Before Mendel's party, I went shopping for paper goods.
I always forget what the paper goods store is like here. It is a phenomenon that must be unique to Russia, and must be seen to be believed.
In sharp contradistinction with shopping for paper goods in America – Party city, or Wal Mart, or Amazing Savings - paper goods is a high-ticket item here. This is because paper goods are to be used only once. My cleaning lady always asks me if she should wash out the disposable cups and plates. When I’m not around to ask, she washes them regardless, and I find them in the drainer drying. A women who works in the kitchen in the synagogue, once came to show me her new purchase excitedly – aluminum pans, the kind that you buy 5 for a dollar. And look, she told me excitedly – they are reusable, over, and over.
So the paper goods store has a sample of each item locked in glass case, reminiscent of a jewelery store. Each display case is carefully locked, and you can wander around the store, looked intently as you try to decide which toilet paper you want – but you may not touch. If you’re lucky, one of the employees in the store will come to help you. She walks around with you and writes down everything you want. #52465. Toilet paper, 6 rolls. Green. #43441. Plastic forks, 20 pcs. White.
Now comes the real Soviet part. I’m not sure why the paper goods stores are still run in the soviet method, but they are. You have to go to a desk, where they can type up your list of what you would like to buy. Two copies are printed out, one for you, and one to give to the next desk. Then you go to the kassa, the cashier, and pay for your items. Now you have to get your purchases. So you go to a third desk, give them the list, and they fill up a bag of your items.
And if the store is busy, you get to wait on each line for each desk separately. Now you know why people went crazy shopping in the Soviet Union.
Of course, this system is not the most economical of ideas. In addition to the supplies – the fancy glass cases and the high quality floors, lighting and furnishings – all to make you feel that you are part of a high class experience. Add to that the cost of all the extra employees. Today, I was the only customer in the store – yet there were at least 6 employees on the floor, 3 to man the desks, one to help me, and the usual 2 to stand and look busy. So the cost of paper goods is indeed prohibitive.
However, the up side of all this as that it is a (usually) pleasant experience, as opposed to shopping in the market, where that is not always the case.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
Is there a unique method for shopping for everything in Russia or are some stores set up like we're used to(clothing, food, etc.)?
There are stores everywhere, but most people go to the markets, because they are so much cheaper. Cheap, they still aren't, but they are more on par with what we would pay in the U.S. The supermarkets are actually very nice, although not as big as what they have in America, but things can be so EXPENSIVE there. They have clothing stores here - even some European name brand ones, although I sure can't afford to shop in those - and some type of malls. It's all pretty normal, actually, just 2 or 3 times the cost that it should be.
hi aliza, having read your posts, i am amazed at how adept you have become at managing your way thru the various elements of Russian culture/mentality. You capture the nuances and craziness all with such good humor! I am sooooo proud of you! From the Russians on the other side, i am thinking of you krasavitsa, love DLN
Post a Comment