In 2009 it was estimated that Americans spend only 10% of their income on grocery, questioning the relations with the increase in obesity or diabetes, and the relation individuals have with nature and food. While one could relate the low percentage to income, the reality is that individuals prioritize other products such as computer, phones, entertainment, and clothes. In Italy a family spends on average 2.485 euros per month, which is roughly 621 euros per week or a little bit less than 800 USD (790). Let’s say the average family consists of four individuals (even though Italian families are shrinking) that is 200 euros per person per week- How much do you personally spend on food? We are not even talking about organics- We are talking about grocery.
I experienced this morning what it means to go grocery shopping in Italy on a Saturday morning in an national chain supermarket called COOP. It was overwhelming. It looked like tailgating at a football game. No exaggerations! It was packed. I mean packed! There three main phenomena I observed: (1) the supermarket serves as a place to discuss and exchange ideas on food or family issues; (2) there are a lot of old people, more than in Florida; Italians do not understand lines.
1. I have observed that most people came to the supermarket accompanied by relatives (e.g. daughters, sisters, fathers, mothers), or they met friends and neighbors while shopping. This type of community shopping created from the perspective of an efficient American CHAOS, because there is no concept of what is around you. People would just hang out in the middle or in front of the produce section, talking about family issues, or conversing about where the food came, the costs, the quality, etc. While this is what many food activists aspire to, it does not work within a corporate, capitalistic industrialized supermarket. The building space is not constructed in such a way to have conversations. The idea is simple: you see a tomato, you get it, you put it in your cart, and you proceed to the next item. You don’t stop. But Italians don’t care or understand the concept. With their shopping companion aside with each one cart they just stroll down, occupying the entire space, stopping, blocking, irritating all the other people who are trying to buy. As a result what happens is chaos. Individuals are irritated and they start pushing. They pushed carts out of the way, without placing the cart in a strategic location, which will not interfere with the flow of the consumer. They just push them to pass through. This woman left her cart in the MIDDLE of a major traffic intersection (at the supermarket) blocking four directions of traffic. She disappeared for 5 minutes. People trying to navigate the cart, just kept pushing it from different angles just allowing them to pass by. The solution was to put the cart on a side.
2. There were a lot of old people. It is well known that Italy has a high % of old people, but to see them all in once was interesting. I am from FL and not even I see that many elderly. There is nothing wrong with that expect that once you get old, you get irritated easily, you walk slow, you don’t remember where you left your cart, you think you are always right, you complain about anything and the list goes on. As a result it is quite difficult to navigate through the supermarket based on point 1 & 2.
3. I mentioned this in point 1, but Italians do not understand the concept of lines, organization, efficiency. It’s common sense in America. Americans are at times too extreme. They follow directions and at times this is their biggest limitations. Italians know how to improvise, but when placed in again corporate buildings that follow capitalistic industrialized way of operating, things get complicated. People cut through lines at the cashier, they form double lines, they push you aside to cut through. You name it.
Overall, I was overwhelmed. I think if I had to live here I would need to manage my life as to avoid any possible occurrence that would drive me crazy. I am such a To Do List person, with time/date. I select when to go grocery shopping based on less busy days, incoming products. I am even though my husband would not agree, a mini management. I have to because I hate wasting time. I am too busy for that. So If I had to live here, I would have to conduct field trips in different grocery stores, run an analysis and then write a report highlighting most efficient ways to go grocery shopping.
It’s about 1:00AM. I have been sleeping on an average of 4 hrs a night. Goodnight – I ll try to post more about my work-vacation in Italy-
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