The Average German Supermarket: Discounters and Rules at the Checkout

Summary

Join Michael Müller, an 'Average German,' on his grocery shopping journey to explore the German shopping experience. Discover the most consumed foods, the two types of supermarkets, and the recycling culture. Uncover the efficiency of bread cutting machines, the ban on single-use plastic bags, and the preference for organic produce. Delve into the unique checkout etiquette and the slower adoption of self-checkouts due to cash preference and data privacy concerns. This snapshot of German shopping habits offers insights into a culture that values sustainability and efficiency.

Takeaways

• 🛒 Saturday is the most preferred day for grocery shopping among 22% of Germans.
• 🥛 The top food items consumed in Germany include milk, butter, cheese, eggs, vegetables, bread, and meat.
• 🔄 'Pfand' is a recycling system where Germans pay a deposit on plastic bottles and get it back upon recycling.
• 🏪 There are two main types of supermarkets in Germany: discounters like Lidl and Aldi, and regular supermarkets.
• 🍞 Germans have a special bread cutting machine called 'Brotschneidemaschine' for perfectly sliced bread.
• 🌱 Discount supermarkets are popular for their thriftiness and no-frills shopping experience.
• ♻️ Germans are conscious about reducing plastic waste, and single-use plastic bags are banned.
• 🛍️ Shoppers in Germany often bring their own tote bags for carrying groceries.
• 🥑 Regular supermarkets like Edeka offer a wider range of products, including a larger organic section.
• 🛒 Self-checkout is less common in Germany due to a preference for cash payments and concerns over personal data.
• 🏃 Checkout etiquette in Germany includes lining up items logically, allowing those with fewer items to go first, and being quick and efficient.

Q & A

What day of the week do 22% of Germans prefer for grocery shopping?

Saturday is the preferred shopping day for 22% of Germans.

What are the highest-consumed food products in Germany?

The highest-consumed food products in Germany are milk, butter, cheese, eggs, vegetables, bread, and meat.

What is the term for the bottles used for recycling in Germany?

In Germany, the bottles used for recycling are referred to as 'Pfand'.

What are the two main types of supermarkets in Germany?

The two main types of supermarkets in Germany are discounters like Lidl and Aldi, and regular supermarkets.

How does the Pfand system work in Germany?

In Germany, when you buy a plastic bottle, you pay a small deposit on it, and when you recycle the bottle, you get the money back in the form of a voucher.

What is a 'Brotschneidemaschine' and what is its purpose?

A 'Brotschneidemaschine' is a bread cutting machine that allows customers to get perfectly sliced bread at the desired thickness.

What percentage of Germans buy their daily essentials at a discounter?

Like 42% of Germans, Michael buys his daily essentials at a discounter.

Why are single-use plastic bags considered a cardinal sin in German supermarkets?

Germans genuinely care about reducing plastic waste, and single-use plastic bags are not only frowned upon but also forbidden in German supermarkets.

What percentage of Germans prefer to buy their fruit and vegetables from the 'bio' or organic sections?

33% of Germans like to buy their fruit and vegetables from the 'bio' or organic sections of regular supermarkets.

How many eggs does the average German buy per year?

Germans buy 230 eggs per year on average.

Why is the adoption of self-checkout in Germany lagging compared to other European countries?

Self-checkout adoption in Germany is lagging due to Germans' preference for paying with cash and their protectiveness over personal data.

What are the rules Germans follow at checkouts?

At checkouts, Germans follow rules such as lining up items logically, allowing those with one item to go before them, and being fast and efficient.

Outlines

00:00

🛒 German Shopping Experience

The video explores the German shopping experience by following Michael Müller, a typical German shopper. Saturday is the preferred shopping day for 22% of Germans, and their shopping lists commonly include high-consumed food products like milk, butter, cheese, eggs, vegetables, bread, and meat. Michael demonstrates the importance of recycling in Germany by returning bottles for a 'Pfand' deposit refund. The video contrasts two types of German supermarkets: discounters like Lidl and Aldi, which offer a cheaper and simpler shopping experience, and regular supermarkets like Edeka, which have a larger product range and a significant organic section. Germans are shown to be environmentally conscious, avoiding single-use plastic bags and using tote bags instead. The checkout process in Germany is highlighted, with a focus on efficiency and specific etiquette, including letting those with fewer items go ahead and the rush to use newly opened checkouts. The video ends with a question about the viewer's shopping experience in their country.

