Everyday situations
How to shop at the supermarket in English
A2
Asking for a product, finding an aisle, paying at the checkout, dealing with plastic bags: the phrases you need for the supermarket and the market.
Quick answer
Shopping in the UK or the US mixes two worlds. In a self-service supermarket (Tesco or Sainsbury's in the UK, Walmart or Whole Foods in the US), people talk very little. At a market or in a small shop, people expect you to chat. The tricky part is food words, because some of them change meaning from one country to the other. Chips are hot potato sticks in the UK, but a snack in a packet in the US. A biscuit is a small sweet snack in the UK, but a kind of savoury scone in the US. Jelly is a wobbly dessert in the UK, but smooth jam in the US. Weights are tricky too. The UK now uses kilos and grams, but many older people still talk in pounds and ounces. In the US, everything is in pounds (lb) and ounces (oz).
Step by step
Each step follows a typical conversation. Lines marked “or” are other possible answers, depending on the situation.
1. Going in and finding an aisle
Where can I find…? works for almost everything. If the shelf is empty, ask a member of staff to check in the stockroom.
- You
Excuse me, where can I find the milk?
orWhich aisle is the bread in?
- Other person
It's in aisle 4, on the left.
- You
Thanks. Do you have any oat milk? I can't see it anywhere.
- Other person
It should be at the end of aisle 4, but that shelf is empty.
- You
Could you check if you have any in the back?
→ In the back means in the stockroom, the room behind the shop where extra products are kept. - Other person
Sure, give me a minute.
orSorry, we're out of stock. We're getting more tomorrow.
2. At the counter or at the market
At the counter, you ask for an amount and say how you want it cut. At the market, you ask about the price and if the food is fresh.
- Other person
Hi there, what can I get you?
- You
Could I have 200 grams of cheddar, please?
orCould I have half a pound of ham, please?
US→ 1 pound (lb) = about 450 g. - Other person
Sliced or in one piece?
- You
Sliced, please. Thinly, if possible.
- Other person
Anything else?
- You
That's it, thanks.
- You
How much is this?
→ At the market, pointing at a small box of strawberries. - Other person
It's £3 a punnet, or two for £5.
UK→ A punnet is a small box for fruit, like strawberries. - You
Are they ripe?
- Other person
Yes, they came in this morning.
- You
Great, I'll take two, please.
3. Comparing products and reading labels
Brands, special offers, allergens: ask a member of staff, who will often read the label with you.
- You
Excuse me, what's the difference between these two cereals?
- Other person
This one's organic, and that one's our own brand. It's cheaper.
UK→ Own brand (UK) or store brand (US) means products with the shop's own name on them. - You
Is the own-brand one on offer?
- Other person
Yes, it's buy one, get one free this week.
→ BOGOF means Buy One, Get One Free: you pay for one and you get two. - You
Do they contain nuts? I'm allergic.
- Other person
Let me check the label. It says "may contain traces of nuts".
→ Labels also show use-by (the last safe day to eat it, for milk or meat) and best before (it tastes best before this date). - You
OK, I'll take the organic one, then.
4. Paying at the checkout
A normal checkout: loyalty card, bag, then payment by card, cash or contactless. In the UK, plastic bags cost money.
- Other person
Hi, did you find everything you needed?
- You
Yes, thanks.
- Other person
Do you have a loyalty card?
- You
No, I don't.
- Other person
Would you like a bag? It's 10p.
UK→ In England, plastic bags have cost money since 2015 (at least 10p since 2021). Bring your own bag.orPaper or plastic?
US - You
No thanks, I've brought my own bag.
- Other person
That's £12.40. Card or cash?
- You
Card, please. Contactless.
- Other person
Just tap your card on the reader.
→ The reader is the card machine. - Other person
Here's your receipt. Have a nice day!
orSorry, your card was declined. Do you have another one?
5. Using the self-checkout
The machine often stops working: call a member of staff, who will fix it.
- Other person
Unexpected item in the bagging area.
→ The machine says this. It is a famous phrase at UK self-checkouts. - You
Excuse me, could you help me? It keeps saying "unexpected item".
- Other person
No problem. Did you put your own bag in the bagging area?
- You
Oh yes, sorry.
- Other person
That's fine. I've cleared it, you can carry on scanning.
- You
Thanks. And this one's not scanning.
- Other person
Let me type in the barcode for you.
6. Special requests and problems
A wrong price, a broken product, opening hours, home delivery: stay polite and explain the problem.
- You
Excuse me, I think I was overcharged. The label says £2, but I paid £3.
- Other person
Let me have a look at your receipt.
- Other person
You're right, sorry about that. Here's £1 back.
- You
Some of these eggs are broken. Could I swap them?
- Other person
Of course, just grab another box.
- You
What time do you close?
- Other person
We're open until 10 PM every day.
- You
Do you do home delivery?
- Other person
Yes, you can order online. It's free over £40.
