Survey: Globalization and You

[JoeBlow]

Feel free to add your own country/category.


Countries with baggers:
Uruguay
Chile
US
Mexico


Countries that sometimes have baggers:
New Zealand


Countries that used to have baggers:
Belgium


Hopefully we'll all end up like Belgium.

 

[JoeBlow]

in NZ we have packers at some supermarkets, and some the checkout operator does it when she is scanning, and some they just put the scanned items into an empty trolley which you can either pack yourself or wheel to the car and dump into the boot.. but they are like 50 times quicker than the checkout chicks here..

Does this mean you don't use the words "checker" or "cashier" in NZ?

PS As I always say: the cashiers at Coto and Disco always seem to be working in slow motion.

 

[katti]

Hopefully we'll all end up like Belgium.

Do you know what your saying? this means you always have to take your own bags or boxes when you to to the supermarket, otherwise you leave the store with all your stuff in your arms, then try to open the trunk of your car

 

[gouchobob]

In Peru they bag and carry the items to your car, no tipping allowed at the store I shopped at. In Italy they didn't bag, and if you wanted a bag you paid extra for them(a lot of people brought their own).

 

[SaraSara]

Do you know what your saying? this means you always have to take your own bags or boxes when you to to the supermarket, otherwise you leave the store with all your stuff in your arms, then try to open the trunk of your car

Disco has internet-ordering and home delivery - they will bring the bags all the way into your pantry. And for people who like to shop at the store, Coto has free remises for those spending more than 200 pesos. Very easy these days, sadly.

OR, find a place like my neighborhood almacen, offering home delivery either by someone on foot or on a bicycle with a basket hooked to the handlebars.

 

[ReemsterCARP]

No baggers in Holland. The cashiers work fast and you can buy different kind of bags in the supermarket to take your stuff home. Or simply bring your own (what everybody should actually do).

 

[katti]

Disco has internet-ordering and home delivery - they will bring the bags all the way into your pantry. And for people who like to shop at the store, Coto has free remises for those spending more than 200 pesos. Very easy these days, sadly.

OR, find a place like my neighborhood almacen, offering home delivery either by someone on foot or on a bicycle with a basket hooked to the handlebars.

I love the delivery service here! Put everything in your trolly and they deliver it into your kitchen!

 

[katti]

Or simply bring your own (what everybody should actually do).

True, should do, but how many times did you park your car at the supermarket thinking "oh ?*%¨I forgot my bag"?

And for 1$ you can buy a reusable bag, which next time you go shopping, forgot at home, again

 

[AlexfromLA]

Every grocery store i've been to here does home delivery ( Jumbo and Coto ). They box everything up in crates right in front of you, tell you how many crates to expect and give you the receipt. Within 2-3 hours everything arrives at your door. I usually tip the delivery guy 5 pesos. It's way better than a bagger.

They also have online shopping, although i've never used the service.

 

[Ries]

Somehow, when I think of globalisation, bagging at the grocery store is not at the top of my list...

The real negative affects of globalisation are the killing off of local traditions, eccentricities, manufacturers, crafts, foods, culture and character, to be replaced with lowest common denominator multinational corporate products and profits.

One of the things I find refreshing about Argentina is how, compared to many countries, there is less of this globalisation.

Of course, part of the reason for this is the inept and inscrutable governmental policies, regarding tariffs, and imports and exports.
We all know the down side of Argentine commercial regulations- there are hundreds, probably thousands, of posts right on this forum complaining about expensive Ipods and silly rules and things lost at customs.

But the flip side of all that insanity is that Argentina has much less penetration by the cookie cutter multinationals. Even in small towns in Tuscany now, there is a Bennetton on every corner. Chain restaurants like KFC, the "venerable Colonel", are everywhere in China- close to 3000 of that brand alone. The US has seen locally owned hardware stores, office supply stores, lumberyards, camera stores, bookstores, and many other local, small businesses driven out of business in the last decade or so by Office Max, Home Depot, Walmart and Barnes and Noble- but in Argentina, the vast majority of shops are still small, local and family owned.


I consider that a good thing, me.

Sure, you dont always get the absolute rockbottom price on the latest disposable made in China product with a six month lifespan. Instead, you get ongoing relationships with real people, selling idiosyncratic argentine products that are often pretty unique.

You can have Globalisation, as far as I am concerned. I prefer funky, local, and small.