pjbooks Chapter 156 S-Mart
Chapter 156 S-Mart
April 1, 1989, 9:00 AM.
This was not a pleasant morning, especially for housewives who had to go out and face the "new tax system".
Even though the pantry at home may be overflowing with toilet paper and canned goods bought in advance, fresh vegetables and meat remain an unavoidable necessity. Moreover, in that seemingly massive buying frenzy, only a few people actually leave with their purchases full; most people are left with empty shelves and a bellyful of anxiety.
Da Rong Supermarket Dongda Island Store, Jiangdong District.
The roller shutter door rose amidst the ear-piercing screeching of the motor.
The crowd that had been waiting at the entrance surged into the store like a gray, murky torrent. Most of them were housewives from nearby residential areas, clutching cloth shopping bags, their faces bearing an expression that was a mixture of anxiety and calculation. Yesterday's news had not eased their panic; instead, it had intensified their mentality of "having to grab something before the price increase is fully implemented."
The store manager stood at the entrance, his facial muscles stiffly forcing a smile.
"Welcome! This way, please!"
His voice was quickly drowned out by the cacophony of voices.
Five minutes later, the first argument broke out at the cashier.
"3502 yen?"
An older woman in a faded knit sweater stared intently at the numbers on the cash register screen, her brow furrowed. In her hands were a bottle of soy sauce, a bag of miso, and a few bunches of green onions.
"It was 3400 yen yesterday!"
"I'm so sorry, today is the first day of the implementation of the consumption tax..." The cashier was a part-time college student, with fine beads of sweat on her forehead. Her fingers trembled slightly as she pointed to the sign next to her. "This is the price including tax."
The woman clicked her tongue and reluctantly opened the somewhat worn coin purse.
She poured out a bunch of coins.
100 yen, 50 yen, 10 yen.
She fiddled with the pile of coins with her rough fingers, the metal clanging together with a clattering sound.
I've raised the full 3500 yen.
Two yen short.
She rummaged through the pocket of her wallet for a while, finally pulling out a 5-yen brass coin, which she tossed onto the tray.
"give change."
The cashier took the 5 yen note and took a deep breath.
Change: 3 yen.
He opened the cash register drawer.
The familiar layout of the cash box has changed. To accommodate the large number of 1-yen coins, the company installed a temporary plastic compartment overnight. It's piled high with brand-new, silver-white aluminum coins.
It was just delivered from the bank yesterday, and it had a cold, metallic smell.
The cashier reached out and picked up three light aluminum coins.
Because it was too light, and my fingers were sweaty, a coin slipped out of my hand.
"bite."
It fell to the ground, rolled into the gap under the cash register, and disappeared into the dusty shadows.
"what!"
The cashier instinctively bent down to pick it up.
"Hurry up!" Customers at the back of the line started stamping their feet. "How long does it take to buy groceries?"
"Seriously, can those of you stop dawdling?"
The line began to stir. Some people peeked out, some checked their watches, and the cries of children could be heard among the crowd.
The store manager ran over, sweating profusely, but there was nothing he could do.
The same thing is happening at all the checkout lanes.
Everyone was frantically searching for that damn 1 yen. Everyone was waiting for that pile of loose change.
What should have been a ten-second checkout process was stretched to forty seconds, or even a minute.
The beeping of the cash register became intermittent, like a constipated patient. The air was filled with the smells of anxious sweat, the fumes of cheap fried food, and the anger that festered from waiting.
The entire Darong Supermarket is slowly sinking into a quagmire of aluminum "change" that has already reached above waist level.
In the original historical script, this chaos would at most be a group practice.
The Japanese are masters of patience. They wait for the shop assistants' fingers to become nimble, and for the tedious process to become a habit. Just like countless times in the past when faced with state-imposed changes, everyone tacitly lowers their heads, thinking that as long as they "take a step back," they can always gain "a brighter future." As long as they get through this painful period, everything will return to normal.
However, in this rewritten timeline, that lukewarm forbearance was ruthlessly shattered.
