Cheaper it isn’t!

Olga and I are usually shopping in “Woolworth”, which has recently been renamed to “Ermes”. We prefer it to two other supermarkets in Limassol – “Orphanides” and “Chris Cash & Carry”. Both “Chris” and “Orphanides” are bigger than “Ermes” and are boasted to be cheaper by many individuals.

Today, we went shopping to “Orphanides”. It is holiday season and we are a bit short on cash, so we figured – why not. It the second time we visit “Orphanides” recently and it is the second time that I get this idea that it is not cheaper. Before you argue, let me finish.

Product to product comparison will most definetly show that “Orphanides” is cheaper than “Ermes”. But there is more to shopping than just product to product comparison. Choice is important too. “Orphanides” offers a much wider choice of products than “Ermes”. All these products are generously distributed over shelves. Consumers (read: me and Olga) end up walking longer distances, looking at more products with lower prices. All of this leads to the shopping cart being feeled with all sorts of useless stuff. Being overwhelmed by choice and feeling confidence in low prices, people tend to by more. Not only me and Olga, I must say.

Second visit to “Orphanides” showed that two times out of two we have spent more money in “Orphanides” than we did in “Ermes”. We bought things that we have never bought or even wanted to buy. Just because it was there, it was cheap, and we decided to try this and that.

All these leads me to believe that “Orphanides” is not cheaper than “Ermes”. Here, I’ve said it.

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