6 ms·

It sounds like you're saying it works for tourists. How would I get a massive CostCo shop home in Taipei (or similar large amount of shopping)?

dijit 3y ago
you must also ask the question why you want to make a huge shopping trip. If you lived in a world where accessing the shop was easy and convenient, and they stocked everything you need, and you didn't have oodles of storage at home to store it all: why would you even make such a huge shopping trip?
- CharlieDigital 3y ago
  It's precisely this. The culture and organization of the city means that 1) most folks have relatively small kitchens and small refrigerators, 2) actually, most dwellings are quite small in the first place so there isn't so much space to store large stockpiles of goods, 3) markets are abundant and easy to access, 4) the cost of eating out is so low that many folks do not have a habit of cooking at home and often just eat out.
- gadders 3y ago
  So your plan is for people to have a longer commute to work, work 8 hours at the job, have a longer commute home, and then have to trudge to a shop in the evening most nights of the week (in all weathers)? Sounds idyllic. Food shopping every night can replace going to the gym or playing with your kids. And if you're elderly and would rather drive - tough luck. >>If you lived in a world where accessing the shop was easy and convenient, and they stocked everything you need, and you didn't have oodles of storage at home to store it all: why would you even make such a huge shopping trip? Well obviously no-one is going to buy food they can't store. If they live in a tiny pod then by all means subsistence shop on a daily basis. However, the groceries will also be far more expensive.
  - CharlieDigital 3y ago
    The MRTs in Taiwan run very tight schedules with high frequency. Commutes are relatively short. Most folks go out with their kids and get food together (Taiwan being known for their night markets). > However, the groceries will also be far more expensive It's counterintuitive, but groceries and food are actually very cheap in Taiwan. Seeing is believing.
  - ZaoLahma 3y ago
    Here, "somewhere in Europe", you can order groceries online and get them delivered to your door for cheap. This kind of service really took off during COVID and then stuck. I guess people found it convenient. We usually still go to the store, but use this service when we have a large amount of shopping to do as it just is... convenient. Instead of driving to and running around in the store looking for all the stuff we need and then carry it out to the car and into the home, we just gather around the iPad in the comfort of our living room and order what we want. The day after it shows up at the door. It's fantastic.
  - gizmo 3y ago
    How is driving to a costco, parking on a giant parking lot, walking through a massive store, loading up a cart, walking the the cart to your car/truck, unloading everything, returning the cart, and then driving home at all efficient? People do giant shopping trips exactly because the whole process is so cumbersome. The US has the longest commutes of any country in the world because of urban sprawl and zoning. Car-free cities offer an alternative to that way of life.
    - dividefuel 3y ago
      Door-to-door, a Costco trip usually takes me about 90 minutes. I go to Costco probably once every two weeks. Just a data point. I'd love to hear how often urbanites go to the grocery store and how long each trip typically takes.
      - gizmo 3y ago
        If you go once every 2 weeks, where do you get your fresh fruit and veggies? Do you just live off of frozen food? Do you plan all your meals 2 weeks ahead? What if you have people coming over for dinner on short notice? Urbanites still have the option to go to a big-box grocery store. Mine is an 8-minute drive away, but we just never go there.
yowzadave 3y ago
In large cities you have many small supermarkets within a short walking distance from your house. It takes 20 minutes to do a quick shopping run to pick up what's needed. It's true that groceries are more expensive than at Costco...but you also don't need a massive deep freeze + pantry to keep all of your extra stuff, or a big car to carry it all in.
deleted 3y ago
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dijit 3y ago

you must also ask the question why you want to make a huge shopping trip. If you lived in a world where accessing the shop was easy and convenient, and they stocked everything you need, and you didn't have oodles of storage at home to store it all: why would you even make such a huge shopping trip?

CharlieDigital 3y ago
It's precisely this. The culture and organization of the city means that 1) most folks have relatively small kitchens and small refrigerators, 2) actually, most dwellings are quite small in the first place so there isn't so much space to store large stockpiles of goods, 3) markets are abundant and easy to access, 4) the cost of eating out is so low that many folks do not have a habit of cooking at home and often just eat out.
gadders 3y ago
So your plan is for people to have a longer commute to work, work 8 hours at the job, have a longer commute home, and then have to trudge to a shop in the evening most nights of the week (in all weathers)? Sounds idyllic. Food shopping every night can replace going to the gym or playing with your kids. And if you're elderly and would rather drive - tough luck. >>If you lived in a world where accessing the shop was easy and convenient, and they stocked everything you need, and you didn't have oodles of storage at home to store it all: why would you even make such a huge shopping trip? Well obviously no-one is going to buy food they can't store. If they live in a tiny pod then by all means subsistence shop on a daily basis. However, the groceries will also be far more expensive.
- CharlieDigital 3y ago
  The MRTs in Taiwan run very tight schedules with high frequency. Commutes are relatively short. Most folks go out with their kids and get food together (Taiwan being known for their night markets). > However, the groceries will also be far more expensive It's counterintuitive, but groceries and food are actually very cheap in Taiwan. Seeing is believing.
- ZaoLahma 3y ago
  Here, "somewhere in Europe", you can order groceries online and get them delivered to your door for cheap. This kind of service really took off during COVID and then stuck. I guess people found it convenient. We usually still go to the store, but use this service when we have a large amount of shopping to do as it just is... convenient. Instead of driving to and running around in the store looking for all the stuff we need and then carry it out to the car and into the home, we just gather around the iPad in the comfort of our living room and order what we want. The day after it shows up at the door. It's fantastic.
- gizmo 3y ago
  How is driving to a costco, parking on a giant parking lot, walking through a massive store, loading up a cart, walking the the cart to your car/truck, unloading everything, returning the cart, and then driving home at all efficient? People do giant shopping trips exactly because the whole process is so cumbersome. The US has the longest commutes of any country in the world because of urban sprawl and zoning. Car-free cities offer an alternative to that way of life.
  - dividefuel 3y ago
    Door-to-door, a Costco trip usually takes me about 90 minutes. I go to Costco probably once every two weeks. Just a data point. I'd love to hear how often urbanites go to the grocery store and how long each trip typically takes.
    - gizmo 3y ago
      If you go once every 2 weeks, where do you get your fresh fruit and veggies? Do you just live off of frozen food? Do you plan all your meals 2 weeks ahead? What if you have people coming over for dinner on short notice? Urbanites still have the option to go to a big-box grocery store. Mine is an 8-minute drive away, but we just never go there.

yowzadave 3y ago

In large cities you have many small supermarkets within a short walking distance from your house. It takes 20 minutes to do a quick shopping run to pick up what's needed. It's true that groceries are more expensive than at Costco...but you also don't need a massive deep freeze + pantry to keep all of your extra stuff, or a big car to carry it all in.

deleted 3y ago

[deleted]