"Cheap" Attracts

I consider myself lucky to have grown up near Chinatown, the place where my mom frequently went to go buy groceries. Whenever my mom prepared to go, she would make sure to bring my sister and I along, even bribing us by promising “I’ll buy you whatever you want!” so we would help her carry all the bags. Walking through the streets and cramped stores of Chinatown was nothing like going to a supermarket. There were no shopping carts, no such thing as discounts, very little advertising or fancy packaging, and the stores rarely accepted anything other than cash. However, the streets were always full of people, and the stores crowded with customers. I think it was always primarily the cheap prices and wide selection of fresh fruits and vegetables that always attracted people like my mom to Chinatown. It is amazing to think that I can buy a package of bok choy or a pound of apples for probably 1/3 of the price in Chinatown than at Safeway! Sometimes I feel dissatisfied after walking out of Safeway and looking at my receipt, even after all the savings I’ve accumulated with my club card. I can’t imagine life without a Chinatown, a place my family can turn to for reliable cheap prices on fresh food, and void of excessive advertisements on every flat surface. However, sometimes I wonder how the merchants of Chinatown must fare. Do they have to lower their standards of living to maintain such cheap prices? How is it for competition, since there are many other stores selling exactly the same thing? I often see vendors sitting outside behind the stands of fruits and vegetables. Sometimes they will try to convince customers to buy some fruit or veggie by allowing the customer to eat a piece. It's interesting overall to see the different methods of selling food, the different prices, as well as the different quality of food and environments.