Winnipeggers shopped for the perfect mate at Safeway Singles Night Tuesday.
The event drew large crowds of singles looking to pick up more than just groceries at the Osborne Village store.
Customers marked themselves as single and available with a plastic bag tied to their wrist, cart or basket.
Social psychologist Kelley Robinson said a clear invitation like that takes away some of the guesswork in meeting a mate.
“It’s nice to get into a space where people are singling that they’re available and that they’re interested,” said Robinson.
Robinson attended the event as an observer. She says Winnipeg lacks a strong singles culture, and events like this fill a void.
Single Winnipeggers said the casual atmosphere created a laid-back environment to meet new people.
Strangers struck up conversations in the aisles and bonded over the quirky event.
“Within five minutes, I maybe made a new friend here, so yeah. You can’t complain and you’ve just got to keep an open mind and see what it’s all about,” said shopper Alana Squire.
Lucas Andrich dreamed up the idea and created the event on Facebook. He couldn’t believe the turnout.
“There’s a lot of people here. I’m really happy with it. I didn’t think this many people would show up,” said Andrich.
Safeway staff echoed that surprise, and said crowds at the store were larger than normal.
When the company found out about the event, it decided to play along. But Safeway said singles night won’t be a regular event.
“This isn’t something we really want to inconvenience our customers on an ongoing basis, but for a one time only event it’s going to be a lot of fun,” said John Graham, Director of Public Affairs for Safeway.
Shoppers were also encouraged to make donations to Winnipeg Harvest in bins set up at the event.
