Americans Created the Supermarket. We Also Might Destroy It.
By shopping for groceries online, are we sacrificing the pleasures of capitalism for cold, hard convenience?
Everywhere, but especially in New York City, everything costs money. A MetroCard swipe will run you $2.75. A single drink at a noisy bar can cost upwards of $12. Even the free experiences, like a walk in Central Park, can be enhanced if you’re down to shell out some cash for a serene boat ride. This is the reality of living in a late-capitalist metropolis: the feeling of being ceaselessly squeezed for everything you’ve got. But there is one shopping experience that remains magical, even in this era of compulsory consumerism: the supermarket.
The supermarket is the only retail store where I actually enjoy shopping. The options feel limitless, the shelves endless. But above all, the supermarket is a rare place where you can spend money on something you fundamentally need — nourishment. As I search for a just-soft-enough avocado or a perfectly plump orange, I reconnect with my most ancient intuitions, consuming energy in order to sustain my existence. In an era where everyone is always asking us to purchase things we don’t really need, the supermarket is the last sacred space that offers both commerce and communion.
