how often do people (kids especially) get lost in American supermarkets and other giant stores? and also what’s your reaction to other countries having such small super markets in comparison?

15 comments

1. How often do adults? I’d hope never. They’re not that confusing and they’re shaped like a square/rectangle in most cases. Kids? They usually don’t get lost, they just wander off from their parent and panic.

2. Often enough to have a store policy in how to handle it, not often enough for most people to be involved in such an incident.

   It’s fine, I guess? I do one big shopping trip for four people and a couple dogs. Having to go to specialized shops would be annoying. That said, I don’t walk by any such shops on my way home. If I did, I’d probably be a bigger fan of small stores and and make more but smaller trips.

   Stores match needs, I just happen to need everything in one go and I don’t need it to be portable by hand since I’m driving anyway.

3. Somewhat often. I worked in a grocery store for a few months, and dealt with this a few times. Each time the kid just wandered off on their own and couldn’t find their parent immediately. I’d handle it by telling the kid they can wait next to me until their parent came by. Our grocery stores are also much larger than other countries’ for a reason. In many countries people often have small markets within walking distance, however in the US, zoning laws often prevent this in many places. Most Americans have to drive to the grocery store, that results in less grocery stores, which results in larger grocery stores.

4. I don’t have kids but I have lost some.

   I lost my cousin in a mall briefly. She was about 10 or 11. She threw a tantrum and took off. I spotted her and followed her around to see what she would do. She was wandering around looking at stuff. She was pretty indifferent when I let her know I was there.

   The scariest was when I thought I lost my 5 year old niece. We were walking through Penn Station (large, busy train station in NYC) during rush hour. I suddenly realized I wasn’t holding her hand. I started screaming for her. It took me a moment to hear her next to me saying “Aunt Spider I was holding your bag the whole time”.

5. Adults, never. Little kids, possibly if they wander off from their parents. Kids that are like 10+, mostly never.

6. Little kids, sure, on occasion. Adults, rarely. It’s not that hard to navigate… they’re just rectangles with aisles. They have signs for the different sections, too.

   I’ve been to grocery stores in France and Belgium. No real reaction about the size, some grocery stores in the US are small too. They definitely had better fresh baguettes, tho.

7. one of the things i miss living abroad is american supermarkets. i know people shit on stuff like having a whole aisle full of bread, but there’s a lot of product variety and options i’d love to have here.

8. I’m still lost in Albertsons

9. I’ve gotten lost in stores in Europe, South America and Asia and I’m an adult. Not all foreign stores are smaller.

10. I think almost every American parent has had this experience.

11. Occasionally, but usually it’s quickly resolved.

    When I worked at Barnes & Noble (big bookstore) we had maybe 2 code Adams, in the 7 years I was there, both times the kids were found in a random back corner of the store within 10 min.

    When I was a kid I got lost at Disneyland – I went to a CM and my parents found me somewhat quickly (I’m told) at the lost kids location (sign actually says “lost parents inquire here”). I’m told
    I was happy and entertained. I used to hide from
    my mom in circular clothing racks at malls too, I got in so much trouble. What a little shit I was.

    My boss’s kid got lost at the park the other day during the Easter egg hunt. The people running it found him and came over a loudspeaker to find her.

    Anyways I like our grocery stores lol. I’m a Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods person myself – large cheese selections are my weakness.

12. >how often do people (kids especially) get lost in American supermarkets and other giant stores

    Not too often. As already stated, grocery stores aren’t exactly that complicated. Department stores can be more confusing with all the clothing racks small kids can’t see over, but a serious “lost child” is fairly rare.

    >what’s your reaction to other countries having such small super markets (sic) in comparison?

    See, I’ve been in **huge** grocery stores in other countries. Mexico, Ecuador, Germany… all had supermarkets larger than most anything in Manhattan.

    I enjoy having a large selection of things. That’s what small stores miss. That said, I also found that instead of one stop shopping, many places I’ve traveled have numerous specialty shops. Bread is from the bakery, veggies from a stand in a plaza, cheese from a cheese monger, wine is from a wine shop, etc.

13. When I was a toddler I would get lost in stores frequently. I would usually just go up to a store employee crying, then say something along the lines of “I lost my mom wahhhhh” lol.

    As an adult, I never get lost in big stores, with exception to Ikea perhaps.

14. I got lost in a department store as a kid. Luckily it was the 80s and there were PSAs showing kids what do in that situation. I just told a clerk I was lost, she got on the PA, and my grandma found me in less than five minutes.

15. They’re lured in by the special offers and guaranteed personalities