Hours of Business

Most shops in the United States open at 9:30 or 10:00 a.m., Monday through Saturday, and close between 5:00 and 6:00 p.m. Larger stores are often open until 9:00 p.m. during the week, and from 10:00 a.m. till 5:00 p.m. on Sunday. Offices tend to have business hours between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m., Monday through Friday.

Sales Tax

Cities and states have the right to charge an additional percentage of the cost of some items in order to raise revenues. In most places, a sales tax of up to 10% of the price is added to the bill for many non-food items. Taxable items may include prepared food, technical equipment, books, records, clothing, cigarettes, alcoholic beverages, paper products, household products, appliances, cameras, and film. You should be aware that the prices listed on items in stores do not include sales tax. Sales tax will be added to your bill by a cashier.

Making a Purchase

When entering a store, you may be asked to leave bags,

backpacks, or large purses, etc. with a store clerk behind a

counter. You should retrieve your bag as you exit the store,

after you have completed your purchases. To purchase items

in stores in the U.S., you should bring the items you wish to

purchase to a cashier. The cashier will total the cost of the

items you wish to buy using either the price written on the

item itself, or a bar code which is electronically scanned for

a price code stored by the cash register. When the cashier

totals all the items and adds any applicable tax, you should

then pay for your purchase. The cashier will put the items in a plastic or paper bag and hand it to you. The cashier may also staple the bag shut for security reasons.

Many newspapers provide coupons that offer discounts on certain items. Check expiration dates at the bottom of the coupons before using them. Present them to the cashier before your items are totaled.

b) Scan these receipts in order to pick up the sales tax rates in different

stores around the US (IL stands for Illinois, TX – for Texas, MD – for

Maryland).

Which receipt has no sales tax? Why?

2.2. A) Where do you usually buy food in Russia? Read the text about food

shopping in the US and pick up the main features of all food stores.

b) Compare them with similar stores in Russia.

a) Food Shopping

Food shopping in the U.S. can be done in four main types of stores: supermarkets, grocery stores, convenience stores and delis.

Supermarkets, the largest of these, departmentalized, self-service stores carry a wide variety of edible items - dairy products, cereals, bread and baked goods, prepared, canned and frozen goods, ice cream and dessert foods, beverages, and non-edibles - paper products (toilet paper, facial tissue, paper plates and napkins, etc.), personal care products, cigarettes, film, housewares and non-prescription drugs. Some supermarkets also have salad bars, film developing services (in general, it costs about $7.00 or $8.00 per roll of 24 exposures for developing and standard prints) and pharmacies. Depending on a state’s laws, supermarkets may also carry wine and beer. Prices of items are usually clearly marked on the packages, or on signs near the items. Supermarkets usually have baskets and carts for carrying items around the store. They generally have several cashiers and use both manual and electronic pricing scanning (the cashier passes a coded tag in front of an electronic scanner and a price is automatically entered into the cash register). In general, supermarkets are open from Monday to Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Some supermarkets are open on Sundays as well. Many supermarkets are now open 24 hours. Most supermarkets are either closed on major holidays, or are open fewer hours. The general consumer appeal of the supermarket concept — large size, self-service, variety of merchandise, one-stop shopping, ample parking, and low prices — ensured their growth. The building of such stores in suburban areas was important in the development of the retail complexes that came to be known as shopping centers, or malls.

Today, supermarkets are operated by chains of various sizes and by independent owners. The supermarket concept is gaining increasing popularity throughout the world. Other lines of retailing have adopted some of the supermarket methods of low-cost mass distribution.

Grocery stores, a bit smaller than supermarkets, may carry most of the same types of products, but in smaller quantities and with less variety (for instance, they may not have a large selection of fresh vegetables; or they may sell only one commercial brand of a particular item). Grocery stores do not usually have film developing services or pharmacies. Depending on a state’s laws, grocery stores may also carry wine and beer. Prices in grocery stores are usually similar to those of supermarkets. As in supermarkets, the prices of items are usually clearly marked on the packages, or on signs near the items. Grocery stores also usually have baskets and carts and several cashiers. In general, grocery stores usually keep the same working hours as supermarkets.

Convenience stores (called this because of their hours of operation - usually from at least 7:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. and sometimes 24 hours a day) carry a very limited selection of goods and brands. These stores may carry some canned, prepared and frozen goods, beverages, breads and baked goods, and paper and health care products. Prices for items can sometimes be twice that of supermarket prices. When prices are not marked clearly, it is a good idea to ask about the prices of items before the cashier totals the items you wish to purchase.

Delis usually carry only cold cuts (sliced ham, turkey, salami, chicken, roast beef and cheese, etc., prepared for use in sandwiches), breads, beverages, and condiments. Some delis also carry selections of prepared foods and other items.

Other types of specialized food stores include baker’s/ bakery, butcher’s, confectioner’s/ confectionery, dairy, greengrocer’s, fishmonger’s, fruiterer’s, sweet-shop, off-license shop/ wine and spirit merchant’s, and tobacconist’s.