Shops and shopping (father who does most of the shopping)

Going shopping is a part of our everyday life. For some people it’s a pleasant pastime while for others it’s an everyday routine.

In big cities and even many small towns there are all kinds of shops and as well as supermarkets. Supermarkets are primarily food stores which sell all kinds of food: fresh, frozen and canned meat, fish, vegetables, fruit, dairy products and bread. Practically everything a family needs can be found in a supermarket. There the customer serves himself and pays at the cash-desk on leaving the shop.

Department stores carry clothing for men, women and children, china and glassware, household electric appliances, furniture and other goods. However, many people don’t like to shop in big department stores.

In my city we also have got a great number of shops. Most of them open at 9 a.m. and close at 8 or 9 at night. Smaller shops normally have a lunch break. Nearly all shops are closed on Sundays.

In our family it’s my father who does most of the shopping. He usually shops in the supermarket, where he goes to the grocery department, the greengrocery, the meat and fish counters and buys all the stuff we need for our large family. He usually does it 4 a week.

For me and my mother on the other hand going shopping is a kind of pastime and even entertainment. We can spend hours and hours dropping in at one shop after another in search of something special or unusual. More than often we buy things that we practically don’t need.

I love shopping for clothes. The last shopping round I made with my friend a few days ago. We set out midmorning and managed to go round all the shops in the city which where worth visiting. First we went to the central department store but the goods there were the same as everywhere else and more expensive. Besides we didn’t see any fashion clothes for the young. The only good thing about such stores is that they normally have a good selection of cosmetics and perfumery. So we didn’t miss a chance to pick up some mascara and hair spray. After that we had a quick look at the footwear, haberdashery and ready-made clothes and were ready for a snack at McDonalds. Then we dropped in at some small shops which offer fashionable clothes and a half-price sale is a usual thing there. After going through the latest cuts of shirts and skirts I found a lovely little dress for myself but they didn’t have my size. So I told myself that next time I wouldn’t wait for amazing items to go on sale — it’s not worth the disappointment when they disappear before you can make your purchase. Then we moved on to another shop that had «А Huge Sale» sign on the door. After making our way through the crowd each of us grabbed piles of clothes and waited in the line for the fitting rooms. We tried on the selected items but didn’t buy anything as even the sale prices were too high for us.

Indeed, shopping is a pleasant pastime when you can afford to buy the things you like.