Noodles in aisle 8
My Disneyland is your supermarket
I can easily spend upwards of 30 to 45 minutes in a supermarket, browsing (tbh attracted to the carefully placed products and seeing brand patterns) and wondering what I really need to add to my pantry just in case we have another case of lockdown and I want to avoid the mad queues of toilet paper hoarders. Not that I'd buy toilet paper as a first thought; I'll be purchasing frozen veggies, eggs, instant prata and detergent if you need to know.
I'm also not very good at being thrifty: I'd go out, think that I need a certain produce or dry good, and go home to my fridge and see the exact thing there. What I've learnt this weekend is that I should start taking stock of what I have, via a Google Doc or Google Sheets so that I've got information via the cloud! Prior to this conversation with a friend, I really only thought about taking stock via post-it paper on my fridge/pantry, and carrying a (latest) photo in my phone's gallery. Thank you, technology.
Curious to hear:
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What captures your attention in the supermarket?
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Do you remember where to get cheaper produce?
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Are you like me, attracted to Cold Storage only because they use bright lights to bring the impression of "fresh" and "new" to buyers?
(For those in Singapore) NTUC Finest has caught on, so... we gotta get our eyes focused on what matters!
On ethnic food aisles
I'm not part of the minority where I live, and reading this article, it hit me that that some minority groups may feel restricted in shopping only in the 'ethnic food' aisle, or wonder why their food is set apart from what is deemed as "regular".
Perhaps this is something not too discussed in Singapore, as it feels like open knowledge that one should go to Golden Mile Complex for Thai groceries, Peninsula Plaza for Myanmese food and groceries, as well as the informally named Bangladesh Square, at the intersection of Desker Road and Lembu Road, where Bangladeshi grocers and food outlets reside in the shophouses. I definitely think it would be more convenient to bring some of these produce and goods to the heartlands, for all, instead of demarcating zones as such.
While the above article is US-centric, it is a common predicament of suppliers whose goods are placed in the ethnic aisle or lower shelves due to a lack of marketing budget and brand lobby strength. The article notes that major brands and corporations like Pepsi and Nestlé can "afford to pay stores handsomely to ensure their products get prime placement on shelves", but if you spend enough time in the supermarkets, the interesting brands are just waiting to be discovered!
The ongoing conversation veers to considering the presence of the ethnic aisle as "part of a legacy of white supremacy and colonialism” built into the framework of the grocery business, though some purveyors beg to differ, as their goods in the ethnic aisle are given a focused stage and identity in the effort to sell to a wide, global audience.
Lucky links just because
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Stories from a supermarket staff during COVID times
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Tips to handle emotional exhaustion
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If you need an icebreaker, you got it.
Lastly, wishing you clarity and this IG post says it very well:
Taking a step at a time,
Medhā