Police called in response to viral supermarket flirting trend

In the latest example of how the internet can transform the mundane into the extraordinary, a supermarket flirting trend has gone viral in Spain, drawing crowds to Mercadona stores and even requiring police intervention. This summer, a new craze has taken hold, where walking down the aisle takes on a whole new meaning.

What is the TikTok trend taking over Spain?

What started as a playful experiment on TikTok has become a nationwide phenomenon. The concept is simple: grab a pineapple, place it upside down in your shopping cart, and head to the wine section of your nearest Mercadona between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m. If fate (and a fellow inverse-pineapple-toter) is on your side, a “love collision” might occur when another cart bumps into yours. The result? Sparks fly, or, at the very least, a shared laugh over an awkward encounter. “Sorry! That tropical plant wasn’t meant to fall over!”

This trend has gained so much traction that can you believe that pineapples have become scarce in certain stores, and the evening hours have reportedly seen a noticeable uptick in shoppers who seem more interested in meeting someone special than in checking off their grocery lists. But like all viral trends, this one has its downsides.

Police intervene in Bilbao

The enthusiasm reached a fever pitch in the northern city of Bilbao recently, where the trend took a somewhat chaotic turn. A flash mob of hopeful singles flooded one particular Mercadona, overwhelming the store to the point that employees had to call in the Ertzaintza, the Basque police, to restore order. The crowd, which had spilled out into the fruit and vegetable aisles, quickly dispersed when the police arrived, and no one was arrested or formally identified.

While the incident didn’t escalate into anything more serious, it highlighted the unintended consequences of social media-fuelled trends. The store, which had to briefly halt operations, later emphasised that it does not endorse or encourage this kind of behaviour, particularly as it disrupts both workers and regular customers.

From viral trend to social phenomenon

This viral trend is not entirely new in Spain. It echoes a similar tactic shared on the Spanish dating show First Dates in 2017, where a contestant revealed that her mother’s advice to find love “anywhere” led her to Mercadona, where she noticed many single shoppers around the same time every evening.

Fast forward to 2024, and the trend has taken on a life of its own, with other supermarkets like Lidl and Carrefour reportedly seeing similar behaviour. Each chain, it seems, has its own unofficial rules and codes for those in the know. In some variations, canned goods indicate a preference for something casual, while chocolates suggest a desire for a more serious connection. Not knowing these norms could again invite some surprise attention.

The success of this quirky dating strategy underscores the power of user-generated content (UGC) in today’s marketing landscape. As marketing expert Lorena Blasco-Arcas points out, UGC campaigns often carry more authenticity and credibility than traditional advertising. However, they also come with risks – namely, that the narrative can spiral out of the brand’s control, leading to unintended consequences like those seen in Bilbao.

Despite these risks, the overall sentiment surrounding the “Mercadona matchmaking” trend remains positive, with many viewing it as a harmless, if slightly silly, way to meet new people. The excitement it has generated on social media has undoubtedly increased visibility for the supermarket chain, though whether this will translate to long-term benefits remains to be seen.

Could the Mercadona flirting trend come to the US?

For those still intrigued by the prospect of finding romance among the aisles, the process is straightforward. But be warned: while a few TikTok users claim to have found their “crush” through this method, others have left the store with nothing but a pineapple and an amusing, or embarrassing, story.

Whether this trend will fade as quickly as it appeared or become a fixture in the Spanish dating scene is anyone’s guess. In the meantime, if you find yourself visiting Europe and in a Mercadona between 7:00 and 8:00 p.m., don’t be surprised if a cart bumps into yours – just make sure to check for that upside-down pineapple. And if in another more local outlet, keep your eyes open too. These trends have a habit of going global rather quickly...