Bread and Butter

Butter (web picture)

I  was rather surprised to learn about the butter crisis. I thought people have given up or reduced this fatty goodness, for dietary reasons.

Well, I was wrong. This item is as popular as ever, and greatly sought after. The public is furious about the shortage which seems to have been going on since last year.
When the shortage spreads, the consumers resort to hoarding which is not a desirable phenomenon. 


Both production and Import are regulated by the state. The two ministries: Finance and Agriculture blame each other for the butter shortage. The solution - some kind of custom free temporary import.

For the last few years, scientists claim that butter is not linked to diabetes, obesity and heart disease. They don't claim that butter is a health food, but that it is not as harmful as first thought.
Anyway, butter improves and upgrades any cooking and baking. For some people, butter is everything, all things.

Butter brings back to me good memories. During winter, my parents used to eat fresh black bread topped with butter (sometimes with a piece of herring), and followed by a cup of tea. It was the greatest delicacy for them.

"Good bread is the most fundamental of all foods and good bread with fresh butter, the greatest of feasts" (James Beard in the Soup and Bread cookbook). So  very true!

Behind The Shelves

There's been a lot of talk lately about empty shelves and spaces, shortage of products - all related to the coronavirus crisis.

That reminds me of things about shelves,  going on all the time, not only during a crisis: let's call them War and Science.

1. "War" among manufacturers regarding shelf space,  as there's a multitude of products versus limited shelfing space.

It seems to me the supermarkets favor the big companies; their products stake up the front.. That's not fair for competition. The shopper has a lot to lose this way; competition is of utmost importance, as it influences prices and quality.

When looking for the products I'm used to buy,  I sometimes notice how the bigger companies just 'swallow' the smaller ones and this process starts on the shelf.    Small manufacturers's merchandise gradually disappears ; later on, I find out that the small company has gone out of business or 'persuaded' to merge with the bigger one.


2. "Science" - planogramming - space planning.

A 'planogram' is a diagram showing how and where a product should be placed on shelves in order to increase customer purchase.
Many supermarkets and pharma stores employ experienced people for this specific job.

Planogramming sounds like a nice job to me. I know there's a lot of software products that help building and reading a planogram. I suppose there's also the possibility of formal training somewhere. It's worth it for those already in the retail business or wishing to join this sort of business.

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