When you are living alone on Mars relying on public transportation for getting around, how do you actually manage to buy household grocery products and be able to move everything back home?
Mars continues to surprise me, because sometimes things are totally out of your expectations. Just when you think something was essential, you can never get it. Things that you didn’t think would even exist, creeps up leaving you bewildered.
When I was somewhere else on Mars, supermarkets were generally a very user-friendly place. When it’s time for grocery shopping, it’s simply impossible for a person with 2 hands to carry a whole lot of stuff in one go – hence the delivery service, with or without a fee. And if supermarkets were not supposed to be available everywhere, situated as conveniently as that on earth, delivery service would be considered quite essential.
And I don’t suppose everyone has a car, right?
Just when you were thinking these huge, competitive supermarkets here at Olympus Mons would be of no exception – they would really surprise you with a negative answer.
When I first found my apartment with a Tesco within 5 mins of walking distance, I was impressed. Now after several trips to the supermarket trying to carry everything I needed, the 5 minute journey actually felt like 5 years. And so I went to inquire at the Tesco customer service counter, “Do you have delivery service?”
“No.”
“Errr… I don’t mean free. Paid?”
“No.”
Fine. There’s a Carrefour, equally huge, just one metro stop away.
“Do you have delivery service?”
“No.”
“Paid?”
“No.”
Clever.
Nobody would have thought that getting a supermarket to deliver would be so difficult. I wouldn’t mind ordering online if they had one, but ooops, not available either. Carrefour has an online store and they DO deliver when it’s over ¥500 or something, but it’s not available on Olympus Mons (which is considered one of the biggest crater). Sorry.
Ok, so if the oligopolies don’t do deliver, what will happen? You give rise to stores which do.
On a taxi, I saw the advertisement of one interesting website called “yihaodian”(一号店), which is more like a supermarket’s online store which lets you order from a very wide range of household goods and foodstuff, and they DO deliver at a charge, or for free, depending on your total sum of purchase. If you think about niche targeting that actually talks to the need of a certain group of consumers, this service does have its very unique competitive advantage over physical stores, especially for recurring customers who are very proficient with finding what they need through just browsing and clicking. Plus, these guys do COD (cash on delivery just in case you are not an abbreviation junkie)!
OK this was one example of surprises. Now let me quickly share another extreme.
Ikea is well-known for its self pick-up service and they do deliver to your home if you happen to not own a car or have a handyman around. Now on Mars they would ask you to use their empty to pack the stuff and they will deliver to you at roughly ¥60.
Just when I was exiting Ikea’s shopping area out to the cashier through the warehouse one day with a whole cart full of stuff here on Olympus Mons, a guy stopped me and questioned “Miss, do you need help? We can deliver these stuff for you right now.”
“Er… no thank you.” and I walked away.
Oh… wait, actually, maybe I do…
“Who are you?”
“We’re from a logistics company and we can help you shop and we deliver your stuff to your home right after you pay. You can choose to go home yourself and wait for us, or you can come with us so we can give you a lift home too.”
“How much do you charge?”
“$20 more than Ikea for your area, but we will deliver right now, and you won’t have to wait. And we will carry these stuff to your home, it’s door to door.”
Tempting, and I’d heard about this service from a friend already, just didn’t know that it was real.
And so it was. The guy was pretty efficient too, as I gave him a number to pick up something at the warehouse and he knew it was a mirror. Not only did he help me choose a mirror with professional advice, but he also help pack my stuff at check out and nicely folded all the towels.
All these stuff, a whole shopping cart of them as I mentioned, were delivered right to the entrance of my apartment after 30 minutes.
I seriously don’t think you can see this service anywhere, not even at the previous crater I stayed on Mars.
And Ikea obviously knew that these guys operated their own services and recruited customers at their store, because there were a whole bunch of them and you would seriously wonder why they were all present if you didn’t know that they were couriers.
Some guys are simply smarter – this statement is quite universal!
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November 26th, 2009 on 09:52
You should bring a cart when you do shopping in a supermarket.
November 26th, 2009 on 10:21
That’s an idea – maybe i should buy one like the grannies… but now that I found the online store – so much better ^^
November 26th, 2009 on 18:16
Oh, it’s the time you’re waiting for the goods delivery while I was in the airport? What a good service you got! Better than those airlines do, shit….!
November 28th, 2009 on 00:02
Oh yes haha you remembered Richard!
November 30th, 2009 on 03:40
If you were waiting for the departure over 6 hrs at the airport like I did, I think you will never forget this event as well! Shit!!!
Did your friend Gen also get luckily like me? I’ve never ask her so far!
November 30th, 2009 on 11:30
Haha… good one.
About Gen – didn’t hear about any delays, perhaps you can ask her personally when you see her at the gym
November 30th, 2009 on 15:26
Haha… I won’t ask la as I don’t think other ppl will get this kind of LUCK like me used to have in China la!
╮（╯＿╰）╭
November 30th, 2009 on 19:50
Actually you’re probably the only person whom I know has had that many bad experiences LOL
November 30th, 2009 on 20:48
Haha…U right!!!