A new supermarket has opened in the block where I work, but really, supermarket is the wrong word. This is no market, it is just a big shop that tries hard to have something in every category that you could wish for. A market is something different. A market is a place with many small, independent shops.
I don’t mean a mall either. Though malls are maybe closest to what markets once were, the malls of today are too big and too expensive. Only the big chains can afford to be there, and that’s the reason why all malls look the same.
Markets are what we wish for and don’t buy in. That’s why they vanish and why we’re left in misery with malls and supermarkets. Markets are a thing of the past.
This fence is where once there was a market. It has long since closed and some development company has cleared the ground and fenced it in. Now they wait for the day to make the most of their investment. Advertisement posters get affixed and are torn down again. Time passes.
The Song of the Day is “Disguises” from the 1980 album “Roberta Flack Featuring Donny Hathaway”. Hear it on YouTube.
Cedric Canard (2013-09-21)
Markets are making a big comeback in Australia, especially farmer's markets. There's also community gardens popping up in a few places which are also popular. I am not sure if they are making an impact on large stores but I suspect maybe yes because the larger ones have introduced new advertising campaigns and sections of "farm fresh" foods picked specifically from local farms etc. I prefer the small shops and the markets. Trouble is that you do end up paying a premium, especially at markets. The small delicatessens, butchers and fruit and vegetable shops are good value once you become a regular as they then start to look after you. One thing for sure, even if it does cost more, the quality is far higher. So much so that my kids can always tell the difference even when I don't tell them. But for me, one of the big drivers for using privately owned stores and markets is the shopping experience. It is much more pleasant than the soulless experience one gets at large corporate chains.
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