Thank you, ShopRite, for closing the express lane

The Express Checkout at the Hackensack ShopRite looked inviting this afternoon, but it was closed.

By VICTOR E. SASSON
Editor

At the ShopRite in Hackensack on Monday, I picked up a few bottles of Martinelli's Sparkling Cider and Adirondack Seltzer that were on sale.

Today, I decided to go back for more, but couldn't find any Martinelli's and bought 10 bottles of ShopRite Seltzer instead at 5 for $2.

I stopped in the produce department, but couldn't find the 5-pound box of sweet potatoes that were on sale before Christmas for $2.49.

No clementines in sight, either.

Farmed shrimp only

And in the seafood department, I saw only farmed shrimp, and a sign advising customers about a "worldwide shortage of shrimp."

One of the farmed shrimp was labeled "jumbo," but the crustaceans didn't look that big to me and the price, about $14.50 a pound, was what I had paid for jumbo wild-caught shrimp at H Mart in Englewood last Sunday.

By the way, I could smell the seafood from ShopRite's produce department, and that seemed unusual.

When it was time to pay for the seltzer, I found the express lane for "about 20 items or less" was closed, this at 1:45 in the afternoon.

Long line at Costco

On the way home, I stopped at Costco Wholesale to pick up organic salad, tomatoes and a few other items we are out of and to return a watch I bought online, because the wristband is much too large for my son.

I parked at the back of the lot, but when I got inside, an employee directed me to the return line, which had about 20 other customers on it.

I left my cart there, turned around and went home.