Because right now, right where they can see, lies another completely different choice.
……
At the same time.
Funabashi City, Chiba Prefecture.
S-Mart (Saionji Supermarket) flagship store is located next to National Highway 14.
This used to be an abandoned logistics warehouse, but now it is covered by a huge white exterior wall.
The huge white, softly lit lightbox emitted a calm glow under the overcast sky. Next to the black "S-Mart" sign, a red square logo stood out. This minimalist, restrained, and orderly design contrasted sharply with the colorful and sticker-covered store signs around it, making it stand out and appear sophisticated.
The parking lot was already full, and the guides were waving red batons to direct the vehicles to park in an orderly manner.
The automatic sensor door slides open to both sides.
A warm breeze carrying a faint citrus scent wafted over.
Miyoko Sato pushed the specially made dark gray metal shopping cart, which was one size larger than that of a regular supermarket cart, into the store.
She stopped in her tracks instinctively.
It's so quiet here...
There were no piercing promotional loudspeakers, no shelves overflowing with colorful goods, and no suffocating feeling of overcrowding.
The ceiling above is an exposed industrial style, painted a dark gray, with all the pipes hidden in shadow. As far as the eye can see, there are only countless warm spotlights with a color temperature of 3000K, precisely shining on the merchandise on the shelves.
"This...this is a supermarket?"
Miyoko could hardly believe her eyes.
The floor beneath your feet is made of non-slip micro-cement, as smooth as an art gallery. Unlike those large shopping malls where you can barely squeeze through sideways (I'm talking about you, Don Quixote), the aisles here are surprisingly spacious. Even if two huge shopping carts are pushed side by side, it doesn't feel crowded at all.
She was being pulled forward by an invisible force.
Instead of the usual piles of discounted groceries at the entrance, a colorful fresh produce section immediately caught her eye.
The huge wooden shelves are arranged in a stepped pattern.
Red apples, yellow lemons, green bell peppers… they weren't stuffed into plastic bags, but piled up like small mountains, exposed like at a European market. The spotlights shone on the fruit peels, reflecting an enticing sheen.
This is the display aesthetic that Satsuki learned from Whole Foods in the future – "Freshness Theatre".
Use lighting and displays to create a visual impact, giving customers the illusion that "the vegetables here have just been pulled from the ground."
Miyoko picked up a Hokkaido onion.
The outer skin is dry, the texture is hard, and it carries the fresh scent of earth.
She glanced at the price tag.
Black background with white text, elegant font:
[Hokkaido S-Farm Direct Supply - Pesticide-Free Onions]
50 Yen / each (tax included)
"50 yen?"
Miyoko rubbed her eyes.
In Daiei, onions of this quality would cost at least 80 yen, plus tax.
"So cheap...and the environment is so nice..."
A tremendous, unreal sense of happiness overwhelmed her. Her previously tense nerves instantly relaxed, replaced by an intense urge to buy.
She grabbed five onions and put them in the car.
Continue forward along the spacious main passage.
The circulation design is extremely sophisticated.
This is a typical combination of "forced circulation" and "free exploration". The main passage is wide and straight, leading deep into the space, but on both sides, there are numerous captivating "peninsula-shaped" display areas.
Passing through the fresh produce section, you'll find a huge "condiment wall".
Hundreds of types of soy sauce, vinegar, and mirin are arranged in a rainbow according to their color and bottle height. In front of the wall, there are small island counters.
Packets of curry cubes were placed on the island counter, and right next to them were the potatoes and carrots that I had just seen in the fresh produce section.
Related displays.
Miyoko hadn't planned to buy curry, but when she saw that tempting combination, the image of a steaming hot curry rice for tonight instantly flashed into her mind.
"Since we've already bought the potatoes, why don't we..."
She casually grabbed two boxes of curry cubes.
Further ahead is the daily necessities section.
Instead of cluttered displays, this space utilizes a warehouse-style, three-dimensional display.
Boxes of toilet paper, laundry detergent, and bottled water were piled up to the ceiling, trays still attached. The sheer volume gave a sense of security, suggesting an abundance of supplies and implying a "buy more, save more" mentality.
