We were in my room talking, and she noticed my various medication bottles on top of my dresser. The caps all say “Giant Eagle” on them, and she wanted to know what “Giant Eagle” was. At first, I told her that it was a grocery store, but then she looked at me oddly and I realized that this reply made absolutely no sense, considering that the medications are in prescription bottles—not ones you can buy over-the-counter at any ordinary grocery store. Thus, I had to explain how, in the US, it is normal to have pharmacy counters inside grocery stores. (Maybe for convenience sake…so you can get your prescription filled while you grocery shop?)
The more I thought about it, the more I realized that in the US, we don’t really have independent pharmacies in the sense that the word “pharmacy” implies. Pharmacies here in the UK are tiny little room-like stores with one main counter where you can get your prescription filled and maybe a half-aisle or two containing deodorant, aspirin, hand cream, and other various toiletries. In the US, even stores that are considered “pharmacies” end up selling goods that have nothing to do with physical wellness. Eckerd and CVS are considered pharmacies (or “drug stores”—a vile name for a store, the more I consider it) and certainly sell a toiletries as well as fulfill prescriptions; yet they also sell a good variety of groceries, school supplies, electronics, and even household appliances.
It is like every shop in the US has meshed into the common category of “store,” selling things that are not ordinarily associated the “label” for that type of store. Here in the UK, shops are very specialized: you go to a clothing shop for clothes, an accessories shop for jewelry or hair items, a shoe store for shoes, a pharmacy for medications, an athletic shop for sports attire and equipment, a photography store for photo developing, etc. In the US, you can find hair ties in a grocery store, shoes in a clothing shop, photo-developing services in a pharmacy, and pretty much every other bizarre combination you can think of. There is almost no such thing as an “all-purpose” store in the UK (aside from Alsa, which is apparently owned by Wal-Mart, anway). In the US, we have more all-purpose stores than we could possibly ever use: the old ones like K-Mart and Hillside, and the new ones like Wal-Mart, Target, and even Wegman’s.
The only thing they sell in grocery stores here that wouldn’t be sold in grocery stores in the US is alcohol. Alcohol is also as easily available in convenience stores and news-shops as soft drinks, juices, potato chips, or candy. Then again, the bars and pubs here close at midnight, so to keep up with the European demand for alcohol, these stores almost have to sell alcohol. It’s just about the only area in which American consumerism probably couldn’t keep up.
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4 comments:
You're 1/2 way right. In the US, yes, convenince is what we've grown accustomed to. Our society expects it. Again, we cater to the masses. However, two comments: ALCOHOL - This item is controlled by each individual state & not the federal government. Therefore, in some states, you will find it along with soda pop, milk, etc, regulated by the state along with their restrictions/requirments. PHARMACIES: Ah yes. What they have in the UK is exactly what USED TO BE in the US. As a matter of fact, there are a few that are re-appearing now in the US. Two I know of are called COMPOUNDING Pharmarcies & the other is called APOTHOCARIES. What's new is old.
yeah-- it was kinda like that in switzerland. although there were two big chains that kinda sat in mall-types and sold grocery stuff/bath/pharmacy-essentials, known as migros and manor. manor did clothes, too. other than that, specializing all the way. i think europe likes that, similar to the buy fresh food every few days thing.
Giant Eagle has some sort of mentorship/partnership with Tesco in England. GE is creating smaller stores with less variety, like the GetGo in Wilkinsburg and the Giant Eagle Express in Harmar. I went to the Express for the first time today during work, and it was actually really nice, even if it was slightly strange. For example, instead of five different sizes of cereal boxes, there were only two. And the spice section was only two shelves high and about a third of the width that a spice section at a larger grocery store.
And, in alcoholic news, Pennsylvanians might soon be able to buy 12 and 18 packs at beer distributors. I didn't even know that they existed until I heard that on the radio yesterday afternoon.
Yeah your dad is right. In WV you can buy beer, wine, and liquor at the Giant Eagle where I work. I'd give my left arm to work in a compounding pharmacy! I'm so sick of people trying to get me to ring their groceries at the pharmacy! I just want to fill prescriptions!!
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