WASHINGTON — Sometimes, a quick trip to the neighborhood supermarket turns into a long odyssey through the checkout counters. But there’s no need to ditch those eggs just because you don’t have five minutes to spare: These tips will strategically help you through those lines, according to The New York Times.
Express lanes can be deceiving. Instead of getting in a long line of people buying just a few items each, head for a shorter line of shoppers with full carts. Former high school math teacher Dan Meyer says the shorter line may actually move faster.
What people buy matter. Consider the items of those in front of you, and how many different items may take longer than a bunch of the same items, said Richard Larson, a professor at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. It takes less time for a cashier to ring up eight cans of the same beans than it does to ring up eight totally different items. And if it’s an item that doesn’t have a bar code, such as fresh produce, it will take the cashier even longer to process.
Think of lines of sight. Avoid a line that goes around a corner or where something blocks the cashier’s view of the end; a recent study found that such lines are usually slower. If available, choose a single line that leads to multiple cashiers. Research tends to show that kind of line is fastest.
So right, it’s left. Checkout lines on the left side of the store are typically less busy, because most people are right-handed and have a tendency to move to the right.
Poll: Which line do you choose at the grocery store? (Stay tuned to WTOP for a grocery store tips story)
— WTOP (@WTOP) September 8, 2016
