ESL podcast 875 – shopping at the supermarket

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English as a Second Language Podcast

www.eslpod.com ESL Podcast 875 – Shopping at the Supermarket

GLOSSARY

stocker – a person whose job is to put products on the shelves and on display

where shoppers can reach them, especially in a grocery store or a discount store

* The store usually has one or two stockers working during the day, but more stockers work at night when there are fewer shoppers

aisle – one of several passages, almost like hallways, between the items that are

for sale, usually wide enough for two shopping carts

* Peanut butter and jams are in aisle 7

brand – the name given to a particular product (or related products) sold by a

specific company

* Some people pay more to buy their favorite brand, but Jennifer just buys

whichever brand is least expensive

out of stock – not available for sale because all the items have been sold

* In the days before the storm, so many people bought emergency supplies like bottled water and flashlights that most of the stores were out of stock

shipment – a large number of products that are transported together and sent or

received at the same time

* We should get a new shipment of books on Thursday

to check back – to return at a future time to ask the same question again or to

see whether something that one is waiting for has happened yet

* Your order hasn’t arrived yet, but please check back tomorrow

discontinued – no longer available, especially because something is no longer

being produced or manufactured

* When Sheila heard that her favorite lipstick was being discontinued, she bought

as many tubes of it as she could find

parent company – a company that owns and operates one or more smaller

companies

* Job applicants have to indicate whether any of the relatives work for this

company or its parent company

to stock – to keep something in one’s inventory and make it available for sale to

customers

* Grocery stores have to stock a lot of turkey and jars of gravy in November,

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quality control – the process of making sure the products being manufactured

meet certain standards for performance and appearance

* This radio doesn’t work at all Isn’t anyone responsible for quality control at the factory?

to pull – to decide to stop selling something and remove it from the store so that

it is no longer displayed to customers

* When scientists found dangerous bacteria in ground beef, thousands of stores across the country pulled hamburger from their meat cases

shelf – one of many flat surfaces that are attached to a wall or a wooden or

metal frame to store and/or display objects

* In grocery stores, the most expensive items are usually at eye level, and less expensive items are found on bottom shelves

to carry – to have something in stock (inventory) and make it available for sale to

customers

* Very few stores in the United States carry rabbit meat

organic – referring to food that is grown or produced without any artificial

chemicals

* Is organic food any healthier than food grown with pesticides?

out of season – not grown in the local area at the current time of year (for

example, used to describe a winter vegetable during the summer months)

* Peaches are Edgar’s favorite fruit, but they’re out of season during most of the year

to have nothing to show for it – to not receive any of the intended results from

one’s actions or efforts; to be unsuccessful; to be unable to show one’s progress

* With four little kids in the house, sometimes we clean all day and have nothing

to show for it!

empty-handed – without anything; without getting what one had expected

* We can’t go to their house empty-handed We have to buy a gift for the

hostess

I’m there – a phrase used to show that one plans to do something and is

enthusiastic and excited to participate

* A: We’re having a party at our house next Saturday Do you want to come? B: I’m there!

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COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS

1 Which of these products will the store continue to sell?

a) Jitters coffee

b) Fructose soda

c) Mushy bread

2 What does Meg mean when she says, “I guess I’m going home

empty-handed”?

a) She won’t buy anything

b) She won’t have any money left

c) She won’t be able to drive home

WHAT ELSE DOES IT MEAN?

to check back

The phrase “to check back,” in this podcast, means to return at a future time to ask the same question again or to see whether something that one is waiting for has happened yet: “I haven’t had time to write your letter of recommendation yet, but check back tomorrow.” The phrase “to check in” means to let someone know that one has arrived: “Please check in with the receptionist when you arrive for your appointment.” The phrase “to check out” means to borrow a book or other materials from the library: “You can check out these books for three weeks.” The phrase “to check out” can also mean to look at something interesting: “Check out that painting! Isn’t it beautiful?” Finally, the phrase “to check off” means to cross something off of a list because one has completed it: “Peter was able to check off

a lot of chores today.”

to stock

In this podcast, the verb “to stock” means to keep something in one’s inventory and make it available for sale to customers: “The toy store stocks a lot of trains, cars, and balls, but very few dolls.” The verb “to stock” also means to fill

something, especially a refrigerator: “If you want to be healthier, try to stock your fridge with lots of fruits and vegetables.” The phrase “to stock up” means to buy a lot of something and store it for future use: “Helena stocks up on deodorant and toothpaste whenever it goes on sale.” Finally, the phrase “to take stock of

(something)” means to assess or evaluate something, often to decide what one wants to do next: “Let’s take stock of our progress so far and then determine our

