Keith,
When I was a kid in London, my mother would send me to the bread shop to
get a loaf of "yesterday's bread". She said it was more digestible - I
think it was just cheap.
Now in this competitive heart of the world - Southern California - we get
our bread from a day-old store. A loaf that can be as much as $2.60 in the
supermarkets, I get for as little as 50 cents (less 10% senior discount).
I get produce at a nearby Armenian store where the produce is from 50% to
80% less than the supermarkets - and it's good.
A small chain of stores called Trader Joes supplies a variety of foods -
common and speciality - for prices below the supermarkets.
A study found that the cheapest and best foods in the US came from small
chains. They don't have the overhead of the big stores, yet have buying
power from their multiple locations. Also, they have closer connections to
local producers and can take advantage of bargains - whereas the supers
must go through channels.
I hate to press our friends on this list, but where competition and the
free market prevails, the consumer (which is all of us) benefits.
The way to save the English village stores could come from combining their
buying and searching for markets they can serve. Seven-Eleven stores over
here have prices much higher than supermarkets. Yet, they are convenient
and they stay open all night.
Thus, they have found their niche and they serve it well and profitably.
Well, I'm on the way to Cosco which sells bulk things to the public. The
same can of cat food that costs 42 cents in the supermarket goes for 25
cents at Cosco.
After Cosco - I'll be at the computer show, where everything sells for 50%
or less than the regular stores.
Incidently, the price of milk is fixed here (for our own good). Coscoe
found the fixed price in the San Joaquin Valley was cheaper. They sent
trucks over the mountain to the Valley, loaded up with milk, brought it
back to Los Angeles - where they passed the savings to their customers.
At least, they did until the government goons stopped them.
The money the milk producers give to Congress is well spent.
Harry
__________________________________________________
Keith wrote:
>I refer to the two Eds:
>
>At 16:52 08/10/00 -0400, you wrote:
> >Ed Goertzen:
> >
> >> I would hope that Ed W. is not touting better shopping opportunities and
> >> greater use of day care ads cultural values that enhance our lives, or our
> >> society
> >
> >Why yes, Ed G, I think I do mean that. I much prefer to shop at large,
> >interesting malls than at local stores and judging by the large number of
> >people that turn up at malls, their lives must somehow be enhanced. Whether
> >cultural values are added to their lives is something I can't say. I also
> >prefer buying my vegetables at interesting markets to buying them at the
> >corner store. We have a market not too far from us, and going there is
> >something we look forward to.
>
>Ed W is quite right. Even those of us who deplore the demise of the corner
>shop, local grocery store, butcher and the like, nevertheless go further
>afield to superstores and malls to buy much of our things because the
>prices are cheaper and the range of goods far greater. The tide can't be
>turned back.
>
>The shopping malls are having devastating effects on the market towns of
>England -- that is, those 1,000 odd small towns with populations of less
>than 20,000. Many of these are delightful places in which to live with
>wonderful architecture, long histories behind them and so on. But many of
>them have lost anything from 10% to 30% of their local shops and many of
>the remaining shopkeepers are suffering badly.
>
>But there are signs of recovery. Some are investing in attractive outdoor
>markets (surely, in my experience, more interesting to walk around than the
>shopping malls), and some are beginning to specialise in some aspect of
>their past which pulls in out-of-towners and tourists. Wareham, not far
>from here has a Saxon festival which is a success; Brigg, in Lincolnshire
>has revived the ancient horse-bartering market and pulls in 25,000 people a
>time. For several years past, Hay-on-Wye has specialised in bookshops (and
>holds an annual Literature Festival) and has become relatively prosperous.
>
>All these market towns owed their past prosperity to a very small number of
>local agricultural activities and the industrial revolution largely passed
>them by. However, we're now living in times of increasing numbers of
>specialisations and I think it's entirely possible that many of these
>market towns can develop one that suits them and begin to thrive again.
>
>Keith Hudson
><http://www.calus.org>
>
> >
> >As for daycare, I can only speak from personal experience. My daughter who
> >is now fifteen spent much of her first ten years in daycare. Though my wife
> >and I may be kidding ourselves, we believe it enriched her. It also
> >permitted my wife and I to go about things which enriched us -- materially,
> >culturally and perhaps even spiritually. What I believe to be most
> >important is the quality of the care that is given. Whether parent or
> >caregiver gives it matters less.
> >
> >Ed W
> >
> >
> >
> >
***************************************
Harry Pollard
Henry George School of Los Angeles
Box 655
Tujunga CA 91042
(818) 352-4141 -- Fax: 818 353-2242
***************************************
