The Sacro Cuore supermarket has reopened and I could hardly believe my eyes: all is light and bright, the floor is decent, goods are well displayed and you can actually find things. There is even a customer services desk. The place was packed this morning. What a pity, then , that there are only three checkouts and that they still make you pay a trolley deposit. [I find this extremely irritating and in Britain refuse to patronise any supermarket that does this.] It's not as if there is anywhere you could take the thing, as the exit on the one side is via an awkward flight of steps and on the other via an extremely steep slope. Both lead on to the busy Via Sacro Cuore itself and you'd soon get noticed wheeling a trolley along there!
Making Giuggiulena (Sicilian Sesame Seed Nougat)
2 weeks ago
4 comments:
Yes, trolley deposits are really annoying. Tell me, do you have a Tesco in Sicily?
Ciao, Ellee. I'm glad I'm not the only one irritated by this practice!
No, no Tesco here yet: a pity as they could lead the way in showing how good customer services can be, at least. There is nothing wrong with the produce in most supermarkets here: it is seasonal, often local and very fresh. But they don't have the variety of goods that British supermarkets do. The fact that they don't keeps the many small, excellent shops in business, I suppose. The "Sides" chain supermarkets are the most like British ones in layout but again, there are not enough checkouts. I will say, though, that the checkout procedure is quicker here, partly because fruit and veg are weighed and priced at the point where you pick them up, rather than at checkout [as in many continental countries] and also because most people still pay cash. So swings and roundabouts again. But hey, I didn't come here for it to be like Britain!
True, there have to be some cultural differences for you to enjoy.
Over here some of the ritzier stores are experimenting with alarms that go off if a shopping cart makes it past the store property lines.
There is a lot of shopping cart theft here (a store manager told me senior citizens are the worst offenders because it's too difficult for them to carry their groceries very far).
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