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CULTURE NOTE

Supermarket Loyalty Programs

Many “supermarkets” (large grocery store) have “loyalty programs,” or programs that encourage customers to shop many times at the same store They have these programs because they want to “keep the customer’s business” (not have the customer shop at other stores)

Shoppers can sign up for most loyalty programs for free They receive a small card or a “keychain tag” (a small piece of plastic that attaches to the ring that holds one’s keys) with a small “barcode” (UPC label; a group of black lines that are read electronically) When shoppers “check out” (pay for purchases), they receive “discounts” (lower-than-usual) prices on certain items In exchange, the store receives detailed information about customers’ “shopping habits” (where and when one shops, and what one buys)

Some loyalty programs are “going a step further” (making something more elaborate) by offering “customized” (personalized; changed to meet the needs of one person) discounts to individual customers For example, customers might receive discounts on new products that are similar to products they have

purchased in the past

Other loyalty programs use a “point-based system,” possibly offering the

customer one point for every $1 spent in the store Once the customer

“accumulates” (gathers) enough points, they can be exchanged for certain rewards or a special discount on a future shopping trip Sometimes the points can be exchanged for discounts on gasoline And some points-based loyalty programs are “tied to” (connected to) “frequent flyer programs,” so that shoppers can earn miles toward their next trip by “purchasing” (buying) groceries at a particular store

Comprehension Questions Correct Answers: 1 – a; 2 – a

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COMPLETE TRANSCRIPT

Welcome to English as a Second Language Podcast number 875: Shopping at the Supermarket

This is English as a Second Language Podcast episode 875 I'm your host, Dr Jeff McQuillan, coming to you from the Center for Educational Development in beautiful Los Angeles, California

Our website is ESLPod.com On there, you can find our ESL Podcast store with additional courses in business and daily English

This episode is a dialogue between someone who works at a grocery store, a store where you buy food, and a customer Let’s get started

[start of dialog]

Stocker: Can I help you find something?

Meg: Yes, I’m looking for coffee

Stocker: That’s on aisle 3 Let me show you where it is

Meg: Thanks Hmm, I don’t see the Jitters brand that I normally buy

Stocker: It looks like we’re out of stock We should get another shipment next week

Meg: Okay, I’ll check back I’m also looking for the Fructose brand soda, but I didn’t see it in the soda aisle

Stocker: I’m afraid that’s been discontinued Their parent company no longer makes soda

Meg: Really? I love Fructose soda How about the Mushy brand bread? I didn’t see it when I checked the bread aisle

Stocker: We no longer stock the Mushy brand There were so quality control issues at the company, so we’ve pulled all of their products from the shelves Can I help you find anything else?

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Meg: No, I guess I’ll just have to try some new brands Oh, yes, do you carry Worm organic apples?

Stocker: We normally do, but they’re out of season right now We won’t have any until early summer

Meg: All of this shopping and I have nothing to show for it I guess I’m going home empty-handed

Stocker: We do have chocolate cakes and cookies on sale

Meg: I’m there!

[end of dialog]

The person who begins our dialogue is an employee of the grocery store, of the supermarket He's what we would call a “stocker” (stocker) A “stocker” is a

person who puts the products, who puts the food items, on the shelves He or she is the person who takes them out of a box and puts them up in a place where you can see them, take them, and then buy them

The stocker says to one of the customers, named Meg, “Can I help you find something?” Meg says, “Yes I'm looking for coffee.” The stocker says, “That’s on aisle 3 Let me show you where it is.” “Aisle” (aisle) refers to a passage, a place where you can walk in between two other things In this case, in a grocery store,

in a supermarket, you have long shelves and the shelves are arranged so that you can walk in between them in order to find what you need and take it off the shelf That space where you walk, that area where you walk, is called an “aisle.” Many supermarkets number the aisles so that if you are looking for something –

as Meg was looking for coffee – the person can just tell you where to go “It's on aisle 3.” “It's on aisle 4.” Then you know exactly where you need to go

Meg says, “Thanks I don't see the Jitters brand I normally buy.” Meg is looking for a particular kind of coffee, a specific “brand” (brand) “Brand” is the name that the company gives their product You could have Diet Coke That would be a brand Or, we have something here in the US called “Coke Zero.” That's the brand, or “Coca-Cola” itself could be considered a brand Meg is looking for a particular kind of coffee and she doesn't see it there The stocker says, “It looks like we’re out of stock.” “To be out of stock” means not to have available for sale something that you normally sell Normally, they sell this kind of coffee, but

everyone came in and bought it, and now they don't have any more They're out

of stock “Stock,” I should say, refers to the things that the store sells The

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opposite of out of stock is “in stock.” “Do you have this in stock?” That means “Do you have that item available for sale?”

