buy in-store brands.
27 Comments
Inevitable
very da accurate
nicktay
Tesco’s in-store curry paste is actually quite good la!
8555
I like Tesco’s car park. Has a British Feel.
james
Hey, don’t knock the in-store brands, okay!? My kid’s gonna grow up on them. Hehehh…
Wingz
oi in store brand not bad la!!! i made some of it also! keep buying in store brand / house brand! 😛
anjali*
Actually the Tesco hand wash liquid is C&G – cheap and good! But now I go to Chinese Medical Hall and Pasaraya Bintang. Cheaper and less hassle at paying counter. Heh.
lilian
So, it was you who threw the tantrum at Tesco yesterday because they refused to give you a discount for buying 10 dozens toilet papers la? 😛
Fashionasia
hmmmmmm……makes me wonder what happens to the coin operated trolleys now that the 1 dollar coin have been scrapped?
simon
inevitable – you must be one of dem guys with baskets…
nicktay – tesco has curry paste?! for sticking curry together? 🙂
8555 – british feel. but malaysian weather.
james – oh, come now, i bet your kid dresses in GuessKids & Sparkmanshop… mentang-mentang first child … 🙂
wingz -yes aa? WHAt did you make lar? Tesco toilet rolls aa?
anjali – i’m allergic to cheap washing liquid. actually i’m allergic to housework…
lilian – YES, BUT IT WAS NOT MY FAULT!!! THERE WERE UNREASONABLE!!!
fashionasia – nobody can use trolleys anymore… thus, no more congestion!
yeen
Simon..u r so cute – i agreed with u 100% leh
simon
heheh, i’m a shopping veteran…
mayyinn
Take more plastic bags??!!! Don’t kill our environment,
lynnee
people who push trolleys seldom ever look where they’re going.
once i ran over a kid… because his mommy guided him right into my trolley’s path.
when the kid started howling, the mommy yelled at him to shut up. never even looked at me. i also didn’t bother to apologize. not my fault wat.
anyway, it was her fault. guiding her kid into harm’s way.
Sharl612
Simon,
Couldn’t agree more with you.
How about: When lining up to pay at the cashier counter, if you have more than 10 items, don’t attempt the fastlane for shopppers with less than 10 items.
While at Carrefour sometime ago, a guy was queuing in front of me with some 20 items. My sister (a regular Carrefour shopper) told me not to worry, the cashier will give him a “lesson”. True enough when he reached the counter, the cashier pointed (1st) at his trolley, then pointed (2nd) the signboard on top and pointed (3rd) to other “regular counter” to signal him to go there. Muahahahaha… I tried so hard not to laugh. The “3-pointers lesson”! The guy was so embarrased and he pushed the trolley and went to other counter.
simon
mayyinn – good point. must bring own bag.
lynnee – soon they will take out trolley injuries.
sharl612 – dat guy sure pretend dunno wan la. He think maybe he can get away wih ma. cheh.
GhOsT
Hmmm….. you not environment friendly one!
Take so many plastic bags.
But, hey, who cares? I do the same too!
Cheers!
coppersnare
here the plastic bag attendant (or whatever the term is) will try to pack a bag to the max before they grab a new one. even better if you can bring your old plastic bags. must be environmentally friendly mah.
simon
ghost – actually we use the plastic bags for garbage bags. we’re recycling actually.
coppersnare – so what hypermarkets do they have in Indonesia? give la some examples…
ShaolinTiger
Disagree with the last one, a lot of Tesco own brand stuff is good, a large proportion is actually made in UK and imported, and it’s still sold at a reasonable price!
simon
ST – actually i thot tesco’s in house brands are actually made locally? hmm… must read the labels properly next time…
nite
“Speaking of coin-operated trolleys, don’t bother trying to release the coin using the device attached with a chain to your trolley” — i tried that too 😛
simon
we’re typical malaysians!!! 🙂
coppersnare
in indonesia we have carrefour, makro, giant (only a few stores in jakarta i think). i was talking about canada tho, hehe.. the check out ladies at wal mart will definitely stuff the plastic bag to the brim. but if you ask nicely they’ll give as much as you want.
simon
coppersnare – looks like indon is pretty much like here. As for walmart… been reading a lot about how they are conquering small towns across North America…
Davros
“Tesco 10 items or less” checkouts:
I have just arrived back to work from the Tesco store at Ashby-de-la-Zouch where some degenerate couple with no obvious signs of any education were being served by an equally stupid checkout lady for their basket which was full of sixteen items.
The checkout lady continued to scan their “MORE” than 10 items even after I had pointed out the extent to which their basket was overflowing.
A manager of some description was called to the scene where it was pointed out that Tesco checkout persons would not turn customers away to other checkouts if they have more than 10 items in their baskets.
I simply did not have time to argue my case as I had to get back to work, but could not believe what I had just been told.
If a customer queues up at a “Tesco 10 items or less” checkout with more than 10 items in their basket, they will be served by a happy to oblige imbecile of a checkout person with no regard for the fact that they are working at the 10 items or less checkout.
Which leads to the question… Why have a “10 items or less” checkout in Tesco stores when Tesco staff do not keep it at “10 items or less”?
Surely they could scan 10 items then ask the customers to return to the back of the queue with their extra items.
I don’t know who’s more to blame? The ignorant customers whose grasp of reading signs written in the english language seems to leave a lot to be desired or the equally ignorant checkout personnel who just seem to be happy to serve these more than moronic customers!
simon
yeah that 10 items or less rule means pretty much nothing here too. the managers should divert the people to the correct lanes B4 incidents like these happen, or else don’t have the lanes in the first place.
btw, Ashby-de-la-Zouch – isn’t that where sue townsend’s adrian mole and pandora braithwaite stay?
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