Supermarkets

[Rjk]

One of my favourite things to do when I'm travelling abroad is to go to visit a big supermarket. I don't know if anyone else likes to do this?, I've made a point of doing it for years
I don't know why really, but I suppose you get to see some interesting differences from this country, a micro peek under the bonnet of how people live in that country that you don't see from visiting the usual tourist spots.

Over the last few years I've been noticing that more and more countries have just better supermarkets these days than we do. More fresh food options, more variety - shelves actually replenished etc.

that didn't used to be the case, it wasn't long ago I'd have said ours were amongst the best.
I've been to China, the USA and Poland in the last 12 months and the supermarkets were all really nice - the Chinese one especially so.

I went out to buy some coriander the other day to Asda and it was all just rotting on the shelves - none of it edible. So I drove to another shop and it was exactly the same there.

[jon1959]

Re: Supermarkets

One of my favourite things to do when I'm travelling abroad is to go to visit a big supermarket. I don't know if anyone else likes to do this?, I've made a point of doing it for years
I don't know why really, but I suppose you get to see some interesting differences from this country, a micro peek under the bonnet of how people live in that country that you don't see from visiting the usual tourist spots.

Over the last few years I've been noticing that more and more countries have just better supermarkets these days than we do. More fresh food options, more variety - shelves actually replenished etc.

that didn't used to be the case, it wasn't long ago I'd have said ours were amongst the best.
I've been to China, the USA and Poland in the last 12 months and the supermarkets were all really nice - the Chinese one especially so.

I went out to buy some coriander the other day to Asda and it was all just rotting on the shelves - none of it edible. So I drove to another shop and it was exactly the same there.

We normally try to look around traditional markets when we are abroad and tend to use only the small, local supermarkets - so can't comment on whether the big ones are getting better. But in the UK I don't think most supermarkets have recovered from Covid. Their supply chains were disrupted and (maybe with other factors like Brexit, Ukraine etc) have never fully recovered. In my experience that applies to all the major UK supermarkets. They are definitely worse (fewer lines, empty shelves etc) than 5 years ago.

[A Quiet Monkfish]

Re: Supermarkets

I think you can tell a lot about how a nation eats from their principle supermarkets. Spain at the bottom, Portugal [Apolonia] much better, but the Italian ones are amazing. Fresh stuff everywhere, so much choice, good, quality wherever you look - a bit like our own M&S Food halls

[JamesWales]

Re: Supermarkets

I love supermarkets abroad too! I still get a little kick from lidls here as it feels like they do abroad.

I much prefer an apartment to a hotel so I would only be comparing smaller supermarkets abroad to the larger ones here, and the larger ones here are generally cheaper. I can't say I've noticed any decline in choice or standards at all, although there are relatively exotic goods I go for I guess.

They tend to be more cashier and cash friendly abroad, which I prefer and the booze in supermarkets is nearly always far cheaper, at least in France, Spain and Portugal

[North Cardiff Blue]

Re: Supermarkets

One of my favourite things to do when I'm travelling abroad is to go to visit a big supermarket. I don't know if anyone else likes to do this?, I've made a point of doing it for years
I don't know why really, but I suppose you get to see some interesting differences from this country, a micro peek under the bonnet of how people live in that country that you don't see from visiting the usual tourist spots.

Over the last few years I've been noticing that more and more countries have just better supermarkets these days than we do. More fresh food options, more variety - shelves actually replenished etc.

that didn't used to be the case, it wasn't long ago I'd have said ours were amongst the best.
I've been to China, the USA and Poland in the last 12 months and the supermarkets were all really nice - the Chinese one especially so.

I went out to buy some coriander the other day to Asda and it was all just rotting on the shelves - none of it edible. So I drove to another shop and it was exactly the same there.

No, I prefer to go the the beach.

Eric will be all over this, he takes his laptop and Excel spreadsheets to compare aisle widths and price ranges of cauliflowers.

[Wales-Bales]

Re: Supermarkets

One of my favourite things to do when I'm travelling abroad is to go to visit a big supermarket. I don't know if anyone else likes to do this?

This would be very useful information if I was your therapist, and I feel as though I understand you a lot better already!