05:18

🏪 Insights on German Supermarkets

This paragraph invites viewers to share their thoughts on what they found peculiar about German supermarkets. It encourages engagement by prompting viewers to like and subscribe for more content related to the 'Average German' series, suggesting a focus on cultural comparisons and everyday life in Germany.

Keywords

💡Pfand

Pfand refers to a deposit system in Germany for beverage containers. Consumers pay a small deposit when purchasing drinks in bottles or cans, which they can reclaim by returning the empty containers to a 'Pfand machine' for recycling. This system encourages recycling and reduces littering. In the video, Michael Müller, the 'Average German,' is reminded not to forget his Pfand, highlighting the importance of this practice in everyday German life.

💡Discounters

Discounters are a type of supermarket that offers products at lower prices, often with minimal branding and fewer frills. They are popular for their cost-effective shopping experience. In Germany, Lidl and Aldi are well-known discounters. The video mentions that Michael shops at a discounter for his daily essentials, which reflects the thrifty nature of many Germans and their preference for value over luxury.

💡Brotschneidemaschine

The Brotschneidemaschine, or bread slicing machine, is a device found in German supermarkets that allows customers to get their bread sliced to their preferred thickness. This innovation is showcased in the video as a symbol of German engineering and efficiency, where Michael selects a 10mm thickness for his bread, demonstrating the convenience and precision offered by this machine.

💡Organic sections

Organic sections in German supermarkets are areas dedicated to 'bio' products, which are grown or produced without synthetic chemicals and often adhere to stricter environmental standards. The video notes that 33% of Germans prefer to buy their fruits and vegetables from these organic sections, indicating a significant consumer interest in health and sustainability.

💡Single-use plastic bags

Single-use plastic bags are disposable bags made of plastic, which are a significant source of environmental pollution due to their non-biodegradable nature. The video emphasizes that in Germany, these bags are not only frowned upon but also forbidden in many places, reflecting a cultural commitment to reducing plastic waste. Michael brings his own tote bags to the supermarket, which is a common practice among Germans to minimize environmental impact.

💡Self-checkout

Self-checkout is a system where customers scan and pay for their items without the assistance of a cashier. Despite its prevalence in many countries, the video points out that self-checkout adoption is lagging in Germany. This is attributed to a preference for cash payments and concerns over personal data privacy, which are significant factors influencing the shopping habits and technological acceptance among Germans.

💡Checkout etiquette

Checkout etiquette refers to the social norms and rules that govern behavior at the checkout counter in a supermarket. The video outlines specific rules such as logically lining up items for efficient packing, allowing those with fewer items to go ahead, and the competitive nature of抢占新开的收银台. These rules illustrate the structured and orderly approach to everyday tasks that is characteristic of German culture.

💡Egg consumption

The video mentions that Germans consume an average of 230 eggs per person per year, which is a significant statistic indicating the importance of eggs in the German diet. This high consumption rate is used to highlight the dietary habits and preferences of Germans, where eggs are a staple food item.

💡Mexican dish

In the context of the video, a Mexican dish refers to the type of meal Michael is preparing for the evening, which requires the spiciest paprika powder available. This detail serves to personalize Michael's character and provides a cultural contrast, showing how global cuisine influences the ingredients that Germans seek out in their local supermarkets.

💡Beer

Beer is a popular beverage in Germany, and the video notes that Michael picks up a beer during his shopping trip, which is a nod to the country's beer culture. Germany is renowned for its beer varieties and the importance of beer in social and cultural events, making it a common item in a German's shopping basket.

Highlights

Germans prefer shopping on Saturdays, with 22% choosing it as their favorite day.

Top consumed food products in Germany include milk, butter, cheese, eggs, vegetables, bread, and meat.

Germans are reminded not to forget their 'Pfand', bottles for recycling, which is a part of their shopping routine.

There are two types of supermarkets in Germany: discounters like Lidl and Aldi, and regular supermarkets.

