New Delhi: Some supermarkets in Finland have pink baskets for shoppers. If you carry one, it signals to other shoppers that you are single and open to being approached. This quirky local custom is now going viral thanks to a video by Instagram creator Kashivi.
In the clip, Kashivi films herself inside a supermarket holding a pink basket. She says she only found out about the practice recently, even though she has lived in Finland for nearly four years.
The video has drawn thousands of amused reactions online, with many viewers surprised by the idea.
“So in Finland they have these pink baskets and the normal ones are like grey or black baskets. If you pick a pink basket, it means that you are single and that you are looking to connect with other single people,” she said in the reel, which has been viewed more than 1.3 million times.
She went on to explain that the idea is based on mutual consent, with shoppers expected to approach only those who carry pink baskets.
“It only works if both of you have the pink basket, so you can’t approach anybody with a pink basket if you have a dark basket and vice versa,” Kashivi added.
So far, the video has attracted more than 62,000 likes, 45,000 shares, and over 3,600 comments.
‘I need 10 of these baskets’
The initiative has been introduced at select stores run by Finnish grocery chains such as K-Supermarket and S-Market, where pink baskets are used to indicate that a shopper is single and open to meeting other singles. The programme is not a standard feature across all supermarkets, and regular shopping baskets continue to be available.
The idea has also been highlighted by the Instagram page This Is Finland.
“Would you try speed dating or slow friending in Finland? Tatskatytöt (“Tattoo Girls”) are creating welcoming spaces where people can meet, connect and have fun,” read the caption of a recent post.
While many users found the concept novel, several commenters claiming to live in Finland said they had never encountered it before, suggesting it is limited to participating stores and locations.
Others responded with humour.
“I think I need to pick 10 of them so people can realise it’s urgent,” one user wrote.
For others, it’s more dire; they want to move to the country. “From now on groceries are done in Finland,” read a comment.
(Edited by Prasanna Bachchhav)
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