Party in Aisle 6: ShopRite is rockin’

September 14, 2012

There’s something strange going on at the supermarket.

Every time I’m in ShopRite lately, I find myself humming. When I look around, I see other people doing the same thing. These other people are often like me, women of, shall we say, a certain age.

Sometimes, the ladies are outright belting it out. They are not embarrassed at all. I think I may turn into one of them.

It starts out innocently enough. A song comes on while I’m browsing in the cereal aisle: “They say our love won’t pay the rent …” sings Cher.

“Before it’s earned our money’s all been spent,” I sing quietly to myself.

“I guess that’s so, we don’t have a pot …” I hear Sonny sing.

“La la la la la … da da da … we got,” I attempt to finish the line as I reach for the Honey Nut Cheerios.

“Babe …,” I hear a 50-plus lady next to me sing, “I got you Babe.”

This lady is not only singing, she is swaying, too. A little while later, I see more women movin’ and groovin’ to what I am now calling the ShopRite Sixties Soundtrack.

What the heck is going on here?

By the time I’ve made it to check-out, I’ve heard The Monkees, The Mamas and the Papas, Elvis and The Righteous Brothers.

And I’ve sung along to all of it! It’s been a little trip down memory lane. I have to admit — I like it, I really like it.

This is a brilliant marketing strategy on the part of ShopRite. I soon realize I am not the only one who thinks so.

“Have you been to ShopRite lately?” my neighbor Eileen asked. “The music is great!”

“Yeah … right?” I answered, glad to find a musical comrade. “I’m always, like, singing and dancing there.”

See? I think. I’m not crazy.

I predict this whole nostalgic music thing will, in the long run, change my entire shopping experience.

In the past, it was boring picking out melons, but no more.

Those waits at the deli line, taking out the reading glasses to check milk expiration dates, squeezing the Charmin — all of it will be enhanced by Chubby Checker.

It’s very exciting.

“You know, you should write an article about this,” Eileen suggested, when I confirmed that I, too, was a ShopRite groupie.

OK, Eileen, here it is. This one’s for you — and for ShopRite, too.

Karen Orloff’s most recent books are “Talk, Oscar, Please!” and “I Wanna New Room.” Email her at kembo @aol.com. Her column appears every other Thursday.

Written by

Karen Orloff
Poughkeepsie Journal
9:59 PM, Sep 12, 2012