6. Shopping

When we go shopping, we can go either to a big department store or to some specialized shops. Shopping in a big department store has its advantages and disadvantages. We can buy here almost everything we need in one place, but in small specialized shop is the good fresh and there is a wider choice of definite good.

We can go to the greengrocer if we need some fruit or vegetable, to the butcher who sells meat, to the baker who disposes of bread, rolls and cakes. People who smoke often go to the tobacconists where they can buy cigarettes and tobacco there. Some people included me like very much going to the confectioner who sells sweats and ice-cream. A lot of people go to the newsagent’s in the morning, because there are sold newspapers and magazines. Many people also often go to the diary for milk and milk products. Not very often people go to the fishmonger’s who sells fish or to the wine-shop there are alcoholic drinks of all kind sold, Ironmonger sells metal goods, e.g. nails, pots and pans. If we go to the jeweler’s we should have a lot of money, because the jewels are sometimes very expensive. If we want new TV-set or radio we have to visit the electrical appliances shop.

The most common shop is the grocer’s or the self-service-shop where we can buy foods and kitchen needs such as soap, detergents and polish. Another common shop is the chemist’s. They sell medicines and ointments, toothpaste, combs, soap, cosmetics, razor blades, sunglasses, films and cameras.

All possible goods can be sold in various types of shops e.g. in supermarket or in hypermarket, that is very large and sells food and house and kitchen needs. Street stalls where we can buy cheaper and also less quality goods are quite common now. A typical feature of modern big cities is big department stores. Those are usually huge buildings equipped with lifts and escalators, where we can find almost everything from food to furniture.

Big stores operate on the “serve-yourself” system – you go in, pick up a basket or a trolley, walk around the shop and choice what you want. At the exit there is a cash-desk or a cashier-where you pay for all your goods together.
We can pay either in cash, by our credit cards or by check. Credit cards are very common in these days. In our state we pay with crowns.

An average Czech family goes shopping every day for necessary food. Once a week they usually do one bigger purchase for a weekend and from time to time they have to buy clothes, shoes, household utensils and equipment.
My family has the same shopping habits. Everyday does shopping my mother and on Saturday do shopping both my parents together.

A real shopping rush happens before Christmas season when people go to buy Christmas presents.