Michelle Smiles

Teaching my children to question authority, except mine.

The one where I complain about something stupid

December3

I lived all of my life in Ohio and PA (except 1 year in NJ but I’ve successfully blocked that out).  Every time I went to an unfamiliar grocery store, there was an adjustment period.  I would find slight variations in the way things were arranged but it wasn’t hard to adapt.  You never know if the peanut butter is in the bread aisle or the cereal aisle or the condiment aisle.  But you figure it out and move on, right?

These southern grocery stores have weird logic in item placement.  I’ve shopped regularly in 4 different grocery stores in 2 different towns.  I’m still struggling over a year later when I have to buy something that I don’t ordinarily buy.

Kluski noodles – This is a type of noodle, not a brand.  I use it to make chicken noodle soup.  All of my life, I have found these noodle in the pasta aisle with the rest of the noodles.  I haven’t been able to find it in any of the stores I’ve shopped in here.  While searching for something else, I stumbled across the kluski noodles in the ethnic aisle next to the matzo balls.  Apparently segregation is alive and well in the south – these Polish noodles can’t reside next to the “regular” noodles.

Canned pumpkin – While easily found on the end caps in the weeks leading up to Thanksgiving, the rest of the year it isn’t so visible.  I’m used to finding it in the baking aisle because that is what everyone uses it for – not here.  I finally found it with the canned fruit and applesauce.  They carry 1 brand, 1 size can.  And they usually only have 1 or 2 cans at a time.

Evaporated milk/condensed milk – Again, has always been in the baking aisle because that is normally what you use it for.  While trying to gather my ingredients for pumpkin pie, I couldn’t find evaporated milk anywhere.  I asked an employee.  He looked at me like I was stupid and told me it was in the cereal aisle.  Of course!  Because milk and cereal go together, right?

Ground chicken – While 15 years ago it wasn’t often seen, ground chicken and turkey have become common place in the northern grocery stores.  Here, 1 store I shop in doesn’t carry ground chicken at all (they have suggested I buy ground turkey because it is essentially the same thing) and the other carries it only in the organic meat section (meaning a larger price tag) and only some of the time.

Sauerkraut – Up north, I had my pick of canned, jarred or fresh in addition to different brands and sizes.  Here, there is 1 brand and 1 size can.

Ham loaf – I’ll admit this one must be regional to Ohio because I couldn’t find it in Pittsburgh either.  It is like meatloaf but made with ground pork and ground ham with a sticky pineapple juice/brown sugar glaze.  It is yummy and I miss it.

And I would rant about not being able to find my favorite stadium mustard for hot dogs but I bought 2 bottles last time we were home so I’m in good place now, mustard-wise.

Does your grocery store have any weird (to you at least) product placement?

posted under food
22 Comments to

“The one where I complain about something stupid”

  1. On December 3rd, 2008 at 9:40 am kelly Says:

    I felt like I was in a foreign country the first 6 months I lived here in the G’stores.

    From the buggies to the grits…very confusing.

    Now dh does the shopping. I couldn’t adjust!!!!!

  2. On December 3rd, 2008 at 9:48 am Type (little) a Says:

    The nasty ShopRite by me (which I am forced to shop in sometimes, because they carry some things that Stop & Shop doesn’t) puts the garbage bags in the baking aisle.

    Way to up my confidence in my baking skills, man.

  3. On December 3rd, 2008 at 9:48 am Type (little) a Says:

    Also, HAM LOAF?? I shudder.

  4. On December 3rd, 2008 at 11:08 am Terry Says:

    This is too funny! I’ve always lived just about as “south” as you can get, even now in Baton Rouge and I’ve never seen a store that has pumpkin with the applesauce (it’s always on the baking aisle) and condensed milk with the cereal (again, on the baking aisle). And I have to admit that while I rarely cook with gound chicken, it’s readily available in all of our stores, even the nasty little store down the street in this teeny tiny excuse of a town on the outskirts of Baton Rouge. Girl, you’ve got some weird stores over there in desperate need of learning product placement!

  5. On December 3rd, 2008 at 11:55 am Jordana Says:

    I’m not sure where you are shopping, but the pumpkin and evaporated milk are in the baking aisle in my Kroger in the ‘hood and we have both Libby’s and Kroger brands in two sizes for the pumpkin.

    We also have choices of both fresh and canned sauerkraut. And plenty of ground chicken. Ham loaf, I must admit I have never and will never be looking for.

  6. On December 3rd, 2008 at 1:15 pm Merlot Says:

    I couldn’t find canned pumpkin either. I had to ask and to my surprise it was with the Jello. We use the Kluski noodles in soup (chicken corn soup) and I don’t typically see the “good” brand in the grocery store, so we pick up a few bags in Lancaster when we visit my husbands parents.

