7 Grocery Shopping Customs Around The World That Shocked This American!

Grocery Store Culture Shock: What No One Warned Me About

From bargaining for produce to touching fruit, these cultural surprises made me rethink everything I knew about grocery shopping.I walked into a Georgian grocery store, confident my teenage years of stocking shelves and customer service had prepared me.

Bread aisle? Check.
Dairy section? Check.
Checkout? Easy. Right? 

Think again!

Five minutes later, an old grocer scolded me for touching a tomato. In Georgia, only the vendor picks your produce.

Once again, back in Tbilisi, I pointed at some khachapuri, got a price, and handed over the cash.

Big mistake.

The vendor laughed, shook his head, and gave me back change I hadn’t asked for.

Turns out, not haggling was an insult.

Then there’s Germany, where checkout moves at warp speed.

No chit-chat, no bagging, just a race to grab your groceries before the next order crashes in.

I lost. 

I left holding eggs under one arm, bread in my teeth, and a German woman’s silent judgment.

I used to think grocery shopping was universal. Now I know it’s a cultural battlefield.

1. Haggling for Groceries… When the Price is Just a Suggestion

Where: Ukraine, Mexico, Georgia, Albania

I walked into a bustling Tbilisi market, confident I could buy some peppers like a normal, rule-abiding adult.

I picked up a few, asked the vendor for the price, and reached for my wallet.

Rookie mistake!

He shook his head, rattled off a number, and before I could react — another shake, another price.

We went back and forth, me saying nothing, him negotiating against my very existence.

I wasn’t buying peppers though. I was trapped in a silent bidding war I never intended to start.

In Ukraine, I once paid full price for apples at an open market and walked away, only to have the vendor chase me down, shove extra apples in my bag, and mumble something that I’m pretty sure translated to “you poor, clueless fool.”

Apparently, the first price is just a test to see if you’re actually awake.

Lesson learned: If you’re shopping in an open-air market, never accept the first price. 

Vendors expect negotiation (If they don’t, it’s always worth trying).

But don’t be a jerk about it… smile, make a counteroffer, and enjoy the dance.

2. You Have to Pay to Touch the Produce

Where: Georgia, Spain

Georgia, the land of wine, khachapuri and judging foreigners who touch produce.

I learned this the hard way when I walked into a small market in Tbilisi, casually grabbed a peach to check for ripeness, and immediately had an old man scowl at me like I had just kicked his dog.

The vendor snatched the peach from my hands, muttered something I didn’t understand, and gestured toward himself basically telling me, that until I bought it, then hands off, he would choose for me.

Needless to say, I started doing my produce shopping at supermarket, local customs be damned. 

In Spain, a former colleague had the same problem.

She tried to pick out her own tomatoes, only to have the vendor physically block her and start choosing for her, apparently convinced that she was also unqualified for the task.

She stood there in silent shame, holding her money, while an 80-year-old Spaniard hand-selected her groceries like a disappointed grandmother.

Lesson learned: Look before you touch. 

If you see locals using gloves or simply pointing at produce instead of grabbing it, follow their lead.

3. Bring Your Own Bags… or Pay Up

Where: Germany, France, Ireland, Poland

In the US, bagging has gone from a well-packed paper bag by a friendly bagger to wrestling with flimsy plastic bags yourself.

But in Germany? They don’t even give you that.

I learned this the hard way at a Berlin checkout, standing there like a lost puppy while my groceries piled up.

The cashier and the next customer just stared, waiting.

After a painfully awkward pause, the cashier finally slid a plastic bag toward me like it was a rare artifact and muttered something that, judging by her expression, definitely meant “figure it out.”

France was just as brutal. I forgot to bring a reusable bag and had to pay extra for the privilege of carrying my groceries home like a medieval peasant.

Lesson learned: Always bring a reusable bag when shopping in Europe. 

It’s not just encouraged, it’s expected.

4. The Checkout Race… Bag Your Own Groceries, and Do It Fast

Where: Germany, Poland, Ireland

The first time I shopped in Poland, I was again sadly unprepared for what was about to happen at checkout.

In the US, checkout is an orderly process: The cashier scans, the bagger bags, and you walk away like a dignified human.

In Poland? It’s a speed challenge.

The cashier scans items at lightning speed, and you’re responsible for bagging them as quickly as humanly possible.

If you hesitate for even a second, the next customer’s groceries will be launched directly into your pile, and now you’re on the clock.

I once panicked, stuffed my bread into my coat pocket, and ran out holding eggs in my hands like an absolute lunatic.

Although, I must admit, my first experience with this “efficiency in grocery shopping” was in Germany… and it was brutal.

But I couldn’t single out the Germans once again, because plenty of other countries do it too.

Still, I wasn’t prepared when it happened again in Poland.

Lesson learned: Be ready!

Have your bag open and move fast. This is not a drill!

5. The Mystery of the Unpriced Produce… Weigh It Yourself

Where: France, Spain, Italy

In some places, buying produce is a two-step process.

First, you pick your items.

Then, instead of just taking them to the cashier, you have to find a scale and weigh them yourself.

I learned this in Strasbourg when I walked up to the checkout counter with bananas, only to have the cashier shake her head, sigh dramatically, and send me back like a child who failed a test.

That’s when I noticed the tiny scale stations scattered around the store, where actual responsible shoppers were printing price stickers for their produce like functional adults.

Oh, and hope you know your produce names… because sometimes, that scale has no cute little pictures, just words. Good luck.

Lesson learned: Check for scales before getting in line.

If you don’t weigh your produce beforehand, the cashier will send you on the “walk of shame” back to the produce section.

6. Store Closures and Strange Opening Hours

Where: Spain, France, Germany

I woke up on a Sunday in Spain, starving, only to realize every grocery store was closed.

Not closing early. Closed. All day!

I thought this was a mistake until a local casually let me know me that Sunday grocery shopping is a fantasy in many parts of Europe.

Some stores shut down for entire afternoons, thanks to the glorious cultural phenomenon known as, siesta!

In Germany, I once planned to grab snacks late at night, only to find out that 24-hour grocery stores don’t exist there.

If you forget to shop during normal hours, you will suffer the consequences.

Lesson learned: Always check store hours before assuming you can buy food whenever you want.

7. Customer Service? What’s That?

Where: France, Ukraine, Germany

In the U.S., cashiers are legally required to act like they’re thrilled to see you. They ask about your day, smile, and pretend they don’t hate their job.

In France? Ukraine? No such thing.

I once asked a store worker in Ukraine where to find something, and she sighed so dramatically I thought she might collapse from exhaustion.

She then waved vaguely toward the back of the store, like a queen dismissing a peasant.

French cashiers, on the other hand, do not make small talk.

They scan, they take your money, and they don’t really care about your day.

So my fellow Yanks, forget your, “Have a nice day!”

Lesson learned: If a cashier doesn’t acknowledge your existence, don’t take it personally. 

This is efficiency, not rudeness.

Grocery Shopping is an Adventure in Every Country

I used to think grocery shopping was just a mindless errand… walk in, buy food, go home.

But after shopping in multiple countries, I’ve realized it’s one of the best ways to experience local culture.

From negotiating in markets to bagging groceries at Olympic speed, every country does it differently, and if you don’t adapt, you, will, suffer the consequences.

Now, whenever I step into a grocery store abroad, I do so with cautious optimism, and a reusable bag.

Have you ever had a grocery store culture shock while traveling?