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imagine getting your grocery items from several small independent shops instead of one big supermarket chainstore like we do in the US. get your meat at the butcher shop, fish from the fish store, bread from the bakery, wine from the wine shop, etc. which is how most europeans seem to do it. they have big box supermarkets in europe but these don't seem to be nearly as common as they are in the US. most get groceries from farmers markets and small shops. instead of buying a whole carload of food all at once (bulk buying) that will last you several weeks, they will buy enough food for one or two days, then go out shopping again for the next day, rinse and repeat. grocery shopping seems to be an interesting and lively experience over there whereas in the US its more of a chore.
imagine getting your grocery items from several small independent shops instead of one big supermarket chainstore like we do in the US. get your meat at the butcher shop, fish from the fish store, bread from the bakery, wine from the wine shop, etc. which is how most europeans seem to do it. they have big box supermarkets in europe but these don't seem to be nearly as common as they are in the US. most get groceries from farmers markets and small shops. instead of buying a whole carload of food all at once (bulk buying) that will last you several weeks, they will buy enough food for one or two days, then go out shopping again for the next day, rinse and repeat. grocery shopping seems to be an interesting and lively experience over there whereas in the US its more of a chore.
When I was growing up in Tampa, FL, the neighborhood I lived in was predominantly European Spanish, Italian and Cuban. We shopped the same way, there was a butcher shop, a dairy store, bakery and produce market. My dad was the cook in the family and only bought what he needed for a day or two at most. All these little markets were within a block or three of our home. I wish it were more like that today, I don't live in that neighborhood (or even that city) anymore, and all the stores are really spread out now, large or small. Actually, where I live now, I could shop that way if I lived in the downtown area; ALL these specialty stores (except meat) exist there.
These days large grocery stores try to be all things to all people, and it all suffers, IMO.
They can probably walk though so it's a lot easier. I have a grocery store right across the street I can walk to so it makes it easier for me to just buy a few things and come back later but most people in the US have to get in their car and drive so it's easier to get a lot so you don't have to go back for awhile.
imagine getting your grocery items from several small independent shops instead of one big supermarket chainstore like we do in the US. get your meat at the butcher shop, fish from the fish store, bread from the bakery, wine from the wine shop, etc. which is how most europeans seem to do it. they have big box supermarkets in europe but these don't seem to be nearly as common as they are in the US. most get groceries from farmers markets and small shops. instead of buying a whole carload of food all at once (bulk buying) that will last you several weeks, they will buy enough food for one or two days, then go out shopping again for the next day, rinse and repeat. grocery shopping seems to be an interesting and lively experience over there whereas in the US its more of a chore.
Depending on where you live, this style of shopping isn't necessarily uncommon in the USA. When I lived on Beacon Hill, Boston, I never went to a supermarket. There was a Star at Hancock tower but I lived on Charles and that was way too far to walk for a week's worth of groceries - and way too time consuming to go more than once a week. So I generally got everything I needed in the specialty shops, and once a week I'd take a trip to Haymarket and pick out fresh produce, some small amounts of meat from the butcher, and occasionally fresh seafood. Haymarket is like - a gastronomic flea market. Dozens of stalls of vendors all selling this or that type of food, along a sort of long, narrow warehouse building that is segmented off and each segment being a different shop. A butcher, a sausage maker, a cheese guy, italian import lady, another butcher, one guy who specializes in fish - and another who specializes specifically in shellfish (but not other fish), etc. etc.
New Haven has something similar in warmer weather, but not nearly to that extent, plus New Haven doesn't have that unique open-air strip-mall kind of thing.
San Francisco has something like that too, as does New York City. I have a friend who lives in Brooklyn, who never goes to a supermarket. She only shops at specialty shops. Gets her meat ground to order, goes to a cheese shop for her cheese, gets her bread from a bakery, etc. etc. Everything she picks up is either in walking distance to her home, or in walking distance to where she works. So she can pick up something every day instead of doing weekly shopping, and never have to go out of her way to do it.
I think most Europeans (at least in the West) shop at supermarkets and hypermarkets (Tesco, Carrefour, etc.) more than neighborhood greengrocers/butchers/etc. or markets, although those may comprise a higher market share than in the U.S.
People have to stop looking at the way "Europeans" lived in the 1960's/1970's and fast forward to their current lifestyle, which looks far more like the standard American way of life.
People have to stop looking at the way "Europeans" lived in the 1960's/1970's and fast forward to their current lifestyle, which looks far more like the standard American way of life.
but the video was made in 2012 not 1960 (I don't think they had high-definition color video back in the 60s and 70s). according to the native French guide, small neighborhood grocery shops are still quite common over there. that market street in Paris looks nothing like what you typically find in the US.