  7. On December 3rd, 2008 at 2:32 pm Rachel Says:

    Wow. Those placements are really bizarre! huh.

    Chess Pie is a delight!!! But in my opinion, buttermilk pie is better 😉
    Chess pie consists of butter, sugar, eggs, heavy cream, lemon zest, vanilla. You can add pecans if you want to 😉

  8. On December 3rd, 2008 at 2:47 pm martha Says:

    I always have a hard time finding barley for my veggie beef soup. It seems like it should be with the rice and pasta but they put it with the soups.

    Whenever I have something on the list my husband can’t find he calls it a ‘husband test’.

  9. On December 3rd, 2008 at 3:03 pm Steph Says:

    I had the same problem with canned pumpkin. All 3 cans of it were with the applesauce. Weird! My main problem is kind of a “northern/southern” problem – but in reverse of yours. I cannot find proper grits where I am. There are just the crappy, instant kind – but not the good, stone ground kind that I grew up with. So my poor children have no idea how good stone ground cheese grits with crumbled bacon can taste for breakfast. They don’t even say ya’ll (or y’all – how DO you spell that?) and they are never “fixin’ to” do something like I am. I feel sure they would at least say “fixin’ to eat some good stone ground grits” if I had them! 😉

  10. On December 3rd, 2008 at 3:05 pm Steph Says:

    Does the ham loaf come in a can? It sounds very Spam-esque.

  11. On December 3rd, 2008 at 4:39 pm Priscilla Says:

    I’m with Steph and the reverse problem. It is not possible to find diced pimentos in New England. Sliced? Perhaps. Diced? Never.

    DON’T EVEN GET ME STARTED ABOUT THE LACK OF STONE-GROUND GRITS AND CORNMEAL. My husband is tired of hearing me whine about it. I didn’t make dressing (note that’s what we call it, not stuffing!) for T’giving this year because I put homemade cornbread in it, and couldn’t find any stone ground corn meal with which to make it.

    I am, however, going to look for those noodles!!

  12. On December 3rd, 2008 at 5:13 pm Heather Says:

    I was raised in MD, lived there until I got married at 22 and moved to Louisville, KY. It’s not as far south as you are but I’ve noticed the Kroger has their aisles arranged pretty odd. I normally shop at Meijer (think Super Wal-mart but alot nicer) and their aisles are a bit easier to find products in. I’m still not used to the slang (basket or buggie versus grocery cart) or the choice of entertainment (cornhole?!), the weather (humidity kicks in around March, winter lacks snow in a big way). Um ok sorry this turned into a rant but I’d say it’s obvious I miss the east coast!

  13. On December 3rd, 2008 at 8:01 pm Alleen Says:

    Well, having lived in FL all of my life, I can’t compare to the northern stores. But, I do know that the evaporated milk is with the baking supplies. I do think the canned pumpkin is with the other canned fruits though if it’s not a holiday.

    I have no idea about the noodles since I’ve not heard of them(though it sounds like I may want to try them). And ham loaf?????? Never had that one either.

    I don’t do Sauerkraut.

    Ground chicken is usually available without having to be organic.

  14. On December 3rd, 2008 at 9:31 pm Tam Says:

    I’m so used to my grocery store that I’m not even sure if they’re weirdly placed, or not. My big gripe is that my store MOVES STUFF AROUND for no apparent reason. One day, POOF, the items are in different places. I want to ask the employees if they get bored, or what!

  15. On December 3rd, 2008 at 10:18 pm Samantha Says:

    will you trust me when i tell you it’s worth the higher price tag on the OG ground chicken? really, trust me.

  16. On December 3rd, 2008 at 10:35 pm Dawn from old AB Says:

    Well, where I live there is Wegmans, and like most people around here I’m in love with these stores. But recently they went through massive rearrangement of aisles and product shifting, while in flux they had an aisle of Halloween candy opposite an aisle of feminine hygiene products… It really grossed me out.

  17. On December 3rd, 2008 at 11:18 pm Mera Says:

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  18. On December 3rd, 2008 at 11:45 pm Rhonda Says:

    I went to Wal-Mart looking for a jar of pimentos. I thought olives, pickel aisle…..nooooo they were by the canned artichokes. Go figure. Oh, and I live in Louisiana, cream and evaporated milk always in the baking aisle. Your store does have some strange placement of their items.

  19. On December 4th, 2008 at 8:38 am Shannon Says:

    At my store in NC they keep the evaporated milk with the coffee. ??? and the condensed milk in the baking row. That will make you totally bonkers, right?

  20. On December 4th, 2008 at 10:38 am Jaybee Says:

    Mmmmm. Hamloaf. We used to have that all the time growing up- now I’m going to have to make it- thanks for the reminder!

  21. On December 7th, 2008 at 7:59 pm Gibb Says:

    By the way, ham loaf is not just an Ohio thing. It is everywhere here in Lancaster.

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