The convenience store passé? Our readers are fans, but dissatisfied at the same time | Rack

Neighborhood shops are threatened in their survival, NU.nl reported on Sunday. Many NUjij people hope that they will continue to exist, but usually go to a large supermarket chain themselves. Why do they want one thing, but do the other? A selection of the reactions.

NUjij’er Dhaasnoot mainly sees advantages of the local shop, as long as there is a healthy balance with the larger groups. “For me, neighborhood shops also include, for example, the local butcher, bakery, cheese farmer, meat shop, liquor store and greengrocer. I really wouldn’t want to miss these in my hometown. Most products are much tastier and fresher than in the large Albert Heijn and sometimes cheaper. For big groceries, a visit to Albert Heijn is very useful again. The combination of both is important to me!”

NUjij’er EllekeMel is less positive. “It’s very handy to have a convenience store nearby for a forgotten errand. But I can hardly imagine anyone doing all their shopping there. A bizarrely small range, hardly any fresh fruit and vegetables, absurdly high prices (acceptable for that forgotten packet of sugar, not for your weekly groceries), hardly any organic products, often very minimal opening hours… Only being open when I’m at the office doesn’t really help.”

“I am now on holiday in the Netherlands in a remote village – with a local shop. The prices are 50 to 180 percent higher (or sometimes even more) than at Lidl or Albert Heijn! You really cannot get the weekly groceries for a family here. “

The store near NUjij’er Pauline_ specializes in a certain segment and this user does go there for that: “The convenience store here is a farmer’s vegetable store. Great for fruit and vegetables, I like to buy that there. But the range is not wide enough for the complete groceries. You won’t find peanut butter, pasta or cola there.”

NUjij’er KrentenbroodMeneer knows that in some regions there is no other option than the local shop: “We live in a village with six hundred inhabitants. The neighborhood supermarket is 3 kilometers away from us. The larger chains are between 8 and 15 kilometers away. So the fact that there is a neighborhood supermarket for the forgotten message is super nice. However, this is not a philanthropic institution. to keep it open, you are also obliged to purchase something now and then. Shopping there is therefore sometimes also out of self-interest.”

NUjij’er Tessch does not find local shops efficient: “I would like to support small traders more, but to be honest I find it more convenient to go to the big Albert Heijn here once a week. I can find everything there in one go and I lose less time that way. I go alone to small things if I still need something from bread or vegetables, or if I want something special, such as cheese or a pastry.”

NUjij’er Marolein_Vermeulen also has a warm heart for the local shops, but she simply has trouble with the prices: “I would prefer to do all my shopping at our small neighborhood supermarket. Good for the shop, good for the village. It is a 13-kilometer drive from here to a large supermarket. People without a car depend on the village supermarket. That is why it is important may he survive!”

“The only thing is: I can’t afford it! It saves me 60 euros each time I do weekly shopping. And the range is of course much smaller.”

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