Discounter supermarkets offer cheaper, no-frills shopping experiences.

The Pfand machine allows customers to recycle plastic bottles and get a small deposit back.

Germans have approximately one million different types of bread, figuratively speaking.

The 'Brotschneidemaschine', or bread cutting machine, is a symbol of German engineering efficiency.

42% of Germans buy their daily essentials at discounter supermarkets.

Germans are committed to reducing plastic waste, and single-use plastic bags are forbidden in supermarkets.

Germans bring their own tote bags for shopping, as seen with Michael bringing four bags.

Regular supermarkets like Edeka offer a larger selection, including a significant 'bio' or organic section.

Germans purchase popular everyday items such as cookies, savory snacks, chocolate bars, and sweet snacks.

Germans consume an average of 230 eggs per person per year.

In German supermarkets, eggs are not refrigerated, which is a cultural difference in food storage.

Germans prefer to pay with cash and are protective over their personal data, affecting self-checkout adoption.

There are specific rules for checkouts in Germany, emphasizing efficiency and order.

Germans are quick and efficient at the checkout, with a culture that values speed and organization.

Transcripts

We're investigating the  German shopping experience. 

What's on their shopping list? What are their supermarkets like? 

And is the checkout speed as  deadly as it's made out to be? 

We're following Michael Müller,  an Average German, to find out.

Today, Michael is doing his grocery shopping.

Like for 22% of Germans, Saturday  is his preferred shopping day.

The highest-consumed food  products in Germany are milk,  

butter, cheese, eggs, vegetables, bread, and meat.

Oops. He's forgotten something.

Ha! Better not forget the "Pfand".  Aka the bottles for recycling.

In Germany, there are broadly  two types of supermarkets:  

discounters like Lidl and Aldi  and, well... regular supermarkets.

Discounters generally offer a cheaper,  more 'no-frills' shopping experience. 

'Cause after all, who needs fancy labels  and displays when you can have bargains?

But first stop! The Pfand machine.

In Germany, when you buy a plastic  bottle, you pay a small deposit on it. 

And then, when you recycle the bottle, you  get the money back in the form of a voucher.

Look, I know we laugh at the Germans sometimes,  but this is actually a pretty great system.

We already know that Germans love  bread. And they have approximately  

one million different types of  it. Figuratively, of course.

He's gone for the loaf.

This is a "Brotschneidemaschine" – aka a bread  cutting machine. A pearl of German engineering,  

it allows you to get perfectly sliced bread faster  than you can say: "I can’t use a bread knife."

Michael selects the thickness of his slices: 10mm.

Look at that. Majestic.

Like 42% of Germans, Michael buys his  daily essentials at a discounter. Thrifty.

Germans genuinely care about reducing  plastic waste. And single-use plastic  

bags are not only a cardinal sin  – but forbidden.

So, Michael has brought his own tote bags.

One, two, three... four?!

After picking up the rest of his essentials,  

it's time for stop 2 on the supermarket  sweep: the 'regular' supermarket.

Michael has arrived at Edeka.

Regular supermarkets tend to have a larger  selection of products. Including bigger  

"bio" – or organic – sections, from which 33%  of Germans like to buy their fruit and veggies.

After the basics, popular  everyday purchases are cookies,  

savoury snacks, chocolate bars, and sweet snacks.

Germans also buy 230 eggs per year. But wait – they're not in the fridge?!

Michael is cooking a Mexican dish tonight, so  he needs the spiciest paprika powder he can get.

And of course, as a German,  Michael picks up a beer.

Compared with other European countries, in  Germany, self-checkout adoption is lagging. 

Why? One, Germans love to pay with cash, and  two, they're protective over their personal data.

Like with all things German, when it  comes to checkouts, there are rules:

One: Line up your items logically. Put hard and  

heavy things at the front so you can  pack them first. Maximum efficiency.

Two: If someone has one  item, let them go before you.

Three: If another checkout opens ...

We're opening cash 3.

... abandon all sense of order.  It’s whoever sees it first.

And finally: prepare to be fast.

Another successful shop for Michael. So, what's shopping like in your country? 

What did you find weird about  the German supermarkets? 

And as always, like and subscribe  for more Average German.