In high school\college I worked at a grocery store in Westminster\Huntington Beach. It was hookup city between the employees and the customers non-stop.

I've never been hit on at a grocery store by another shopper -- just the dude working in the meat department who likes to ask me where my boyfriend is whenever I get my ground turkey meat.

But I'd say go for it!

So many conversation starters. "Hey, I've been meaning to try that brand. Do you like it?" "Wow, looks like you're cooking dinner tonight!"

And so many opportunities to start conversations -- waiting at the butcher counter, waiting in the check-out line, etc.

And, if you shop regularly at the same time of day at a neighborhood grocery store (like I do), you run into the regulars all the time -- so there would be plenty of opportunities to run into that person again if you can't pull the trigger the first time.

Single Snake votes emphatically yes on grocery store. In fact, any nontraditional location (elevator, gas station, pet store) shows guts and spontaneity way more than a bar or online. Defenses are lower too. Met Mrs Snake by chatting her up (I think the kids today call it 'running game') at the local Starbucks.

Met Mrs Snake by chatting her up (I think the kids today call it 'running game') at the local Starbucks.

My friend works at Starbucks. And, from all the stories she tells me, Starbucks is indeed for lovers.

"Hey, baby, your melons look really, really ripe to me."

"Time for me to check you out...er, I mean, check out."

"Woah, I'll can your goods any day!"

"Hey, babe, nice to see you in the meat department, cause I'd sure love my meat in your mouth."

Of course, the downside is the bright fluorescent light in most stores -- it exposes many flaws.

No, I haven't made a pass while grocery shopping. But I've been hit on by women at the market.

The classics never fail to instruct:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p9ZjOCSLYlc

"What a coincidence. I have a husband named Dean Wormer at Faber."

Offtopic zinger, twenny seconds.

I met a really nice guy at library photocopier once. I was already seeing someone, but if I wasn't I would have taken him up on his offer. The key is to be relaxed and be yourself. That is what is attractive. I personally never went around trying to assess the net worth of e every guy who asked me out.

I suppose he could be lying, but my s.o. had picked up more than a few ladies at the grocery store and the library. He was somewhat of a slut.

Guys have hit on me at the grocery store. It might've worked with one guy if I didn't already have a boyfriend :)

I think the advice is more about getting guys used to chatting up women. My s.o. said he had more success in the grocery store than a bar or nightclub. I could see that, as there would be less competition, and a better chance of being able to talk to the woman alone instead of surrounded by her gaggle of friends.

I think if you see someone who strikes your fancy, just go for it and strike up a conversation with them. Why does it matter if you're in the grocery store? There are few places that are absolutely off limits when it comes to hitting on women.

"there are some guys who could hit on a woman as they're looking over the embalmed body at a wake and make out."
That was a plot line in Wedding Crashers but anyway... Hitting on women in the grocery store has wonderful health benefits. I've not yet worked up the courage to actually do it but I definitely don't want to be seen with a cart full of the Doritos and Budweiser that I actually want so I have to buy all these fancy leafy green vegetables and Muscle Milk. Oh and I have to have a visible cadre of re-usable bags because, cough, I care. It's also hell on the budget since I can't be seen with wine that costs lest than $15 a bottle.

I once went into a Walmart around 11pm on a Saturday night, tweeny meet market.

"Offtopic zinger, twenny seconds."

bwahahaaa!! Lawyers and TV twits: never ask a question if you don't already know the answer!

That was priceless.

A little sideways: I hit on the radiology tech running my echo last week because she had a copy of 'Good Calories Bad Calories' laying about. It was very helpful having tangential knowledge of Taubes from hanging around here. Too bad she's married. That and she's already seen me with my shirt off.

More for offtopic-ers:

http://twitter.com/#!/iowahawkblog/status/93798946077548544

>> Offtopic zinger, twenny seconds.

Being an Econ major way back when, that made me laugh out loud. The day I graduated, a while after Gordon Gecko appeared, the cover of (I think) Newsweek was "Dark days for the dismal science."?

For the next seven or so years Econ majors were useless to the world.

~~ the real reason I logged back in~~

The woman I met, at the grocery store I worked at, who had an intoxicating, hypnotic smell, a weird mix of spice powders and almost sweaty feminity, was all in the world to me. She was 28 when I was 17, and we never got past cuddling and once feeling up at an Al Jureau concert at the Pacific Ampitheater. Last I heard she was well connected at Verizon (about 15 years ago).

I could never find her because she has the most common first, last and middle name possible. (JAW!)

About the closest I've come are different clerks at C stores.

I'm not agoraphobic or truly anti-social, but have a tendency not to hit any store at the height of rush hour. I go in, get want I want, and get out.

A couple of years ago, one of the checkout girls was hitting on my youngest son. Too bad he was 12 at the time.