Here's the caption under the video:
Rick tags along with a local woman as she shops in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower on Rue Cler, picking out fresh ingredients for that night's dinner party. Paris abounds with atmospheric street markets like this, each oozing with small-town charm in the middle of the big city and providing a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Rue Cler is chock-full of shops and stalls specializing in produce, meat, bread, seafood, cheese, and bread. And of course wine — an essential part of any French meal. Bon appetit! For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit
Last edited by cisco kid; 01-16-2013 at 09:17 PM..
Depending on where you live, this style of shopping isn't necessarily uncommon in the USA. When I lived on Beacon Hill, Boston, I never went to a supermarket. There was a Star at Hancock tower but I lived on Charles and that was way too far to walk for a week's worth of groceries - and way too time consuming to go more than once a week. So I generally got everything I needed in the specialty shops, and once a week I'd take a trip to Haymarket and pick out fresh produce, some small amounts of meat from the butcher, and occasionally fresh seafood. Haymarket is like - a gastronomic flea market. Dozens of stalls of vendors all selling this or that type of food, along a sort of long, narrow warehouse building that is segmented off and each segment being a different shop. A butcher, a sausage maker, a cheese guy, italian import lady, another butcher, one guy who specializes in fish - and another who specializes specifically in shellfish (but not other fish), etc. etc.
New Haven has something similar in warmer weather, but not nearly to that extent, plus New Haven doesn't have that unique open-air strip-mall kind of thing.
San Francisco has something like that too, as does New York City. I have a friend who lives in Brooklyn, who never goes to a supermarket. She only shops at specialty shops. Gets her meat ground to order, goes to a cheese shop for her cheese, gets her bread from a bakery, etc. etc. Everything she picks up is either in walking distance to her home, or in walking distance to where she works. So she can pick up something every day instead of doing weekly shopping, and never have to go out of her way to do it.
the Fisherman's Wharf area of San Francisco has many small vendors selling fresh sea food, live crabs, squid, shrimp, and other freshly caught seafood still swimming in the tank. also in Chinatown there's small shops that sell roast duck that you always see hanging in the windows but those duck are already cooked so I don't know if that would count as a grocery item. but outside of those areas people in the city typically buy their groceries like anywhere else in the US. when I lived in San Francisco, unless you live in Chinatown or near Fisherman's Wharf you have no choice but to get groceries from your local Safeway supermarket which they had all over the city. you could get fresh fruit and vegetables from the weekly farmers markets but for everything else such as meat, dairy etc, you have to go to Safeway.
but as you mentioned, the New England cities probably comes closest to offering the local shopping experience than anywhere else in the country.
but the video was made in 2012 not 1960 (I don't think they had high-definition color video back in the 60s and 70s). according to the native French guide, small neighborhood grocery shops are still quite common over there. that market street in Paris looks nothing like what you typically find in the US.
Here's the caption under the video:
Rick tags along with a local woman as she shops in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower on Rue Cler, picking out fresh ingredients for that night's dinner party. Paris abounds with atmospheric street markets like this, each oozing with small-town charm in the middle of the big city and providing a feast for the eyes as well as the stomach. Rue Cler is chock-full of shops and stalls specializing in produce, meat, bread, seafood, cheese, and bread. And of course wine — an essential part of any French meal. Bon appetit! For more information on the Rick Steves' Europe TV series — including episode descriptions, scripts, participating stations, travel information on destinations and more — visit
I won't disagree that they are more common in Europe, but the simple mention of the "shadow of the Eiffel Tower" leads me to think that this video does not reflect shopping for the typical European. Most Parisians don't even live in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower; if anything, it's the typical Rick Steves glorification of Europe, which doesn't make for bad TV, but does make for a poor barometer of the everyday reality of life for the average European.
I won't disagree that they are more common in Europe, but the simple mention of the "shadow of the Eiffel Tower" leads me to think that this video does not reflect shopping for the typical European. Most Parisians don't even live in the shadow of the Eiffel Tower; if anything, it's the typical Rick Steves glorification of Europe, which doesn't make for bad TV, but does make for a poor barometer of the everyday reality of life for the average European.
I don't know about that. some of his stuff might be embellished for TV but I've been to Paris several times and I have seen those street markets and little shops all over the city. Rue Cler is certainly not the only street market in Paris. Rick Steves said the street markets are common throughout the city and I can confirm that from my own experience there. obviously there's plenty of chain stores as well but they don't look anything like the big box stores in the US. they are more like general stores, a lot smaller in scale and there's no great big giant parking lot in front of them. people don't usually drive to them because you're in a very urban environment. parking is scarce and there's no room for building a huge parking lot. if you live in Paris you can't simply drive to Costco or whatever and fill up your car up with a ton of groceries for the month. the shopping experience is not the same. you're going to be doing a lot of walking.
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