Sunday, August 05, 2007

Is it ok if I shop here?

Basically, I am a Tesco man. Easy in, easy out, has mostly what I want and there's usually a welcome bit of banter at the checkout.
So, why am I so intimidated by Waitrose? I can never go there without first taking a shower, shaving and changing my socks and underpants. Even then, I feel scruffy, out of my comfort zone, an interloper. My instinct is to wear gloves so I don't actually HANDLE the goods I want to buy. Oh yes, and their wine selection is pedestrian. Not that I mind being on foot when I buy booze, but there's nothing in their racks that would cause a bishop to kick a hole in a stained glass window.
The fact that the women at the checkouts NEVER smile doesn't help.
Sainsbury's doesn't bother me in the same way, pretentious as it may be, but mostly because I can never take seriously a capitalist who believes in socialism. That, and the fact that they no longer stock Brinjal Pickle.
I cannot comment on the others: Morrison's, Asda, Coop, etc, because there aren't any in my area.
But Waitrose bothers me. They have some good stuff, a lot of it better than the equivalent in Tesco's, but still, I only shop there when it is inconvenient to do otherwise. Maybe if they instructed their checkout women to smile more, and maybe show a bit of cleavage, they could win another regular customer.
PS The photo is of a Tesco checkout girl: I thought it might help Waitrose to get the idea.....

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