SaligoBay Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 I've often wished there were some round here. I've been up since 4am, if we had 24-hour supermarkets I could have put the time to good use and done my shopping already!!Still half an hour to wait till anything's open, ho hum. Never mind, sitting in the rush-hour traffic will pass some time. A couple of miles in first gear, and I'll feel I'm really living that laid-back French lifestyle. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
opas Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 I hope you are only joking SB. Have you ever lived next door to someone that decides it is a good idea to do their grocery shopping at 3 am? car doors slamming ,walking back and forth to car and front door , swearing when they trip over the step in the dark and the jar of coffee smashes! getting the brush and shovel out of the shed(another struggle with the lock in the dark) Then they have only to put it all away, every kichen door and drawer in use, then they have to tidy the carrier away so its a trip down the garden to the dustbin and those things were made to drop the lid down noisily wern`t they? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
GRT17 Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 Just wondering, is it possible to to the supermarket shop "on-line" in France? Gill Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 I like the idea. Really got into early morning shopping at Asda in York when across for The Wedding.It would be a step in the right direction is they stopped bloody closing for lunch. Even better, open on a Sunday!Carrefour has an online shopping experience. Never used it as like to browse but try their site. www.carrefour.fr Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richardbk Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 [quote]Just wondering, is it possible to to the supermarket shop "on-line" in France? Gill[/quote]the biggest coverage (geographically) is www.houra.fr , part of the CORA chain. We were regular client when up in 77, very efficient and always on time. currently they are doing free Xmas delivery. Unfortunately here in 81 they do no delivery at all Carrefour tends to be limited to major cities / towns.regsRicahrd Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dick Smith Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 The worst part is the people you meet in supermarkets at 3 a.m. Apart from the stoned ones with the munchies and the twitchy ones on speed there are the nutters, the paranormals and the plain insomniac. Not a straight head in sight. It's a weird and unsettling place, I can assure you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Babnik Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 funny how people come to France to escape the UK, then yearn for things that they had there! Be careful you might get what you wish for! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deby Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 Sunday shopping - naaah!Having lived in a small french city - I really appreciated wandering around on Sundays through the town without the chaos - meandering towards the sunday marché (market). Yes, I missed the convenience, but given the choice I am glad my sundays were more relaxed and less commercial.It just means we have to be slightly more organised - surely this is one of the attractions of life in France, don't get me wrong, I moan sometimes about it, but it is true, be careful what you wish for...Its a funny old world, we all survived without mobile phones and now look at us (me included) we rely on them and we are lost when the batteries discharge/credit runs out but what did really happen before... I am not against progression but just reflecting on what we all did without these little accessories of life.Deby Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Weedon Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 The worst part is the people you meet in supermarkets at 3 a.m. Apart from the stoned ones with the munchies and the twitchy ones on speed there are the nutters, the paranormals and the plain insomniac. Not a straight head in sight. It's a weird and unsettling place, I can assure you.Damn you Mr Smith, you promised you wouldn't tell anybody you saw me!Weedon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jmd Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Noooooooooooo!Nothing should ever be done to give the supermarkets more power. One of the nice things about France is that shops still exist, and markets are thriving. They seem to be able to live in harmony with the supermarkets much better than in the UK. Yes I know alot of local shops have shut down buth thats nothing to the UK. At least here if I chose to do my shopping else where I still can, in many places in the UK this is no longer possible, greengrocers, butchers, bakers all gone. On a recent visit to a town in the North I wanted to get some bread and some carrots, but all the high street had was second hand charity shops and bars, I ended up having to go to Tescos - and this is all supposed to be about convienience remember - so driving to a hugh store (no doubt using petrol bought at the same store) walking around the huge store to find the bread and carrots, queing at the checkout and walking back to the car, all more convienient than going to the local baker, passing the time of day, and then walking two stores down to the greengrocer.I'm sorry but I am quite fanatical about this. Supermarkets reduce choice, they are at a stage now in the UK where they have rediculous powers and are resposible for alot of people going out of buisiness, shopkeepers, farmers, even the local cafe. They are sucking lives out of communities, and in return giving us poor quality uniform food, with little choice of variety.If you want to know more about this try reading "Not on the label" and "Shopped" both books which go into more detail about the way supermarkets operate, and the effect that it has on our lives.Be cafeful what you wish for or it might come true! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted November 24, 2004 Author Share Posted November 24, 2004 Actually, it IS coming true at an alarming speed, but it's nothing to do with me, honest!Most of the supermarkets round here already open on Sundays, at least till midday.And you can wax lyrical about greengrocers, but if the village épicerie sells lettuce at a euro each, why am I going to buy it there when Ed sells them at 60 centimes, and they're just as good?And what about that bloomin butcher in the next village up who charged 16 euros a kg for roti de porc? It wasn't any better than any others I've had.What I will NOT do is go shopping ANYWHERE on a Saturday, you can queue for half an hour just to get into Carrefour's car park, it's always a nightmare! But obviously those poor French people don't have the choice, because they spend the week working - oh no, just like British people, now there's a thought! