In the past, personal service and individual attention were the
hallmarks of the "old fashioned" business, where shopkeepers knew their
customers and their specific requirements. However, this era has been replaced
by the rise of the supermarket, a concept that originated in the United States
and has now become ubiquitous in large cities worldwide. While the personal
touch was once valued, today's supermarket is an impersonal, efficient, and
quick shopping experience.
At the entrance of a typical supermarket, wire baskets and trolleys are
available for customers to carry their purchases. Products are neatly arranged
on perpendicular pyramids of shelves, with clear signage indicating where
everything can be found. The supermarket offers a vast selection of goods,
including tinned foods, pre-washed and prepacked vegetables, sealed meat
packets, and packaged biscuits. Toiletries, wines, fish, and cleaning materials
can all be found under one roof, and everything is priced with ink stamps.
Self-service is the rule in supermarkets, and counter service is a thing of the
past. While assistants in colored overalls can be seen checking, stamping, or
replacing purchased goods, the latest "gimmick" is to have their names printed
on their uniforms to recapture some of the personal touch. However, customers
rarely ask them questions since the world of the supermarket is so efficiently
planned that there is no need for assistance.
At the exits, enormous cash registers with electric computers calculate the
bills with lightning-fast speed, eliminating the possibility of human error.
Cashiers quickly enter the prices into the machine or may even scan the barcodes
of the items. Customers leave the supermarket, clutching their purchases and
wire baskets, and become anonymous ciphers in a busy, bustling, and lonely
world.
While the supermarket has eliminated individuality, it does have benefits for
customers. Speed and independence are some of the advantages. Prices are marked,
and the shopper can easily find what they need without the hindrance of slow
assistants or inefficient service. Additionally, prices are generally lower than
those of small businesses since supermarkets can purchase goods in large
quantities.
Although the personal touch has disappeared from the shopping experience,
supermarkets have become an intrinsic part of modern life. Their efficiency, low
prices, and convenience are now an essential part of our daily lives. Therefore,
whatever has been trampled underfoot by their arrival, supermarkets have come to
stay. |