Last month, I got all excited when my local Auchan started remodeling and expanding their already big store. Wider aisles, they promised. More stuff that you can’t afford to buy, they said. And look! Fifty feet of space of between the aisles and checkout lanes instead of just five! No more shoving yourself and your cart as close to the next customer as possible, and turning sideways so that the poor souls who try to go around the end of the aisle behind you can actually fit!
There are many things that I hate about shopping in France (stores that smell like fish and shopping carts with all 4 wheels that turn are near the top of the list), but waiting in the checkout lane has always been the most stressful part. I will never understand why all stores think that customers don’t need space to wait in line without clogging up the aisles around the checkout area.
By my excitement was short-lived when I returned to Auchan yesterday. The remodeling geniuses decided to push the checkout lanes back so that there is still only 5 feet of waiting space. ::sigh:: Why did you tease me, Auchan? Why did I think you could possibly compete with American stores that actually care about their customers? And seriously, what is the point of all that extra space on the OTHER side of the checkout counters? It sure is useful having all that empty space as I walk out of the store and wish that I never had to come back again.