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richardbk Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 What I will NOT do is go shopping ANYWHERE on a Saturday, you can queue for half an hour just to get into Carrefour's car park, it's always a nightmare! But obviously those poor French people don't have the choice, because they spend the week working - oh no, just like British people, now there's a thought!Absolutely. Its all very well for those that have come here to be semi retired and 'downsize ' , but the rest of us actually have to go to work, which after the commute for most people is at least 10-11 hours /day (BTW the 35 hr week and reduced pressure of work is a complete myth). So we don't have time to loll around the markets and stroll up and down the high streets. I also refuse to go shopping on saturday mornings because of the crowds, which means late shopping and internet services are a necessary part of the shopping. When we can we try to get to the local market on a saturday morning, but with school runs, kids clubs etc it is not always possible to juggle everything.regsRichard Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Around here it seems to be a great family day out on a jour ferie to go to the supermarkets which are open. The places heave. I used to love it when we first moved here as our Carrefour used to be open really late. In our dept supermarkets don't open on a Sunday morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I1 Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 I must confess I do find the 2 hour lunchtime close “difficult”. When I have a fair number of different shops to visit and don’t start when the shops open, I may have not completed it by 12:00 when everybody (except supermarkets) close. Not a major deal as I do have the time.I am surprised at how the village bakeries and butchers stay in business given the price of what they are selling. I have noticed that the village post offices seem to be under threat. My two local villages both have Post Offices and both are under threat. One village is saying that business has fallen below a threshold, whilst the other village is saying the La Poste are changing their policies on village Post Offices.The huit-a-huit shops are interesting as I have not yet hound one open (ever). In my area a few of the supermarkets are starting to open on Sunday morning. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 LOL I1 and guess who sets off shopping in english high streets at around 4pm. Always gets me, I really must remember to not go out shopping when most of the shops are shutting at 5pm. It is a getting used to it thing. I know exactly what is open at midi here and can work around the two hour, sometimes two and a half or three hour break pretty well. I'm not suprised that some post office will shut. They simply won't do enough business will they, especially as they don't even sell every official stamp (timbre fiscale) we need anyway.... if you didn't know some official stamps are still bought from the Tabac or tresorie and we used to buy our vignettes from the Tabac every Novemeber (sort of road tax only done once a year). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
I1 Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Having only been in France for a year I’m still trying to understand the logic and financial aspects of the organisation of things (in the broadest sense). In many respects it does seem very different to the UK. I’m not a great fan of centralisation and have the impression that in France a lot of services are provided (or managed) very locally. I live between two villages, each with a population of 750, each with its own Marie, each with its own fire station, etc. In the UK such things would have been centralised in some cost saving review ages ago.However, without an complete understanding of how these types of things operate I find it difficult to form an opinion about their viability and the service/cost balance. Hypothetically, for example, the local fire stations in many respects cannot make financial sense unless there are other cost factors (maybe something like volunteer firemen, etc.) that make it viable (who knows – I don’t).In the UK, do the supermarkets actually sell more by being open 24 hrs a day. I agree with a previous poster in that in the UK I believe the supermarkets have managed to get (or be given by us) too much power and that then needs for profits are having negative impact on farmers and in developing countries. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Teamedup Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Around here it is only the main towns that have a professional sapeur pompiers service, a local town around 9000 habs, I've been told has one prof fireman and the rest are volunteers. And all the villages have volunteers who run their villages service. The siren goes off regularly, different numbers for different incidents to call the fire crew to duty. I suspect that most of rural France is rather like this, and these volunteers are the first people I would call with a real medical emergency, then perhaps the doctor. The are quick to get to any emergency and will get anyone to hospital very quickly.The post offices have a very limited service although they have broadened out a bit over the last few years, they now sell phone topper uppers and their own birthday cards etc. But that is it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard-R Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 A lot of village businesses are under threat both in France and the U.K.. Our post office is only open in the morning's. This as a lot to do with how people are paid there wages and how most of us now pay our bills. Very few people now live from day to day or week to week. I think all that is needed now is a stamp machine in our village for most of the residents. Every time i pop in to post a letter or parcel, the only other people in there, are just in there for a natter. I am waiting for the postal service to shrink also in rural areas also. I now account for 5% of all post in our village ( of 200 soul's). Not long before they set up cental mail boxes. On a better note our shop ( the one and only) seems to do a very good trade all week. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Riff-Raff Element Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 [quote]Sunday shopping - naaah! Having lived in a small french city - I really appreciated wandering around on Sundays through the town without the chaos - meandering towards the sunday marché (market). Ye...