Clean the Supermarket Upgrade Order — Best Priority List

Recommended Upgrade Order

This priority list applies to standard solo progression in Clean the Supermarket!. Deviations of one or two purchases rarely ruin a run, but following this order closely minimizes backtracking and idle walking during the critical first hours.

1. Carry Capacity Tier 1 — Double your trips per aisle immediately.
2. Movement Speed Tier 1 — Cut travel time between departments.
3. Carry Capacity Tier 2 — Batch three to four items per run.
4. Movement Speed Tier 2 — Essential before center-store aisles stretch.
5. Carry Capacity Tier 3 — Comfortable batching for snacks and beverages.
6. Jump Height Tier 1 — Unlock top-shelf placement in hygiene aisles.
7. Movement Speed Tier 3 — Prepare for dairy and frozen back-wall walks.
8. Auto-Shelve Tier 1 — Automation pays off only after carry and speed are solid.
9. Carry Capacity Tier 4+ — Max stack for stretching shelf marathon rows.
10. Auto-Shelve Tier 2+ — Placement speed on 40+ slot aisles.
11. Pickup Range — Luxury QoL; buy when basics are maxed.
12. Ability Slots — Endgame only, for multiple active upgrades.

Why Carry Comes First

Carry capacity directly multiplies items sorted per minute. With one slot, you walk from mess pile to aisle once per product. With four slots, you quadruple throughput on the same route. Every other upgrade saves time at the margins; carry saves time on every single item. This is why tier-one carry outranks tier-one speed despite speed feeling impactful in open areas.

Test the difference yourself: complete one aisle row with base carry, then buy tier-one carry and repeat. The time savings are immediately obvious. Details on carry tiers appear on the Upgrades Shop page.

Why Speed Comes Second

Movement speed tier one should follow your first carry purchase—or happen in parallel if code redemption gave you extra starting currency. Speed reduces dead time between the produce entrance and center-store snacks aisles where item density spikes. By the time aisles begin stretching, tier-two or tier-three speed is mandatory for frozen department runs.

When to Buy Auto-Shelve

Auto-Shelve assists with shelf placement when you are standing at the correct row. It does not help you identify items, walk to aisles, or carry more products. Buying Auto-Shelve before carry tier two is the most common build mistake in Clean the Supermarket. Wait until step eight in the priority list above unless you are replaying on an account that already knows every department by memory.

Activation uses D-Pad on console and ability keys on PC. Read How to Use Upgrades for timing.

Jump Height Timing

Jump upgrades matter when you reach hygiene and household aisles with top-shelf slots. Produce and bakery rarely need jump tier one. Purchase jump after carry tier two and speed tier two—around the mid-game transition from entrance departments to side corridors. Skipping jump entirely is possible if you only shelve bottom and middle tiers, but section completion checks may require top slots.

Currency Planning

Phase	Expected Purchases	Department Focus
First 30 minutes	Carry 1, Speed 1	Produce, bakery
30–90 minutes	Carry 2, Speed 2, Carry 3	Snacks, beverages
90–180 minutes	Jump 1, Speed 3, Auto-Shelve 1	Hygiene, household, canned
180+ minutes	Max carry, max speed, Auto-Shelve 2+	Dairy, frozen, stretched aisles

Upgrade Order and Walkthroughs

The Early Game Build applies steps 1–5 during your first session. The Late Game Build covers steps 8–12 for full completion. Upgrades persist unless you Wipe Save—bad purchases are sunk cost, not reason to reset. Keep sorting and follow the list from your current tier forward.