I have a funny confession to make: during my trip back to the US, the super-size stores there both overwhelmed and thrilled me. I grew up with them. I know them. But I am not used to them at this point. There are so many aisles, so many choices, so many products. My local Stockholm grocery could fit in a corner of the store that my parents frequent. So much of the fresh produce is cut up for your convenience: everything from watermelon and strawberries to broccoli and mushrooms. There are readymade trays of veggies and dip, fruits and dip, shrimp and dip, cheese and crackers, even mashed potatoes. My local only has ready-to-go carrots. Side dishes and even complete meals of all sorts are in plastic containers and ready to eat with just a little heating. It’s all about making dining quick and easy. Now don’t misunderstand me: I am not living in the third world here. There are ready-to-go food packages. But they are just not on the same variety scale as in the US. And don’t even get me talking about Target. Clothing, housewares, groceries, books, cds, electronics, luggage, garden accessories, stationery and more all under one roof. Whatever it is, Target has a knack for making it all look irresistible. I spent my first trip there just looking and admiring. It was on the second trip that I shopped. America is still the consumer capital of the world after all.
Super-size shopping in America
Previous post: Reconnecting
Next post: Jet lagged in Stockholm
{ 1 comment }
Might be that it’s a difference in the amount of people, like about 230 million or so.
I also see a huge difference in the stores in Germany for example that is 10 times bigger than our little corner of the world, but I agree, it’s much more commercialized over there.
Comments on this entry are closed.