Costco/ Walmart in Europe
Apr 15th, 2008, 07:37 AM
#41
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It always brings a smile to my face when tourists visit the ports on the North Sea coast and rave about "fresh local shrimps" from the market stands. And do not know that most of those shrimps have indeed been fished in the local waters, but then went by truck 4,000 kilometers all the way to Morocco and back to get peeled. Only to get sold just a few yards away from where the trawlers moored.
Apr 15th, 2008, 11:05 AM
#43
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Ok, let's talk about Castellón, a mid-size Spanish city with very few tourist (only other spaniards).
In what you call the suburbs, we have Carrefour and Alcampo (it is how Auchan is called in Spain)and a bigger than normal Lidl.
As supermarkets, we have El Corte Ingles, a spanish chain called Mercadona (10 of these), two smaller Lidl, Eroski, and other smaller spanish chains.
Then , we have a wealth of small shops of every kind but people specially don't like to buy bread at the supermarket...so there are lots of bakeries and pastry shops.
Of course, there are two markets at the city centre, the fish market and the fruit and vegetables market (it is called like that, but the are also stalls of butcher's and cheese..and everything else) . These markets are in fact two buildings so it works daily. We have another big one on Mondays which sells not only food but also clothes, second-hand things and a bit of everything.
I'm trying to say with this, that even though most people goes to the hypermarkets at the suburbs exactly like in the States...I think in not so big cities we have a bit more options here. In big cities there is everything...everywhere.
By the way, we have local shrimps here...but the price is way too high
I just don't know where the shrimps I eat come from..but I'm sure they are not local produce
In what you call the suburbs, we have Carrefour and Alcampo (it is how Auchan is called in Spain)and a bigger than normal Lidl.
As supermarkets, we have El Corte Ingles, a spanish chain called Mercadona (10 of these), two smaller Lidl, Eroski, and other smaller spanish chains.
Then , we have a wealth of small shops of every kind but people specially don't like to buy bread at the supermarket...so there are lots of bakeries and pastry shops.
Of course, there are two markets at the city centre, the fish market and the fruit and vegetables market (it is called like that, but the are also stalls of butcher's and cheese..and everything else) . These markets are in fact two buildings so it works daily. We have another big one on Mondays which sells not only food but also clothes, second-hand things and a bit of everything.
I'm trying to say with this, that even though most people goes to the hypermarkets at the suburbs exactly like in the States...I think in not so big cities we have a bit more options here. In big cities there is everything...everywhere.
By the way, we have local shrimps here...but the price is way too high
I just don't know where the shrimps I eat come from..but I'm sure they are not local produce
Apr 15th, 2008, 12:32 PM
#44
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thanks pippy...your post really made me laugh. your lesson to the americans on how we shop is as laughable and cliche as a chinaman who thinks all americans are cowboys.
the OP said LIKE WALMART. yes, europe is filled with stores LIKE WALMART and most of us europeans shop in stores LIKE WALMART. sorry to disappoint the europhiles who think we skip to the local farm stand with our handmade wicker baskets. most europeans drive to a huge supermarket, park in the huge car park, and wheel around a huge shopping cart filled mostly with the same sorts of foods consumed by americans (obviously there are diffrences but most of this thread is pure fantasy).
the OP said LIKE WALMART. yes, europe is filled with stores LIKE WALMART and most of us europeans shop in stores LIKE WALMART. sorry to disappoint the europhiles who think we skip to the local farm stand with our handmade wicker baskets. most europeans drive to a huge supermarket, park in the huge car park, and wheel around a huge shopping cart filled mostly with the same sorts of foods consumed by americans (obviously there are diffrences but most of this thread is pure fantasy).
Apr 15th, 2008, 12:55 PM
#45
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I'm so happy, I'm not like "most" people. 
. Wouldn't even know where to find that huge supermarket. (There aren't many huge markets here anyway. Every small US village has bigger supermarkets than Munich!) A free spot to park a car would be nice, however.
No, it's not like we're living the the USofA right now. There is a bakery for bread, a fromagerie for cheese and a shop that sell fruits and vegetables. "Vinzenz Murr" has meat. What else do you need anyway
. Wouldn't even know where to find that huge supermarket. (There aren't many huge markets here anyway. Every small US village has bigger supermarkets than Munich!) A free spot to park a car would be nice, however.No, it's not like we're living the the USofA right now. There is a bakery for bread, a fromagerie for cheese and a shop that sell fruits and vegetables. "Vinzenz Murr" has meat. What else do you need anyway
Apr 15th, 2008, 02:18 PM
#46
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I doubt that you'll find a large supermarket (hypermarché
in Villefranche, but there's a Carrefour in downtown nice not far from the train station. That complex has a vast store like a Walmart, along with quite a number of other specialty shops...and cafés and restaurants. We've never come across anything like a Costco, however, and given how much you need to buy of most things in one of those stores, using them while travelling might not be so good.
in Villefranche, but there's a Carrefour in downtown nice not far from the train station. That complex has a vast store like a Walmart, along with quite a number of other specialty shops...and cafés and restaurants. We've never come across anything like a Costco, however, and given how much you need to buy of most things in one of those stores, using them while travelling might not be so good.
Apr 16th, 2008, 12:46 AM
#47
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<i>most europeans drive to a huge supermarket, park in the huge car park, and wheel around a huge shopping cart filled mostly with the same sorts of foods consumed by americans (obviously there are diffrences but most of this thread is pure fantasy).</i>
Yep. Nothing as eye-opening as heading to the one Hypermarket near Copenhagen on a Saturday. I have never seen crowds like that in a US Wal-Mart, save around Christmas time. And what passes for supermarkets here are equally packed every evening after work.
Of course, there are plenty of smaller stores all around the city, but they are mostly owned by one of the 3 or 4 major chains, and the small size is largely resulted from some pretty draconian restrictions on commercial activity. For example, there is a size limit for stores, above which you can't be open on (most) Sundays or late into the evening.
I suspect that the differences logos sees are also driven as much by regulations and red tape as by local preference. You see the same sort of irregularities in the US, at times.
For example, Massachusetts has/had a law that restricts the number of liquor licenses any individual or corporation can have. As a result, most grocery stores couldn't sell alcohol of any kind. So, the corner liquor store flourished in Massachusetts. Not coincidentally, the liquor store owners' lobby group, dominated as it was by small businesses, was the leading opponents to allowing liquor stores to open on Sunday. God knows the public wanted it, but the owners wanted a day off. The law wasn't repealed until relatively recently, as a result.
Yep. Nothing as eye-opening as heading to the one Hypermarket near Copenhagen on a Saturday. I have never seen crowds like that in a US Wal-Mart, save around Christmas time. And what passes for supermarkets here are equally packed every evening after work.
Of course, there are plenty of smaller stores all around the city, but they are mostly owned by one of the 3 or 4 major chains, and the small size is largely resulted from some pretty draconian restrictions on commercial activity. For example, there is a size limit for stores, above which you can't be open on (most) Sundays or late into the evening.
I suspect that the differences logos sees are also driven as much by regulations and red tape as by local preference. You see the same sort of irregularities in the US, at times.
For example, Massachusetts has/had a law that restricts the number of liquor licenses any individual or corporation can have. As a result, most grocery stores couldn't sell alcohol of any kind. So, the corner liquor store flourished in Massachusetts. Not coincidentally, the liquor store owners' lobby group, dominated as it was by small businesses, was the leading opponents to allowing liquor stores to open on Sunday. God knows the public wanted it, but the owners wanted a day off. The law wasn't repealed until relatively recently, as a result.
