Published on 12, July, 2020
When I started shopping in Tesco as a child all of those decades ago (long before the turn of this century), it was stacked high with 'the cheapest' produce on grubby pallets instead of clinical white shelving, this kept the cost down for the beginnings of the large scale 'discount retailer'. Anyone who used Tesco in those days was commented on to be "poor". Often insultingly from youngsters but matter of fact by so called grown ups. I always refer to it in those long passed days as 'The Poor Shop'.
In the 1990s whilst investing in more outlets Tesco started to become cleaner and more streamlined. Of course their ever increasing buying power enabled higher margins to turn it into the investor behemoth that it is today.
So it was with confusion that a person said to me in the 2000s
"I bet you shop in Tesco don't you?" I answered that I do and they said that it was
"The Posh shop".
However much I tried to explain that Tesco was always the poor shop, they would have it only that this pristine store in their locality was the posh shop and therefore the whole organisation was 'the posh shop'
In the 2020s Tesco is no longer the poor shop, they have lost their competitive edge as German supermarkets make their presence felt with 'adequate produce' manufactured to just within the confines of food safety regulations where, incidentally, I do most of my shopping along with other equally good value retailers, happy that the difference between now and then (decades ago) is colossal in favour of quality and hygiene.
Millions of families have been raised on this produce, my own included, and it has served a large part of our nation (UK). Today though, and for years, I've seen scalping practices employed at Tesco to push prices as far as possible through the ceiling of inflation for the sole purpose of generating profit for those gamblers who risk their own and others finances on the stock market. They are responsible for keeping your food expensive. Tesco have lost billions to the newcomers though and the trend continues shown by the amount of new German originating stores opening and due to be built.
The point though is this, Tesco is now testing out the 'no till' shop where you can walk in, pick up your goods and walk straight out again. In that store you will find only the very best of the best produce designed to be twice the price whilst the majority of the rest of the produce (bendy, slightly soiled and misshapen and all) can be filtered out to the masses in not so urban areas which will maintain the discounted food for us masses.
This to me is reminiscent of the glaring disparity between societies in Demolition Man (Stallone, Bullock, Hawthorne, Leary). Sure it is fiction. It is also the continuation of a creeping privilege servicing and promoting those with more surplus income where they can trade without concern for price whilst the majority continue the battle of balance between income and outgoings, oblivious to what 'surplus income' is.
However much social engineering goes on over the years by grandiose shop keepers the masses (including me) continue to wash their veg, grow their own where they can and search out value over convenience. At least we are now being accommodated for in the larger stores with low stimulus hour. Before the current pandemic though the best time for me to shop was in the 24 hours opening store at night, it was wonderful.
LINK to news story - https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-58951984
there is few groups of words that follow conjugation and declension the same way basicaly, and many exceptiions that do not belong to any
all good so far, and do not be scared, most of polish people is unable to speak correct polish because they simply do not know, it is all very complicated to an amateur, Among hundruds of polish I met in Brighton, only two of them can speak poliosh correctly, most polish uses simplified slang version.
I mean declension of nouns, adjectives, adverbs, and pronouns, conjugation of verbs depending on a tense and a case. i am not literature teacher and explaining this is, might be beyond me :P
you can as well read it at wiki
en.wikipedia.org/.../Declension
Case declension? Nominative and accusative, etc? So far, I have learned the I and You form of simple verbs mieć, robić, być; and how to ask Co to jest? And reply with To jest... And how to form simple negation: yestam —nie yestam, mam—nie mam, czytam—nie czytam.
so word 'do' have 35 forms in present tense only :P
and declension and conjugation
NO!!!!
and two plural genders
I had my first Polish lesson last night (30 minutes). I'm annoyed that there are three genders, like German (feminine, masculine— and neuter)
spoiled catsimo
My diet consists of crisps, chocolates, cakes and puddings... I'm not sure what that makes me, apart from very fat and lazy!
try mixing with grated carrot, good side for any meal
or make bigos stew, it's polish national dish, cooked sauerkraut with pork and beef,amd sometimes dried mushrooms
and don't think about making it yourself :) very hard initial work, requires a barrel, wait time till it's ready oo eat is months requiring oversight
I use Tesco sauerkraut since I stopped eating dairy. Good for the digestive biome.
there are tiny differences between supermarkets, some products are unique to just one
Sommerfield/Morrison has the best bakery and wider selection there. I love their walnut cob.
Lidl has tinned smoked mackarel in tomato sauce.
Sainsbury has massive spices selection. Harissa sauce and chipotle paste are not easy to buy.
Tesco and Sainsbury have foreign section. Sauerkraut and pack of chocolates called Michaszki makes me go there now and then.
My local supermarket as a child was originally built in the 1970s as a Jackson's Grandways, later it became, a Presto, a Gateway, a Safeway, a Somerfield, a Co-op.
Locals still call it Grandways.
Safeway was bought out by Morrisons, later they sold many stores to rivals such as Somerfeld, who themselves were sold to co-op.
Somerfield used to be called Gateway.
Oh I forgot about Safeway! I used to have that in my town, whatever happened to Safeway...
I understand what you're saying. I liked Somerfields for the same reason.
For me the difference in the major supermarkets is not the price but the shopping experience, the atmosphere, the staff attitude, the hygiene of the customers, the physical state of decay and most importantly how relaxed I feel when I'm there.
One of my favourites was a Safeway/Sommerfeld/Co-op near my secondary school. It was medium sized, never too busy ( because a large Tesco down the road was always overcrowded) , it had good natural light from full length windows down two sides, the staff were articulate and polite, it had all the groceries I wanted, it was in a safe middle class housing area. And I always had a good relaxed shopping experience.
I miss Somerfield. I fell in love with a woman who worked on the till in there. I miss Somerfield. I really do.