Hehe. I have noticed that. I once read a paper that was a Marxist critique of such methods. It written in the early 80s I believe, so I don't know how applicable its premises would be today, but it essentially argued that knowledge of the retailers' expectations allows them to be subverted. A recent example of the kind of subversion it prescribed is found in a bestselling book here in the US: In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan. He suggests, in part, that we only buy food from around the outside edges of the supermarket, where the perishables usually are. Thus we avoid buying foods filled with preservatives to extend shelf life (and thus profitability) at the expense of healthfulness. To do so, we often have to navigate the more chaotic, high-traffic, oddly arranged parts of the store. But in return we get to "stick it to the man" a little bit, sharpen our cooking skills, and eat healthier by default.
Hehe. I have noticed that. I once read a paper that was a Marxist critique of such methods. It written in the early 80s I believe, so I don't know how applicable its premises would be today, but it essentially argued that knowledge of the retailers' expectations allows them to be subverted. A recent example of the kind of subversion it prescribed is found in a bestselling book here in the US: In Defense of Food, by Michael Pollan. He suggests, in part, that we only buy food from around the outside edges of the supermarket, where the perishables usually are. Thus we avoid buying foods filled with preservatives to extend shelf life (and thus profitability) at the expense of healthfulness. To do so, we often have to navigate the more chaotic, high-traffic, oddly arranged parts of the store. But in return we get to "stick it to the man" a little bit, sharpen our cooking skills, and eat healthier by default.
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Very interesting article. Thanks for sharing! I'll comment over there.