Custom Search

Sunday, October 18, 2009

Supermarket

As often happens when doing this blog I realize how much of our daily lives we don't really bother to notice. Here's an aspect of life in North America and Europe that we seldom think about, the supermarket. As a single retired person I don't need to shop much but even then I probably spend five or six hours every week in this supermarket. It's called "Save-On-Foods" and it carries nearly everything I ever want to buy in the way of food items. It's always clean and the staff are friendly and helpful.

When I wrote the above I didn't mean to imply that only Europe and North America have supermarkets. I know they exist in Africa, Asia and South and Central America, not to speak of Australia and New Zealand. But what makes them a little different perhaps in North America is their ubiquity. I'd venture to guess that 90% of the people do 90% of their shopping in places like the supermarket pictured above. These vast stores are everywhere and even a small city like Victoria has many. During the summer months there are occasional small outdoor markets with many individual vendors such as are found in other parts of the world but these pretty much cease when winter comes and even in summer such markets do not come close to competing with the supermarket as the shopping venue of choice for most people.

8 comments:

TheChieftess said...

This market shoud definitely use your photo in their advertisements!!! The produce looks so fresh, and the store so clean, it makes me want to shop there....all the way from Southern California!!!

Jabba said...

Sooo familiar...we spend all of our grocery budget and tons of time in here as well. I'm surprised we haven't run into each other!

Kcalpesh said...

Quite a similar scene to the supermarkets here in Mumbai! Great colors!

- Pixellicious Photos

Laura said...

I love Save On Foods. Next to Thrifty Foods it's the grocery store I trust the most for quality, and I'm pretty picky about food quality.
Thanks for the great pictures. I think I'm going to go make a salad with far too many peppers on it now :)

Anonymous said...

Great photo of a supermarket. Fruit and vegetables are sold here by weight. I think you are selling to them. Greetings.

Dave-CostaRicaDailyPhoto.com said...

In Tamarindo, Costa Rica, we do not take supermarkets for granted because we just got our first supermarket about 2 years ago. It carries most of the food brand from the USA and Canada because most of the people in town are visitors from the USA and Canada.

I have been to Victoria only once, but loved it. I have signed up to follow your blog so that I may continue to enjoy it.

Canarybird said...

Great photos! I was in Save On Foods in Victoria many years ago. I remember being reprimanded for taking photos in another Canadian supermarket when I was there on holiday. A couple of days ago I tried to take a photo of the fish stall here in a Spanish supermarket and was again stopped from doing so. I don't understand why they are so afraid of being photographed. You were lucky to be able to capture these.

Benjamin Madison said...

Chieftess, thanks!
Jabba - Next time you're there look for someone like Richard Gere, only taller with curlier, darker hair. That's what I'm like (inside).
KC: Yes, I suspect supermarkets around the world are becoming more and more alike.
Laura - thanks for your kind words. I'm pretty pleased with Save-On-Foods too.
Afyonkarahisar - vegetables and fruit here are generally sold by weight as well.
Dave - yes I remember living abroad and the joys of visiting cities that had a supermarket where one could buy noodle soups or peanut butter.
Canarybird - Yes, I only took a few photos before the store manager came and asked me what I was doing. He wasn't unfriendly at all. We chatted for a while and when he was satisfied that I was harmless he gave me permission to continue.