[/quote]Interesting point made about mobile phones. I gave mine up about a year ago after about 10 years of being connected. Apart from saving me several hundreds of euros per year, it has been tremendously liberating NOT being available all the time. I have re-learned to make arrangements and actually stick to them rather than using my mobile to excuse my tardiness. There have been occasions when it would have been helpful to have a phone with me (flat tire), but I've found that these can be sorted out by using initive and public phones - somethings I'd rather forgotten about. Doom merchants do like painting me pictures of "what would happen if the house was eaten by a giant badger and I couldn't be contacted???" but on the whole I'll chalk it up as an improvement in my quality of life. On supermarkets - I think that they have reduced choice rather than enhancing it. Try and buy more than a couple of varities of, say apples, and see how far you get. I don't beieve that they are actually cheaper for the bulk of their customers; they utilise lines known as "known value items" such as bannanas to give the impression of good value then hike it up on the prepared vegetables or ready meals. Opening 24 hours a day? From what I've been told, between 9pm and 7am this costs them more than they could ever hope to make BUT it keeps the punters away from the small-shop competition. The logical end game? Well, try and find a rural petrol station in France. Of course the supermarket petrol is soooo much cheaper. However, since there's virtually no competition any more (except between the supermarkets, which doesn't really count - one moves price, they all move) its rather difficult to judge this objectively. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Baz Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 I think that UK supermarkets may be finding it not cost effective in certain areas to open 24hours. My local UK tesco supermarket which is in rural Essex has recently stopped 24 hour trading and now operates from 6am - midnight and I suspect it is not losing any custom.Bax Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted November 24, 2004 Author Share Posted November 24, 2004 I do actually agree in principle with everything everybody says about supermarkets, and I'm sure I'd find a good reason NOT to go shopping at 4am! But you can't blame people for shopping there. Fortunately in France there are still things like the SICAs, where you can buy kilos of apples at a fraction of the supermarket price. It's just population numbers too, isn't it? When you see the constant long queues in supermarkets, you have to admit that the local village shops have got no chance of accommodating those numbers.I do like markets, I like wandering round and looking at things, but I very rarely buy food at them - because I can't be bothered lugging kilos of potatoes, carrots, celeriac, etc round for an hour, it's just not a pleasure! The ONLY market I buy veggies at is one in a neighbouring village, which is so small that I can park the car 10 yards away from the veggie stall, gather up a whole load of veggies for the week, and if the young man is in a good mood, he'll even carry the bag of veggies to the car for me. It all comes down to what suits your lifestyle. Round here, almost everyone works, so there's not a lot of spare time to get food in, so they want to get it over as quickly as possible. Veggie-growing is for retired people, anyone of working age just doesn't have the time. C'est la vie. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mpprh Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 HiI think the demise of local shops has been going on for a long time.Roads, buses, cars, telephones, credit cards, fridges, internet, commuting and supermarkets all have made a contribution.I've been reading the history of my village. 150 years ago with a pop of 450 there were around 50 businesses including a dairy, fish merchant greengrocer, hairdressers, shoemakers, clothesmakers, hatmakers, 4 bars, builders, agricultural merchants, etc etc In addition there were many active farms producing meat, fruit & veg, wine and olives. Today with a population of 850 we have 4 active farms, 1 plumber, 1 builder, 1 electrician, 1 forge and 1 shop. The shop is a recent development and tries very hard to provide local services ( http://tlp.netfirms.com/ribansolette.htm ) It is open 7 days per week and stays open until 20.00.We also have mobile library, meat, frozen food and fish vans. And a once a week market for vegetables.Isn't the real reason local shops have almost gone is increased mobility ?Peter Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard-R Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 [quote]The worst part is the people you meet in supermarkets at 3 a.m. Apart from the stoned ones with the munchies and the twitchy ones on speed there are the nutters, the paranormals and the plain insomnia...[/quote]Hell, whats wrong with popping out for a few Mars bars and a large packet of Rizla's. Sour grapes from the generation before all night shopping i think. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jo53 Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 [quote]Noooooooooooo!Nothing should ever be done to give the supermarkets more power. One of the nice things about France is that shops still exist, and markets are thriving. They seem to be able to live i...[/quote]One of the nice things about France is that shops still exist, and markets are thriving. They seem to be able to live in harmony with the supermarkets much better than in the UK. Yes I know alot of local shops have shut down buth thats nothing to the UK. At least here if I chose to do my shopping else where I still can, Funny how experiences differ. I find the supermarkets are even more powerful in France than in the UK. In our local French town you can't buy groceries in the town centre, you must drive to out of town supermarket. And department stores don't seem to exist in even medium-sized French towns - the hypermarket sells everything, from household appliances to bedsheets, and most of it's naf, naf, naf. I fantasise about shopping in John Lewis (well, I would if we had any money); even Debenhams would be wonderful compared with trying to buy bathtowels in HyperU or Carrefour. Seriously, I read in a French magazine that France has the highest number of 'grands surfaces' per capita of any country in Europe. And Carrefour is the most powerful retail group in Europe I believe.Jo Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SaligoBay Posted November 27, 2004 Author Share Posted November 27, 2004 Well said, Jo!I agree, shopping in France isn't easy, but I thought I was just doing it wrong! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Please sign in to comment
You will be able to leave a comment after signing in
Sign In Now