Setting, situation, scene...repeat?

There are things I use a lot in writing. Settings, situations, scenes. Not in every book, but often enough that I notice and--once or twice--a reader or critique partner has noticed, too.

For instance, there's the shopping scene. I have been dinged for this. "What's the deal with the shopping?" I don't have a clue what the "deal" is, but most of my protagonists buy food, clothing, or something else at some point in the book. They usually talk to the cashier, meet someone in the parking lot, or...