Kaufen

I've already told of a few shopping adventures in the Land of Deutsch, but I figured that I could write a bit more about it, considering the purchasing of goods is an essential part of life, however banal and monotonous it may be.

Aside from the unrefrigerated milk that is good for months (which, by the way, gives me the urge to stock up and fill my cabinets,) the experience is largely the same. However, there is one main difference: size and selection. Obviously, everything is sold using metric divisions. For example, one buys a liter of milk instead of a gallon/half gallon, 500 mL of Coca-Cola instead of 20 oz. But on a more interesting level, I’m interested in the sizes of the store, particularly in how these stores remain small but have the best prices in town. In the US, we sacrifice many a dollar when we shop at a small supermarket and save many a dollar when we partake in the big-box stores such as Wal-Mart or HEB. Oftentimes, these savings come when the company (for example, Wal-Mart) buys products in bulk from the supplier. This large purchase gives Wal-Mart the dealing power to lower the prices of the supplier and pass on those savings to the customer. They organize everything in such a large web and divide labor to maximize efficiency and save money. Because its cost-cutting emphasis is placed on the supply chain, Wal-Mart can offer products (let’s say, Toilet Paper) of many varieties (cottonelle, charmin, quilted northern, great value, etc.) and in different quantities (4-pack, 8-pack, 12-pack, etc.).

In Little-ol’ Wuerzburg, I have found that the larger (in size) stores (Tegut, Kupsch) charge much more for their products than the smaller (in size) stores like Lidl and Aldi. As a reciprocal to Wal-Mart (and most other big-box stores), these supermarkets have everything you could ever need, but often only in one variety or size. For example, one can purchase toilet paper in one brand (let’s say Samtess) and only one size (the 4-pack.) This doesn’t mean that Aldi and Lidl’s supply chain network isn’t tight, because I’m sure it is. This emphasis on smaller selection means that these stores don’t have to “rent out” shelf space to a variety of products with competing prices. In fact, Aldi removes the shelving altogether; instead, it just places the big boxes in which the product arrived at the store. With less real estate to manage, they need fewer employees. Never (I know, in my whole week here) have I seen more than two employees at the Lidl store. When both registers aren’t open, the other cashier becomes the stocker and zoner. When there is a rush of customers and the line exceeds the 3-people-in-line rule, the other cashier leaves the sales floor and opens up another register. The cashiers don’t even help you bag your stuff. If you can’t keep up with how fast they’re ringing up your items, it’s your problem. As soon as the cashier hands you your change, the next customer’s stuff comes down the gangway. The rush to push customers out the door comes not from a consciousness that we all have somewhere else to be, but because you taking your time stuffing your toilet paper into your backpack is costing Lidl money; the cashier (who is being paid to sit there) could be reducing inventory and increasing revenue, thus making his/her wage a worthy investment for the store. By forcing the auxiliary cashier to tidy the store (if you really want to call it “tidy,”) Lidl doesn’t have to pay some schmuck to make the rows of toilet paper flush with the edge of the shelf. With a one-way shopping experience (you come in and have only one path option) where everything is obviously displayed, Lidl doesn’t have to pay someone to help you find the toilet paper. By keeping a shop with a low ceiling, Lidl doesn’t have to pay as much to keep the customer warm. Lidl isn’t a cozy experience, but we shop there because their stuff is cheap in price, but not in quality.

Now clothing stores really can’t skip on variety – not everybody wears the same size. Given that it’s really, really cold (hovering around freezing in mid-day with wind to make the panhandle envious) and also given that my good coat currently closes with only one button, I decided to look for a new, warm, functioning coat. I didn’t find one that fit my fancy (or price range), but I had a very inefficient time looking for coats. The sizes are all European, and a conversion chart is not always given. So I had no idea what size of coat to try on.

I guess I’ll just be cold for another day. I’m going to curl up under the covers next to the heater with my book that I just bought. I’m sure it’s really peculiar when somebody buys a book in German, but has the greatest anxiety speaking German with the cashier at the bookstore.