See 8 Bizarre Differences From China's Supermarkets
Business Insider folks decided to look into the differences seen at Wal-Mart stores in China, noting the big difference from US outlets. What they concluded is that there is a very different way of buying from the East bands in the Western way, even being a bit bizarre in some ways (at least from our point of view).
Obviously, everything is part of their culture, and just as each country has its customs, China has its own - even if they are a bit more eccentric than in the rest of the world. Check out some contrasts and the peculiarities of shopping in Chinese supermarkets that many westerners may find weird, but for them it is totally normal.
1 - Choose meat with your hands
Butcher for what? Back in China, this employee has no time at Wal-Mart, at least not in customer service as we see here in Brazil. People choose their favorite cut on a mountain of raw meat.
It's a party, everyone taking it, returning it, taking it home, all absolutely normal. Pictured above, you can see Chongqing Wal-Mart customers selecting pieces of rabbit meat.
2 - The Consumer Crowd
Do you know that Christmas and New Year pre-party Sunday or that first day of the month, when you have to go to the grocery store and come across that desperate crowd, bumping carts, forming huge lines at cashiers and everything? Well, in China, it is very common that shopping is always this way. This is because in the most populous country in the world there is also a lack of space in stores to handle so many people.
3 - Alive and fresh
Want a fresh fish? Just go to the tank with the type you want and literally fish it. The same is true of frogs and turtles, which are most commonly consumed in China. The animals stay in water tanks, alive to maintain their freshness. There is also the traditional way with fish already slaughtered and cleaned on ice for those who prefer.
4 - Free Shipping
To make it easier for customers to come to the supermarket, China's Wal-Mart offers them free buses.
5 - Will an alligator?
Another animal that is on display next to the fish is the alligator, which has the meat consumed there, as well as other exotic reptiles that may eventually appear on the gondola with ice for sale.
6 - Bulk rice
Rice is sold in giant open vats for customers to get the amount they need for consumption. This is because the Chinese prefer to take smaller quantities (although rice is widely consumed in the country), because they suffer from the lack of space to store groceries at home.
7 - There are luxury candy sections
This is a much nicer part of Wal-Mart stores in China. Many of them have a special section with luxury sweets and chocolates. Oh yes!
8 - Most exposed foods
As you have already noted in some of the above, Chinese supermarkets like to display their food without the need for packaging, as is the case with meat and other options. According to strategist Brian Sozzi, the Chinese are more focused on eating natural-looking foods that seem to have come straight from the farm.
