Supermarkets and grocery stores provide fascinating settings. A lot happens, and all the elements for a story are there. Who hasn't seen conflict while shopping for food? I've even seen battles at the U-Scan: person vs. machine, person vs. person, person vs. plastic card, plastic vs. paper bag vs. "sack" vs. shopping cart vs. motorized wheelchair. There's no end to it! No wonder these places are featured in John Updike's "A & P," in Don DeLillo's White Noise, and in movies like The Good Girl and UFOria.
There's also a lot of line-blurring between rival chains -- more conflict. Supermarkets carry drug store articles, have pharmacies, even in-store banking, while non-traditional super stores (Meijer, etc.) carry food, sometimes even fresh produce. Super gas stations have little chain eateries, staple supplies, and fancy coffee. Each rival is trying to steal customers from the others. It's a never-ending war!
Are people loyal to food chains? In Metro Detroit, I tend to like Kroger or one of the Farmer Jack "Emporium" deals. When I lived in other places, I also shopped at A & P, Lowe's, Winn-Dixie, Piggly Wiggly, Giant, etc.In Philadelphia, there was a nifty regional Italian place called Genuardi's. Here we have Nino Salvaggio's. I shun certain chains because of bad rumors or bad experiences: Food Lion is one, in the South; I still remember their appalling ads touting Food Lion workers: "Extra nice people who don't talk back!"
Every franchise has a slogan or trademark. The folks at Winn-Dixie used to call themselves "The Beef People." Now they're "The Real Deal." When I was in 8th grade or thereabouts, some adults drove around town sporting a bumper sticker that read "LFPINC" which meant "Lowest Food Prices in North Carolina." I remember the LFPNC, but not which grocery chain it went with. Kroger had a campaign jingle that went, "Listen to the Scissors" (woosh, woosh), something about coupon savings days. "Let's go Krogering," indeed. There was another odd expression for a Tar Heel supermarket: "WEO!" What W-E-O! went with or meant, I don't know, but kids, mostly boys, loved to shout it out all day long in school.And what's with the "club cards"? Seems like every chain wants to treat their customers royally -- but only when they whip out a store card for scanning and later computer analysis.
European supermarkets seem more sensible at the checkout line -- the checkers sit in chairs rather than stand all day. Of course, they can stand if they want to, but they have options. If I had to work at a supermarket, I'd rather do it in Europe.
Slotting fees, food brands, generics, and taste samples -- we'll save these for another post. Not to mention on-the-go-drive-by shopping at Wawa or Marathon. And let's not forget:
"Oh thank Heaven for 7-11"!
Today's Rune: Growth.
Ciao!
9 comments:
Haha - Obviously LFPINC wasn't an effective ad campaign if you don't remember the store.
I'm just the customer the stores love, because I'd rather shop at the slightly more expensive place to have a nicer atmosphere, and better selection and quality.
However, what they don't like about me is that I insist on going to a check out like with a chashier (not do it yourself) and having them bag the groceries. Obviously, if I was in a bag it yourself place, I'd do it myself, but just because the store is trying to save money by not having enough $5/hour baggers, is no reason for me not to get the same customer service that the customer 2 lines down (where the bagger is) get. I stand on principle. Hopefully this backs things up enough and slows down their lines enough that they make sure to hire enough baggers to provide the customer service they promise.
ha! piggly wiggly! i recall having seen this in lots of movies and books.
Oh yes, we all heard about those European supermarkets with that incredible luxury, the chair...
When I was working as a check-out chick a little while back, it was in a supermarket that gave us little black rubber mats to stand on - that was their concession. Didn't really seem to make any difference, at least until you tried working direct on the lino floor (think sore, achy legs).
Still wound up begging friends for a leg massage after each shift.
When Aldi's (a German-owned chain) opened nearby, more than half the experienced cashiers jumped ship from our store - just for the chairs!
Anomaly (who still doesn't get to sit down)
I remember that Food Lion commercial - it was a rap, right? The dude raps in that one.
The Walmarts in South Carolina won't let you buy non-grocery items before 1pm on Sundays. Isn't that weird? They have this yellow tape running down the center of the store - like that crime scene tape - to keep shoppers in the grocery area of the store. Blue laws.
During my highschool/college days, I worked for a small family grocery store called Alward's Market. They didn't have any fancy slogans, just a simple Spartan Store conveniently located in a small town.
Don't ask me why, but I saved a paystub indicating that I earned a whopping $4.10 per hour. Whoopee!
Interesting post, Erik. Growing up in WV, we had Kroger, A & P and Big Star. I like to support the smaller, local markets, whenever possible, especially for meat & produce. I don't like Wal-Mart, but we do shop at Sam's Club for bulk items, especially w/my daughter in college now.
People gotta eat.
Thanks all for the comments! Since posting, people have emailed and noted a number of things. A & P = The Great Atlantic & Pacific Tea Company, Inc. They own Farmer Jack.
Anomaly, a new Aldi just opened about half a mile from where I live just off Mack Ave, Detroit below Alter. I'll check it out to see the German style arrangement.
Bobby, it WAS a "rap"! ending with Food---Lion. Thanks for the memory trigger. And Jamie, I discovered that LFPINC was also a Food Lion campaign.
Needless to say, I don't like Wall*Mart any more than I do Food Lion.
Sheila, Piggly Wiggly still exists, really!
WEO was an A & P war cry: "Where Economy Originates" in the 1970s. It galvanized the opposition.
Jim and Robin, I forgot about Big Star and Spartan!
How fun. Cheers all, 'E
I remember A&P - its space is now occupied by Whole Foods in Durham. Back in the day, we also had the Colonial Store in Northgate back when it was a strip mall. I don't know if they were indie, but they vanished off the map. And we are still loyal to the Food Lion at Topsail (and the IGA), despite the intrusion of some of the more "prestigious" grocery chain stores nearby.
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