Monday, April 18, 2022

The illusion of bounty

I was at the Wegmans on 15-501 today and I scooped up some whole wheat Goldfish -- one of our true pandemic new loves -- which are much cheaper there ($1.79) then at Harris Teeter or Walgreens ($2.49-$2.79 of late, when they are even in stock). I was mildly intrigued to see that when I grabbed the three on the front of the display, that was all there was. On the way out I saw an older gentleman arranging bags of pistachios on the display there in the hallway leading out. He was also arraying them along the front. It was more or less a Potemkin Village of display, intended to create the appearance of plenitude.


We have gotten used to there being shortages of this or that, but still our retailers, bless their hearts, are doing their best to maintain the facade of bounty. What's interesting, actually, was that Wegmans had the staff to do the stocking. Most places are having a difficult time staffing. Given that it was an adult -- a white male no less -- doing the stocking, as opposed to a teenager, I'm guessing that Wegmans provides decent healthcare and other benefits.

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