The grocery store music station

Why is there music playing at the grocery store while you shop? In the last few weeks I have heard Hootie and the Blowfish’s “Only want to be with you” many times in the store where I shop. If not a Hootie classic, it is soft rock. I think its so that you recognize the song, start singing along – become happy and then purchase items that reflect your happy mood. You think of last summer and the happy times with friends – and select some food accordingly. Then as you’re singing along to Simon and Garfunkle’s Cecilia, you remember a great recipe that you saw on the food network, and buy the ingredients for that. The more songs you hear, the more you sing, and the more items you buy. These grocery store DJ’s must have a degree in marketing – or maybe psychology. The grocery store all of a sudden becomes the ultimate karaoke club! In the end a grocery trip where you only meant to buy milk and bananas has turned into an entire grocery cart full of expensive food that makes you feel happy. It’s not until you are carrying all those groceries into the house when you realize that you’ve been duped. So here are my suggestions for managing your next visit to the grocery store:

1. Make a grocery list on a piece of cardboard and use a crayon to write out the items. You’ll be so busy trying to hide this embarrassing list from the other patrons in the store that you won’t even notice the music
2. Wear earplugs - it’s a double bonus when you can’t hear the music or the cashier telling you your total (might lead to free groceries!)
3. Bring a banjo along and play some country tunes to drown out the music in the store. Annoyed people will stay away from you and likely you won’t have to wait in the a line at the checkout
4. Buy a cow and a banana plant – you’ll never have to go to the store to purchase these two things again!