Grocery Store Musings Part Whatever
Irradiated by LabRat
The same aisle of our local store contains all lotions and soaps meant to be applied to humans, as well as shampoo and other body care products.
However, not all lotions are contained within the same area of the aisle and neither are all soaps. In order to find a specific lotion or soap, you must first determine which part of your body you intend to apply it to, and then from there locate the division of the aisle that applies to that body part AND your gender. It is not enough to intend to purchase moisturizer or soap; you must determine if you want it for your face, body, or feet, and from there whether it’s soap/moisturizer for a man’s parts (not the genitals, this is not one of the relevant body-part divisions) or a woman’s.
I am fairly sure there is something wrong with this, and it probably goes beyond my frustration with determining whether plain Ivory soap is gendered male or female.
December 29th, 2011 at 7:18 pm
Never noticed.
On the other hand, the only lotion in-house is hand lotion, which wsa probably purchased from alongside the hand-soap.
December 29th, 2011 at 7:34 pm
They can charge more if they make it complicated.
December 29th, 2011 at 7:45 pm
I’m really happy I’m moving most of that kind of shopping to Amazon with their subscribe and save feature. Cheaper and less annoying.
December 29th, 2011 at 9:48 pm
Am I the only one here who worries that you have been spending entirely too much time examining the contents of an entire aisle so as to be able to, not only identify the sundry specific types but, deduce the filing system used?
Admittedly being male. and shopping at the type of establishment which tends to respond to the query ‘soap’ with ‘ bottom shelf next to the 20/60 oil, I shouldn’t have an opinion but have you thought of asking Breda? It may be the grocery equivalent of ISBN.
(Oh, and if I knew any man who wished to moisturise his ‘parts’, I think I’d feel slightly concerned about ‘his’ priorities)
December 29th, 2011 at 9:52 pm
Ivory soap’s gender? That’s easy. Ivory = tusks = phallic symbols = male.
It’s easy if you’re African . . .
December 29th, 2011 at 10:11 pm
Hey, as I read this, I noticed my local grocery place does something similar. Not sure what that means, except that you are more observant and the usual refrain in my head during shopping trips ‘grocery stores are often dumb…’
December 29th, 2011 at 11:06 pm
There is always some sort of logic to the shelf plan. Although I have to admit in some stores a few aisles seem to be organized along principles like “red things and toothbrushes”.
Peter: Actually, the answer appears to be that Ivory is female if it’s shower soap in a bottle, but male if it’s bar soap in the “hands” section.
December 29th, 2011 at 11:10 pm
Peter wins the thread.
Also, stores will do whatever it takes to get you to wander around looking at every inch of shelf space. If that means claiming that kitchen hand soap goes in one aisle, while bathroom hand soap goes in another — but nowhere near the bath soap, of course, god do you think we’re barbarians? — so be it.
December 30th, 2011 at 5:06 am
Back in the days when products had names like “Cloying Greenhouse” or “Rutting Bull”, the gender segregation was understandable, since you wouldn’t want to give off the wrong funk. But how in the nine billion names of god does unscented Lady Speed Stick differ from the kind for dudes except for the packaging?
December 30th, 2011 at 6:12 am
It’s all about ‘impulse’ purchasing… They (Stores) actually have design planners that ‘install’ products to make you do just what you described hoping that you will ‘impulsively’ grab another product too! It also includes end cap stacking, which products are featured to the right of the store entry, etc.
December 30th, 2011 at 8:39 am
It also varies from region to region, at least for edibles. Where I grew up, molasses is generally found with corn syrup, maple syrup, sorghum et cetera in the breakfast aisle. When I lived up on the Lutefisk Line (IA-MN border), molasses lived with popcorn and snack food. “Because all you use molasses for is making popcorn balls.” *shrug*
December 30th, 2011 at 9:15 am
Old NFO beat me to it, but it’s closely related to the reason why the canned soups are never alphabetized. They know damn well that you’re only looking for tomato and chicken noodle, but if they make it hard to find those two, you might see a can of split pea and think “Hey, I haven’t had that in a while…”
Supermarkets are not designed to maximize ease or efficiency for the shopper; they’re designed to maximize sales.
