The Green Market: When I’m home, I love
going to the grocery store. I like looking at the merchandise on the shelves—colors and smells, the packaging, product displays, merchandising approaches. Similarly, I enjoy going to the grocery store when I travel for the very same reasons. It’s also a good reality check on the quality of life for local people. What can they choose from in the grocery? How much do things cost? What U.S. products or European brands also sold in the
U.S. are sold here? When I see nice
packaging, I immediately see where the item was made. Sometimes I find something made at a local factory but perhaps there’s a logo for P&G, Unilever or Kraft discretely on the packaging. It is encouraging when I don’t find this because the product may be a true example of a local success story.

Many stores in transitional countries are very small—perhaps no more than 10 by 16 feet in size. Montenegrins stop at the market nearly every day to buy food for the evening meal and breakfast the next day. As automobile ownership increases, it is changing the way people shop. Automobiles, along with bigger refrigerators, allow people to buy in bulk,
once a week and store their purchases.

Saturday I had a real treat; I went to the local “green” market—similar to a farmer’s market. I love these. Produce is very fresh. It’s wonderfully arranged. There are vivid colors and intense smells. This market included live trout for purchase, truly fresh fish. I saw tubs of green and black olives, churns of soft white cheese in wooden churns, wheels of pungent hard cheese, specked on the outside with mold, and of course smoked meats. Besides produce, there were gardening tools, clothing and household
items—mostly stuff imported from China, and a few
locally made handicrafts, wooden spoons and some knitted items.

I’ll take some pictures on a future trip. This time, I just wanted to soak in the experience. I have included some pictures from a local market near my apartment. The young lady works the evening shift. She doesn’t speak English but she always has a smile. Notice the shelves behind her. They were filled with fresh bread this morning. Now, a few loaves sit, waiting for a customer. When you buy a loaf, the attendant picks up the loaf with an inverted plastic bag so that human hands don’t touch the loaf, that has been sitting in the open. Bread is very good. Nice texture and taste. In the meat cases, you’ll see some smoked sausages and other smoked meats. The plastic sleeves hold cold cuts—one is basically chopped ham for sandwiches (it’s pretty good). The price labels are usually the price for one kg, which is 2.2 pounds.

In the shot of the jams and jellies, you’ll notice Barilla pasta sauce just below. Beyond the paste sauce, on the same shelf, are jars of picked peppers and vegetables. Oh, and don’t forget to look at the packages of instant soups. I start with potatoes, onions and carrots but add a pack of instant soup to shortcut my preparations.

Next to the register are the snack foods, impulse purchases with high margins. The back shelf contains the selection of spirits. Fresh produce sits outside, next to the Coke cooler. The produce selection is limited—apples, kiwi, oranges, lemons, cabbage, onions, potatoes, carrots and sometimes cauliflower. I’ve probably left out something but you get the idea.