If You Put a Pineapple Upside Down in the Cart, a 'Single' Sign Appears
Tap the Cart of Someone You Like to Request a Date
While temples in Korea have gained attention for arranging meetings between young men and women, in Spain, large supermarkets are becoming popular meeting places for young couples.
On the 3rd (local time), the British daily The Telegraph reported, "An increasing number of young men and women are looking for dates at large supermarkets in Spain." The media explained that inspired by online dating games, young people in Spain visit Mercadona, the country's largest supermarket chain, between 7 and 8 p.m. to engage in a search game.
On the 3rd (local time), the British daily The Telegraph reported that recently in Spain, more young men and women are looking for dates at large supermarkets. The Telegraph explained that inspired by online dating games, young men and women in Spain visit Mercadona, Spain's largest supermarket chain, between 7 and 8 p.m. to engage in a "search battle." [Photo by Reuters·Yonhap News]
In particular, if they put a pineapple upside down in their cart at the fruit section, it means they are 'single.' Then, after moving to the wine section, if they like someone who also has an upside-down pineapple in their cart, they can bump their carts together. This signifies a date request. It is an offline version of the dating app Tinder’s method of swiping right on a photo of someone you like.
The way those who have found a match express themselves is also unique. Putting snacks or chocolates in the cart means they want a short-term relationship, while putting lentils or long-lasting vegetables means they desire a more serious and long-term relationship. If they put both a pineapple and a melon in the cart, it means they are looking for a marriage partner. Riding the wave of supermarket dating, famous Spanish broadcaster Vivi Lin even posted a video on social media attempting to meet someone directly at the supermarket.
Amid the craze for meeting at supermarkets, famous Spanish broadcaster Vivi Lin posted a video on social media attempting to meet people directly at a supermarket. [Photo by Vivi Lin on Instagram]
The reason supermarket dating became a craze in Spain was because a participant on a dating reality show confessed that they went to the supermarket to find love. Many young men and women in Spain who watched the program then visited supermarkets, and soon supermarkets became trendy meeting places for young people. The supermarket dating phenomenon later spread to El Corte Ingl?s, a Spanish department store. There, the perfume counter between 2 and 3 p.m. is said to be the meeting spot. Alicia Lopez Rosantos, a psychologist and CEO of the matchmaking company Lazos, told France Info in an interview, "It is evidence that many young people today do not know how to start dating," adding, "Loneliness is becoming an epidemic of the 21st century."
Meanwhile, as Mercadona gained popularity as a place to find partners, the supermarket actively used this in its marketing. Not to be outdone, other supermarkets are also actively using partner matching at different times and in different ways from Mercadona.
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