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Comment by goodcanadian | Hacker News Reader

As a non-UK individual that visits occasionally, I would say that is because they are really useful stores: good selection at good prices in a very convenient location. I've never seen anything remotely equivalent in Canada or the US. In North America, the smaller stores either have nothing I want to buy, high prices, or most often, both. Further, it is rare to find the equivalent convenience of a high street shop.

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I live in Chicago and frequently shop at one of the Walmart Expresses that's closing on Sunday. Obviously it doesn't have the selection of a suburban supermarket many times its size, but I've never had a problem buying normal things there. And with the possible exception of Aldi, it has the best prices in the city.

I'm sure it has something to do with being in a big city.

Aldi owns Trader Joe's, where I shop frequently. I LOVE shopping somewhere with only 4 or 5 aisles; so much more convenient than our local Safeway with 15 or 20 aisles that takes ages to walk back and forth as you keep remembering where items are. I can't imagine shopping regularly at a full-size WalMart.

>Aldi owns Trader Joe's

Not quite. They're owned by different branches of the same family.

http://www.slate.com/blogs/browbeat/2013/12/02/aldi_grocery_...

Well, to be fair, I have never really seen a Walmart express let alone shopped at one, but that is part of my point. Near my uncle-in-law's place (greater London area), there are no less than three competing high street grocery stores each with good selection and good prices.

Oh, yes, it's a single thing I miss in North America. Good local stores. I live in major city downtown and need to walk 2km to the closest store. In London, I had local Tesco that had 90% of things I needed daily, and I shopped there a few times a day when passing by. Here, if I forget to buy one thing, it's either a long walk back or do without.

I generally agree. Convenience stores in the US are in a generally lower tier in terms of both quality and selection. Even in fairly dense urban environments, you basically have 7-11, full-fledged grocery stores, and maybe some local ethnic and upscale markets. But there isn't much in the way of chain mini-grocery stores.

In Minneapolis Target is experimenting with "Express" locations. Think of a Walgreens with a fully functional grocery section.

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