ADVICE FOR TRAVELLERS: SHOPPING IN THE UK

There are a few golden rules to follow when shopping in the UK. Follow these tips and your shopping trip should be perfect:
1. Queuing – Yes, what you’ve heard is true! The British love to queue. They can stand and wait very patiently while you are paying at the checkout or even choosing fruits to buy. Never try to say something or rush while you are waiting in the queue because they find actions like these very rude.
2. Saying thanks – The British like saying “thank you” when shopping. You may even think that they say “thank you” too much! When they’re paying for their groceries, people usually thank the cashier three or four times. If you are a customer don’t forget to say “thank you” to the cashier or he / she may get annoyed.
3. Haggling – When at the market or when buying a large item such as a house or a car, it is usually okay to try to persuade the seller to lower the price of something. This is called haggling. But if you are at a supermarket or a clothes shop, that will not work. So don’t even try.
4. Controlling children – When children misbehave in a supermarket, most parents just warn their children as quietly as possible. They don’t like drawing attention to themselves.
5. Asking for help – If you’re walking round in circles and can’t find the spaghetti, don’t worry. Shop assistants are generally very helpful. Try not to say what you want too directly. Try saying ‘Excuse me. Could you tell me where to find the spaghetti, please?’ instead of saying ‘I want spaghetti’. No one would like to help someone who doesn’t ask for help politely.
6. Your trolley – Try not to leave your trolley in the middle of an aisle . Most British people will probably try to squeeze past your trolley or warn you seriously about not blocking the aisle.