Walking into this store is akin to wandering into the land of Narnia after a horrific nuclear war. Vegetation is scarce, signs of life are fleeting and the air has a slightly unnatural tinge to it.
I made the mistake of entering this establishment after walking here from a nearby ATM, after realising that I'd forgotten a couple of ingredients for soup, and that it'd be quicker to go here than walking to nearby Coles or Safeway.
The entrance to the shop from Main Street is decidedly odd. The window is opaque, and there's nothing more there than some trolleys and windswept leaves from long-dead trees. When you get into the store proper it becomes apparent that the interior was last renovated in the mid-80s. Time has not been kind to it.
Fixtures are fragile and dated. The ceiling is yellowing and patchy. The fluorescent lights cast an eery glow over the few humble aisles. Aesthetically, this is not a pleasant place to shop.
Another thing that struck me was the lack of people there. At one point I thought I was the only person present, not just the only customer, but by the time I reached the checkout there was a member of staff working there.
The man who served me was pleasant enough, but a bit dim. He held up the leek I'd bought and said to me, without a hint of embarrassment, "I don't know what this is." I fixed a grin to my face, adopted what I hope was a pleasantly neutral tone of voice and informed him that it was, in fact, a leek. The grin did falter slightly when it took him three minutes to look up the code on his paperwork.
In the event of a zombie apocalypse, I'll probably come here for supplies as everyone else in Croydon will stick to Coles and Safeway. read more
