I’m embarrassed to say it, but my
guilty pleasure is supermarkets.
I enjoy shopping for food.
by Henry Makow Ph.D.
Supermarkets are near the top of my list of things Western society got right.
I marvel at how society provides its population with a variety and abundance of food, cheaply and efficiently. Thousands of products from all over the world are magically assembled and kept in stock on a daily basis.
What thanks do supermarkets get for performing this beneficence? Like Mom, they’re taken for granted.
Have you heard of anyone going to such an effort for such a small return? They’re practically working for nothing. They may as well be food banks.
Contrast this with Apple whose profit margin is close to 40%. Most industries range from ten to twenty per cent.
THE SUPERMARKET EXPERIENCE
I do not take for granted that I can go to a supermarket and fill a big shopping cart with delicious fresh food, and that most people around me are doing the same thing. I love that they have bakeries producing fresh bread; deli counters; fish in tanks; international foods; bulk grains, nuts, raisins and chocolates. You can find practically anything you want.
I shop at four or five supermarkets, going to a different one every day. In fact, this is my outing. I like to see people. I still have an eye for an
attractive woman, although these are fewer and far between.
In my younger days, I perfected this pick-up line which I never had the nerve to use: Sidle up beside a lithesome young thing who is putting mushrooms in a bag, and say: “That’s enough.”
Different supermarkets have a different vibe based on the customers they attract. Walmart shoppers are the most indifferent and least considerate. They’re mostly working poor. Based on this, I developed the thesis that social skills are a big factor in success.
My Safeway is the most upscale. Superstore customers differ depending on the time and day. Costco is always mind blowing because of the vast quantities. The well-paid employees and the entrepreneur customers give off a positive vibe.
Supermarkets each have some unique items. Recently, I found the perfect pork pot stickers at Superstore. Walmart has an unbelievable canned Thai soup base which allows me to make soups the equal of any restaurant.
My wife is a techie who doesn’t like to shop or cook. I can’t read or follow instructions. We complement each other.
Recently, I had an idea which I freely give to the Supermarket industry. They ought to have websites where customers can review their products. For example, I’d like to know what customers think of different frozen hamburger brands. I don’t want to test them all. This would be a
great way for supermarkets to get constant feedback.
As you see, I like food. Good food lifts my spirits. A bad meal depresses me. I can ask, “what do you feel like having?” and usually rustle it up. Being able to eat is essential, but being able to eat what you want, when you want is a special kind of freedom.
I invite you to send me a short email describing your guilty pleasure. I will post.
Have a nice Easter Long Weekend!
Source Article from http://henrymakow.com/2015/04/my-guilty-pleasure-supermarket.html
My Guilty Pleasure: Supermarkets
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