How many people does it take to run a supermarket?

Reviewed by Heping on Thu, 01/13/2011 - 15:56
Heping's picture Heping
Heping
Joined: Jul 06, 2009
Posts: 14
Review of Olé Supermarket
1

The China World Trade Centre branch of Ole (Formally CRC) is possibly the most bizarre supermarket in Beijing (a well contested title no doubt?). The stock selection policy completely confounds. While the staff outnumber customers often 10/1 there is still always a long line at the sole open checkout. What with the cost of such a prominent piece of Real Estate and the expense of keeping an enormous army of moody and demotivated employees fed and watered, I can only imagine that the whole place is an elaborate social experiment in customer tolerance?

Comments

ilovexiaolongbao's picture ilovexiaolongbao Submitted by Guest on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 09:54

Completely agree. Have been in the Dongzhimen one a couple of times. Absolutely bizarre and got the same experience. Hardly any customers but those that were in there were forced into queue of about 10 each at the 2 open checkouts. Stale bread on the shelves. Yet staff standing around doing nothing.

Everything is horribly overpriced (not surprising when they're utilising prime real estate and employing so many lazy staff).

This organisation is getting it seriously wrong and it will be surprising if they last five more minutes, they must be literally tipping money away.

Biker's picture Biker Submitted by Guest on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 11:04

"Supermarket management & customer service" - I think you've hit a raw nerve with the expat community.

Why do they restock shelves during busy periods, spreading empty cartons all over the aisles? They make me feel like I am imposing on their "busy work" as I try to actually purchase something. Is there some sadistic pleasure attained in making an aisle as inconvenient as possible?

I've also actually witnessed a group of "managers" (in black suits) standing behind the few open checkouts, snickering at the long lines.

Hunger beats me into submission - "This Is China"

Vailbeijing's picture Vailbeijing Submitted by Guest on Fri, 01/14/2011 - 14:02

Of course this a problem throughout the entire "service" industry in Beijing. I have had surly service at Jennie Lu's too, and that after I tripped over scores of employees stocking the shelves during business hours and generally racing around shouting (big surprise there, eh?).

What is giving them all a run for their money is the Market Place supermarket at Solana. As close as I've seen to a real, decent grocery store in Beijing.

Heping's picture Heping Submitted by Guest on Thu, 03/31/2011 - 14:14

So the new China World, Tower Three OLe opened yesterday and I can claim to be one of the (very) few to have visited on this momentous occasion.

And guess what? its worse! The large size of the new supermarket has enabled them to fit even more bizarre stock items onto the shelves. There was no fresh bread in their 'in store' bakery but had I been in the market for some New Zealand Manuka Honey at 180 RMB a pot I would have had a whole isle to choose from!

The very large staff, still amused at milling around a new location seemed to be more engaged than usual, even though I was bumped into twice by different staff members playing a game of 'tag' between the new aisles.

Despite my complaints I like the Ole supermarket, it gives me fond memories of Soviet Era foreign currency stores, where there was nothing useful or desirable to buy and nobody useful or desirable to sell it to you.

Phampius's picture Phampius Submitted by Guest on Sun, 08/25/2019 - 20:52

This reviewer must have had a bad day. I sometimes encounter issues, but I almost always know what and where items are in the store. And the staff are almost always anxious to offer me more help than I need. Plus, I have almost never had slow or deficient service paying. Problems I encounter occasionally have been caused by me. Overall I find it a useful and efficient place to shop.

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