Single men in Spain are flocking to supermarkets after work in the hopes of finding love, as a bizarre new trend emerges: trying to woo women with their shopping carts.
Spaniards are officially tired of dating apps, ditching the virtual swiping and moving on to in-person love games that involve deciphering cryptic messages based on what items their significant other has in their cart.
The confession of attraction has seen many flocking to popular Spanish supermarket Mercadona in the hope of finding “love”.
Supermarket trends send concrete signals to young people looking for love about what they want and who they're interested in.
As more singles adopt the trend, it has been nicknamed “Tinder-dona,” a combination of the name of a major Spanish supermarket and one of the many dating apps that singles have abandoned in favor of visiting the fish counter.
Are you ready for some “flirting time” in the supermarket? Spanish singles have invented a new game by going to Mercadona to look for love
The trend first emerged on the app when TV personality Vivi Lin shared a video in which she theorized that lustful singles were visiting supermarkets for more than just shopping, with many using them as real-life dating apps.
In the video, Vivi is shopping with a friend at the chain, who asks, “When's the best time to pick up girls at Mercadona?”, with the TV host assuring her that “there's a specific time.”
“I'm really surprised,” she confesses in the video.
The two friends happened to be at the chain restaurant at 7:05 p.m., and after a quick Google search, they quickly realized they'd arrived at the perfect time for some flirting.
She even asked a passerby, “Did you know there's a pickup time at Mercadona?” to which an astonished “Really?” was heard.
Young people in Spain are ditching dating apps and trading their phones for trolleys in a new “supermarket Tinder” style search for love.
Pineapples, which often appear in the trending videos, are said to represent people who are open to conversation.
The “flirting time” claim was further backed up by a contestant on dating show First Dates, who revealed that when she was single, she would often go to the supermarket at the same time in the evening.
Since the video was first shared, hundreds of Spaniards have flocked to Mercadona in search of company.
Various rules have been devised to allow young people to signal each other without speaking.
Firstly, single hopefuls who want to take part in the supermarket “game” must make sure to arrive between 7 and 8pm.
For those seeking singles for a “casual fling,” sweets and chocolates signal an openness to short-term relationships.
The trend first emerged on the app when TV personality Vivi Lin (pictured left with friends) shared a video in which she theorized that singles were coming to supermarkets for more than just shopping, and that many were using them as real-life dating apps.
Beans and vegetables suggest a desire for something more serious or long-term.
Young people are flocking to supermarkets to play dating games, perhaps as a result of singles avoiding dating apps.
The pineapple, especially when placed upside down on the trolley, is a common indicator that the person is open to conversation.
Singles hoping to take part in the supermarket “game” should aim to arrive between 7 and 8 p.m.
Tropical fruits should be placed upside down in the singles' cart to indicate a willingness to chat with others.
One evening, a group of young people were shopping at Mercadona, a Spanish supermarket chain, gathered together with carts.
For single people looking for a serious relationship, beans and vegetables suggest a desire for a more serious, long-term relationship.
Pineapples, which frequently appear in the trend's videos, are said to signify someone who is open to conversation: To show a willingness to converse, the tropical fruit must be placed upside down on a singles' cart.
While bumping into someone's cart during normal shopping hours is usually a huge nuisance, for someone walking the aisles of Mercadona at 7 p.m., it could be a strong sign that they've found a fan.
And the trend is sparking curiosity even outside the grates of Mercadona's shopping carts, with some singles making their way all the way to the El Corte InglƩs department store, where those heading to the perfume department between 2 and 3 p.m. might find others with a refined sense of color.
Millennials and Gen Zers who find dinner dates “boring” are instead finding other ways to meet romantic partners. In fact, the trend is so popular that Tinder, the world's largest dating app, is launching running clubs for singles to meet up.
Responding to the growing popularity of activity-based dating, and with “running” trending as one of the top tagged interests on Tinder profiles, singles in the UK capital will now be able to get their feet and hearts racing with one of Tinder x Runna's SoleMates sessions.
There are around 1,600 Mercadona stores across Spain, many of which are now places where people go to find love.
The trolley bump approach to relationships isn't the first time Gen Z has taken an unconventional romantic path.
Earlier this summer, Gen Z began to move away from “boring” dates like dinner out, pubs and clubs, preferring instead to spend the afternoon in lycra cycling shorts.
Young people admitted that they would rather land a job with a potential future spouse than a run-of-the-mill pasta-and-Pinot Noir date.
Traditional dating is like having the tablecloth ripped off, literally.
The trend has become so popular that Tinder, the world's largest dating app, has opened a number of running clubs across London as meeting places for singles.
Tinder comes as Gen Z grows increasingly dissatisfied with apps Runner to be released Soremates Run Club is London throughout June and July.
The running clubs were led by Runna and kept at a casual, chatty pace to encourage conversation amongst run participants, who were then invited to join in a social gathering afterwards.
London is the first city to be promoted within the app through a “swipe card” that takes users directly to a booking facility.
Runners who join the club are paired with like-minded runners of similar athletic ability, ensuring a good opportunity for on-the-run conversation and exploring personalities and pace.
The dating app launched a running club as part of its response to young people's changing dating habits, but disillusioned Gen Z has rejected the app as “toxic”.
According to a Pew Research Center survey, 46% of online daters say they have used the app, down more than a third from Tinder's peak annual download count in 2014.
Match Group, which owns Tinder, reported that its paid subscriber base fell 8% last year to just under 10 million.
The app, which was first released in 2012, has seen a decline in downloads compared to other popular apps like Bumble, Hinge, Grindr and OkCupid, which have more than doubled in downloads in 2023.
Another study from the Center for American Life reported that Gen Z is increasingly successful in building relationships with people they meet offline.
As young people reject traditional courtship, running clubs and trolley bashing are likely to be the first of many trajectories that modern dating will take.