The Wonders of SiMuang Supermarket

When I made the decision to move to Laos, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect in terms of lifestyle and comforts. I had traveled quite a bit and had a general idea of hospitals in the developing world and some experience navigating cultural barriers, but I had never tried to live for more than 3 months in a place as an expat. Would I be able to get toiletries, contact lens solution, English books, DVDs, periodic infusions of Western dishes, and comfort foods? So, when I visited Vientiane 4 months before moving here, I was quite relieved when my predecessor introduced me to Si Muang Supermarket just across the street from my future house. Not only could I buy western staple foods, but I could even get such things as Jif Peanut Butter and Ritz Crackers if I was willing to pay the premium prices. Amazing. I knew at this point that I was going to be just fine in Vientiane. Over the last two years, this market has been my go to place for shopping for everything other than fresh produce. I think one of the reasons the weight has been slower to come off than I had hoped is the fresh-baked bread that appears on the shelves every evening. You can get beautiful loaves of sourdough bread straight out of the oven at 5PM. Awesome!

With such a diverse expatriate community in Vientiane, it is fun to roam the shelves to see what is stocked to cater to every taste. You have the Vegemite and the Marmite for the Aussies and the Kiwis, the Nutella for the Germans, a collection of stinky cheeses for the French, as well as an assortment of foods for the South Asians and East Asians. It is a cornucopia of comfort items from all over the world. Recently, however, some items have appeared that cause us to question the target customer. For example, who really is looking for this?

I, for one have been eagerly awaiting the arrival of a coffee-scented deodorant. Haven’t you?

I have previously commented about Lays’ marketing to the SE Asian population with various seafood flavors, but now Pringles has joined the fun.

My question, though, is who are these are targeted to?

Do SE Asians really dig blueberries and hazelnuts on their bits of overly processed potatoes? Odd.