Sharon Kennedy

The news from Sault Ste. Marie is Meijer’s opened for business last Thursday. A week ago I was one of the first to walk through the front doors into what can only be described as a shopping Mecca. Although not a holy place, the enormity of the store and the vast selection of items to choose from will beckon people of all faiths to make at least one pilgrimage just for the experience.

I’m no shopper. You know that if you regularly read this column, but even I was intrigued by the hype surrounding the new store. I knew I would miss the official “Grand Opening” due to a commitment in Grand Marais so I entered the gates leading to massive consumerism a few days early. I would miss the introductions, speeches, and applause, but that was fine with me because I had the opportunity to meet some of the corporate folks from Grand Rapids who were assessing their new store.

As I strolled down the wide aisles and marveled at the teeming shelves, men in suits asked if I needed assistance in finding anything. I said I wasn’t shopping. I was admiring my surroundings. I praised the bright lights, the pristine floors, the immaculate row upon row of canned goods, and the perfect placement of each item. Every box, jar, can, and bottle stood as erect and proper as a soldier in formation awaiting inspection. The store doors had opened two hours earlier so nothing was out of place on the shelves. If someone put an item in their cart, an employee immediately replaced it. The precision was so exact, I felt like a colonel examining a battalion getting ready for invasion.

I’ve lived long enough to know corporate folks don’t expect unsolicited responses from consumers, but no matter. When I saw the Meijer version of Sgt. Bilko guarding the produce, I asked if he planned to stand at attention all day. He ignored my question, but he did crack a brief smile. I moved past him and examined a half-acre of fresh fruits and vegetables. Well, half-acre might be a slight exaggeration, but only slight. The endless, colorful assortment must have been flown in from the four corners of the earth.

Next I poked my nose into the cheese display and found most of Europe represented. Pastured cows and goats had given their all for Sault Ste. Marie consumers. Whether soft or hard, yellow or white, crumbly or stringy, every cheese you can imagine was neatly packed and stacked and waiting to be plucked from its resting spot and taken home to melt or fry or grate on fresh pasta.

I was late for a breakfast engagement and had no time to browse the rest of the store. On the way to my car, I meet a troop of well-dressed men and women from corporate headquarters. As one unit, they smiled and would have passed by without a word. After all, I wasn’t pushing a shopping cart loaded with merchandise so there wasn’t any point in asking about my shopping experience. I took the lead and asked where the red carpet was. The group seemed surprised.

So-called “bigwigs” are always surprised when a lowly Yooper puts them on the spot. Dressed in my plaid shirt, jeans, and steel toe boots, I looked like a gal who had just come in from chopping wood. All I needed was an ax slung over my shoulder to complete the picture. Anyway, the leader mumbled something about Sunday being the grand opening, and we went our separate ways.

Later that day I got thinking about it and couldn’t suppress a chuckle over the difference between the opening of Meijer’s and the opening of Save-A-Lot. When the latter came to town, I don’t remember any fanfare announcing their arrival. The store was bare bones and looked like a poor relation nobody wanted to acknowledge. Folks snuck in and out as if they didn’t want anyone to know they were seeking bargains. There was a stigma attached to it. I wrote a column a few years ago and said if corporate had called it “Spend-A-Lot” the store would have been packed from day one. It took a few years, but now people proudly walk in and find brand names and well-stocked shelves and freezers, something unheard of when it first opened.

We mortals are a fickle lot. We’re easily persuaded by slick advertising. Like crows, we tend to chase after shiny things and ignore anything dull and uninteresting, unless, of course, we’re oldsters. As children we didn’t grow up being bombarded with daily accounts of the latest trends. We depended upon Mom to pick our outfits for school and special occasions. It never occurred to us to look to new stores for the latest craze in food or fashion. Those of us who grew up on a farm got our food from the barn animals and our sense of fashion from our mother.

Well anyway, I wish Meijer’s success. I guess it’s time for Walmart to take a back seat. After all, they chased K-Mart out of town and forced many locally owned shops to close. In the dog-eat-dog world of merchandising, Walmart will still be thrown a bone. There just won’t be much meat on it.

Editor’s note: Sharon M. Kennedy of Brimley is a humorist who infuses her musings with a hardy dose of matriarchal common sense. She writes about everyday experiences most of us have encountered at one time or another on our journey through life. Her articles are a combination of present day observations and nostalgic glances of the past. She can be reached via email at sharonkennedy1947@gmail.com. In addition, Sharon has compiled a collection of stories from her various newspaper columns. The title of her book is “Life in a Tin Can.” Copies are available from Snowbound Books on North Third Street in Marquette.