When the shops have to come to us

So yes, we’re now having our groceries delivered by Asda. And that’s fairly uncommon around these parts, I can tell you.

We live in a Waitrose Belt - not being snobbish, just stating a fact.

 

When those marketing people try to work out your demographic they usually ask you which newspaper you read. But in my opinion, asking about your favourite supermarket would be just as good a yardstick.

 

I enjoy going to our local Waitrose. It’s built above the station car park and has huge windows, loads of light and panoramic views. I spend many a pleasant hour gliding my trolley through the wide aisles, gazing up at the overpriced delicacies on the shelves. No-one rushes me and the staff are lovely and helpful. In fact the only downside of shopping at Waitrose is the other customers, who are singularly joyless. They wheel their trolleys around grimly, using those irritating clicky things to check the price of everything. They’re well-groomed but miserable and if you inadvertently smile at one of them, they will return your friendly overture with a glacial stare. And they’re prone to little meannesses, like cutting you up in the car park or failing to hold the lift door open for you. When you were allowed to share a lift, that is.

 

Asda, on the other hand, is filled with scruffy people in mad clothes trailing fretful kids behind them. On a typical weekend quite a lot of them appear to be nursing hangovers, but they still have a twinkle in their eye and will gladly exchange a spot of friendly banter with their fellow shoppers. 

 

I realise I’m being terribly pigeon-holey, but I stand by my judgement. And I’m actually profiling myself here since Waitrose and Asda are my two favourite supermarkets. Make what you like out of THAT, marketing demographic people.

 

Anyway, Brian and I no longer go to the shops at all on account of COVID-19 and with Waitrose delivery slots being as rare as toilet paper, we’ve resorted to twinkly-eyed Asda for our home deliveries.

 

Relying entirely on a third party to do your shopping is a bit like giving your shopping list to a little boy and hoping he’ll come back with the goods. Actually it’s exactly like that, since most supermarket employees are basically little boys and girls to me these days. But I have to say, they do remarkably well at second-guessing your requirements. And if you do end up with the occasional tiny bottle of wine in place of your full 700cl because you failed to check the volume, or a packet of frozen spinach because it looked like fresh in the microscopic picture, so what? We’re still being fed and staying safe, so it’s a win:win.