Both.

Interchangeably? Or one store is a grocery, but another is a supermarket?

Is Whole Foods a grocery or a supermarket? Walmart's supercenter might be a supermarket, but most people just say they're going to Walmart.

I hear "supermarket" from people who are European, I think.

Both here too.

I use both also.

A

Grocery, of course. That's where you go "make groceries" --- isn't that right, Karen (RiverRat)?
Who ever heard of going to "make supermarkets"!!!!

I just say market, but around here both grocery store and supermarket are used interchangably.

Here in NC I think it is mostly grocery store or "store" to pick up some food/non food items for home consumption. Of course, we have a large contingent who go to "the Walmarts" to do their shopping - yes, that is plural even if they are referring to visiting only one Walmart store. In the past I referred to it as the "dreaded Walmart" but since they remodeled that store, it is a better shopping experience.

Teresa

Both. I just checked the web sites of all the major supermarkets in the area and on all but one found them referring to themselves as supermarkets. If a store exclusively (or close to it) sells food from all the major food groups (i.e. not a specialty store like a vegetable or fish market or butcher) it would be called a grocery store.

I use both terms interchangeably but usually say the name of the particular store where I'm going to shop. Interestingly, one of our two stores sold in November '10 & the purchasing corporation uses neither term in their name. They refer to themselves as a "Market". This is something fairly new for this corporation like within the past couple years. The company owns/operates something like 100 stores. Most are named supermarkets. In some locales they are using this new name even though the store itself is large & looks like what we've come to expect from a supermarket. So, I'm convinced the select use of the new name in certain areas is a marketing gimmick.

The second store in town is family-owned with just 2 store locations. It also uses the term "Market" in their name but designed like one would expect from a supermarket.

I guess the term "Market" has a more down-homey ring to it...less impersonal & more friendly. Gotta love the marketing department. :) lol I'll vouch that there's nothing down-homey about their prices...butter is still over $5/lb. lol Our new store does carry, however, a larger & nicer selection of organics.

So, I guess now in Mystic one goes to the "market". I remember that's the term my Mom used. Too funny. Yep, it's the Marketing Department's idea, I'm sure. :)

Tricia

Grocery. I think the ads for the grocery stores may say supermarket but I never hear people refer to them that way. Also I haven't heard Walmart referred to as Walmarts. Maybe I don't get out much.LOL Market to me means where farmers are likely to be selling their crops, and I agree with what Tricia said...more friendly.
But, on the other hand, you have Dollar General Market which used to be Dollar General Store. Go figure!

jude

I grew up in OHIO and I never say supermarket. It's always "I'm going to the grocery." Usually leave off the word store also. Not to get too far off the subject, but when I moved to the south I learned that you use a buggy at the groccery instead of a cart:)

Tracey

I say grocery store. I remember some of the older women who worked for my dad used to say "I trade at Brookshire Brothers" lol. I always thought that was funny. "Trading" always makes me think of the wild west, even though were were in central Texas.

If the store is specified then it's grocery store but usually just store. Something like I'm going to the store to get groceries, differentiating from picking up plywood, a faucet, car parts or whatever. We often say we're going to "Walmart" (Kmart, Target, etc).

Supermarket is well known around here but never said. Some stores used to have it in their name. Applebaum's Supermarkets, Penny's Supermarket (where your dollars make more cents) and of course there's the infamous "Boston Market". SuperValu kind of took over the supermarket term and rephrased it.

"Trade" is a term I haven't heard in a long time! I like the trade term though. It's really more accurate and appropriate IMO.

In my country we normally call a supermarket a store where you can purchase all your food requirements. The hypermarket is a supermarket where you can purchase anything from home furniture to clothing to milk. A general dealer is often refered to a store around the corner in your neighbourhood where you can purchase your essentials like bread and milk and a few grocery items. The common pharse here is supermarket, grocery sounds a little old fashion. Like something my gran used to say!

I always say grocery store, never supermarket but both terms are used here pretty much interchangeably.

My DH always says he's going to "Safeway" never grocery store or supermarket and there isn't even a Safeway anywhere near us! LOL

If I say market I always mean a small produce market or a farmers type market. Which reminds me , I'm overdue for a trip to the ST Lawrence Market!

Mine is definitely a grocery store, LOL, it's not big enough to be a supermarket!

If I'm going to another town to one of the bigger stores, like Meijer we'll usually say we are going to Meijer. No one here calls the stores "supermarkets".