I used to run into this guy in the grocery store quite a bit. He was single and I was in a relationship. We'd exchange ideas for different recipes and one day he asked me if I'd be interested in coming over and trying a few out. It was sweet but I had to politely decline. My boyfriend and I broke up a few months later and eventually I saw the supermarket cutie shopping with a woman.

As long as it's not a grocery store inside an elevator.

More offtopic:

They're right about numbers 4, 7, 9, 36, 40, 45, and 50. I'd include number 47, but if you're watching the Olympics for amusement your life is probably for shit anyway.

Other than that, they're a bunch of idiot royalty-fawners who need to brush their teeth and learn to cook at decent meal, if not in precisely that order.

I have tried to meet women in grocery stores and it has never worked. They are a bit more open to begin with but as soon as they figure out that it is not primarily about which type of salt really is best the shields go to maximum.

My friend back in the day claims to have done it... he is one of those people that seemed to meet women everywhere.

I've never tried. Wanted to a few times, but couldn't quite summon the courage. Plus I always go to the same store. I can handle rejection, but seeing the person regularly afterward can be a bit hard to handle.

I have however done the chatup/ask out in the following situations with varying degrees of success. Let's define success as at least one person-to-person date.

- My neighbour on my front doorstep, when she was bringing back my injured cat. The tricky part there was she had brought her best (male) friend with her for safety, so I had to try to work out what was going on there first :) We lived together for 8 years, so I think we'll chalk that up as a win.
- Strip club. Dancer. Only one actual date, but we were good friends for a year afterwards, holidays together, etc. Hard work because they have guys hitting on them all the time and get very defensive. Minor success.
- Friend's sister. Just called her up and asked her out. Dated her for a month or so. He...coped.
- Friend's ex-girlfriend. We were together for a couple of years and apparently I'm much better in bed than him, so definitely a success there.

All in all, I've always had the best success with meeting women in unthreatening, "some other reason for being there " social situations first. You get to chat to the person for a while and get a feel for what they think about you before asking them out. Going in totally cold (i.e. the grocery store option) or bars/clubs have never worked for me. Must be my scintillating conversation :)

As long as it's the meat counter at Bergdorfs...

Amy, as someone who met their paramour in an Apple store, I don't think it's too far of a leap to try and meet someone in a store that sells actual apples :).

Rather than go to the supermarket, Alice often relied on Sam the Butcher to deliver the salami.

Ah, but what if it's an Apple store that's not REALLY an Apple store?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/technology-14236786

The two guys that approached me in the grocery stores were both employees there. Both started off by noticing I was comparing product A to product B and striking up conversation based on that. The first one was successful in that he got three dates. The second one, well I was engaged by that point but we talk a little bit every time I go up to the butcher counter.

I never tried it myself, but I can't imagine why it couldn't work. This thread reminds me of a sitcom episode where a woman is being advised by a friend to find a man in the grocery store. Best moment is when she observes a guy off camera and the friend says, "Don't bother. Two guys, one cart, fresh pasta? You do the math."

Separate note: Off topic zinger? Awesome! Thanks for posting. :-)

An awkward-looking young fellow approached me in the produce section a few months ago. It was clear he was practicing his big-G game. I didn't get a strong sense that he wanted me much (I'm on the well-preserved side of forty) but I was touched by his bravery. I happen to be a world champion small talker so I sparkled at him, trying to put him at ease. It was my hope that he'd build up his courage to approach a young lady his age who he could really like.

That's the sort of thing that never, ever worked for me. A fair amount of the time, the woman would say yes, and then stand me up. After a number of cycles like that, I gave up on approaching women cold in any situation.

From the other side - my ex walks to most places and she used to get people slowing down in their cars and asking her out through the window - regularly. Even if she told them she had a boyfriend they would persist.

Needless to say, none of them ever got anywhere.

I dunno, I suppose a grocery store would be as good a place as any if you like the spaghetti approach (throw a plateful at the wall and hope a couple of strands stick). But I would think that at most stores, most of the customers at any given time are in a relationship, so you're going to get shot down far more often than not.

That said, there's one checker at my local market who I'd be all over if I was 40 years younger and single.

Anyone still in here?

Love that one.

I totally picked up a guy who was working in the wine department in Whole Foods. We dated for several months. I felt incredibly ballsy and liberated once I asked him out.

Maybe it's where I live or that my standards are too high, but I so seldom see attractive women in grocery stores that I don't recall ever seeing one that interested me enough to bother talking to her. Most women seem to go shopping in the same clothes they slept in. And, to echo a comment above, I doubt a shopping cart full of typical "dude food" makes a very good impression. I mean, what woman wants to be approached by a guy with cart full of frozen pizza, puffy Cheetos and Miller High Life?

On the other hand, I travel a lot and meet attractive women in airports and on airplanes all the time. I flew from Nashville to Phoenix yesterday and had the pleasure of being seated next to a witty, intelligent, successful and shockingly pretty young woman. We had a very enjoyable conversation and I'd have asked her out in a heartbeat. Alas, she was married and thus a single-serving friend.

test!

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