Why isn't there any grocery stores in the sims 4 game?

@magnoliasouth, I'm sorry I didn't see your reply to me earlier, and I'm sorry I upset you! 😢  I didn't mean to be rude.😞🤭  I might be missing something, but I was confused about why so many people want to have their Sim buy produce in a grocery store when all of the produce for recipes are purchased at the refrigerator or stove. 🤔 I stated this because I believe that is EA's thoughts on it too.  In the past (I think it was Sims 1 or 2) many people found it tedious to keep having to go to the store for food in your game and then cook it at home, so I think that is why EA chose to do it this way.😉  There are some grocery-like produce stands with City Living and the "catch of the day" seafood stands with Cats& Dogs.  And you can get some produce from plants to harvest at the Spice Festival and the Romance Festival (but the Romance Festival has mostly flowers).   I understand this is not quite what y'all would prefer, but at least it is something. 🙂

Is the reason most people want a grocery store in game just to mimic real life, or is there some other reason I'm not getting?  🤔  I was hoping someone could explain why they were needed/wanted.

Now while I don't think it is necessary to have grocery stores in game, if everyone else wants them I won't be upset!  😎 I just don't understand it, is all.  And actually, I would rather run a grocery store in the game than visit one! 😉

@THEMIGHTYOWL1, I heard that EA was working on Cats & Dogs pretty much from the beginning of The Sims 4, so our constantly asking for it probably wasn't why we finally got it. 🤨   On the other hand, I have not heard that with other items we constantly begged for (like toddlers) that they were working on them from the beginning -- so maybe in that case "the squeaky wheel got the grease"!😉  Now I could be wrong about that, but I haven't heard otherwise.  Also, we kept asking for laundry, and the Laundry Day stuff pack is coming out next year, so who knows? 🤔  It certainly can't hurt to ask! 😳

Also, thank you for the cheat for getting produce! :eahigh_file: I didn't even think of typing in the "bb.showhiddenobjects" cheat and then doing a search for the individual produce that you want!  You're a genius! 🙂 🤨❤️

@JohnKarr62, since the Sims 4 doesn't have an open world like Sims 3 did, cars would just be for looks.  Some neighborhoods (like Forgotten Hollow from the Vampires GP) don't even have streets! 🤨  Because of these reasons cars would be more difficult to implement in the game.  It could be done, but it would be a lot of work for something that would just be for looks. 😕  And the Sims4 can't have an open world because it has a totally different engine that doesn't allow for it.  But open worlds didn't work very well on a lot of people's computers .  They caused my game to grind to a halt and make it almost unplayable! 😞😢😬  That is why they got rid of open worlds for TS4.  Hopefully, if there is ever a TS5, they will have found a way to have an open world without it causing people's games to play super slow, or to stop altogether! 🤞 🙂

I think some of the other things you mentioned could be later incorporated into the TS4 game much easier (such as grocery stores).  But I think they didn't include grocery and clothing stores because 1) there isn't an open world, and more importantly 2) it is much more streamlined to just purchase those items either while you cook or while your Sim is at the dresser.  It is more of a time-saver not to have to go to the store for supplies, however it isn't as realistic or immersive. They did add a produce stand to the City Living EP.🙂  But you can't get all of the items from the produce stand, just some of the more popular produce. 

That said, a lot of the hype was for the Sims emotional system and how all their different moods affect the game!  Also, things like the ability for Sims to now multitask are wonderful additions to the Sims franchise! (Personally, I rather have my Sims multitask than have a grocery store, even though a grocery store would be nice.) 😳

Happy Simming! 🥳

If it's of any use to anyone here, you are welcome to download from my gallery my multi-fruit, multi-vegetable, & multi herb plants, plus my multi-fruit tree and by just tending those 4 plants you can get extra income selling the produce you don't use and have the produce for whatever you want to cook. They can go into planters if you don't have a yard, but to have the tree inside you have to make your roof medium height first. The profits far exceed any expense if you just hire a gardener to come tend them. All you have to do then is harvest and sell what you don't want to use.

@SheriGR Hi! Fancy meeting you here.  Thought I might just drop this info here because it fits the discussion.  We talked a couple of weeks ago about selling fruit and vegetables in the Lice Cold Freezer on retail lots.  Remember the bug that made it where the herbs and spinach could not go into it but everything else could?  I narrowed down which mod made the Freezer work for me.  It is a mod that lets you buy perfect fruit and veggies from your own kitchen.... for some reason it also fixes the Lice Freezer.  If anyone is interested in buying perfect groceries check out the mod by coolspear http://simsasylum.com/tfm/index.php?/topic/12325-dispensers-chefs-kitchen-helpers-perfect-fruit-veg/&tab=comments#comment-302391.

Remember Mods are not supported by EA but they can greatly enhance your game.  If you ever have any trouble in the game just clear out old or conflicting mods by deleting them from the Mods folder.  I have used this one for awhile and it is quite useful and not buggy.

Good to know! Thanks @stbnchristine ! :eahigh_file:  (The 'Lice Cold Freezers' do work well for selling produce or cooked/baked items if you have the 'Get to Work' expansion pack and want to build a retail store to sell these items.)

For a while I was selling grafted perfect plants in my retail store and was really disappointed when they put a stop to it. Thanks @SheriGR for the idea to post my plants in rooms and download them into my households. I was actually sending a Gardner to homes to plant them. Duh your way is much better. 😬