Supermarkets

I figure that I know about supermarkets.   They're places where you get groceries, and are to be avoided whenever possible unless they have both a hi-tech section AND a coffee shop, with muffins.

Anita does our groceries.   I am told that the "normal" approach to grocery shopping is that one chooses a supermarket to shop at regularly, gets the loyalty card and then shops only there.  Anita's approach is different.  She shops at all the local supermarkets, and has a loyalty card for each.

She knows the products that each store stocks, so when we run out of X, she will say, for example, "Ah, we have run out of X and they only stock that at (say) Super-U, so this week I will do our shop there".  I understand that this is unusual.   Not only does she know the products stocked by all the local supermarkets, but she knows where they are on the shelves.  Unbelievable.  (I know because sometimes she asks me to get some things for her, and she tells me where to find them)

She is therefore in a position to spot when new products arrive on the shelves.  It frequently happens that she comes back with either a completely new product to try, or a new brand.  Sticking to a single product is rare for her, an approach that has few disadvantages as far as I can see, the only exception being shaving cream.

Generally, I benefit from this.  We have a diet that is varied, sprinkled with new and exciting adventures, together with some tried and tested favourites.  There is, of course, the occasional disaster, though they are seldom inedible: most of the time, daily food (and consumables) are actually quite interesting in their own right, in our house.  This, I suspect, is unusual.

So when, the other day, she said, in town, "Oh, look, there's a new supermarket, let's go and take a look", I acquiesced.  I recognise that it's in my long-term best interests.  Turns out that it's what I can only describe as an industrial-scale delicatessen.  Only food, much of it in bulk, by the kilo, and international in origin.   Tex Mex, Thai, Chinese, African, Indian, as well as traditional French.  Much of it fresh,too.  Excellent.  Anita came out with a little bag of goodies.  Well, a cartload, actually.

We'll be back.  There was, unfortunately, no hi-tech and no coffee shop, so, stricly speaking, Anita will be back.   P.S.  They're the only place known to us in Laval that still stocks (uncooked) brazil nuts.   Thought you'd like to know that.