My Guilty Pleasure: Supermarkets

What thanks do supermarkets get for performing this beneficence? Like Mom, they’re taken for granted.

Their profit margin is 1-2% .

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 fill a big shopping cart with delicious fresh food, and most people around me are doing the same thing. I love that supermarkets have bakeries; delis; cheeses; sea food; international foods; bulk items and practically anything you want.

I shop at many different supermarkets. In fact, this is usually my daily outing. I like to see people. I still have an eye for an attractive woman. In my younger days, I perfected this supermarket pick-up line which I never used: Sidle up to a nubile young thing who is putting mushrooms in a bag and say: “That’s enough.” 

Supermarkets have a different vibe based on the customers they attract. Walmart shoppers are the least considerate of other customers. They’re mostly working poor. Based on this, I developed the thesis that good social skills are a big factor in success.

Supermarkets each have some unique items.  Recently, I found the perfect pork pot stickers at Superstore. Walmart has an incredible 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. On the other hand, I can’t read or follow instructions. We complement each other.

Recently, I had an idea which I give the Supermarket industry in appreciation. Stores ought to have a website 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.
 
Good food lifts my spirits.  A bad meal depresses me. I can ask, “what do I feel like having?” and usually can rustle it up. Eating is essential, but being able to eat what you want, when you want is a special kind of freedom.

I invite you to send a short email describing your guilty pleasure. Or tell me what else Western society got right. I will post.