Supermarkets

Friday, May 18, 2007

We had an early start at 7:30, and after breakfast we made our usual walk
up to the Business campus for two very interesting lectures: European
Economics Integration by Erik Buyst and Segmentation and Integration in
the World’s Stock Exchanges by Piet Sercu.  However, before even
getting to the lectures we were able to observe the European market in
action as the streets had a new life early in the morning as the local
markets set up just like every Friday here. Everything was for sale,
from flowers in the streets leading up to the square to clothing, beef,
other variations of meat such as skinned rabbit, and organic fresh
fruit, like the tastiest strawberries.

After a quick lunch we began an exploration of different food retailing
formats by visiting an express Delhaize near the city center and a
supermarket format out by the city ring road.  Our goal in each of
these stores was to find any differences from their American
counterparts, as well as look for any innovations, weird products, and
the product that came the farthest distance.  Some of the main
differences that we found were lack of refrigeration for milk and eggs
and the personal scanner checkout system in which the consumer is given
a wireless scanner and as they go around the store they check out their
items as they choose them and pay upon return of the scanner.

We had an earlier than normal end to the day, so there were a few things
that happened later on in the afternoon.  We found out that Professor
Randy Westgren who was traveling with us, had been knighted by the
French government after winning a French academic award.  So we
celebrated at a bar with him in the early evening.  Later in the night
a large Dutch group of bicyclers arrived at the hotel for the night
wearing their black and pink spandex biking uniforms.  They were on a
1400 km bike ride around northern Europe and were spending the night in
Leuven at the same hotel as us.  Overall it was nice to have a little
bit of time for ourselves at the end of the day, and also to learn so
much during the day.

Posted by IBIP Administrator