Some day a couple is going to tell their kids about how they met ... at Kroger, Safeway or Wegmans. It may not be an entirely new phenomenon, but singles, at least in places where there are high concentrations of them, are finding that the supermarket is the place to find a date, if not a life-long partner.
Among the stores that have gotten attention for doubling as places to find dates are the "Social" Safeway in Washington, D.C., a (Club) Wegmans in Prince George County and the Brewers Yard Kroger in Ohio.
A Washington Post report last month described the scene at the Wegmans store.
"Singles hook up in front of bins of fresh produce; couples gather for dates in the grocery store's sit-down restaurant; and shoppers sway to music from overhead speakers, singing along with Prince, Luther Vandross and Teena Marie."
Elizabeth Ribarsky, a professor at interpersonal communications at the University of Illinois in Springfield, told the Post grocery stores are good places to meet for singles because they feel safer in familiar surroundings.
"There is a lot of opportunity to open conversations without things that you would think of as a pickup line," said Prof. Ribarsky. She pointed to finding common likes in food as a means to start up a conversation.
Supermarkets, however, are not just for singles. The Brewers Yard Kroger has proven to be a good place for couples to hang out, as well. A Columbus Dispatch article pointed to how Ian and Katherine Nickey went to the store to go shopping one Friday night, but stayed to hear live music in the store's bar. The two have gone back on other occasions since their first trip.
"For us, it's a convenience, and it makes the shopping fun. It's a great concept," Mr. Nickey said.
"A lot of our regular customers use the opportunity to pick up their groceries but also take time to sit down, enjoy music, spend time with friends and enjoy their Kroger family," Amy McCormick, a spokesperson for the chain, told the Dispatch. "The store is designed for that offering and to be a gathering place for customers to come in and let us entertain them.
"We're more than happy to have 80-plus people who want to spend their Friday nights at Kroger," she said.
Lee Peterson, executive vice president of creative services at WD Partners and a RetailWire BrainTrust member, told the Dispatch that grocers are looking for effective ways to differentiate their offering from the competition.
"The pressure on traditional grocers is immense," Mr. Peterson said. "They've got price pressure from Walmart, Walgreens and dollar stores. And then pressure from specialty stores like Whole Foods and Trader Joe, which specialize in offering consumers an 'experience' when they shop."