Walmart in China

We've visited two malls during my first week here in Jingmen City.  The first one contains a Walmart on the basement level.  The Walmart was really interesting and may require some follow-up posts when Dana gets here.

Anyway, Walmart does not have a whole lot of competition in this smaller than normal Chinese city (2-3 million) from any other western chains. 

The product selection here is far different than the typical Walmart in the states, especially in the food section.    Even the familiar stuff, like Lays chips, have flavors you will not see in the states (at least not in most places).

And if you need a snack of chicken feet (mild or spicy) or some duck tongue - you're good to go.

I found some Chinese chips to try and passed on these.

Mild or spicy flavors - for those who are picky about their feet

There are some familiar brands, but you'll pay more for many of the imported stuff like Milka chocolate.  Some western brands, like Dove chocolate,  have partnered with Chinese companies to make their products here - and those prices tend to be more competitive with the Chinese brands.

The brown sugar section with several shades.

There was an incredible amount of spices in different places in the store.  My translator friend Serina tried to tell me what some of them were that were unfamiliar to me (which would be the majority of them) but it was overwhelming.  Even the familiar ones (salt, brown sugar, sugar) had several different varieties.

A couple of pictures really doesn't do the spices justice - this is a very small portion.

Decorations for the Chinese New Year - coming in mid February!

You can also get rice here, who knew?

It really gets interesting, however, in the fresh food section.  The "seafood" area looks in many ways like a pet store in the USA.  There are aquariums with several different kinds of fish (the large carp bringing back memories from Romania), shellfish, and other critters.

The sign says "American" frogs - only the best baby! #Merica

You will see these turtles in restaurants also - select your own victim meat for your soup.

Another big difference in the China Walmart compared to the USA is the service (one reason I will rarely be seen at stores in the USA).  There are 2-3x as many workers in the store than in the states.  If you need help, you're almost never more than 20 feet away from someone.  And they are incredibly helpful and eager to serve - even for a foreigner with a language issue ;-)  One lady offered a sample natural health drink made from various ground up nuts and sesame seeds.

Health Drink - yeah, it looks terrible but wasn't too bad.

She literally chased us down a couple aisles to give us seconds.  Maybe she was paid on commission?  Either way - she was super nice.  Ok, that's all for now.  Hope everyone had a Happy New Year!