The coffee Meg wants is out of stock The stocker tells her though that they should get another shipment next week A “shipment” (shipment) is when you get

a large group of something delivered to your house or more typically, to your business – in this case, to the supermarket Maybe every day they'll get a new shipment of vegetables, boxes of vegetables that will come in and they will sell That's a shipment

Meg says, “Okay, I'll check back.” “To check back” is a two-word phrasal verb meaning to come back at a later time to see if you have it “I'll check back next week” means I will come back next week and see if you have it Meg says, “I'm also looking for the Fructose brand soda but I don't see it in the soda aisle.” The stocker says, “I'm afraid” – I'm sorry to tell you – “that's been discontinued.” “To discontinue” something is to no longer make it available, perhaps because it isn't very popular Or maybe it was just too expensive for the store to buy and sell –

“to discontinue,” to stop making something available

The stocker says the “parent company” of the brand that Meg wants “no longer makes soda.” A “parent company” is a large company that owns usually smaller divisions or smaller sections of their company that make different kinds of

products The parent company is the company that is in charge of all the other small companies, or in this case, divisions of that company Meg says, “Really? I love Fructose soda.” She's disappointed Then she asks, “How about the Mushy Bran bread?” “How about” means “Do you have,” in this case, “the Mushy brand bread.” These are not, I should say, real brands that you will find in an American supermarket

Meg says, “I didn't see the Mushy brand bread when I checked the bread aisle.” The stocker says, “We no longer stock the Mushy brand.” Here, notice “stock” is used as a verb, meaning to make available, to carry, to keep something available

to sell The stocker is saying the supermarket no longer stocks this brand It is no longer available

The company is still making that bread but this supermarket no longer stocks it

He says, “There were some quality control issues at the company so we pulled all of our products from the shelves.”

“Quality control” refers to the process, the steps that a company has to make sure that what they make is good quality, is what it is supposed to be The

stocker says this company had some quality control issues He really means

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stop selling something to your customers, to no longer make it available for sale That's what the stocker means here when he says that “We've pulled all their products.” He says, “We’ve pulled all their products from the shelves.”

“Shelves” is the plural of “shelf” (shelf) A “shelf,” as I mentioned earlier, is a place where the food is put so that you can see it, and take it, and buy it That's a shelf It's a place where you place things, you put things either for someone to buy or simply to keep them there Shelves usually have three or four different sections in a grocery store and each section has a space in between it so that you can put the products there

The stocker says, “Can I help you find anything else?” Meg says, “No I guess I'll just have to try some new brands Oh yes, do you carry Worm organic apples?”

“To carry” here means to sell in your store, to have in stock or to normally have in stock Something that you normally sell is something that you carry Meg is

asking if the supermarket carries a certain kind of organic apple “Organic”

(organic) refers to food that is grown without any artificial or extra chemicals Organic food is very popular now in certain parts of the United States and other countries, of course

The stockers says, “We normally do” – we normally do have these kinds of

apples in stock – “but they're out of season right now.” “To be out of season” means that this particular food is not being grown or is not available in a certain area If you only want to buy food that is grown from your local area, from your area where you live, there'll be parts of the year when certain kinds of food is not available because it's not being grown in that area at that time

In Minnesota, for example, where it’s very cold, you can't get any fresh

vegetables during the wintertime because they're not able to grow the food at that time Of course, you can get vegetables You can get them from other parts

of the country or other parts of the world and that's exactly what we do, but if you only want to buy them from a certain area, it's likely that that area, at some point during the year, will not have that food available and therefore it will be “out of season.”

The stocker says, “We won't have any of these apples until early summer.” Meg says, “All of this shopping and I have nothing to show for it.” The expression “to have nothing to show for it” means “I've done a lot of work but I don't have any results I don't have what I wanted to have.” Meg says, “I guess I'm going home empty-handed.” “To be empty (empty) - handed (handed)” means you don't have anything Literally, you don't have anything in your hands Your hands are empty

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“To go home empty-handed” means to go home without have purchased or bought anything

The stocker says, “We do have chocolate cakes and cookies on sale.” The

stocker is telling Meg that even though they don't have these other kinds of food, they still have cakes and cookies Meg gets excited and says, “I'm there.” “I'm there” is a phrase that we use informally to show that you plan on doing

something and that you are very excited about it Someone may say, “Oh, the new Star Wars movie is coming out next year.” And you say, “Oh, I’m there,” meaning I am definitely going to be there

I probably will not be there, but that's how we would use that particular

expression

Now let’s listen to the dialog this time at a normal speed