Why It's Actually A Good Thing If Your Grocery Store Is Cold

When making a trip to the grocery store, there are a few things you should always have on the checklist. Items like your reusable bags and full grocery list (follow the 5-to-1 rule when planning your list for easier shopping) are a given — but you might want to start bringing a sweater along too, if you aren't already. After thousands of grocery store excursions, it's safe to say we're all familiar with the fact that grocery stores are almost always cold. Still, while the arctic chill of the freezer aisle might leave our teeth chattering and fingers numb, it's actually a good thing if your grocery store is cold. 

Aside from the obvious benefit of food safety, another unlikely benefit of a frigid environment is that it keeps you from lingering in the store. This means you're more likely to stick to your grocery list and spend nothing more than what you hoped. However, it might also mean that you make an extra impulse purchase or two during your hurried shopping spree. But let's be honest, are you really mad about a spontaneous purchase of chocolate chip cookies? Some shopping mistakes are meant to be made (however, if you want to avoid them, here are the 13 most-common grocery shopping mistakes to look out for). Furthermore, an extra-chilled store might also mean better access to produce and refrigerated items, as those stores are often cold to compensate for a lack of refrigerator doors. Although it does come with higher energy costs, easy viewing and access to cold food items can make shopping faster and is another benefit for customers. 

Aside from all the benefits the chilled interior of the grocery store can bring, let's talk about why that strong burst of air that hits when you first walk in the doors is beneficial too. Contrary to what you might think, this influx of air is not the cause of powerful air conditioning. It's actually an intentionally placed entrance fan that creates something essential known as an air door. To do this, fans are installed just inside most grocery store entrances to act as a second barrier from the outside. These well-placed machines keep external air from circulating inside and push unwanted pests, dust, and hot air back outside at just the right angle — keeping grocery store food safe and secure. Because those doors frequently open and close as customers flow in and out, air doors also keep the cool air inside the store and flowing where it belongs (and not outside where it will just drift off into the ether).

While that burst of cold air might be refreshing in the summertime (and a curse in the winter), this aspect of grocery stores is meant to keep produce and other food items safe and really has nothing to do with us. The moral of this grocery story? Leave a jacket in one of your reusable grocery bags just in case and trust that the chill is worth it. This way you can stay warm and cozy as you use our tip to get the freshest produce possible.