December 30th, 2011 at 12:10 pm
Around here, though, it’s easy to find the tomato and chicken noodle soup - they’re at eye level in roll-out dispensers.
Maximizing sales and maximizing efficiency for the shopper are not incompatible.
(As for alphabetizing soups, does that mean “Cream of Mushroom” is under C or M?
Tricky - no matter which you pick, a lot of customers will decide it’s “wrong”.)
(Also, fortunately, Fred Meyer doesn’t make it that hard to find the shampoo and soap I want. Though for some reason the Dr. Bronner’s Peppermint is in the hippie section.)
December 30th, 2011 at 12:29 pm
I remember having to raise hell in an Old Town/Orono Maine Supermarket because they labeled the Mexican food and not the Kosher-took me two hours to find Matzo crackers and meal and the store’s explanation was that there were more Mexicans than Jews in the area. My response was “Seriously? Where?” I explained that while I was miffed at not being able to cook a century old recipe on schedule, I would encourage them to talk to a Rabbi about demographics. They changed the sign in what was probably coincidental timing.
December 31st, 2011 at 10:07 pm
I’ve always appreciated the “Sorta Latino” section and the “Really Latino” section in the local supermarkets … In “Sorta Latino” you’ll find the Pace Picante and other familiar brands, in “Really Latino” you’ll find La Costena and others
January 1st, 2012 at 6:05 am
What a timing! On Friday I was wandering through RiteAid led by the same question: where do I find a cake of soap?
Turns out they have it on a shelving unit next to home cleaning products, in the last aisle!
The whole assortment stocked together, from Ivory to fancy French Provincial (or smthg like that). With one exception: Neutrogena soaps are in the Skincare section (and cost 3 times more).
Not that I bought any. The collective smell was overwhelming…
Happy New Year, LabRat, Stingray and esteemed company!
January 3rd, 2012 at 1:14 am
To Hell with Ivory! I use Kirk’s Cocoa Hardwater Castile soap as my only soap, on my hair as well as the rest of my body. It is not un-scented, but at least it is only mildly scented. It makes a good lather, nowhat one’s local water characteristics. I use it to shave with, instead of shaving cream.
January 3rd, 2012 at 1:39 am
Laura, you did not have to raise hell, except in your mind. This is still (at the moment) a mostly Gentile country, founded by British Protestants, from whom I am entirely descended.
A teeny weeny minority should not be allowed to dictate what kinds of food are offered for sale here.
January 3rd, 2012 at 1:56 am
P.s. Bacon forever!
January 3rd, 2012 at 2:40 pm
Justthisguy,
I’m a Druid and a Unitarian, JTG. I love Bacon.
And I’m an optimist. I’m hoping your post was sarcastic. If it wasn’t…well some thoughts:
I have a protestant ancestor too. He married my Jewish ancestor, my maternal great grandmother in the 1890’s. No, she did not convert! Everyone else in the family is Irish. Funny, they will talk proudly of those two exceptions, and their amazing courtship story,but while we’re always encouraged to learn more about Great Grandmother’s Jewish culture, nobody discusses her husband’s White Anglo Saxon Protestant ancestry (‘a tiny minority’ amongst our Irish clans) I’ve often fancied I understood why…
Oh. And. I thought I made my post clear in the statement that I raised a fuss but emphasized that the store should consult a Rabbi about the population numbers in the area and not take my word for it. I guess the ‘tiny minority’ got their say.
If your little comment WAS sincere in the stink of privileged Goyim English bad taste…well I and my family have survived far worse than you. So have ‘tiny little minority’ communities of Jews (or their heathen descendants) who want to make soup…Shalom and, yes, Bacon Forever!
January 5th, 2012 at 12:03 pm
Ivory soap doesn’t smell like flowers and the packaging is neither pink nor purple. So it’s male, OBVIOUSLY.
I mean come on, it doesn’t even have added moisturizer or vitamins or anything to nourish your skin or erase wrinkles, so clearly you’d have to be really butch or something to want it if you’re a woman.
(unless you buy some for your husband and then borrow it — you might possibly still be a real female if you do that).