By John Salak –
Is it possible that people are looking for love in all the wrong places? Maybe. Or perhaps they’re looking for love with pineapples, chasing sweetness and warmth in unexpected ways.
Sure, romance has been found for centuries through introductions via friends and family. Workplace romances have also flourished in the last 50 to 60 years as women entered the workforce. Then there has always been the bar scene to help a heart skip a beat. And, yes, no one is forgetting the increasingly popular dating apps, which have revolutionized the way people find significant others.
But now there may be another, dare we say, more fruitful way to find romance, at least young Spaniards think so. Social media is reportedly fueling amour in Spain by encouraging people to seek out partners in supermarkets by parading about with pineapples.
The notion has certainly led to chaos if not love in one Bilboa supermarket chain in northern Spain after workers in one store had to call the police after they were “overwhelmed” by pineapple-toting singles. No arrests were made but some love interest was definitely on display after social media reports surfaced suggesting that romance could be found by those placing an upside-down pineapple in their carts between the hours of 7 and 8 pm.
Those seeking a significant other, however, couldn’t stop with just an upended fruit. The posts encouraged these soul seekers to cruise the store’s wine aisle with the upended pineapple in plain sight and then to bump their carts into likewise cruisers if they fancied them. Love could be in the air if the other person bumped back.
The signals don’t end with a wonky fruit. Those looking for a long-term partner or at least something more serious than a quick dive into a fruit cup were told to signal their intentions by displaying chocolates or other sweets in their carts.
Are these love quests fruitful? It’s hard to tell, although the supermarket chain in question did note it is running short on pineapples. The publicity and uptick in customer traffic and produce sales haven’t been lost on the chain’s competitors either.
An alternative group has gone as far as to announce a response with its own: “La hora del amor” or in English…the hour of love. This chain, however, is looking for bigger signals for the lovelorn. It is advising these patrons to place “a watermelon in your trolley” between 6 pm and 7 pm as a sign that they are looking for a partner.
Is produce-inspired romance likely to catch on in the U.S. and overtake dating apps and personal introductions? That might be a bridge too far. Dating apps are hot. About 30 percent of U.S. adults report having used one at least once and about 10 percent have used one in the last 12 months, according to Pew Research.
These apps are particularly attractive for younger adults with Pew reporting about half of those under 30 having used them compared with 37 percent of those ages 30 to 49, 20 percent of those 50 to 64 and 13 percent of those 65 and older.
Apps are also pretty effective. Another survey reports that nearly 70 percent of individuals who met someone on a dating app said it led to a romantic, exclusive relationship.
More research and studies are undoubtedly needed before anyone can size up the impact of pineapple and watermelon romance anywhere, let alone on whether it’s ready for a stateside debut.
But even if buying a watermelon or pineapple doesn’t lead to love, chances are the effort will at least help with gut health.
