With the rise of so-called “slow travel” and the cachet now attached to “authentic” travel experiences, no one should be surprised at the latest trend making headlines: vacationers are queuing up to sample their destination’s average neighbourhood grocery stores, which they say provide a deep dive into local culture and food.
Anyone who has lived abroad for some time will tell you, grocery stores can be surprisingly varied from country to country, with entirely different ingredients and products for sale, as well unfamiliar layouts and sections. It can be frustrating on a day-to-day basis, navigating the gigantic yoghurt section in French shops, or realising after half-an-hour’s search that in country X or Y, light bulbs are in fact next to the bacon.
But when you’re in the holiday mood, those minor differences when out shopping – a kind of “uncanny valley” retail effect – can be a source of delight and discovery.
Culture shock and souvenirs
“This may be controversial, but I think that the best thing to do while traveling is go to the grocery store,” one TikTokker said in a video. “Going to a grocery store could technically be counted as sightseeing, right? Because not only is it a cultural experience, but you can also find lots of stuff to bring back as souvenirs.”
While some local stores may gain notoriety for their stunning surroundings or proximity to major sights, others are becoming attractions in their own right, thanks to their product lines. And it’s not just foreign chains garnering attention. Familiar chains from home that stock entirely different items are a must-see too, as commenters on the TikTok thread confirmed.
“I always go to grocery stores when traveling! And Costco. It is so interesting to see Costco over seas!” one social media user responded. And with a hint of irony and self-awareness, another chimed in: “Foreign grocery stores and foreign McDonald’s — I seek out culture.”
Nothing new?
But while some are attempting to frame the grocery store sightseeing phenomenon as a Gen Z thing, our fascination with seeing the familiar through a new lens is nothing new. Thirty years ago, film director Quentin Tarantino hit the nail on the head in the following iconic bit of dialogue between Vincent (John Travolta) and Jules (Samuel L. Jackson) from his 1994 blockbuster, Pulp Fiction:
