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August 5, 2005: Seventy-five years ago, Michael J.Cullen,
opened King Kullen the world’s first supermarket
in Queens, New York. Operating under the slogan “Pile
it high. Sell it low,” the new retail experience
spanned a whopping (at the time) 6,000 square feet in
what was formerly a garage. By the time of his death
in 1936 Cullen had fifteen stores in his chain and the
world had its first real glimpse of food shopping to
come.
Supermarkets grew along with suburbia in the years
following World War II. Now they are found in all areas
of the country, often co-located with department stores
in strip malls, and increasingly around the world. Once
predominantly a U.S. experience supermarkets have begun
infiltrating all regions of the world.
Undercutting Europe’s local grocery stores and
drawing shoppers away from Central America’s open
air markets, their presence is not always a welcome
one. While proponents cite low prices and convenience,
critics blame the supermarket for the disappearance
of the corner market and increasing the dependency on
automobiles.
In the United States supermarkets have suddenly found
themselves in the same position as the local grocer
they displaced so many years before facing a serious
threat from the next big thing -- large national box-stores,
such as, Wal-Mart and Costco. With even greater buying
power and an often nonunion labor force these giant
super centers can offer even lower prices on a whole
spectrum of products from food to clothing all in the
convenience of a single location.
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