Annie

Either 'store' or 'grocery store'.
I've never heard the term 'supermarket' used in normal conversation around here.

Quite a few (old-timers, mostly)
Use the term 'trade'.
I tend to agree with Cynic on that,
It is more accurate and appropiate.

Teresa_nc7, I'm glad remodeling improved your Walmart.
Remodeling made a big change in ours, too.
But for the worse, unfortunately.

Rusty

I just always say grocery, or Krogers or WalMart.

Most everyone here just says "store" or "grocery store." Or we will say we have to go to Kroger, or Publix, or whatever store it is. "Supermarket" is rarely, if ever used here.

We either say "going to the market" or "going to " name of market". Never supermarket or grocery store.

We're in a small town where the only local grocer has the word "market" in their name. When talking with friends or family, I say I'm going to the "Mark-up" and they know I'm shopping locally instead of going to the next town to Wallyworld.

I say grocery store, and sometimes for fun, "grocerette!"

"Going to the market" sounds very Leave it to Beaver-ish to me...cute!

I use the name of the specific store more than I use either generic term, but when I use the generic I use 'grocery store' about the same amount as 'supermarket'.

It's only in the New Orleans area that I've heard of people 'making groceries'. Of course, that's the same place where people hoove their rugs. (What do you clean a rug with? a Hoover. Therefore, your activity must be hooving, and you refer to it in such sentences as "After that party, I had to hoove the rug three times and I was still getting stuff up.")

I say ...

I have to go to the grocery store, or publix or food shopping.

I've never said "supermarket". In fact, I believe this is the first time I've ever typed that word.

I usually just use the name of the store.. or what it used to be and I am used to calling it.. I still call Food Giant,Hickerson's because 20+ years ago when we moved here it was a mom/pop store and owned by the Hickersons... But other than that, it's eithr CEEBEE or Wally world..

In use, interchangeable, but grocery store more often... When being precise, I may differentiate - I don't think of Meijer's or SuperWalmart as grocery stores of themselves, (they are true "super" markets) but if I am going to one to buy food, I'll say I'm going to the grocery store.

I go to the market when I am going to the local farmer's market, my near-by organic farm's market, NY Greenmarket or in my past Stanley Market (but then we were "going to Stanley" more often).

Here is a link that might be useful: {{gwi:1485215}}

noinwi, we call WholeFoods, Whole paycheck here.

Arley, the reminds me of my most recent observation, "people who turn nouns into verbs". Since when is it biking, for example? What happened to bicycling? Why is adding -ing to bike more appropriate or efficient???

Store with grocery implied or grocery store, but never market.

I always say the name of the store as I am usually calling dh to ask if he needs anything from such store while I'm there. So I don't have to go again the next day.

When I leave my house I usually announce to my renter that I am going to (name of store). If I say market it means the farmer's market. I say the name of the store because if I go to Byerly's there are things he wants from there - like green tea sushi rice. Or if I go to the Wedge there are certain things I can only get there - like black, green or lavander quinoa.

In general, I think most Minnesotans use the term grocery store more often than supermarket.

I think I say 'grocery store' or 'the store' more often than supermarket, though I do use that term occasionally.

Lori

I say grocery store or the name of the store such as WalMart or Krogers. Don't think I've ever said supermarket.

In Vancouver I visited a supermarket called Superstore, and in Paris they have Hypermarkets.

dcarch

Supermarket is too hard to say. We stop at the store. Or IGA. Even though it hasn't been an IGA for 10 or 15 years, everyone knows what you mean.

If I am going there it's the grocery...or the grocery store....as in "I need to go grocery shopping" or I'll stop at the grocery on thew ay and pick up some..."
But if they are moving dirt and building something....it's a new supermarket.
Grocery is friendly....supermarket is not.
And speaking of the term "Trade"...I do think that's from another era...

When we need food, it's always, "I'm going to the store". "The store" is Publix...

ML

When referring to the local stores, I say "Grocery store". If picking up food from the food section of our (non-Supercenter) Wal-Mart, I say "Wal-Mart." But we're making "commissary run" later this morning. (Military grocery store or supermarket here is called a commissary.)

Donna

When we need food, it's always, "I'm going to the store". "The store" is Publix...

ML

What Maddielee said. Of course if it's Wednesday then I would be going to Aldi.

**Hey Maddielee, let me know when you are ready to get together. I had lunch yesterday at the Thai restaurant on 56th and Whiteway Dr.