Cycling & packrat shopping: before snowstorm

[shootingstar]

Well, not sure if it will be a storm but there's some decent snow and higher winds blowin' down (again) heading to our area in 24 hrs.

So this morning, I jumped on bike and cycled 30 km. @cool (to me) temp. of 4 degrees C, which included shopping in 3 different districts:
*through long (nearly treeless, well it is the prairies) park area I hadn't biked through for last 2 months. We've had a cycle of snow,melt, snow ...
*bakery for Middle eastern flatbread and phyllo pastry
*then off to grand opening of drug store that opened after a major river flood this summer. I loaded up on deals for soap, spaghetti sauce, etc.
*and (horrors) stopped at another bakery. I really needed a coffee and... lemon curd tart.
*stopped by a sporting goods store for presents and chat up with local city staff who were surveying shoppers on preferred locations for next separated bike lanes
*cycled to a grocery store for some stuff before cycling home.

Confession: when I know the winter weather will be far less bike-friendly, I do tend to cycle and shop to ensure I've got the essentials at home or I may not be able shop by bike, at a store location until snow-ice nearly disappears..which yes, can be spring.

[Blueberry]

Shootingstar-

How do you handle your multiple purchases from one store to the next? That's something I've always felt uncomfortable with when running errands by bike - and I wondered if you might have good tips on how to handle it since you do it so often? What I mean is - let's say the grocery store carries some of the stuff you bought at the drug store. Are you carrying it in the grocery store in your pannier as you shop? Leaving it on the bike? Something else?

[shootingstar]

I do bring in a pannier or 2 into the store with purchases from a prior store --after all, I keep my wallet, keys in there. And the bags are like people's tote bags, etc. I do hope the stores I visit have shopping carts or wheelie baskets so that I can throw in my panniers into the shopping cart to relieve myself of weight.

Occasionally I leave a pannier still hooked onto locked bike outside. If I have to leave something in there, it would be food. Nothing else. Not even gloves.

Carrying around 1 pannier in store, is like carrying around a large handbag or tote bag --like many women.

I've never had problems with security/the stores and have been cycling-shopping like this for last 2 decades in all the cities I've lived.