this post was submitted on 05 Jun 2024
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Fuck Cars

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[–] [email protected] -3 points 5 months ago (3 children)

So, why do we need a supermarket? Is there any reason a supermarket couldn't be replaced with it's contingent parts? A butcher, a veggie shop, a convenience food shop, a pharmacy, a bakery, and a condiments shop?

I don't see why they have to be stapled together when separate works just fine. All of which could fairly practically be stocked individually by small light duty trucks, or even a bike with a decently sized trailer.

I also don't see why even if you staple everything together, a cargo tram wouldn't work. Have two, a passenger tram that works one route, and a cargo line that runs by the loading bays of local stores. They can be switched on and off the overarching infrastructure without interfering with each other.

It would be a paradigm shift for the US, but I fail to see how it would be an unworkable one.

[–] [email protected] 9 points 5 months ago (1 children)

How do you think any of those are getting goods? If you ban trucks you'll just get cargo vans and then lots of smaller cars. Or they'll go out of business and people will complain you can't live in the city and move to suburbia. Again.

[–] [email protected] -1 points 5 months ago

Ooh, how was that called again, proxy-arguments? They were answered 10 years ago already.

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago (1 children)

Is there any reason a supermarket couldn't be replaced with it's contingent parts?

Mainly just economics. Supermarkets tend to have cheaper prices, and it’s probably a result of consolidating the operations to share resources (loading docks, refrigeration, payroll, etc)

[–] [email protected] 6 points 5 months ago (2 children)

Supermarkets should have cheaper prices, but now that they have formed a monopoly of just a few companies they are not.

Small shops keep supermarkets competitive, without them they become monopolistic.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago (1 children)

That's not what I see here in Seattle. Yes, the supermarkets are monopolistic, but they are still significantly less expensive than going to a butcher, a baker, etc.

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago (1 children)

It's mostly an issue in rural and suburban areas. The grocery store closest to me feels like it's price gouging (Safeway) , and I try and go to other grocery stores for bigger trips like Wegmans or H-Mart.

Meat is especially bad, like $10/lb for ground chicken bad. Meanwhile at H-Mart it's $3/lb.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 5 months ago

I see. I do live in an urban area these days. Anything specialized is overpriced (or maybe not overpriced, but expensive).

[–] [email protected] 0 points 5 months ago

I agree. Which is why it was such a tragedy when we deliberately killed so many small shops in 2020.

[–] [email protected] 3 points 5 months ago

And, all in all, they will need the same amount of goods to supply the same amount of people. And they will be substantially more expensive in comparison to a big box supermarket.