Useful vocabulary
Shops and aisles
- a supermarketa big self-service food shop
- a grocery store / a grocer's(UK)a shop that sells food
- a corner shop / a convenience storea small local shop, often open late
- a market / a farmers' marketoutdoor stalls that sell fresh food
- an aislea passage between the shelves
- the frozen sectionwhere food is kept below zero
- the deli (delicatessen)the counter for cheese and cold meat
- the checkout / the tillthe place where you pay
Types of food
- fruit and veg(UK)fresh food like apples and carrots
- produce(US)fresh food like apples and carrots
- meat / fish / poultryfood from animals (poultry: chicken, duck)
- dairymilk, cheese, butter and yoghurt
- bakerythe part that sells bread and cakes
- frozen foodfood kept very cold to last longer
- canned / tinned foodfood sold in metal containers
- snackssmall things to eat between meals
Weights and measures
- a kilo / a grammetric units for weight
- a pound (lb)a weight of about 450 g
- an ounce (oz)a weight of about 28 g
- a litre(UK)a metric unit for liquids
- a liter(US)a metric unit for liquids
- a pinta measure of milk, about half a litre
- a packet / a packa paper or plastic container for food
- a punnet(UK)a small box for berries
Prices and paying
- a pricehow much something costs
- a price tag / labelthe small sign that shows the cost
- on sale / on offercheaper than usual for a time
- a discountmoney taken off the price
- a loyalty card / reward carda shop card that collects points
- cash / card / contactlessways to pay: coins and notes, card, tapping
- a receipta paper that proves you paid
- a refundmoney given back to you
UK vs US: what changes
| You want to say… | UK | US |
|---|---|---|
| A big shop that sells food | Supermarket / shop | Supermarket / store |
| Buying food for the home | To do the shopping / to go grocery shopping | To go grocery shopping / to run errands |
| The big carrier on wheels | A trolley | A cart / a shopping cart |
| The small carrier you hold | A basket | A basket |
| The place where you pay | The till / the checkout | The register / the checkout |
| Hot potato sticks / potato slices in a packet | Chips (hot sticks) / crisps (packet) | Fries (hot sticks) / chips (packet) |
| A small, dry, sweet snack | A biscuit | A cookie (a biscuit = a kind of savoury scone) |
Common mistakes to avoid
1. Chips, crisps, fries: the biggest trap
Three words, two countries. In the UK, chips are hot potato sticks and crisps are thin potato slices in a packet. In the US, fries are hot potato sticks and chips are the snack in a packet. Ask for chips in a London fish and chip shop and you get hot potato sticks (correct). Ask for chips in an American supermarket and you get a packet (also correct). Ask for chips at McDonald's in the UK and they will call them fries.
2. A biscuit is different in the UK and the US
In the UK, a biscuit is a small, dry, sweet snack (digestives, custard creams, shortbread). In the US, a biscuit is a kind of savoury scone eaten at breakfast, for example in biscuits and gravy (a dish from the South). In the US, the small sweet snack is a cookie. It is a very common mix-up.
3. Jelly and jam
In the UK, jam is a fruit spread with pieces of fruit, and jelly is a clear, wobbly dessert (sweet gelatine, often for children). In the US, jam has pieces of fruit, and jelly is a smooth fruit spread with no pieces. So the American peanut butter and jelly sandwich (PB&J) has peanut butter and jam in it, not a wobbly dessert!
4. Metric or imperial?
The UK uses both systems. Packets show grams, kilos and litres, but many people still talk in pounds (weight), pints (milk) and stones (body weight). In the US, everyday life uses pounds, ounces and pints, not kilos or litres. 1 lb = about 450 g, 1 oz = about 28 g, 1 US pint = 473 ml, 1 UK pint = 568 ml.
5. Plastic bags are not free
In England, plastic bags have cost money since 2015 (at least 10p since 2021, as in Scotland). It is the same in Ireland and in some US states (like New York and California). A good habit: bring your own bag (a tote bag or a reusable bag). A phrase to know: Would you like a bag? → I brought my own, thanks.
Practice quiz
Related pages: At the supermarket
Pages on a similar topic or with a similar use, so you can keep exploring.
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Frequently asked questions
How do you ask where something is in a supermarket in English?+
Three phrases work: Where can I find + product? Which aisle is + product + in? Do you sell + product? A typical answer is It's in aisle + number. If the shelf is empty, ask Could you check in the back? You may hear We're out of stock, sorry.
What is the difference between chips, crisps and fries?+
In the UK, chips are hot potato sticks and crisps are thin, dry, salty slices in a packet. In the US, fries are the hot sticks and chips are the snack in a packet. So chips means two different things, depending on the country. At McDonald's in the UK, fries works, but the usual British word is chips.
How many grams are in a pound?+
1 pound (lb) = 454 g (about 450 g to keep it simple). 1 ounce (oz) = 28 g, and 16 oz = 1 lb. This is useful in the US, where everything is in pounds and ounces. For milk, 1 US pint = 473 ml and 1 UK pint = 568 ml, so a British pint is bigger. In the UK, people often give their body weight in stones: 1 stone (st) = 14 lb = about 6.35 kg.
Is it bio or organic in English?+
Organic is the standard word everywhere: organic milk, organic vegetables. Bio is not the usual word for this in English. Other labels you will see: free-range (the animals can go outside), grass-fed (the animals eat grass), fair-trade (the farmers get a fair price), gluten-free (with no gluten) and dairy-free (with no milk products).
Is it a trolley or a cart in English?+
In the UK: a trolley. In the US: a cart or a shopping cart. In the UK, a trolley is also what you put your suitcases on at the airport, but the situation makes the meaning clear. For the small one that you carry in your hand, say a basket (in both countries).
What does “on offer” mean in a shop?+
On sale and on offer both mean cheaper than usual. A discount is money off the price. Buy one, get one free (BOGOF) means you get two for the price of one. Half price means it costs 50% less. A bargain is something good at a low price. The sales (with no on) is the time of year when shops lower their prices. Reduced means the price has gone down, often at the end of the day for fresh food.
Updated on 12 November 2026 by the Big Challenge teaching team. Every year, more than 500,000 students across Europe take part in our English contest, created in 1999. Our teaching approach →
The Big Challenge · Updated on 12 November 2026 · Source: www.thebigchallenge.com/bl/academy/learn-english/situations/at-the-supermarket
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