ESL podcast 875 – shopping at the supermarket

English as a Second Language Podcast
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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,
because those are popular foods for Thanksgiving.
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ESL Podcast 875 – Shopping at the Supermarket

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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ESL Podcast 875 – Shopping at the Supermarket

COMPREHENSION QUESTIONS
1.
a)
b)
c)

Which of these products will the store continue to sell?
Jitters coffee.
Fructose soda.
Mushy bread.

2. What does Meg mean when she says, “I guess I’m going home emptyhanded”?
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
next steps.”
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ESL Podcast 875 – Shopping at the Supermarket

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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ESL Podcast 875 – Shopping at the Supermarket

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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ESL Podcast 875 – Shopping at the Supermarket

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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ESL Podcast 875 – Shopping at the Supermarket

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
“problems.” So, the supermarket pulled their products. “To pull” here means to
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ESL Podcast 875 – Shopping at the Supermarket

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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ESL Podcast 875 – Shopping at the Supermarket

“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.
[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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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.


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ESL Podcast 875 – Shopping at the Supermarket

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]
Good scripts are never out of season here at ESL Podcast. We always have
them in stock because they're grown by the wonderful Dr. Lucy Tse.
From Los Angeles, California, I'm Jeff McQuillan. Thank you for listening. Come
back and listen to us again right here on ESL Podcast.
English as a Second Language Podcast is written and produced by Dr. Lucy Tse,
hosted by Dr. Jeff McQuillan. Copyright 2013 by the Center for Educational
Development.

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These materials are copyrighted by the Center for Educational Development (2013). Posting of
these materials on another website or distributing them in any way is prohibited.