Grocery Shopping!

Ni hao! Look familiar?

When i found out there was a Wal-Mart less than a mile from my apartment, i just HAD to check it out. I'm glad that i did. Not only was it a fascinating experience, but an MBA group from Notre Dame that was in town went there for a "field trip".. so i didn't feel so silly. The inside looks pretty much like Wal-Mart stores do back in the States, but everything for sale is different.

Wal-Mart's aquarium aisle, and no, these fish aren't meant as pets.

The fresh fish section is huge, and when i mean fresh, i mean ALIVE. The woman in the picture was checking out her potential dinner when a bagged fish started flopping around on the counter. She shrieked, while i tried to not let her see me laughing. A friend explained to me that the Chinese like to see their food as fresh as possible. Often times this means that the food on your plate looks like it was alive 20 minutes ago, and that just may be the case.

You won't see this for sale at Wal-Mart in Arkansas.

In case you can't get enough fresh seafood, there is plenty to
be discovered in the DRIED seafood section. I hear it lasts longer.

Apparently, Wal-Mart isn't doing so well in China. Their business model in the States relies on low cost products.. from China. So when you start selling in China, where do you get products that are lower cost than everyone else's? Also, it is expensive and difficult to maintain distribution of the fresh (or alive) food products that the Chinese crave. Still, with nearly 80 stores in the country, they are pressing forward as they work out the kinks.

There is all this China food safety talk in the news right now..

but these wrapped up vegetables look like the safest i've ever seen!

Breakfast cereal and coke. Can someone explain this to me?