S-Select Toilet Paper (12 rolls) · 200 Yen
Miyoko didn't hesitate to carry two bags.
Before they knew it, the huge shopping cart was already half full.
Even though she hadn't originally planned to buy so many things, after browsing through her shopping cart, she found that everything was such a good deal and she couldn't bear to put them back.
At the far end of the store, a rich aroma captivated her once again.
S-Kitchen.
This is a completely open food island. Several chefs wearing tall white hats are busy behind the transparent glass wall. Golden croquettes are tumbling in huge deep fryers, and thick-cut hamburger patties are sizzling on the hot plate.
"Freshly baked Hokkaido Baron Potato Croquettes! 50 yen each! Free samples!"
A young shop assistant, carrying a tray, smiled and handed Miyoko a small piece.
Miyoko took a taste.
Crispy on the outside, soft and sweet on the inside, piping hot.
"Give me five... no, ten."
She pointed to the counter.
Here, she felt not like a housewife haggling over 3% tax, but like a lady enjoying life.
The environment here gave her dignity, and the prices here gave her confidence.
Finally, we checked out.
Miyoko pushed her fully loaded shopping cart to the checkout area.
She was prepared to wait in a long line. After all, she had bought so many things.
But to her surprise, although there were people at the checkout counter, the line moved at an astonishing speed.
S-Mart's tranquil and upscale atmosphere, reminiscent of an art gallery, subtly influences each customer's mindset—"Being in such a respectable place, one should also be an elegant and cultured person, and should never be as rude and impatient as one would be in a market."
Under this invisible restraint, coupled with the fact that the checkout speed was indeed as fast as a shooting star, which further accelerated the checkout process, the entire waiting process remained surprisingly quiet.
She pushed the cart over.
"Hello, membership card."
The cashier took the S-Mart membership card from Miyoko and swiped it on the machine.
"drop."
Next, the barcode scanner swept across the goods on the conveyor belt like a machine gun.
"Beep beep beep beep..."
The numbers on the screen jumped rapidly before finally freezing.
Total: 5000 Yen
There are no odd amounts.
All are integers.
"That'll be five thousand yen in total," the cashier said with a smile.
Miyoko's hand instinctively reached for her coin purse.
Although it was the first day of the new tax law, the overwhelming bombardment of television news in recent days had already planted an almost conditioned reflex of anxiety in her mind—"I have to scrape together that 3% change, otherwise I'll be causing trouble for others." This preconceived notion made her instinctively prepare to rummage through those annoying 1-yen and 5-yen coins.
The moment her fingers touched the cold coin, she stopped abruptly.
She looked at the neat "5000" on the screen, then at the few coins she was holding in her hand, and a sense of unreality, as if she were in another world, welled up in her heart.
"Really... only five thousand?"
She couldn't help but confirm it again, her voice revealing a hint of unbelievable surprise amidst the chaos of April 1st.
Oh, right, this store is not only so beautiful and cheap, but it's even tax-free!
"Although GG says it's tax-free, I didn't expect... even the last step would be so straightforward."
"Yes, just as we promised."
The cashier didn't laugh at her habitual action, but gently pointed to the sign next to her that read "Lighten Your Life".
"At S-Mart, you'll never need to rummage through your wallet for that 3% difference."
Miyoko loosened the coins that smelled of metal.
She took out a 5,000 yen bill from her long wallet and handed it over.
"Perfect timing. Thank you for your patronage."
The cashier took the money with both hands and handed over the receipt.
The whole process took less than thirty seconds.
Miyoko pushed her cart out of the store. The cold wind outside blew on her face, but she felt warm inside.
She glanced back at the huge white lightbox.
At that moment, S-Mart was no longer just a supermarket in her mind.
It is more of a... haven.
In this chaotic world of soaring prices and widespread anxiety, it was the only place where she could feel at ease and dignified.
Moreover, in the foreseeable future, she will rely even more on this warm "safe haven".
……