One of the characteristics of northern hemisphere civilisations is the consumption of goods and services. It is the basis of trade, business. In a word: capitalism.

The truth of it is even stronger today, more than a decade after the collapse of the opposite system: communism and its planned economy.

Today, giant ultra modern shopping centres are not in France, Spain, or Germany; they are located in Prague, Budapest or Moscow. Often closer to the consumerist universe we’ve been experiencing since the 60’s, they are also the heirs of the American experience. In a word, they are up to date.

But sometimes, few details make us realise we are not in a mall in Los Angeles but in Warsaw.

What did we gain with this standardization? What did we lose in the globalisation? What interest in finding same brands from west to east? In the meantime, why deny to a Russian the right to buy the same Ikea furniture as you?

 

This is SuperMarketWorld. The 2006 Xmas edition.